The midnighters of Bixby, Oklahoma face their greatest challenge yet when they realize that the secret 25th hour is about to spill over into the daylight world, unleashing hordes of ancient, hungry monsters on an unsuspecting populace unprepared for such an event. Only together can the five teens use their special abilities to prevent a disaster, but at what cost? A rousing conclusion to a spellbinding trilogy that leaves plenty of room for a follow-up.
Schuyler Van Allen’s discovery that she’s a Blue Blood, part of a secret society of vampires which hides among New York’s elite families changes her life forever. As she comes to terms with her new powers and obligations, she also becomes aware of something stalking her peers. But what could scare a vampire? This start to a new series combines the atmosphere of Gossip Girls and Cruel Intentions with the seductive mystery of the vampire for an interesting blend.
Beka Cooper is a rookie peacekeeper in the worst section of Tortall’s capital city, and her first six months on the job may be more than she can handle, as she gets caught up in solving two nasty cases. She’ll need all the help she can get, from her mentors, her friends, and from her own unique abilities, if she wants to stay alive and bring the bad guys to justice. Set nearly 200 years before Alanna: The First Adventure, this book introduces a new hero into the Tortall setting to great success. Beka’s an admirable heroine with a compelling voice all her own, and her story is a fast-paced, exciting one. Terrier definitely ends up on my Best YA Books of 2006 list as a must-read.
Arthurian archetypes find themselves reincarnated as teens in Meg Cabot’s newest offering. All the familiar faces are here in one form or another: Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Mordred, even Merlin. But what connection does Ellie (Elaine) have to them? Is she really the reincarnation of the Lady of Shalott, who killed herself out of unrequited love for Lancelot, or does she have a more potent role to play in the ongoing drama of good versus evil, high school style? Altogether quite enjoyable, with a few twists that keep it from being simply rehashed Arthurian legend with teen angst and romance.
Earthborn Gil Klanz is expelled from his school in the asteroid belt after a prank goes bad. Promptly finding work with a local freight company, he falls in with an underground independence movement, becomes a hero of the revolution, and saves the day more than once. Highly reminiscent of early Heinlein juveniles, this book (the first in a series) does have its weaknesses, but shows a lot of promise.
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Ten weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Max Corbett, a history professor who left the city never to return, is drawn back nonetheless, for the funeral of the girl he once loved. It doesn’t take him long at all to realize that while he might have loved Gabrielle Doucette, he hadn’t truly known her. A chance encounter with a mysterious old man following the sparsely-attended funeral is Max’s first step along what will prove to be the strangest, deadliest journey of his life. He’s given the so-called Map of Moments, a piece of magic which transports him back in time to witness a series of inexplicable, significant events throughout New Orleans’ history. Individually, the moments are terrifying and filled with dark magics; together, they describe the long and dark history of the Tordu, a secret society whose very existence is tied into the city’s soul.
The closer Max gets to the center of the mystery, the more dangerous it becomes. For the Tordu guard their secrets jealously, and there’s far more going on than Max ever expected. And he still doesn’t understand how Gabrielle was involved, or what he’ll comprehend when his journey is finished. All he knows is that he’ll never be the same again, nor will New Orleans.
The second in Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon’s Hidden Cities series, The Map of Moments draws from the aftermath of a tragic moment in recent history, telling a dark, gripping story set in a shattered but unbeaten New Orleans. Max’s journey through the hurricane-ravaged streets of the present and the hidden mysticism of the past provides a fascinating look at a city that’s not all jazz and beads. Part ghost story, part thriller, it doesn’t pull any punches along the way, putting the hero through a physical, mental and spiritual ordeal even as it paints an honest, stark picture of a city just starting to recover from a near-fatal blow. The Map of Moments isn’t about New Orleans as it’s traditionally depicted; there’s no Mardi Gras excess, no jazz on the street corners, no partying in the French Quarter. This is about the undying, unbroken spirit of the city, that stubborn, iron core remaining after everything else has been stripped away. It’s about survivors, those who’ve been transformed by what they’ve done to stay safe and alive, and those who understand pain and loss. It’s a ghost story, where memories of the city as it was haunt the city as it is, with one poor accidental hero caught right in the middle. It’s a love story, the kind that always ends with a broken heart.
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon really deliver a hell of a harrowing tale here. It’s dark and intense, full of pain and anguish, and the New Orleans that acts as the backdrop here is one a lot of people undoubtedly aren’t familiar with, and yet, this New Orleans is just as real and vital as the image presented to the tourists. They do an excellent job of making the city itself the true protagonist, even as they infuse the setting with tragic ghost stories and other shadowy aspects of a hidden, magical past. There’s a lot to think about here; it’s not your average urban fantasy by any means. The ending is somewhat abrupt, and it feels as though a few more pages could have been used to soften the conclusion a little. Nevertheless, it’s a great read, illuminating a time and place in American history that should not be ignored or forgotten. As with the previous book in the series, Mind the Gap, I greatly enjoyed this and I’ll be looking forward to future installments, especially if Golden and Lebbon continue to make the setting the true star of each book. I know I’ve got a wish list of places for them to utilize. This is definitely worth checking out if you like dark urban fantasy.
