This book has been patiently waiting for me to read it via Netgalley for about four years now, and I've been excited about the summary for just as long. I enjoy translated fiction and I enjoyed the Biblical/mythical/procedural premise of the summary.

Unfortunately, reading the book left me feeling like I was missing out on context. I feel like not knowing Jewish history, culture, and mythology put me at a disadvantage when reading this book. The premise is SO good and I want to see more SFF procedural mysteries, this one just didn't work for me. Maybe an explanation of some of the cultural subtext going on could have helped, but that probably would have taken readers out of the story.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy of this book! Unfortunately I have to DNF this one after trying to get into it several times, I'm afraid it's just not for me.

Simantov and Bitton are detectives with the Soothsayer task Force who are looking to make sense of a series of strange crimes and disappearances. What the team of mystics agents come to learn is that there's a battle brewing in the heavens between the Daughters of Lilith and the Nephilim and humans are getting caught in the crossfire. But more dangerous is that this may be signaling the beginning of the apocalypse.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read works from other countries. While humans are pretty much the same wherever we go, the way in which we look at things and how we allow outside forces to affect us does differ. Sometimes that can be reflected in art and literature.

There is, here, what I presume to be a mythology that is Israeli (I know nothing about this culture, history, or its mythology). On the surface, I was quite interested in reading this and getting something new. But as I admit I know nothing about this, I don't know where common mythology of the culture ends and the author's imagination begins.

But more importantly ... I didn't care.

Our main characters (police investigators who use tarot readers and mystics in their work) are dull, lifeless, and uninteresting. The angels (daughters of Lilith and the Nephilim) are only slightly more interesting.

It was easy to get lost and not know what was happening because it was easy to lose focus with this book. But with a book like this, it could be a cultural difference, but it could also be a translation issue. But no matter what is at the root, this book is not something I can recommend.

Looking for a good book? Simantov by Asaf Ashery is a paranormal fantasy translated from Hebrew that does not hold the average American reader's interest.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting and engaging urban fantasy, set in Israel. The novel follows Detectives Simantov and Bitton, along with their team of mystic agents, who are investigating the disappearance of a number of women under strange and mysterious circumstances.

The novel is an intriguing combination of mystery and biblical-fantasy. Well-written, it grabbed my attention early on, and I welcomed the atypical (for a Western market) setting. Definitely worth a look if you're a fan of the genre, but looking for something a little different. Recommended.

Angry Robot releases a wide variety of Science Fiction/Fantasy/Weird stuff novels, so it is no surprise that they have opted to publish Simantov by Asaf Ashery. Originally published in Hebrew, the story is part police procedure/part apocalypse. Mazzy Simantov leads a group of mystical detectives filled with coffee ground and tarot card readers, soothsayers, and clairvoyants, to help with cases the routine police cannot solve. When women start to get kidnapped by angels, they are called in to help solve the case.

There are some things that I did not like about the novel, but I wonder if some of it is due more to the translation than the actual original text. Since I am reading a translation, there are some things that could have been treated differently in the original text. I did not like how dismissive the main character is to her husband, Gabby. We are not really told how their relationship had been before the novel, but he is to the place where he is doing things to try to win her affection, and when he gets what little he receives from her, he is grateful and she is dismissive. I don’t know if this is one of the character traits that Ashery wants, but by making her this sort of person in her personal life, it makes me feel like the rest of her roles as a daughter, officer of the law, and hero, seem tainted. There are some ways that this tenseness between husband and wife carries too much weight at the end of the novel. I also do not like that there seems to be a workaround for every situation. Like if someone gets hurt, there’s a spell for that. If some problem is unsolved, there’s a tarot reading for that. For a book that is part police procedural, all of the clues they find are not used much. Instead Ashery uses a “Well it’s because they have mysticism on their side” way of solving the crimes. The actual detective work is very slim because it is easier to solve the puzzles with mysticism.

I did not hate this novel though. It was pretty entertaining despite its flaws. Some of the writing (or translating) is a little clunky at times, but I didn’t hate it. I wish I could do half stars because it deserves more than three but less than four. I think I have to round down in this instance, but if I could, I’d give it three and a half stars. Its slightly better than average, but not by too much.

I love that Angry Robot published this, and there needs to be more sci-fi/fantasy in translation. They are a press that always takes risks, and even though this one did not turn out perfect, the door needs to stay open for other books in translation.

I received this ARC through Angry Robot and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

There is an entire world of books that are being published in foreign languages. So little of them actually reach us, that it always makes me sad. I grew up speaking Dutch and I still feel a little bit surprised whenever I see a Dutch work in English translation, so I know what it is like.

