This is sci fi for those readers who can visualize the characters and the communities they inhabit while following their actions and consequences. It is not light reading, nor is it the layered buildup of the first book in a series that most of us are used to. Many readers will be drawn to the title by Keanu Reeves name on the cover but more importantly, China Mieville has added to his library of weird fiction. His writing style includes elements of every genre, which is evident in THE BOOK OF ELSEWHERE. The main character in Elsewhere is B, a man unable to remain dead. His life lacks emotion because he has no fear of dying. Take that premise and expand it to outliving everyone you could ever know and you'll better understand this story.

Now, back to Keanu. I've read many of his Bzkr titles and this book fits alongside them. In the interviews I have seen in which he talks about his stories, Reeves has the world and characters fully developed, he just has to translate them to the printed page. The man is an artist in so many differing media, it's astounding that he's know best as a pretty face. As a well known celebrity, it's clear he's not limited by our perception of him. Give him credit for teaming up with the brilliant China Mieville.

I really tried to get through this book but it was overwritten and almost impossible to get through. I switched from the ebook to audiobook as the writing was connecting to read. I hoped the full cast narration would make the experience more accessible. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I’m sure that those of us who read this book because it was written by Keanu pushed through more than most. It’s hard to tell where the disconnect happened between the two authors, but it isn’t a combination that should be repeated!

There were whispers about the soldier who couldn't die, and he's very much real. B would love to be able to die, and a US black ops group promises they can help him do that. When a mortal soldier comes back to life, it's soon clear that there are more powerful forces at work in the world, and it has a plan of its own.

Yes, you read that right. Actor and singer Keanu Reeves is also a writer. The style of writing here is very similar to China Miéville's other work, with shifting viewpoints and timelines. B was once Unute, a tribal child who was the warrior their peaceful people needed. We are introduced first to the warriors that he fights with now, as well as the disaster of a suicide mission that everyone is too reluctant to discuss. The remnants of the team were commissioned to work elsewhere and had been deemed expendable, but one comes back after being dead. On top of this, B isn't the only creature coming back from the dead.

It was a little difficult for me to get into the text of the story at first, as there are varied viewpoints. The switch from third to second and back to third point of view takes a little getting used to, but it's easier if you're paying closer attention, especially in the beginning. The world is familiar yet not, so these early chapters have to do a lot of heavy lifting to really get you into it. Once you're used to the style of writing, the story flows more easily.

B is distant, likely from emotional necessity, and doesn't easily discuss problems or issues that he might have. There's a lot of history for him to sift through, complicating things for those who want to understand him. On top of that are other forces that followed him for centuries, trying to put an end to death, taking out any potential allies he has in order to stop him for good. This creates an almost cultlike status for the opposition and difficulties for the military personnel tasked with working with him and understanding him. Amidst the violence is a philosophical question about death, life, change and family. As B tries to find meaning and purpose, hopefully, you will, too.

An intriguing new read about a warrior who is unable to die but has come to the point where he would like to. He has lived through countless civilizations and dealt with more types of people the you can count. He is now in present day and has been offered the prize of death if he will just help out with one mission. During the mission one of the humans comes back to life and now he needs to figure out how this happened and who or shat caused it. Death is no longer the option until the mystery is solved. Dive into this intriguing read and be thrilled by what it has.to offer.

More compelling in theory than execution, but never altogether boring, thankfully. Miéville writing new fiction is a must-read event every single time, and this is no exception - a story that's characteristically convoluted and chock full of genre-fuckery that has the good sense to get in and get out while the getting is good. It's not entirely clear to me what Keanu's contribution to this was without further context, but this is a decent new China Miéville novel, and it's very hard to complain about that - the floor on something like this is quite high. Excellent prose, good story, could probably use fleshing out a bit but I'm glad it doesn't overstay its welcome.

B or Unute is a semi-immortal. He can receive grave wounds and even die, but never for long. Expanding into full print from the comic series BRZRKR, Keanu Reeves and China Miéville present an adventure where Unute searches for a way out of his eternal life, while a secretive governmental organization learns all it can from him on their quest to create the perfect soldier while other parties and factions circle, looking for their own gains. Like in the comic series, the main character fights in a blue lighting hazed fugue state where he remembers nothing of what occurred but frequently comes back to himself surrounded with gore and death.

The Book of Elsewhere begins in violence as on of B's teammates attempts to assassinate him. From their the book looks to solve what motivated the assassin and why a recent mission that resulted in casualties seems to suddenly have a survivor.

It's a decent adventure that centers its momentum on the question of how would one 'blessed' with immortal life function? The narrative blocks exploring the present day mystery alternate with periods from Unute's past, often narrator by other witnesses. There is a lot of teasing with the bits and pieces Unute mentions in passing conversation presenting a far different past than what has been revealed by the scraps that survivor time, but aside from the tantalizing alternate history, much more is focused on finding out who's after Unute this time.

