I would like to thank Scribner for providing a digital copy of this novel via NetGalley. The Curator is a tale of a revolution told in three parts. There are protests, gun fights, spirits, and cats. Yes, there's plenty of cats. There are chapters that deviate from the narrative format. For example, there is chapter written as part of a play. This story has many layers and does take its time revealing its secrets. Essentially, Dora wants to be the Curator of special museum because she believes this will help her discover what really happened to her brother. The story we are told is that he passed away of cholera. But we are led to believe early on that there's more to the story. This "more to the story" is a slow burn. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the journey. There is a pervading wit and sarcasm throughout the novel that I really enjoyed.

DNF @25%

The plot was interesting and the writing is ok. If you like books with gratuitous amounts of sex and gore, then you might like this. I would rather there be more focus on the actual plot and characters in books like this.

*Full review to be posted closer to publication date!*

The Curator is one of those books that is almost impossible to describe in any short form manner, so I won't attempt to do that. Instead, I'll tell you that if you're looking for a book with a lot of really unique ideas and that will stray as far away from 'predictable' as possible, then you should check out The Curator. I really enjoyed the unique narrative voice and getting to explore this world. I found myself a little confused at times and my attention did waver at times because of how odd or complex some things were, but overall I thought this was a pretty fun story to read.

"From New York Times bestselling author Owen King comes a Dickensian fantasy of illusion and charm where cats are revered as religious figures, thieves are noble, scholars are revolutionaries, and conjurers are the most wonderful criminals you can imagine.

It begins in an unnamed city nicknamed "the Fairest", it is distinguished by many things from the river fair to the mountains that split the municipality in half; its theaters and many museums; the Morgue Ship; and, like all cities, but maybe especially so, by its essential unmappability.

Dora, a former domestic servant at the university has a secret desire - to find where her brother went after he died, believing that the answer lies within The Museum of Psykical Research, where he worked when Dora was a child. With the city amidst a revolutionary upheaval, where citizens like Robert Barnes, her lover and a student radical, are now in positions of authority, Dora contrives to gain the curatorship of the half-forgotten museum only to find it all but burnt to the ground, with the neighboring museums oddly untouched. Robert offers her one of these, The National Museum of the Worker. However, neither this museum, nor the street it is hidden away on, nor Dora herself, are what they at first appear to be. Set against the backdrop of a nation on the verge of collapse, Dora's search for the truth behind the mystery she's long concealed will unravel a monstrous conspiracy and bring her to the edge of worlds."

Eastern European in scope and mythmaking.

Dora, a former domestic servant at the university has a secret desire—to find where her brother went after he died, believing that the answer lies within The Museum of Psykical Research, where he worked when Dora was a child. With the city amidst a revolutionary upheaval, where citizens like Robert Barnes, her lover and a student radical, are now in positions of authority, Dora contrives to gain the curatorship of the half-forgotten museum only to find it all but burnt to the ground, with the neighboring museums oddly untouched. Robert offers her one of these, The National Museum of the Worker. However, neither this museum, nor the street it is hidden away on, nor Dora herself, are what they at first appear to be. Set against the backdrop of a nation on the verge of collapse, Dora’s search for the truth behind the mystery she’s long concealed will unravel a monstrous conspiracy and bring her to the edge of worlds.

I so wanted to love this book, but I didn't. Its elements promise a good read—thieves, scholars, rebels, cat worship!

Unfortunately, my experience reading the book was similar to my experience when I read J.K. Rowling's The Ickabod: the narrative voice, determined to signal "story" kept me at a remove from the action and characters. It doesn't open with "once upon a time," but it might as well have. I felt as if I was being treated like an eight-year-old.

I'm really not sure of what I think about this. It feels like it is trying very hard to be Dickensian and Weird Fiction at the same time, but it takes something like sixty percent of the way through for the story to decide what it wants to commit to whether it was just going to be esoteric or if it wanted to have a whole big plot to it. Like, the way the cats are woven in here, I really like. It just feels too long by half, and like we're watching the author's real time decision about what he's going to do with this manuscript. Just not for me, personally.

Thank you NetGalley and Mr. King for the opportunity to review "The Curator." "The Curator" was placed in many different genres, one being horror. Though for me it is a book of magical realism more than anything. Mr.King takes us on a journey through a world that brings the reader images of old England, yet is woven with magical worlds. I found several of characters very heartwarming, and found myself cheering them on. The story dives into the question of human darkness. I found it a delightful read.

