The Book of Elsewhere introduces us to Unut, a legendary warrior who has witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations. Known simply as "B," he has an unusual wish: to die. But not death itself—just the ability to experience it.

The collaboration between authors Keanu Reeves and China Miéville weaves a complex narrative. B's immortality and quest for death are intertwined with the mysterious investigation conducted by the Black Ops Team. The sometimes intentionally vague writing style immerses the reader in the burden of eighty thousand years of existence.

While the character's timeline may remain elusive, the convoluted plot and occasional violence make this book an engaging read. If you appreciate unconventional storytelling and don't shy away from gore, The Book of Elsewhere awaits your exploration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

There have always been whispers. Legends. The warrior who can not be killed. Who’s seen a thousand civilizations rise and fall. He has had many names: Unute, Child of Lightning, Death himself. These days, he’s known simply as “B.”

And he wants to be able to die.

In the present day, a U.S. black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points toward a force even more mysterious than B himself. One at least as strong. And one with a plan all its own.

That is the synopsis from the book. While it is technically accurate, I don't think it gives a realistic expectation of what you're about to read. There are chapters that feel irrelevant in the moment, and some still feel irrelevant now that I've finished the book. Some of the chapters feel like there might be a secret third author because the writing style seems to change with every flashback. You're going to get confused, but don't let that distract you. It's a weird book that gives a unique view of immortality. It deals with death and grief, love, and loneliness.. it was more emotional than I expected.
I really liked B, I liked all of the characters. I liked how the author flipped back and forth between the main plot and Bs memories as a way to slowly tie everything together. Overall, this book was enjoyable and thought-provoking. I haven't read any of the graphic novels Keanu wrote, and I wonder if reading them prior to this would have changed my opinion at all.
This book isn't going to be for everyone, but if you can handle weirdness, dont mind being confused, then this book might be for you!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I went into this not having read the comic series that it ties into, and appreciated the ride for what it was. I really liked the world, and the MC, but definitely wish there was a pinch more science to the fiction of it all. I enjoyed it, but I think it should have gone through one last round of edits to make sure the story flowed a little more. All in all, great novel debut for Keanu, and now I'm interested in picking up the comics to see what I'm missing! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I haven't read BRZRKR comic books but I probably should.

I like the strange and the weird and I absolutely love Keanu Reeves. There are deep layers to that man and I am appreciative that he lets us in to see more and both authors did a great job with this book!

(That being said, yup, it is strange at times. And yup, not for everyone!)

so i got lucky in the sense that i'm actually familiar with the BRZRKR comic books (Keanu helped create and write the series) thanks to my husband. and this book is inspired by that. i think even having some understanding of the comics will help some through this book.

with that said... this isn't your typical, conventional, get-to-a-point type of book. it does get a little weird and nonsensical at times. so i know it's not for everybody, and i wouldn't be surprised if there's a 50-50 reception of it. reading this requires a little patience because some things will not make sense and there's a lot of things that are just out of reach.

also, if Keanu's name is what pulled you in... then you're familiar with his cinematic repertoire. i feel like that's something you need to take into consideration as well. why? because his movies, old and new, aren't just straightforward action plots. there are layers, and a level of inventive ingenuity. this book embodies that.

in this book... the main character, 'B', is trying to find himself, his purpose, and his goal... and it's written in a way that also leaves you, the reader, wondering. imagine being an immortal being who's lived many forevers and you're just sick of it all. things become bland, boring, unsurprising, and overall pointless. and i think that is somehow translated really well here.

i liked it though, and i'd rate this a 3.75 stars for me. (i guess we'll round that up to 4.) again, this would cater really well to people who've read the comics. so i'd recommend it to anyone who've read 'em. for anyone else, it will be a hit-or-miss. and that's okay. reading is subjective. for anyone looking for something unconventional, stimulating, and requires a unique comprehension... this might just be for you.


thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this book. i received this book as an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

Modern warfare and immortality – concepts that should be left alone. Reeves and Mieville tackle these beasts with full force in The Book of Elsewhere. This is the story of B, an unkillable/killing machine, whom I found sad. I was not aware of the BRZRKR tie-in when I opened the book. I would have liked more science and less fiction in this sci-fi offering.

I found it did not read well – a bit clunky in style. I think it would have made a much better graphic novel but then I’m an 80 year old grandma. This will have a limited audience, too bad. The concept is juicy and enticing but, for me, it just didn’t deliver.

I thought the concept was fascinating and refreshing but it somehow didn't work for me, it was a bit of an effort to get through, the overall tone of the book felt immature

*Full review to be added closer to publication**

Well this was certainly an interesting read! I've enjoyed China Mieville in the past, so I was really curious to see what a a team like Keanu Reeves and China Mieville would bring to the table. I am honestly not entirely sure what to make of this book, so I'm glad I have some time to think it all over before I post my review closer to the publication date in July. This will definitely receive a lot of mixed reviews, and I'm so curious to see what people think of it! It's not the type of book that's going to hold your hand or even let you know everything that's going on, so if you're good with that you might also like it, but if not then this may be a tougher read.

A fun one for sure! Wasn’t really sure what to expect when I saw the author and read the description, but it was a blast! The concept was interesting and different, and overall I’d recommend this for my die hard sci fi fans.

I wish the description of this book had mentioned that it was basically a BRZRKR tie-in because I wouldn't have been interested or requested it in the first place, but also this is clearly a title that the publisher poured advance and marketing dollars into because of the existing fanbase and marquee names and proven sales track for the franchise, and didn't focus on editing any more than the bare minimum they needed to... which wasn't that much, and it shows. I'm actually a fan of Keanu Reeves's movies as well as Wolverine and The Old Guard and other similar stories of this type, and I suspect the comic or the movie or tv series would all be much more enjoyable mediums for this one than trying to engage with it in novel form (even with a book where the execution was a lot stronger than it is here).