Simantov was originally published in Israel and written in Hebrew. In my challenge to read more diverse, I was really looking forward to reading this. However, I do not know whether it was the translation so much or the cultural differences but this book lost me.

There is a lot in here. Angels, mythology, a detective story and a squad of paranormal detectives. But is was all crammed together and in the end, I ended up not caring about basically anyone or anything in the book. Maybe it was just not the book for me, or not the book for me at this time, but I was a little bit disappointed with it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Not for me to be honest. The writing felt a bit awkward and confusing but that might have just been the translation.

It's not bad but I found it a bit boring.

I'm in two minds about this book: on one side it's full of great ideas and I think I was going to love it, on the other side it's quite confusing at times and I felt lost.
I'm in the middle of the road and I think it's one of those books that lost something in translation and I'm not able to say if I recommend it or not.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I must admit to being extremely excited about this unique and highly original amalgamation of crime fiction/police procedural/thriller and the science fiction/fantasy genres but unfortunately this didn't quite work for me. However, it is indeed worth pointing out that books are superbly subjective meaning that my thoughts here may jar completely with yours; this is very much a book I feel has a lot to offer to the right reader(s). I usually adore these thoroughly idiosyncratic, surrealist trips into a niche corner of the crime market, few as they may be, and admittedly by their very nature they often teeter on the edge, towing the line between nutty and fascinating.

I think the most accurate way to describe what happened here, in my opinion, is cramming too many ideas into one book. It reminds me of those Masterchef contestants who make the beginners mistake of trying to show off every one of their solid cooking skills and making it into one dish. Naturally, the items don't complement one another as they were never thought of as creating one solid meal by the chef. I think when the author pares it back he will undoubtedly show just how talented he is. If you’re a fan of unusual, unconventional and unorthodox mysteries then you may love this.

It speaks right to the heart of the authors talent when I have no qualms in genuinely stating that I would be eager to pick up whatever he decides to pen in the future. Seriously, watch this space! I know I will be. 3.5 stars rounded up. Many thanks to Angry Robot for an ARC.

I'm sorry to say that I wasn't able to read this book very far and had to give up without rating it.
I tried three times, allowing myself some time to be, maybe, in the right mood, but in the end I had to admit defeat.
I usually chose my reads carefully, but when it's a Netgalley read, without any or very few review yet, and no extract available, I can sometimes be mistaken.
This book seems to be a book "not for me"!

No.
Wow, I was anticipating this book because the premise sounded right down my alley, but boy oh boy was this a confusing mess. I felt like there were certain explanations missing and I didn't care for the characters not writing at all. This was a miss.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

Simantov is a fascinating book that I'm sure has lost some of its magic in translation. It blends science fiction with religion and mythology in fascinating ways, with a sprinkling of police procedural mixed in for flavor. However, the prose feels stilted and flat, with characters feeling similar and verb choice seeming strange. If I could read Hebrew, I bet this is a great novel full of intrigue and wonder, but as a translation, it's just okay.

I tried. Not sure if the story or nuance got lost in translation, but I was spending too much time trying to understand the characters and not focused on the story. Maybe in he original language it would be a great tale. I just couldn’t finish the book.

Pros:
-Good police procedural
-Great modern/urban fantasy feel.
-Takes a country I’m very familiar with and a culture I belong to and adds a layer of mystique I wasn’t expecting.
-Family dynamics and relationship tension, definitely unexpected, but enjoyable.

Cons:
-pacing is on the slow side. Takes a while to get invested in the characters.
-At one point, a character refers to “calling 911.” 911 isn’t the emergency services number in Israel. Saying “call emergency services” instead would have gotten the point across without being jarring for readers who know the difference.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up for the star counter),
worth a read.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #AngryRobot for the eARC

I soldiered on for about a third of the way through this book and then decided I'd had enough. There were some interesting ideas in here, including the use of clairvoyants and the like to assist with criminal investigations, but they were bogged down in a setting that didn't quite make sense to me, peopled with characters I didn't care about.

Not my cup of tea at all, hopefully it will be a great read for other people but not something that worked for me.

This is a book with a lot of interesting ideas, but way too many of them crammed into one book.


This book was originally written and published in Israel, and has been translated from Hebrew and published by the folks at Angry Robot (thanks for the ARC). In general, their business model seems to be “publish the weird stuff.” Sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes it’s a miss, but it seems to work for them, and I appreciate their willingness to reach beyond the normal stuff.