I honestly did not finish this one. I was so clueless about what exactly was going on by about 35% in that I felt like I could not give this one any more of my time and attention. While the premise seemed interesting, I felt like it was poorly executed and I did not find what I read interesting or enjoyable

Set in a fantasy-type city recently recovering from a government overthrow by the people (who, mind you, worship cats), I was immediately drawn to this interesting premise.

What I ended up feeling was bait-and-switched. Really what this delivered was an odd slice-of-life type novel that at times felt like Dosteyevski got hammered and wanted to play around.

With so many characters, so much bouncing around and so many throwaway events, I quickly became confused about what the actual plot was, and I still don't really understand where the story went.

I will say this; it was written well, and I really was rooting for D and her exploits to grab me and bring me along. Rather it felt like I was dragging an anchor uphill for 400 pages.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I really liked this book. Love Owen King's writing style and storytelling abilities. The first half of the book was definitely a slow build up, with good character development. But then there was a moment about halfway through the book where I went "oh sh*t!", and it was at that point the story really took off for me. I finished this book last night and (writing this review the following morning) it left me wanting to know more: about the other place, and Ike, and D. Suffice it to say that this story lingers (in a very good way).

This book caught my interest immediately; curious though it was. Is it a fairytale, a sci-fi novel, a dystopian look into the future, or just a what if that addresses what could happen if a civil war broke out? There aren't any heroes in this story; only survivors or victims or perpetrators. And I found this off putting. I didn't exactly dislike this book, but neither did I love it. I just found it much too confusing. And because of that I can't really recommend it.

I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. The pace is pretty slow and went for a long time without seeming like much of anything was happening. I never hated or struggled while reading it, but I didn’t really get anything from it either. I do think it may do better as an audiobook, I can see it being easier to just sink in and go with the flow that way.

Note: ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for honest review.
3 stars

Owen King crafts quite the universe. This was a pleasure to enjoy as King gives back story and social elements to this world — and it’s one I would gladly revisit.

Fantastic world building and I loved all the cats. You will never look at your cat the same after reading this book.

If you’re looking for a story about a fantastical city, cats doubling as religious figures, and characters leaping off the page and into your reality, refusing to remain merely two-dimensional, this book and all the charm that it entails is for you.

It’s going to take you a minute to get acclimated to the world, to its environment. Don’t get frustrated, and don’t give up. This is a book that’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey. Navigate it slowly; take in the scenery; enjoy the company. Reading this one is a rewarding endeavor. It’s magically delicious, and its literary devices will delight your senses, if you let them.

I absolutely adored every page, every inch of it, and I’m beyond thrilled to share it with everyone. This isn’t simply a book for you to read, it’s a gift to unwrap carefully and treasure always. Books like this one don’t come around every day. Seize this day, and seize the opportunity to place it lovingly upon your shelves. Just the memory of it will bring you joy for years to come.

Enjoy!

This really wasn't my thing. I really didn't like/had no really connection with the characters, and the story felt so disjointed that I couldn't even really wrap my head around it. And, don't get me wrong, I love me some tangled messy plots, especially when it all slowly pieces together and you see how it all connects, but this was tangled/convoluted in a way that made my head hurt. Overall, not a fan, but my library will definitely still be getting copies of this because, you know, Stephen King's son.

Thank you Owen King, Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I take any ARCs I get very seriously, and I never request one I don't think I will thoroughly enjoy, unfortunately I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around it. I will probably give it another go at a later time but for right now I need to put it on pause.

I can hang through an intricately tangled plot-scape with the best of them, and wait patiently as the pieces and story lines intersect only to ricochet apart from each other again and again, so this wasn't a difficult story to follow. And still, I found myself only half interested in some of the characters and caring nothing at all for the rest of them and waiting to see who would eventually get an appt with the Captain next door...

Dora, ok, not the heroine of my dreams. Barnes, worthless. Ike, loved, needs his own book. The villain, good guy/bad guy we never really understand how the whole magical place comes to be and why, not convinced. The captain next door, what the actual f**k? Those weird twin sisters, why? The bar maid and her ridiculous husband, ugh. The tram driver, the dog trainer/keeper, the dog keeper's wife .... need I go on? I could, there's plenty more, oh and the cats - that's a story all by itself.

So while the events meandered through this city that was very much how you might picture Victorian England, I didn't hate it. There's a specific reader out there that will adore this book and the brutality of life during revolutionary and magical circumstances.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc, this is my honest review.

Disclaimer: Received this as an advance reader copy via Netgalley and Scribner (Thank you!!!)

Not my cup of tea. Try as I might and as much as I wanted to like this latest novel by Owen, son of Stephen, I just could not get into this book. I felt no connection to the characters and the overall storytelling felt disjointed.