Recommended for fans of gore filled horror, gods versus mortals or heroes journeys.

Set in the new Brzrkkr universe, The Book of Elsewhere takes you through an exciting journey across time and space about a character with complex dilemmas as a man unable to die. While the prose may take some time to get used to, it’s a book that merits slow and meticulous reading to truly appreciate the paragraphs and dialogue.

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves; China Miéville was obtained directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read the comics this book was kind of based on but hopefully they were easier to read than this. At first I thought I was the only one lost, but I see other reviewers were also, with the big words and overly pretentiousness (is that a real big word)? The storyline was good enough but just the writing was hard for me.

Reading this is like watching an action film. Stylistically, this is so different from other books I typically read, so it definitely took me a little while to figure out what was going one, but I did ultimately enjoy it. Especially if you're a Keanu Reeves fan, you should check this out!

The Book of Elsewhere is a collaborative science fiction adventure by China Miéville and Keanu Reeves. Released 23rd July 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a trippy, cerebral, often very -odd- SF/fantasy/mystery mashup and feels very experimental both thematically and stylistically. Miéville has the chops to pull it off, but readers who are coming to the read because Keanu wrote it, and have zero prior familiarity with Miéville's often bizarre and (possibly overly) cerebral style will probably be stymied. It's emphatically NOT an easy comfort read.

In a way, it's a sandbox collaboration and ties into the BRZRKR comics world. B is a universal soldier, undying, and deeply tired and wants to be able to die. Black Ops government agents promise to help, but he has to help them first. There are layers upon layers of story, and it's not easy to try to read this book without any familiarity with the tie-ins, background, and without some willingness to dig deeper into the underlying philosophy.

Four stars. Definitely not an easy weekend read, but deep and rewarding of the considerable effort required. Whether the effort is worth the reward will vary a lot individually.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have to say I was not familiar with Reeves’s BRZRKR comic book series about an immortal warrior that was the inspiration for this book, but after reading The Book of Elsewhere I may have to check it out. Now lets get this out of the way right from the start. I have no doubt that a lot of people are going to want to check this book out simply because they’ll see the name Keanu Reeves on the cover. And I’ll admit that most definitely got my attention. But people should also pay attention to the other name on there cover: China Mieville. Because make no mistake this is every bit a Mieville novel as anything else I’ve ever read from him. And this is where I think some that check out The Book of Elsewhere will run into trouble, or perhaps disappointment. Not because there isn’t a good, thought provoking story here, because there definitely is, but rather because of China’s unique writing style. Even though I’d read several of China’s books in the past, it had been a while and I had forgotten how jarring his style can be. I’m honestly not even sure how to describe it, though I had a friend who had bored one of my books and she put it this way. ‘I can’t read this. I feel like I’m back in school being forced to read Shakespeare.’ She meant it as a joke of course, but I knew what she meant. This is not relaxed, easy reading, not a beach read, or something you can read as you drift off the sleep. (At least I can’t.) No, when you read one of China’s books, you need to focus, pay attention or you might find yourself lost and confused, rereading the same paragraph multiple times in a row without even realizing it, lol. That’s just my longwinded way of saying, China makes you work for it, and for some that may well be a turn off. 3.5 stars I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Book of Elsewhere.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3J99R8ASK8PSH/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

A dark and beautiful tale of Death and Life, an amalgamation of the world’s belief systems and histories with military sci-fantasy and horror sensibilities. Action packed and smart, this gory exploration of divinity and mortality is a real trip. I think you’ll love the sweeping timeframe, the philosophical musings, and the bloody machinations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

High level science fiction. Somewhat dense at points. Found it hard to want to go back and finish the book at times.

Very horror mystery centered and plot heavy. Not something I'd recommend to a casual reader.

What made me want to finish was the point that I love Keanu Reeves.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC!!!

When one of your favorite actors and authors collaborate on a book together- YOU READ IT!! Keanu Reeves and China Miéville take you a cerebral roller coaster in “The Book of Elsewhere.”

The story is about a character known as Unute, or "B" to the people closest to him in the present day.
“B” is 80,000 years old and he cannot die! To be exact, he dies many times but can come back to life.. He agrees to work with a covert U.S. military unit, but when a mortal soldier is brought back from the dead, Unute is plunged into a mystery involving his very long past, a death-defying cult, an immortal deer-pig, and the secret at the very core of his power.

This book was all over the place and I loved every minute of it!! I didn’t grasp everything that was going on but I believe it was meant to be that way! Reeves and Miéville give you a lot of gut-punching “whoa” moments that mess with your head! The story felt like an adult comic book! I thought it had a unique view of immortality and a complex slow burn.. If you’re into weird fiction, then this book is for you!! This book certainly won’t be for everyone, but give it a shot!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

The prologue and first chapter were 2 prologues in one. The next chapters held too any secrets close to the chest, including character's name. After 3 chapters of this the pace was ruined for me. I appreciate not giving away every secret up front but to hold back names for that long doesn't create the ambience of mystery around the character but frustration when combined with all the other mysteries were attempting to uncover. I loved the concept but the writing and unraveling of plot made it hard to love this as I wanted to love it.