Bit of relevant personal background: I’m not born Jewish, but I married into a Jewish family. I’m perfectly comfortable in the Jewish world, and also know a fair bit about Israeli culture as well. Israeli culture is DISTINCTLY different from what most Westerners think of as “Jewish” culture - much more Middle Eastern, much less New York. This book is super, super Israeli, and if I’d read it before things got serious with Mrs. OfThePalace and I began learning more about Judaism than what I’d picked up from *Seinfeld* and Mel Brooks movies, I would have been totally lost. And then Israeli culture is another layer on top of that. I’ve got an edge here, having married into a Jewish family and been to Israel, but without that I would have been totally lost.


Because there’s a lot here that just isn’t explained. At all. When Mazzy’s (the main character) mother serves laffa at a Seder, the author doesn’t explain why Mazzy is so embarrassed and her husband is so offended. (You aren’t supposed to eat any leavened bread products on Passover.) Gematria plays an enormous part in this book, but it’s never actually explained. (It’s a branch of Jewish mysticism based on finding meaning in words based on each letter having an assigned numerical value.) I did ok with this kind of stuff, but for most that aren’t connected to the Jewish community I think this book will mostly be confusing.


I started out by saying this book had too many ideas. Mazzy is part of a unit of soothsayers, fortune tellers, and other mystics working for the police. They’re generally viewed more than a bit askance by the regular cops, but their record at solving cases is good enough to keep them on the force. There’s been a high-profile kidnapping that’s sent their way. That’s an interesting premise for a book.


They get caught up in a conflict brewing between the Daughters of Lilith (descendants of the mythological Lilith, first wife of Adam who was cast out of Eden for refusing to be submissive. An interesting character that I wish was used more often) and the Nephilim, those begat by Fallen angels and human women in the years before the Flood. That’s also an interesting premise for a book.


There’s also an impending apocalypse on the way. Always an interesting premise for a book, and this one has some super interesting twists to it (which I won’t get into, because spoilers).


And then there’s the love triangle between Mazzy, her husband, and her ex-boyfriend who happens to be another cop assigned to work with her on this case. (I hate love triangles, but that’s just a personal taste thing). There’s the complicated relationship between Mazzy and her soothsayer mother. There’s the tension between Mazzy and her husband over the best way to raise their daughter, who appears to be mute. All of it COULD be interesting, COULD be good, but none of it is developed enough to actually BE interesting or good. The result is a jumbled, rushed mess.


On the whole, I can’t really recommend this book. There were interesting ideas, but the execution never lives up to them.

No, no, no, NO.

I am so crushed. I love angelic mythology and the story of Lilith, and thought I had finally found the two combined in a novel that promised no paranormal romance. And it's true that this isn't a paranormal romance (or at least didn't get there before I DNF-ed it). But what it is is a disaster.

The action-film esque prologue - complete with pyrotechnics - made me a little hesitant, but frankly I want a medal for <i>continuing to read</i> after Shamhazai - one of the most interesting and powerful angels in the mythos - described Lilith thus

'She was dark and comely, her eyelashes fluttered like turtledoves, <b>her perky breasts like two erect towers.</b>'

Hi, can I just say... NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is a novel in translation, so maybe I have Rotman rather than Ashery to blame for this disaster line? But regardless, THAT IS NOT HOW BREASTS WORK. That is a line worthy of r/menwritingwomen. For crying out loud. And it distresses me on a whole different level that this is apparently the dynamic between Shamhazai and Lilith, two incredible figures from the mythos. It's undignified and demeaning, but in all fairness, readers who aren't as into the mythology as I am probably won't be bothered by that aspect of it.

I did keep reading past that horrific bit of description, and it was interesting to see Ashery completely recreate the Nephilim, giving the term a very different meaning and rewriting that bit of the mythology. But it very quickly started to fall apart. The moment the story shifted to focus on human characters - so, from chapter two onwards - the writing was just a train-wreck. Info-dumps everywhere, stilted, clunky dialogue, eye-rollingly sex-obsessed male characters (gods forbid a male police officer have a female protege he doesn't want to get in bed)... It's hard to say how much of the rough writing is just the translation, but the fundamental characterisation and set-up is just...

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. But it's clear it's going to go down as one of my worst reads of 2020.

I was going to give this 3 stars until about half way through when I just got hooked, it's hard to describe the story without being misleading, just read it.

I have no idea what's going on with this book. There are killer angels, police investigators who use tarot readers and clairvoyants and numerologists to try to solve crimes, mysterious figures with murky pasts, people who need to be in couples therapy, uncomfortable parent-child relationships, seemingly random entrances and exits and musings. I found it chaotic and not in an entertaining or well-written way. The gender struggles referred to in blurbs came across as annoying and petty rather than universal and important, and neither the characters nor the plot were compelling enough for me to give the disorganization a pass. Maybe it's better in Hebrew?