The Liminal People: A Novel

By Ayize Jama-Everett

The Liminal People is the first of Ayize Jama-Everett's Liminal novels.

Membership in the razor neck crew is for life. But when Taggert, who can heal and hurt with just a touch, receives a call from the past he is honor bound to try and help the woman he once loved try to find her daughter. Taggert realizes the girl has more power than even he can imagine and has to wrestle with the nature of his own skills, not to mention risking the wrath of his enigmatic master and perhaps even the gods, in order keep the girl safe. In the end, Taggert will have to delve into the depths of his heart and soul to survive.

After all, what really matters is family.

The fourth and final Liminal novel, Heroes of an Unknown World, will be published in 2022.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Small Beer Press
• Release date: Jan 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9781931520362

Book preview

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Praise for The Liminal People

"The action sequences are smartly orchestrated, but it is Taggert’s quest to retrieve his own soul that gives The Liminal People its oomph. Jama-Everett has done a stellar job of creating a setup that promises even greater rewards in future volumes." [San Francisco Chronicle]

"For all the grit, character and poetry on display here, Everett’s own super power appears to be plotting and set-pieces. Readers will find a quick immersion in the opening scene, and then some secret world-building. Once the plot kicks in, readers had best be prepared to finish the book in one sitting, while experiencing better special effects than you will find in any movie. Indeed, Everett’s prose is cinematic in the best sense; when he puts us in a scene of action, his descriptions take on a hyper-clarity that is better than telepathy. The plot arc is cunning and enjoyably surprising, and the revelations have the shock of the new but the old-school satisfaction of well-woven espionage plots. The Liminal People is seriously well-written, but also seriously fun to read. It’s a secret world that deserves the elegant exposition of this engaging novel—and a sequel, sooner rather than later." [Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column]

"The story’s setup . . . takes next to no time to relate in Jama-Everett’s brisk prose. With flat-voiced, sharp-edged humor reminiscent of the razors his fellow thugs wear around their necks, Taggert claims to read bodies ‘the way pretentious East Coast Americans read The New Yorker . . . I’ve got skills,’ he adds. ‘What I don’t have is patience.’" [Nisi Shawl, The Seattle Times]

"Every once in awhile, a first novel catches you by surprise. Sometimes it’s the style and sometimes it’s the pure originality or unique mixing of influences. In the case of Ayize Jama-Everett’s The Liminal People, the pleasure comes from all of the above." [Jeff VanderMeer, Omnivoracious]

Ayize Jama-Everett has brewed a voodoo cauldron of Sci-Fi, Romance, Crime, and Superhero Comic, to provide us with a true gestalt of understanding, offering us both a new definition of family" and a world view on the universality of human conduct. The Liminal People—as obviously intended—will draw different reactions from different readers. But none of them will stop reading until its cataclysmic ending." [Andrew Vachss]

Ayize’s imagination will mess with yours, and the world won’t ever look quite the same again. [Nalo Hopkinson]

"The Liminal People has the pleasures of classic sf while being astonishingly contemporary and savvy." [Maureen F. McHugh]

Fast and sleek and powerful—a skillful and unique mix of supernatural adventure and lived-in, persuasive, often moving noir. [Felix Gilman]

"An astounding first novel. . . . The Liminal People is a noir juggernaut with startlingly genuine themes of salvation, emancipation, and family. As of now, this book is my favorite of the year and I desperately hope that Jama-Everett chooses to pen a sequel." [Elitist Book Reviews]

Fast-paced and frequently violent, Jama-Everett’s engaging and fulfilling debut offers a compelling take on the classic science-fiction convention of the powerful misfit; incorporates an interesting, multiethnic cast of characters; and proves successful as both an action-packed thriller and a careful look at the moral dilemmas of those whose powers transcend humanity. [Publishers Weekly]

Razor. Plush. Fast. [Tan, City Lights Books, San Francisco, CA]

Compact but creative, and filled with good ideas and elements of classic sci-fi, noir, and superhero stories. [Peter, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA]

From within ‘The Golden Ghetto’ Jama-Everett has created a book that resists classification, joining the Afrosurreal Pantheon of writers exploring this new-found freedom. He calls the gifted ones Liminal People, people ‘Always on the borderland, the threshold, the in-between.’ He has Taggert explain. ‘I learned what I know by walking the liminal lands.’ I trust that many people will relate, or will want to. [D. Scot Miller, City Lights Blog]

THE

LIMINAL

PEOPLE

AYIZE JAMA-EVERETT

THE FIRST LIMINAL NOVEL

Small Beer Press

Easthampton, MA

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are either fictitious or used fictitiously.

