Simantov

by Asaf Ashery

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Simantov is a difficult to classify hybrid of magical realism, police procedural, and fable by debut author Asaf Ashery. Released 14th April 2020 by Angry Robot, it's 392 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

Originally published in Hebrew, there is a significant cultural aesthetic with which I struggled in translation. I often felt like I was missing *most* of what was going on under the surface. I could see there was a commonly understood undercurrent of which I was aware but completely nescient. I think that fact contributed to my difficulty settling down and investing in the plot and characters. (Side note: I was trying to read this book and take notes in the middle of a great deal of uncertainty during the early months of 2020 and the pandemic - and I'm a healthcare worker - so that also contributed a great deal to my general stress level and is one reason this review is tardy).

There are a truly impressive number of partially interwoven themes here. The descendants of Lilith (Adam's first wife according to Judaic mysticism who was created at the same time and of the same materials as Adam and pretty much buggered off because she didn't want to be subservient to him) and the Nephilim (yes, the giants who came from fallen angels and human women in the years prior to the great flood) make an appearance. There are soothsayers, and kidnapped women, and trying to stave off the apocalypse along with more mundane police procedural type plot elements and a love triangle thrown in there for good measure. The book has guts and the author juggles the disparate elements relatively well, but I admit that I spent a fair bit of my time reading thinking it was jumbled chaos.

I *love* speculative fantasy. I *love* police procedurals. There aren't a whole lot of overlaps, but when I find some, I gobble them up. I really believe that for readers who are more familiar with the culture (Israeli) and backstory, the book could be a great read (especially for a debut). The author has a strong and very sure voice and a deft hand with setting. It was just a difficult fit for me.

Three and a half stars for me.

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