I admit up front that I requested this because it was written by Keanu Reeves and I was curious to see what he had to offer. And I figured that working with China Mieville would steer him to a good tale. Regrettably, I was wrong. They lost me early on - I couldn't connect or indeed figure out what was happening. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I DNF but I'm sure there are others out there who will really enjoy it.

The Book of Elsewhere is a science fiction novel inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.

As in BRZRKR, we follow "B" - a demigod who cannot die, currently working with a government secret task force while searching for answers to his existence. While we also follow the 2 government agents working alongside B, The Book of Elsewhere is less character-driven and focuses more on the mystery of B's godlike abilities and how it is related to another soldier who miraculously comes back to life.

I would classify The Book of Elsewhere as 'weird science fiction' and a military thriller. There are horror aspects as well. I really enjoyed some of B's flashbacks throughout history. This is written in a very unique style, and each character's differences are portrayed in how their POV or reflection is written. There are sometimes long paragraphs of reflection that can contain run-on sentences (meant to emphasize the stream of conscious thinking). I believe the writing style is the most challenging aspect of this novel. It was difficult to read and understand at first, but I was surprised with how quickly I adapted to it. I was hooked on the mystery and found myself wanting answers as much as B.

The story, told from our main character POV's, with interlude-style flashbacks from various characters, is fast-paced and thrilling, with poetic prose that reflects on the meaning of life and death. I would recommend this for weird sci fi and military thriller fans, and of course, fans of the comic books. I really enjoyed my time reading The Book of Elsewhere and gave it 3.75 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC.

For obvious reasons, we *all* requested this book from Netgalley, amirite?

I love science fiction and I've enjoyed books by China Mieville (Perdido Street Station) but this one eluded me, for the most part. I found it more difficult than usual to become absorbed in the story. I felt removed from the text, as if I were observing myself reading it and wondering if I was understanding it. It's not you, Keanu, it's me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

DNF at 20%. I went in knowing this could be odd and take some time to get into, I could never get into a good rhythm with it and wasn’t really following what was going on. The writing is very descriptive and some people may like the dark vibes this offers,

This story was definitely a TRIP. Based off the graphic novels of Reeves (BRZRKR etc.), which admittedly I have not read, we follow some characters I was unfamiliar with. But I mean, that is the case for most other books, isn't it? If sci-fi, military books are your jam, give this one a read. Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for this ARC. This drops July 23, 2024!

If you enjoy unusual and very different military thrillers and science fiction, then The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville may be the book you’ve been wanting to read. Legends tell of a warrior who can’t be killed. In this story, he’s known as “B” and he wants more than to kill and to die and come back to life repeatedly. When a dead soldier comes back to life, B wonders if there’s another with similar abilities to his own.

While I enjoy both military thrillers and science fiction, this one didn’t quite live up to its potential. The authors have written a novel that is stylistically different. However, it didn’t quite work for me. The writing style felt uneven and unfocused at times which adversely affected the flow and made it harder to follow. It’s non-linear and contains graphic violence at times. Unfortunately, only three of the many characters have any depth to them. Despite this, it has a great premise and is thought-provoking. The prose is also poetic at times and the worldbuilding is excellent.

Overall, this is a unique and fascinating novel that captures the imagination.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine – Del Rey, Keanu Reeves, and China Mieville provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be July 23, 2024.

I really enjoyed this book and think you will if you like speculative fiction. The format of present day and flashbacks worked really well here. The writing was at times, beautiful, and at times so descriptive it turned my stomach and both those things worked to make the story catch the reader’s attention while they’re still working out the world and stories. Highly recommend.

This is an interesting book but I don’t think it’s for me I was kinda confused as to what was going the concept is interesting will read again and hopefully I fully grasped it lol

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. It began with violence and then meandered through a few more chapters before the story took hold and I enjoyed it. It’s hard to compress 80,000 years into one book but the authors do a fine job of telling a thrilling and engaging story. I loved learning about B and his struggles with immortality and found that he was an endearing character I would like to see appear again.

3 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4 stars. Because that's how rounding works.

I've noticed that other reviewers have claimed a lack of readability on the part of this new collab novel by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville. In truth, I only noticed that in the first chapter, where an elite unit of soldiers get their guts blown out of their bodies. The writing was stilted and staccato, almost a match to the carnage it described. I did not find this writing in quality, as the next chapter, which jumped place and time, was written with an eloquent touch.

This book has got to be one of the strangest I have read this year. It's based off the graphic novels of Reeves, such as BRZRKR, Volume 1, (currently up on Netgalley!) about an immortal warrior, Unute, who may or may not be the personification of Death. Having been around 80,000 years, let's just say that Unute is a tad bit lonely and has questions about his origin and purpose. There's a babirusa pig, also immortal, that has been tailing him for the last 78,000 years. And currently, a super-secret government team that's trying to splice him to create super-soldiers.

I enjoyed the book much more that I thought I would, and especially liked the interlude stories, of characters such as the Stowaway or the Doctor or the Wife, people with whom B had come into contact with and change the story's perspective in small or large ways.

Overall, this is a win for me. I'm going to delve into the graphic novels next. Thanks Netgalley, et al!

DNF at 10%. I simply couldn't force myself to read any more tormented, hypermasculine wartime antics. Very disappointed considering I love both China Mieville and Keanu Reeves.