The Liminal People copyright © 2011 by Ayize Jama-Everett. All rights reserved. (ayizejamaeverett.com)

Small Beer Press

150 Pleasant Street #306

Easthampton, MA 01027

smallbeerpress.com

weightlessbooks.com

bookmoonbooks.com

[e-mail]

Distributed to the trade by Consortium.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jama-Everett, Ayize, 1974-

The liminal people : a novel / Ayize Jama-Everett. -- 1st ed.

p. cm.

isbn 978-1-931520-33-1 (alk. paper) -- isbn 978-1-931520-36-2 (ebook)

1. Healers--Fiction. 2. Extrasensory perception--Fiction. 3. Psychological fiction. I. Title.

PS3610.A426L56 2011

813’.6--dc22

201103967

Print edition text set in Minion 12 pt.

The paper edition of this book was printed on 30% PCR recycled paper by C-M Books in Ann Arbor, MI.

Cover art by Adam S. Doyle (adamsdoyle.com).

ولله الحمد ويرجع الى الله. فقط الأخطاء هي الألغام

Chapter One

Nordeen was right to send me. I feel three heartbeats at the ridges of the ancient crater we’re resting in. Snipers. I don’t know for sure, but their hearts are tense and their trigger fingers twitchy. As soon as I got out of the car their right eyes all zoomed in on something. If they’re not snipers then they’re one-eyed caffeine freaks with muscular dystrophy in their fingers. At least they’re smart enough to know not to shoot me right away. Their boy, my date, Omar, wants what we have. If it’s not in the car and they shoot us, they’re shit out of luck.

Stay in the car, no matter what, I say, leaning into the passenger side of the twelve-year-old Mercedes-Benz that has dragged me to this ancient and massive hole in the ground. The meteor that crashed here centuries ago is as cold as Fou-Fou’s response to my command. His steady sub-Saharan heartbeat is the only answer I get from the 240-pound menace. He’ll play it smart. Always does. The kid in the back is who I’m really speaking to. Nineteen, can’t pee straight, and ready to scrap, the native Moroccan looks more spooked than ready. Understand? I bark at him in his native Berber instead of the usual French patois we play with.

I got your back. He says. His blood pressure is pumping a steady drum and bass beat. His rank breath is stinking up the car. I guess his family had the Third World dental plan: eat for a month or get one of your children’s teeth fixed. I know which one his parents chose. Maybe when we’re done with all of this, I’ll help him.

Get my back by staying in the fucking car, man. Keep with the package until I call for you. Yes?

Yes. Yes. But if that fucker Omar starts anything . . .

I’ll finish it. I barely get the words out before two heartbeats enter the gully from the opposite side. Before I get up I close my eyes. I envision the three ridge heartbeats. They’ve been waiting for this a long time. Too long. They’re tired. It doesn’t take much to nudge them into sleep. It takes a little more effort to put them into the REM state needed so that they’ll stay down, so I release the brain’s native marijuana, anandamide, into their minds in P-Funk-size quantities. With one person it would have been easy. Three folks, far away, hurt a little. Knew it would. That’s why I didn’t bother to use my abilities to warm myself up. I’ve got limits just like everyone else.

I read bodies the way pretentious, East Coast Americans read the New Yorker. With a little focus, I can manipulate my body and others’ on a molecular level. With a lot of focus, I can push organs and whole biological systems around. But if I do it too much, I get tired and hungry. I’ve got skills. What I don’t have is patience.

Taggert. Hate the way Omar says my name. Hate the way he slams his fucking door all the time. Hate the way his heart is always skipping like it’s lying. Hate the way he smells. Hate his Third World breath as I give him the mandatory three kisses business partners expect in this part of the world. Hate this fucking man.

You’re late.

Don’t be mad, Taggert. These things take time.

What things? His heartbeat is as erratic as I expected. He thinks he’s got us in a trap. It’s not the first time someone has thought that.

Finances, my friend. We have many investors. Some are not so much forthcoming with the funds as you asked. . . . His bad English irks me almost as much as this crap-ass play.

I didn’t ask for anything. You know who I represent, and he doesn’t ask for anything. You don’t got the funds, we don’t have any drama. We’ll take our product back to Maximus and—

You are so harsh, Taggert. This is not Marseilles, this is Morocco. You must . . . I open my jacket quickly and brace myself against the cold mountain air. Omar’s new trigger boy is as twitched as my foul- mouth nineteen-year-old. Either that or he really has no idea who I represent; he actually palms his .45. Omar—who has sense enough to know what a bad play that would be—tells him to calm down with a wave of his hand. For my part I just hold up the razor-blade necklace my boss gave me.

Razor-neck crew, I say in the hill language of the Berbers. That’s who you’re dealing with. This ain’t the medina. This should be a simple exchange. It’s not. I’m not in a position to negotiate and neither are you. So we back out of this. Let our betters talk to each other and make another meet time. That’s the smartest play for you.

Hey, French boy! How about you don’t tell me what the smart play is? Omar shouts like he owns something. I don’t know who told him I was from Marseilles, but I’ve never tried to change his mind. I do know why he’s so mad. At five-three he’s got the Napoleon complex bad. Anytime anyone tells him what he can’t do, it’s like setting off a firecracker. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I’ll be damned if I let some midget with an attitude and nothing but new booty for backup bark at me.