China Miéville is probably one of my three favorite working authors. As a Goodreads review I saw said, when Keanu Reeves gets a ghostwriter, he <I>gets a ghostwriter</I>. So this was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and when I started reading and also realized it was an "Immortal People [and Pigs] Doing Stuff" novel I was primed to love it.

I can't say it quite lived up to my expectations - but then, how could it? I didn't love it, but I still liked it a lot. It's certainly unlike any other Miéville novel, and I find myself wondering what the division of labor was like between him and Keanu (gut instinct: Keanu laid out the outline of the present-day story and Miéville did the actual writing, and there are a lot of interstitial bits dealing with episodes from our Immortal Person's deep past that feel like they could be pure Miéville. But that's pure speculation.)

I suspect that a lot of people will be frustrated with the book, especially if they just go in based on Keanu's name. The plot, such as it is, takes forever to get going and doesn't necessarily even resolve, and the prose is purple as all hell. The literary equivalent of John Wick this ain't. But while it is unlike any other Miéville novel, stylistically and subjectually, there's a lot of cool and unique and ambitious things to be found in there that make me glad I read it.

The combination of two very imaginative and unique authors created a bit of magic that transported me from the tortures of reality, into something completely unique.

***ARC received from Random House Ballantine - DelRay and NetGalley, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

How delightful to read a book written by Keanu Reeves. I didn’t read any of his previous works nor have I read anything by China Mieville so I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into. It is described as weird fiction and that definitely fits this book.

I will admit for about the first 20% of the book I was incredibly lost. You just get kind of forced into the story with little explanation on what is going on and who is who. This could be a struggle for anyone and for a good part of the first book I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a book for me. But I stuck with it and I’m glad that I did because once I got into it I found it very much a page turner and read it in two days. But I don’t fault anyone for giving up because its a lot.

The book is broken up into two main sections, the current and the past. The past are probably the most cryptic parts of the book as you get more backstory on B. I found the sections probably the more difficult to read since they are incredibly cryptic and at times felt like they were a little over written with difficultly understanding what was going on. For all the confusion these sections do play a part of the sections of the book that are the current parts. They flesh out the backstory of those sections.

It is the other section that has a lot more of the action and a lot more characters. These chapters are much easier to read and really helped to carry the story. There is a lot of action in these chapters that balances out the more cryptic prose of the past set chapters. It also helps to keep this part of the book moving along while you will have to slow down on the past chapters. I liked the more scientific aspects as we see how scientists respond when giving the opportunity to mess around with literal life and death.

B was an interesting character, tired of his existence yet still out searching for answers after so much time. There is also a fascinating interaction with a pig, yes a pig and as skeptical as I was at first on those it was an interesting look at what would happen if immortality was cast upon a creature with limited capacity to understand why.

This book is certainly not for everyone. The writing at time can be all over the place, dense and boring, philosophical and simple. You aren’t getting a straight forward science fiction or fantasy or action book, its a bit of a mash up that strains strongly against the boundaries of each genre until it bleeds over into its own strange take of each. It feels like very much what I would expect from the mind of someone like Keanu Reeves. If you can stick it out and just let the book take you along for the strange ride you will enjoy yourself. I certainly did.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was thoroughly intrigued by this book, and it was truly unlike anything I have ever read. The writing style is such that you are reading a graphic novel. That is, your mind processes and narrates the illustrations in real time while simultaneously reading and interpreting the dialogue and onomatopoeias. The Book of Elsewhere is written in this manner, and it took some time for me to acclimate.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed, violent thriller involving themes of military, mythology immortality/mortality, time shifting, and questioning the meaning of life.

If you enjoy graphic novels and thrilling, mind-bending comic books like BRZRKR, definitely move this unique collaboration between two great artists to the top of your TBR list.

#TheBookofElsewhere #KeanuReeves #ChinaMiéville # RandomHousePublishing #Ballantine #NetGalley #Thriller #Action #SuspenseThriller #AdultFiction #SciFi #Fantasy

A story inspired by the BRZKR comic books. This is a fantasy story that follows various POVS and is definitely on the unique side. Unfortunately for me I found myself getting lost in the plot and found it hard to follow along with the actual story. The story felt all over the place and it was hard to get invested in the characters. I really wanted to like this but it felt so out of place and it just felt like it didn't really know what story it wanted to tell. Maybe if you like vary complex fantasy stories this one could be for you, however this one just missed the mark with me.

Release Date: July 23,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*