Cover Image: Where is Anybody?

Where is Anybody?

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Where is Anybody is the latest book in the Gideon Sable series. Gideon is a master thief who has settled down to the quiet life with his girlfriend, Annie Anybody. One day, Annie is kidnapped. After the kidnapper delivers his demands, Gideon gets the team back together to go rescue her.
Novels by Simon R Green are not deep. But they are fun. You can check your brain at the door and just revel in the adventure. Good guys. Bad guys. Sometimes it’s really kind of hard to tell which is which. But I am here for it.
If you’ve enjoyed other SRG books in the past, this one will fit right in.
Have fun!!!

Was this review helpful?

I was hooked from the first page of this book, it had everything that I was looking for based on the other four books in the Gideon Sable series. The characters were everything that I cared about and felt like they were meant to be in this world. Simon R. Green always does a great job in writing a great story and can’t wait to read more from the author.

Was this review helpful?

“Where is Anybody?” is the fifth (and possibly the last?) Gideon Sable novel by Simon R. Green. Gideon is the master thief, able to steal things that shouldn’t exist, or may be legends, or are just really neat.

The start is very similar to the previous novel; as the owners of Old Harry's Place magic shop, Gideon and his partner Annie Anybody feel they should step back and not risk life and limb going on perilous adventures. But that gets quite boring, and soon Gideon is sneaking off behind Annie’s back to steal something that he shouldn’t.

But Gideon gets a surprise when he returns to the shop: while he was off stealing, somebody stole Annie Anybody! To get her back, he will need to reassemble his crew once again: the Damned (Lex Talon) and his partner Switch-It-Suzie, who are off dealing with a cult, as well as their adopted werewolf daughter Polly who is out hunting a great hunter on a desert island.

Similar to my last Gideon reviews, this is a short novel that follows the basic formula set up in the previous four outings: Gideon gets a mysterious request that is always more than meets the eye, he goes on a mini-adventure, then the major adventure takes place with a surprise twist. Just because it follows a formula doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining. Enjoy the witty banter, marvel at the latest gadgets and tricky items, and be surprised at the twist at the end. A fun one-sitting read, this time it looks like Mr. Green may be ready to move on from Gideon and his crew.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Severn House via NetGalley. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

Another snappy, quick-paced modern fantasy from Simon Green. As always, Green specializes in throwing highly inventive ideas at the reader, nested in a quip-filled narrative and dialogue that almost qualifies as a book full of banter. In this volume, Green concludes the saga of magical ultra-thief Gideon Sable, his girlfriend/partner, and his quirky gang of associates. As is often the case with Green, a serious thread underlies the relentless pace and droll humor. It offers a nice capstone to this series, something that seems rare in fantasy. It is also brief and reads fast.

If there is a downside, it is the fact that most Green books are very similar in tone and can feel formulaic. This could be, for example, a Nightside book as easily as a Sable book. I suspect that is part of Green's appeal but I would like to see shim break the mold sometime.

Was this review helpful?

I read and enjoyed all the five Gideon Sable novels. There's a lot of fun, humour, Gideon is a smart ass and the gang is crazy enough to keep me entertaining.
This time we start with a BANG and close with a BANG after saying good bye to some characters. There's surprises, there's humour and fun.
It could be the last in this series or a reboot but I will surely miss those who are gone.
Mr Green often uses a sort of template but I couldn't care less as I was having a lot of fun in reading this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Was this review helpful?

Ok I was late to the party where Simon R Green is concerned but I have now read three of his series and a few other things besides. It’s fair to say that he does follow a specific script when writing and he’s not afraid of leaning on the cheese. But frankly I don’t care. He comes up with great ideas, the worlds are always interesting and the character interactions are fun and engaging. It’s not hard-hitting literature but it is always entertaining and I always leave each book wanting the next one – no mean feat after reading 20 or so of his books within a few months. And this one was no exception.

Was this review helpful?

Look at that. I’m the first to rate and review this book for Goodreads. Where is Everybody?
You’d think these series was more popular, because people love formula, and these are nothing if not formulaic. But there’s something amusing about them too. Enough for a person who strongly dislikes series of any sort to read all five.
And that something is the author’s cleverly imagined worlds and their trickery. The rest of his plotting is mostly hokey and rather cliched with overwhelming action sequences and too-convenient last-minute resolutions. But the characters themselves are fairly amusing (especially Sidney and Johnny Wildcard who is still gone, despite the teaser), except for a rather bland lead, and the magic tricks they use to get around their world are fun.
This time the plot is too convoluted even for fantasy. But until you get to the twist, you have your basic premise of Gideon Sable’s beloved Annie Anybody kidnapped. Promptly he gets the gang back together like he does in every book, and they go on to crush skulls and magic their way around to solve this like they do in every book.
This one, though, has a bit of a farewell in it a the end. Can Green actually be retiring Sable or simply rebranding? The author’s busy enough and has done enough serials to go either way. Will I miss it? No. But was it fun while it lasted? Yeah, kinda, sometimes. And it always did read so quickly. Thanks Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?