How about you fuck the dumb shit, you son of a maggot-ridden whore, and make your move. Come on, you want to pull something. Want to try and jack the shipment? Make your play! I open my arms wide and make a grand circle, inviting the unconscious snipers to take their shots. Halfway through it occurs to me that there might be more than three snipers, or that the new booty might be dumb enough to shoot one of the razor-neck crew in the back even with God knows who still hiding in the car. Luckily, I make my round with no shots fired. Omar’s face finally reflects what his pulse has been telling me all along. He’s scared shitless. I march up close, a nose hair away, before I start speaking again. At the same time I’ve increased the pressure on the new booty’s bladder three times over. He’s afraid to move for pissing himself.

This is your play, ain’t it, Omar? Your bosses don’t know anything about this, do they?

Can you forgive your brother for— I crack him on the jaw hard with my fist. Before he reaches the ground my elbow gets a piece in, too. Now that he’s pissed himself, the new booty feels totally ineffective, even with the .45 in his hand. Who am I to tell him he’s wrong?

You are not my brother. It’s a chore to keep it French. That’s how I know I’m mad. I only want to speak English when I’m pissed off. Don’t ever let those words pass your lips again. I look up quickly at the new booty. He almost jumps. Go get what cash you brought. Now. Less than a minute later, a briefcase with six hundred thousand euros is at my feet and the smell of piss has invaded my nostrils. This guy needs to drink more water.

So we can do the deal? Omar asks, still trying to salvage something.

You’re short. For every day we have to wait for full payment, it’s ten percent marked on. We hold on to the product until then. If it’s over a week, we start selling it off, ten percent at a time, to your competitors, and you still owe for the full amount.

Taggert. He tries to think of some way to convince me to do something else but then realizes I’m holding all the cards. To reward the comprehension I throw him a handkerchief.

Your betters won’t be mad at you for trying to trick us. That’s the name of the game. But it was that you didn’t have a Plan B. You might lose a finger or thumb or something because you didn’t have a way to cut your losses and just do the damn thing the way it’s supposed to be done. Don’t take it personal. Just the cost of doing business.

My back’s to them and I’m heading to the car. Neither one of them will move on me. Omar is dialing right now, trying to ring in on his snipers. I can feel a phone vibrating in one of their pockets now. Doesn’t matter. We got the money and held the hashish. Plus we didn’t leave any bodies behind. Nordeen will be as happy as he gets.

Chapter Two

I wake to the smell of fish, and I know I’m home. Biya, or Al Hoceima, isn’t too far from us, but the underground regiment I live with likes to stay away from there. Most of our business goes through that port, which makes it better to not be seen anywhere near by. I leave Fou-Fou in charge of the money and the kid in charge of the hash. Kif, or hash, in the Rif mountains is like water in the ocean. There’s no value in it. Six hundred thousand euros, however, is something most people in Morocco can’t even imagine. I don’t know if Fou-Fou has ever imagined it, but his heartbeat doesn’t change. I trust him to get it to the boss. For the past six years I’ve been living here. My passport works for Nordeen. In exchange I get a nice, three-bedroom, sky-blue house with a rooftop that overlooks the ocean, and peace. By peace I mean I get enough cash to buy anything I want, a beautiful young girl to clean my apartment twice a week, cooked meals, good friends, and even vacation when I want it. As I ascend my ocean-colored stone steps into my spot I can’t help but smile a little bit. This home has been a long time coming. I’m glad that it feels like a place to come home to. I don’t have a door. Everyone here knows who I work for. They know who I am. At least they think they do—and even that reputation is enough to keep people out. Still, it’s a comfort to come home and find a box filled with "supplies’ from Spain. It’s mostly American comics, chocolate, and books I’d ordered online. I’m already on the roof reading and drinking some tea when I see something that doesn’t belong. A voice recorder. The type that records onto chips, with no tape. It’s Suleiman’s. He’s recorded something for me, despite the fact that he lives a two-minute walk away. Suddenly my chocolate doesn’t taste so sweet. There’s an ugly pit in my stomach. It hurts as it expands. There’s only one way to get it to shrink. I have to listen. I don’t want to. I can tell already. Fuck.

I’m calling. I’m gasping for air as I hear the voice. You said to call if I ever needed you. You said you’d come. You said if I used this number then to not use my name and that you’d find me. Find me. I need you. I need you now.

Yasmine. Damn.