This was a very interesting book, I'll be honest. Overall I didn't love it. I was bored for half of it, and like the whole God aspect sometimes had me confused. I also felt sometimes it had too many characters I had to keep up with. Like I said, I didn't love it, I didn't hate it either.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for the ARC!! I loved this book and thought the characters and story were well written. I will be recommending this to others.

Thank you Net galley for the free ARC. I was really looking forward to this, having loved the City and the City and Railsea. Unfortunately,this was beyond me. I think it might have helped.if I had some knowledge of the BZRKR comic,.oh well.

This book was awesome! I wasn't sure at first as the prose is very poetic and difficult to understand at times but I found when I would go back and re read things later I would understand it much better. You need to wait sometimes to understand what had been happening in tge story, and I enjoyed that. The character B was well done. What would a man be like after being Alive for 80k years? Very patient, good at what he does and has lived so many different lives. There would be side stories told by people who had met him during his life which were really my favorite parts. What other people saw in this immortal man during his life. Some were lovers, some enemies, and everything in between. The character felt fleshed out and three dimensional. I would highly recommend this book to fans of the comic and action films. There is a lot of mystery and I hope they do more with the character in the future. The voices of the writers mesh well together, and I found myself thinking about this book quite a bit after I wad finished.

I enjoyed this, but I’m worried it’s not going to find the right readers who will love it. I’m worried Keanu Reeves movies fans are going to pick this up, and it’s not the most accessible speculative fiction work. And then on the other hand, China Miéville fans might pick it up, and especially at the beginning, the premise seems super pedestrian (a supersoldier who is pretty much invincible is part of a team with regular, mortal soldiers). So you start out the book with a fairly lowbrow story but with highbrow writing, and I think lots of folks will abandon this after the first chapter or two.

I do think this is worth sticking with for weird lit lovers: the story grows much more complex over time, and when you’re about a quarter of the way through, it really gets interesting with lots of smaller narratives weaving into the story of Unute. There is very little telling and lots and lots of showing, and the authors haven’t made this one easy to digest. But I think it’s worth it, and I’ve found myself telling kind of a lot of people about this book even if I’m not sure they’ll love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House!

"The Book of Elsewhere" is a compelling blend of action and philosophy that stands out in the sci-fi genre. Reeves and Miéville have created a unique story that explores immortality and its consequences.

The writing is vivid and engaging, balancing intense action sequences with thoughtful introspection. B's character is well-developed, and his struggle with eternal life is both fascinating and relatable.

While the plot can be challenging to follow at times, patient readers will find it rewarding. The novel raises intriguing questions about existence and mortality that linger after the last page.

For fans of unconventional sci-fi and thought-provoking narratives, "The Book of Elsewhere" is a must-read. It's a fresh take on immortality that keeps you guessing until the end.

This book has been a challenging read for me. On a positive note, I did enjoy the story and characters enough to read the entire book. On the downside, the writing style changes so much throughout the novel. It begins with the simplest of prose that would offend even the youngest reader but halfway through transitions to the dryness of a nonfiction science book. I was left with reading whiplash after the changes in tone and character view points that were poorly called out. The book is worth reading, but unfortunately it was such a chore to read the book once that I do not think I will ever do so again.

The Book of Elsewhere was a fantastic sci-fi book, and it was definitely not an easy read. I had to pause while reading multiple times just to stare at a wall and process everything, but ended the book absolutely obsessed with it. I desperately need this made into a movie that stars Keanu Reeves as Unute.

Thank you for the opportunity of an eARC, and I am leaving this review willingly.

"The watcher glimpsed spine through the burned cave where the man’s chest had been. Saw the motion of innards, like fish troubled by light."

I am a HUGE China Miéville fan. When I heard about this novelization of Keanu's BRZRKR I screamed with joy. China Miéville is the perfect co-author for this project. Reading his work is like written anime. His writing is a lifeform apart from the story. For example, if Aeon Flux or Kill Bill vibe could be showcased by a artist verbally that would be a bland comparison to Miéville's style. Frankly I feel bad even trying to make a comparison because there is nothing that truly compares to his writing. He is the king of top-shelf weird, a complex verbal wordsmith. He's a mad linguistic genius. If you cannot visualize what you're reading or if you just plainly want the story then this author won't be for you. He is a master of verbiage. You have to be able to slowly read, think and savor his words. You cannot rely solely on reviews to decide whether you will read this or not either. It's a whole experience and not every reader will "get it".

The Book of Elsewhere is, in short, an intelligent, challenging, magnificent display of gore with a thought provoking journey attached. It's an instant cult classic in my opinion. I could not have asked for better. I am the target audience for this book and it hit it's mark. Bravo gentlemen. I've already bought tickets to an event, a signed copy and a Waterstones exclusive edition. This was a joy to read and a nice break from other basic books.

“I kill and kill and kill again,” he said. “And the truth is, I would like to rest or, and, to do something other, other than kill that is, or at least to have the choice so to do, but no, the killing always comes back and overtakes me. And sometimes, not frequently but many times over the course of my life, I die. And it hurts. And it is a bloody business. And I feel every blow. Every cut through flesh. I feel the scorch and blast of every bomb. “And then I come back."