Sci fi book that is a little confusing and hard to follow. Love the cover and Cool idea though! Love seeing the authors attempt to branch out.

Barely finished and felt that this book could benefit from stronger editing and writing. The concept and plot was interesting at first but the writing made the book a slog.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine | Del Rey and NetGalley for this ARC of Keanu Reeves and China Miéville's 'The Book of Elsewhere.'

I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. I suppose I was attracted to it by these two massive names in popular culture collaborating. It was hard not to see the character introduced early on as being Keanu Reeves in John Wick or late Neo/Matrix mode but, in general, I found it very difficult to make my way through and enjoy. If I was someone who DNFed books, this would've been a DNF but I always feel that if someone took the time and talent to write a full book they deserve to have the full book read and I've completed enough DNF-candidate books to know what the ugly duckling can turn into a swan to give them all the full go. Anyway, I digress - I presume if you knew more of the BRZRKR comic universe this might've made a lot more sense and been more enjoyable but, for me, it didn't hit well.

"The Book of Elsewhere" immerses readers in a mesmerizing blend of myth and modernity, courtesy of Keanu Reeves and China Miéville's extraordinary collaboration. Anchored by the enigmatic figure of "B," the story delves deep into themes of immortality, identity, and the pursuit of meaning. Reeves's soul-stirring narrative and Miéville's unparalleled creativity breathe life into a cast of characters that resonate long after the final page. Amidst the backdrop of a shadowy black-ops group and ancient legends, the character development shines, drawing readers into a world both familiar and fantastical. With its gripping plot and richly drawn characters, this four-star read is a testament to the power of collaborative storytelling.

I can't believe I'm having to do this (because I love Keanu Reeves), but I am DNFing at 30%. I was excited for the premise and authors, but the writing style is not for me. I think others will enjoy more than me, though.

Thank you for the ARC.

Thank you Random House Publishing, NetGalley, and Boom! Studios for the ARC.

I love BRZRKR, Unute (B), and the chaos that surrounds him. A murderous immortal driven by the desire to be mortal is a rad concept and I came into this book with a small bit of history thanks to the comics. That being said, this could have been about 100 pages shorter than it was.

Without spoiling anything, I expected a little more from the pig.

I applaud anyone who actually finishes this novel. I won't be among their number. I love Keanu, I love Miéville's writing, but the two flavors do NOT work together apparently. Normally when I see a celebrity name and an actual author's name next to each other, I assume the former came up with the story and the writer did the actual writing. In this case I have no idea what happened. The first segment of the book is an absolute mess. It's sloppy, bad fan-fic level of choppy sentences and dialogue and "the big man stood in the doorway, the brown-haired man looked at him" style of writing.

The book said it was an unedited proof, so I hope ridiculously long run-on sentences like "He took a key from a pocket, unlocked the padlock, and opened the metal door enough to enter, closed it behind himself, and bolted it from the inside." get sliced to death by the red pen. Were they being paid by the word? How did a simple action of going through a door take 28 words...?

I powered through as much as I could, but honestly the story wasn't worth it. The characters were flatter than my Kindle screen and the story was just a bunch of scenes connected by "And then, and then, and then."

Possibly one of the worst books I've ever otten off Netgalley. It made me think Miéville had never written a book before, and Keanu had never read one.

DNF'd. This was written so poorly It's like how a 14 year old might imagine intellectual fiction should be written.

Do you believe in immortality? Could there be an individual or entity that never dies? If so, would this person stop aging, or would they just look old?

In the book of elsewhere, immortality and aging, god or gods, hero or villain, and life or death are all concepts explored in this one-of-a-kind story. A man with inhuman battle skills and immortality is rumored to exist. State-of-the-art technology has provided the ability to do amazing work genetically. Are we able to crack the code of immortality? The U.S. government has convinced the immortal one, Unute, to be studied. In exchange for this, he asks that they find a way to finally kill him. What would you ask of someone who truly has seen it all? What events in history do we have wrong? Our military doesn’t have this person locked away in a study, they are taking him in on top-secret military operations and studying his response to battle. If he is wounded, does he heal? Can he adapt to modern warfare and tactics?

The immortal individual Unute, aka “B” has agreed to work with a special black ops group. He travels and fights with the group. Without his help, these high-risk operations would fail. He provides an advantage that no mortal can. Unute is a fascinating character. He has seen so much you wonder whether anything seems new or if it is merely a reiteration of something earlier in his experience. He has his origin story from his mother, but he wonders if there are others like him. The development of this character by the authors is well-planned and has amazing depth. It feels like this story only scratches the surface of Unute and I can certainly see this evolve into a series.

Mr. Reeves and Mr. Miéville's collaboration blends ethics, morality, and warfare in a new, thought-provoking manner. Exactly what you would expect from these two authors. The topics of this book are vast and could cause sleepless nights of consideration and self-examination. The book of elsewhere is complicated and time-consuming. No beach read here. This is a book to savor slowly. There are many threads to this story and the patient reader will be rewarded with a conclusion that stays with you and leaves you with many questions. These two immensely talented authors deliver a story that redefines the meaning of epic.

Thank you to Sabrina Shen, Penguin Random House, NetGalley, and of course Keanu Reeves and China Miéville for the advanced reader copy.

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville is a genre-bending epic that seamlessly blends ancient powers, modern warfare, and a protagonist who cannot die. With its captivating narrative and unique blend of mythology, science fiction, and fantasy, this novel definitely belongs in the graphic novel universe.