The second person like me I ever met was in college. Her name was Yasmine Petalas. A year older than me, and she was gorgeous. If she ever weighed more than 110 pounds I never saw it or felt it. She stood a good four inches shorter than me but could bring down the house with her lungs. Her British-born, Ugandan mother gave her excellent bronzed skin while some recessive gene from her Greek father gave her deep, red, long, straight hair. I knew her for a year before she even knew my name. When I say I fell in love with her, don’t understand it as some fantasy made flesh, or some adolescent reciprocal fascination. I would have died for her. She says she needs help, and if I’m the man I want to be then I’m dropping everything and getting on the first thing steaming out of Biya. But I am not that man. Before I leave, think of leaving, I have to get Nordeen’s permission.

Suleiman is Nordeen’s right-hand man. He knows Nordeen and I have a special relationship but doesn’t know what it’s based on. Nordeen likes it that way. Still, I show the man respect by never meeting with the big boss until I clear with Sully first. Otherwise he may think I’m making a play for his spot, which I am most definitely not.

Nordeen is like me. I read bodies but I’m not exactly sure what he can do. I know for sure that he can always tell when someone is lying to him. It’s a great talent for an international drug dealer, and a fucking annoying trait in a boss. But even that’s not Mr. Maximus’s real power.

In comics there’s this bit character called the Question. He’s got no face, and no powers. He’s kind of like a brokeass Batman without the Robin. I like him because of the concept of a man with no face being called the Question. It’s good in comics. It’s bad in your boss. No one knows where he’s from. Not me, not Suleiman or any of the other fifteen people he’s got working for him. Maybe Fou-Fou knows, but he’s not talking. One night we all got drunk in Segovia and tried to piece together the bits of our mystery leader. All we got was a colossal-sized riddle. He won’t leave Morocco anymore, but has bank accounts, which have to be set up in person, in his name in the U.A.E, the Cayman Islands, Scotland, and South Africa. All the royalty of Malaysia sends him birthday cards, all at different times of the year. At least five women claim to be his first daughter, he has no sons, and his grandchildren range in age from six months to thirty-five years old. We’ve never seen any of his wives. His English, French, and Berber tongues are incredible, but he massacres Arabic as though it were a heathen in the noose of the Lord. Yet he’s a devout Muslim. By the end of the night of speculation, I was more fearful of the man than I had ever been before.

Suleiman. I find him with his family, his wife, and his two children ages three and seven. His tastes lean toward the moderate: not a lot of foreign products in the house aside from the expansive television. Minus the drug running, and Suleiman would be the perfect model for the modern Morocco. I take my shoes off before entering his house and wave my hand at his wife, letting her know it’s OK to keep the veil down.

Taggert, say hello to my children, Suleiman commands. He thinks I’m from London so he speaks with a fake Cockney accent. He wants his children to speak English, so I’m put through this cross-generational farce every time I come by. I hate children. Luckily, I don’t have to tolerate them for much longer than it takes Suleiman’s wife to make the customary tea. We are left in the kitchen alone.

Was Omar so bad? he says, examining the scowl on my face.

He tried to swindle. The boss will have to talk to his people; don’t be surprised if the guy comes up missing, I say in rapid-fire Arabic only to be interrupted by Suleiman’s brief but fervent prayer for the idiot’s soul. The rumor goes that Suleiman used to be in training a mullah before the boss got a hold of him. This isn’t about that.

I pull out the recorder and slide it back to him. Already erased. Sully looks at it suspiciously, then brings his long-scanning, desert eyes up to meet mine. You asked me to check it once a month when you first came to us. But we haven’t used that safe house for a few months now.

I’m not mad, I lie. I just want to know if you played it for anyone else. Has he told Nordeen?

I’ve only been home twenty minutes. I haven’t even had time to see the Old Man yet, he says slowly.

If it’s OK with you, I’d like to tell him about it myself.

Can I help? I forgot that Suleiman likes me. His wife has a hard time bringing babies to term. She’s lost more than she has. I lied and told her of a tea that would help. In truth I just worked with her body. That’s the only reason they have the three-year-old. Suleiman thinks he owes me for the tea. But I don’t delude myself about his loyalties. He will check to see if I’ve told Nordeen.

If it comes to it, yes. But for now let me see what the boss says.

Chapter Three

Nordeen Maximus lives in the biggest house in the city, the closest to the beach. We can almost see Italy from his roof. Everyone here hangs out on their rooftops looking someplace else: Europe, a ship leaving for the States, or places they can’t see. Everyone wants to get away

Reviews for The Liminal People

[joeydag · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another fantasy science-fiction novel with a comic book flavor. The protagonists, Liminal People, are somewhat like the mutants of the X-Men. Super powered, but still craving social acceptance. Interesting conflicts and power relationships.

[anderlawlor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I totally stayed up late to finish this gripping novel about a healer who is also a shapeshifter, which is such a great conceit. I saw Octavia Butler's WILD SEED all over this book, which made me really happy. I could have used a few less "pansy" and "faggot" comments, but ultimately the first person narrator didn't seem like a giant homophobe, so I let it go. I'd be very excited to read more from Jama-Everett.

[anniemod · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Welcome to the world of Taggert - where some people have special powers and can do amazing things - from healing people to talking to animals; from telepathy to things noone can even imagine. And the human population has no idea of these powers -- nor the powered people actually know enough about their own powers (or each other).If this sounds vaguely familiar, it is because it is. It sounds like an alternative reality for X-Men... on one of the many universes of the Marvel Multiverse. Or for the TV show Heroes But it is not. These powered people don't have a special name (although one of them calls them Liminal people and the name fits). There are no special complexes and organizations around them; nor any other superheroes. It is out very mundane world... with a bit of something more. So let's get back to the book and the main protagonist - Taggert. For the last few years he had lived in Africa, almost a slave to another powered human. I guess I forgot to mention that Taggert is one of the Liminal people -- he is a healer, a miracle worker that can heal anything and anyone... or destroy them. And because he makes this by manipulating their bodies, he can as well change himself and anyone else. His normal days are shattered when he gets an SOS call from his past -- and the past and present start unraveling. And he is off - racing with time, trying to win again what he had once lost... and finding something he had stopped looking for long ago. It is a story about families and love; about the choices people do and the consequences of these choices. And about hope and redemption. A story about a healer that cannot heal when he needs to be able to do it the most; a girl that cannot recognize love when it hits her in the face and goes on a rampage to get love; about shattered futures and new beginnings. And even if the story is about the liminal people, the topics are as human as possible - because regardless of special powers, they are human. Which gets me back to the X-Men. Yes - "The Liminal People" would have been a pretty decent X-Men story - without any of the X-Men we know about; without the knowledge of the world; without the teachers to teach the new mutants. But it is not -- and the author manages to create a world that is halfway between a X-Men rip-off (but then any book talking about mutants with different powers will be) and a new world. And it is an enjoyable read which closes its own story but opens a big door to the future - for a sequel or even a series. The world sounds real and I do not feel like the Marvel guys will come strolling in -- the characters here are fully developed in their world and the world is there. There are enough shadows, there are a lot of things that could have been handled better (the last confrontation with Nordeen for example felt rushed) but that does not make the book less readable. On the other hand, we hear about the world from Tag's thoughts -- so some of these unclear spots and strange happenings can as well be just his perception of this world. And especially for a first time novelist, it is a much better written story than I expected it to be.A note though: the book contains enough violence, a lot of it yielded either by or against children. And this may not be acceptable for some people. The author had reasons to do this and it played well into the story - but it is something which I wish was written on books - it will stop people from purchasing and then lashing against a book because it is not what they expected. Four stars out of five and I will be interested to see what the author has to offer next.

[sdobie_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Taggert is one of a small group of people in the world born with superpowers such telekinesis, or the ability to control fire or animals. Taggert's power is the ability to heal, and because he has a total understudying of the human body, also the ability to cause disease or kill. Dealing with his powers has caused difficulty for Taggert and he ended up in the employ of a Moroccan drug lord who also possesses powers which lets him avoid having to take much responsibility for his own life.When he hears that the daughter of and old lover is missing, he travels to London to try and help, and in the process finally starts to grow and accept his powers.This is essentially a superhero fantasy along the lines of X-Men or Heroes, where a small number of mutants with very powerful but unexplained abilities try to find their place in the world. It is a well-done example of that type of story, and develops the characters better than most. I enjoyed reading this, and will be interested in the sequels that seem to be indicated.

[storyjunkie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Liminal People is a super-powered mystery story featuring an unlikely detective. Taggart is a healer, with the power to control human bodies on a cellular level for good or ill. He's also a secret weapon for a drugs-and-other-things cartel based out of Morocco, headed by Nordeen, a boss with powers of his own and a predisposition to usefully complex plans. The self-reflection in Taggart, the part of him that is able to tell someone he wants to respect him that the best healers are the ones who know how to hurt, with the full knowledge that he has used his powers to turn a human body against itself, is what drew me in early.The plot quickly moves from Taggart's settled life in Morocco, when he returns to London to answer a call for help from "the only woman I ever loved", Yasmene, and finds himself in the middle of a situation created by people with powers as unusual and deadly as his own. The mystery is centered on the disappearance of Yasmene's daughter, Tamara. When we do get to meet Tamara, she becomes my favorite character nearly immediately, with her strength of will, her teenager-ness, and her disregard of BS.I'm writing vaguely on purpose, because an interesting aspect of the character reveals in this book is what flavor of superpowers they have - like a gritty Heroes or the X-Men. The trappings of the story are familiar to me from reading comic books (a trait I share with Taggart), but the weight of the story derives from the character arcs and emotional freight underpinning the story action. While the plot points themselves will read like an action movie, the philosophy and character development leave that genre behind and strive for something a little more hard-boiled, and a little more thoughtful. I speak as someone who loves her comic books, but reading The Liminal People is like getting a glimpse of what superhero comics will be if they grow into depth of character. This book fed something in my soul, just by telling Taggart's story.

[kalyka_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Taggert, a man blessed with mysterious powers that he can use at will to heal and injure, has been trying to master them his whole life. It is only when he meets Nordeen, a drug lord infintely more mysterious and powerful than himself, that Taggert can even grasp the full extent of his own abilities. When an old love calls in for help from London, he will have to return to a world he had left behind and that has forgotten him.The Liminal People is a good, fast-paced mix of science-fiction and noir, and at a little more than 200 pages long, it never really slows down. However, despite its brevity, the author manage to squeeze in unique and interesting characters, and some character development. The reader discovers that there exists a whole subculture of people with mystical powers, complete with some of them who think they can co-habit with normal humans and those who seek only to destroy them.While I did enjoy this short book, the fact that I received an advance copy meant that I couldn't appreciate it as much as I would have had it been proofread. Some sentence structure was completely off, and I sometimes found myself reading whole paragraphs a second or even a third time to get its meaning. Also, the whole concept reminded me too much of X-Men, where Noreen is a manipulative and shrewd Professor X and Taggert is Wolverine, just without the claws. Put together, those two factors very much diminished the enjoyment I would have had reading this short novel.Had I wanted to read X-Men, I would have, you know?3/5

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A bit uneven, especially at the beginning, but it surprising became a rather good book. Not great, but good. I especially liked the different types of people this book covers - from black American, to Moroccan, to High Class British. Its not every day you see a culture handled in a book that manages to keep the different groups equal.I did have a hard time getting into the book, but after the first quarter of it, it picked up to be really interesting - I especially liked the ending - it was a very nice touch and it left me wanting to here more about Tags adventures. If a second book come out, I would read it.

[taleswapper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was so much better than I expected, it's hard to express. I was immediately immersed in the world and it was flash-bang from there. We follow Taggert as he uses his special secret powers in an African criminal underworld and then is called to play detective for an old flame in England. This is a science fiction thriller with an interesting set of characters and powers. I think there was similarity to Octavia Butler's books about the genetic manipulation of people with powers, but this reads as both more gritty and more comic book-like. I mean that in a good way: it's not the shallowness of a comic book, but the acquisition of powers and fighting has the flavor. This is a short book, probably a novella, so it doesn't have a lot of layered storylines, but all-in-all a good ride.

[phoenixfalls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really hesitated in ordering this book. This was partly because it's a debut novel, and I wasn't sure I had the patience for one of those right now; but it was mostly because I'm getting a little burned out on the noir style, and I didn't know if I could give another noir-influenced SF/F novel a fair shot as a result.The first half of the book went better than I expected. It was a very typical noir set-up, full of disconnected people carving out an existence on the fringes of society through the judicious application of violence and a relaxed (but not nonexistent) moral code. The hero, of course, gets drawn back into the world he gave up by a beautiful damsel in distress, and in trying to save her is forced to reexamine his life -- past and future. The nice thing about this familiar set-up was that despite some first-novel clunkiness in the exposition, the story was paced quite well; I would probably even describe it with all the appropriate t-words: taut, and tense, and thrilling.It bogged down a little, for me, in the latter stages of the middle when it turned into a superhumans-with-powers novel, full of rhetoric about choosing sides in the coming war, a war in which mere humans are likely to be nothing more than pawns and casualties. I have liked noir in the past and am simply tired of its tropes at the moment; I've never liked the tropes of the superpower stories, so this turn of events made me wrinkle my nose a bit.But the climax redeemed all, made me happy I requested the novel and happy to start pushing it on my friends. Because rather than playing the noir tropes straight, Jama-Everett neatly subverts them, proving the tag line of the jacket description accurate rather than a bunch of hot air. Ultimately, this is indeed a novel about hope and commitment, one about building communities rather than tearing them down. I suppose I should have suspected this from the beginning; Taggert is a healer, after all, not just a killer, and for the chance to read about that sort of hero (particularly a male one!) I'd put up with a great deal more than just some tropes I dislike.

[wosret · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book! I found it engaging, with really complex, believable characters. Even the villain gained my sympathy in the end. I would love to see this adapted into a film, but only if it remained true to the book. It's got action, adventure, self-discovery, a bit of romance, an exploration of identity and search for belonging.I disagree with those who feel it could do with some polish. I found the "voice" to be rough at times, but that fit with the book, in my opinion. I wish there had been more roughness to it, but it seemed to smooth out later in the book. Many of the African and Caribbean novels I have read would seem unpolished to some, with their colloquial turns of phrase and use of language. I see this in the same light, which adds to its authenticity, in my opinion.

[valleyguy_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is written like sf/urban fantasy, though there is nothing scientific about the characters' "gifts" the physical effects of those powers are well-described and made for a good system with which to set up the interactions between characters. The author was not lazy about this part and I think that's where the potential for this story or any future stories lie. The story was well written and had a thoughtful amount of worldbuilding where the world of normal humans is touched upon, but the Liminal people's world is, though in the forefront of this novel, is setup as being behind the scenes in our world, with different power players pulling strings. Very interesting stuff. I think the plot could have been more captivating, but it was not bad. The characters were pretty interesting, and their gifts made them more so. Some gifts were pretty straightorward, but the high powers in the novel had gifts that were so subtle and well-used it was hard to tell what exactly they were, and the main characters didn't seem to know either.

[jotoyo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Liminal People is a surprising novel, on many levels. I am impressed with the ideas in this story and enjoyed it, although it took a while to warm up it. The amount of violence is something I don't usually expose myself to, but it was worth it. As I read the story of Taggert and the other liminal people, I found myself thinking that with a little work it could have been much better. But since this is an advance uncorrected proof, maybe the final product will be an improvement.The style reminded me of Samuel Delaney in some ways, especially in the characterizations. The people in this story are very real, but not necessarily people you would like to meet.The ideas of People with talents that control things in the world without the "normals" knowing it is an old idea, but well worked out this time. And Taggert's power of "healing" can be used to kill as well, and it can be used to cure other liminal people. That is a nice touch too.On the whole I would recommend this to anyone who likes cutting edge fiction with no holds barred.

[ljbryant_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is of an uncorrected galley, and I am quite hopeful that the shortcomings of the writing will be corrected before production.Initially, I had trouble immersing myself in this book. The writing was a bit rough, and raw. The diction and word choices used during dialog was a bit of a mixed bag. However, I very quickly found myself ignoring something that I feel the author will, with experience, iron out. The story line itself was quite creative, and the internal conflict and emotional evolution of the main character was quite well done -- and, in fact, to some extent this internal story was more interesting than the actual events taking place.While I can't give this book unequivocal praise, and there are certainly aspects that could stand significant improvement, overall I quite enjoyed this quick read. I'm quite looking forward to reading future stories by the author.

[m4marya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I struggled through this book. I had a very hard time accepting the many conflicting character traits of the main character. I read a fair bit of urban fantasy and I am pretty patient with most of it. However I do need character's actions to be consistent with their personalities. The main character changes as often as he changes his own appearance. This was an uncorrected galley, but the errors did not bother me, and I found them easy to ignore. The author works hard to create sub-culture of "liminal" people and comes close to succeeding. another reader may not have the problems I had with this book, since I need to like my protagonists, in order to like a book.

[fledgist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Urban fantasy in more than one sense. For those looking for novels with non-standard and non-white characters, this is definitely one. The protagonist, Taggert, is a black American who starts the novel living near al-Hoceima in Morocco (the author seems unaware that the European language spoken in the area is more likely to be Spanish than French) but has to decamp to London to rescue an old flame's daughter. Taggert is one of what another character, late in the novel, labels 'liminal people', people who possess powers. In his case it is the ability to sense what is going on in other people's bodies and either heal or harm them. The bulk of the novel is taken up with plot and counterplot among liminals, including Taggert's master, the machiavellian Nordeen Maximus. All of them are non-white. I rather like that. I like rather less the author's sloppy research about her settings in Africa and Britain, particularly London. Some may be the result of bad proofreading (I was reading an uncorrected galley), but 'Piccadilly square' for 'Piccadilly Circus' just won't fly, while confusing a diplomat and a politician is amateurish.That said, the story does pull the reader along. This is a writer of talent who is going to go far with some polish and development.

[psybre_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an uncorrected galley to review for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It may be that my limited exposure in the past several years to urban fantasy is a positive factor, but this was a book I had a difficult time putting down. This fascinating story of a superhuman struggling to concurrently overcome his fears, desires, obstacles and adversaries is written in first-person narrative, expertly growing tension from page one and letting up only after the climax. Ayize is very good at creating unique and complex characters. The plot itself reminded me somewhat of early seasons of Heroes which also examined (though in my opinion not as deeply as this novel) identity, loyalty and family. I was also impressed that the author pulled no punches and thereby gave him liberty to create a visceral environment where the reader is compelled to care not just for the protagonist, but for the other characters as well. Overall, the writing is fresh and the voice is strong and consistent, if somewhat unpolished. This first novel nearly rates four stars. I look forward to reading it again once published and anticipate the corrected work will force me to praise The Liminal People yet higher.

[andreablythe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Liminal People is a scifi crime novel centered on Taggert, a man with the power to heal or hurt the people around him. He serves a ruthless man and has done terrible things in the course of his work. Although he dislikes it, he has made peace with his life — until an ex love asks for his help to find her daughter. The search for the girl leads him into a face-off with others with enough power that they seem to walk the borderline between human and god.Taggert is an interesting character, bordering a line between hero and anti-hero. He's capable and willing to be cruel and violent, but his cruelty is mostly associated by the way he's been trapped into his current life by his master, Nordeen. Taggert also acts to protect the people he cares about, even if it means personal danger to himself. The novel is a great crime/action thriller that sets up an interesting world, in which powerful people have the ability to manipulate the world (which kind of makes us ordinary humans feel rather small) Being both on the shorter side and fast paced, it's a quick read (perfect for where my head has been at lately). I'm looking forward to checking out the other two books in the trilogy, The Liminal War and The Entropy of Bones.

[joshenglish_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found the third book on the new SF shelf at my local library and hunted around for this first book in the series. The book handles the origin story with flashbacks in the opening chapters that get a bit muddled, but I stuck through and the story moved forward at a fine pace.

There is a monologue near the middle of the book, after the big mid-book turn, that is simply beautiful. It is full of anger and uncontrolled rage and how Taggart is going to get revenge and it is a perfect storm in a few pages. Wonderful passage. Exactly the sort of Chandleresque stream of consciousness I love to read when the main character is losing it. Fabulous section. I had to finish the book after that passage.

I enjoyed the world building and didn't feel like it overshadowed the characters or the plot. It was realistic superhero stuff without the tight pants and capes.

I will be continuing with the series.

[terryweyna · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If we could use our minds to make others see what we wanted them to see, rearrange people’s internal organs and dissolve their musculature, call animals to do our every bidding, or know others’ thoughts as intimately as our own, wouldn’t we rule the world? Or would we be so preoccupied with fighting with others like us that humans would be mere pawns, little worth toying with? Or, even worse, would we be so damaged by our powers that we would be dangerous to ourselves and others? These are all questions posed by Ayize Jama-Everett’s short, powerful first novel, The Liminal People. Jama-Everett’s first person narrator, Taggert, introduces himself while in the midst of conducting a drug sale he is conducting on behalf of his mentor, Nordeen Maximus. Taggert is able to keep the transaction from going sour by putting his would-be assassins to sleep with a mental nudge, a skill he’s developed from his greater ability to manipulate his own and others’ bodies on a molecular level. The deal resolves in his favor, not surprisingly given his advantage, and he returns to his home near Al Hoceima in Morocco. There, he finds a recorded message from Yasmine Petalas, a woman from his past with her own mental ability – to manipulate fire – who broke his heart. She is calling to tell him she needs him, and he must come quickly. Taggert obtains Nordeen’s permission to leave the country, doing his best to avoid Nordeen’s questions but compelled nonetheless to reveal that Yasmine is “like us”; Nordeen would know if he was lying, apparently as part of his own ability. Taggert makes his way to London, telling us his back story (including his history with Yasmine) as he travels. Once there, he finds that Yasmine is married to a diplomat. Yasmine charges him with finding her daughter, Tamara, who is gifted with telekinesis. No one knows whether Tamara has simply run away or has been kidnapped, and no one knows whether it has anything to do with her ability or merely her status as the daughter of a diplomat. From that point forward, the book is in high gear for adventure, though Jama-Everett never loses sight of the philosophical and moral points, particularly with regard to the responsibilities inherent – or not – in having great power. When Taggart finds Tamara, he finds himself schooling her in the use of her power, both in a practical, how-to sense, and in a moral sense, trying to explain when it is proper to use her power and when it is not. It’s an odd lesson coming from a man who has often used his own power in order to run drugs and other contraband in and out of Africa, and Taggart finds himself examining his own life as well. The Liminal People is an excellent first novel full of insightful characters – however gradually they may gain that insight – engaged in a battle that seems to have only just begun. I’m hoping that this novel is the first in a series, as Jama-Everett has built a world and peopled it with characters about which and whom I wish to know more.

[rachelouise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was one of the most interesting and surprising books I’ve read in a long while. Jama-Everett has constructed an X-Men-esque world of people with super-powers, like the protagonist Taggert, who exist in a constant power struggle among each other. While there were some character inconsistencies (at some moments, Taggert is purely impulsive and violent, and at others, prone to over-thinking things), I was thoroughly engrossed by the world and mythos created. This was the first book I’ve read in a long while to which I’d really like to see a sequel – I want to know what happens in this world next!

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Free LibraryThing Early Reviewer copy, with a bunch of typos and a missing page. Still, this is an engaging sff quasi-noir. The protagonist, an African-American expatriate living in Africa and using his superpower (manipulating the human body for healing or destruction) as part of a gang, gets a call from the only woman he ever loved, bringing him back to London where her daughter is missing. Superpower battles with plenty of gore and harm to kids (and animals) ensue. The worldbuilding with the powers is open-ended and might be frustrating for those looking for a coherent framework, but I liked the way that raw power and training/creativity each counted for a lot. Human variation is baked in: at one point the protagonist comments that returning to London is a surprise because his London was so multicultural and he’s seeing all these white people around.

[montsamu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(based on receiving the previous small press printing as an arc:) Very, very good. Some parts so tense I was actually shaking. Haven't cared about the outcome of a book so much in several months. Emotionally powerful and viscerally violent, packed into 200 pages.