Oroginally reviewed for SF Site, 2009
It’s All Hallow’s Eve in the bizarre alternate Manhattan where private detective John Justin Mallory has established himself over the past few years. He and his partner, the renowned hunter Winnifred Carruthers, are looking forward to the festivities. That is, until Mallory discovers that someone of a vampiric persuasion has been snacking on Winnifred, and said someone turns out to be her recently-arrived nephew. Well, that sort of thing just won’t do, and the two of them set out to find Rupert before he can get into any more trouble. Things being as they are in a city where all things bizarre, magical, and unnatural flourish, finding a lone vampire-to-be isn’t the easiest task… even after he turns up dead for good.
Now the hunt is on for the vampire who originally bit, and subsequently killed, poor Rupert. Mallory, with the office catgirl Felina in tow, begins a lengthy trek through the streets and lairs, clubs and blood banks of Manhattan, searching for the bloodsucker behind it all. Along the way, Mallory picks up Bats McGuire, who may just be the worst vampire ever, and Scaly Jim Chandler, a dragon noted for his sex- and violence-filled detective novels. Dodging goblins bent on selling them anything that can be sold, bribing morticians and hotel clerks for information, outwitting vicious gangs of magical riffraff, Mallory and his unlikely companions have until dawn to stop an ancient vampire before he kills again. Luckily, Mallory isn’t easily frightened by the things that go bump, thump, or splat in the night.
Stalking the Vampire is the sequel to Stalking the Unicorn, the adventure which first saw Mallory set up shop in this particular world, and the cast is in fine form here. Mallory, the quintessential hardboiled, wisecracking P.I. is in his element as he follows lead after lead, tracking down an elusive vampire in a city full of vampires, leprechauns, trolls, dragons, goblins, and magic gone awry. His companions are well-defined, quirky, and downright loony, from the fish (and elephant) obsessed catgirl Felina, to the self-absorbed, cowardly Bats McGuire, to the delusional writer-of-pulp-fiction Scaly Jim Chandler. Toss in any number of memorable background characters who engage our heroes in snappy patter, sharp retorts, quick non sequiters and sleazy sales pitches, and you have the sort of story where every page has something of an oddball nature going on. It’s a past-paced story full of left turns and the occasional loop-the-loop, keeping things moving at a brisk pace.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this book is easily the funniest bit of fantasy detective fiction I’ve read all year. Mike Resnick is a master of rapid-fire dialogue and comedic timing, and he applies these techniques to great effect here, as the characters exchange comments and replies one after another, building through patterns and repetition, topping it all off with unexpected segues or abrupt terminations. It’s very vaudeville in feel, and Mallory’s frequent exchanges between his various companions become almost routine as they stalk their prey throughout the course of the night. Interspersed with those are encounters with goblin hucksters, willing to sell any and everything one could ever have absolutely no use for, which leads to some truly bizarre moments along the way. Suffice it to say that between the dialogue and the sheer absurdity that permeates the setting, Stalking the Vampire is a perfect example of humorous fantasy at work.
My only complaint regarding this book is that it was released in hardcover, and tops out around 260 pages. It’s a quick read, a fast-moving story that’s over way too quickly for my tastes, and I’d have loved to spend more time in Mallory’s world. I guess for the meantime, I’ll have to be satisfied with rereading Stalking the Unicorn and tracking down the short stories featuring these characters (one of which appeared recently in an anthology edited by Resnick and Eric Flint, The Dragon Done It.)
If you happen to be looking for a comedic blend of fantasy and mystery, you can’t go wrong with Stalking the Vampire. It’s a well-told story with a solid plot, excellent characterization, an entertainingly strange setting, and plenty of laughs, worth the price of admission.
Originally reviewed for SF Site, 2009
First in his debut novel, Happy Hour of the Damned, and now in his follow-up, Road Trip of the Living Dead, Mark Henry has successfully subverted the sexiness of the supernatural, by plugging into the profane and earthy viewpoint of zombie party girl, Amanda Feral. Once again, our flesh-eating socialite is up to her undead ears in trouble, but this time, she’s hitting the road in search of a little adventure and some new scenery. Her motivations are multiple. 1) Go see her mother, currently dying in a hospice… and help speed up the process. Guess who’s got some severe issues, and wants to smother her dying mom with a love-flavored pillow? 2) Keep one step ahead of the angry porn king-turned-vampire and his werewolf minions. 3) See a few sights, have a few laughs, devour a few K-Mart shoppers.
Naturally, it’s never that easy. As Amanda and her best friends, fellow zombie Wendy and vampire Gil, set out, they stumble over a whole variety of oddball people and bizarre incidents. From “borrowing” the world’s nastiest Winnebago, complete with its paranoid, masochistic owner, to visiting an assortment of oracles and psychics, from a hunky werewolf cop to a creepily-normal family unit, it seems as though the road is nothing but one hazard after another. Will our heroine reach her destination before her mother ungraciously shuffles off the mortal coil, or will she get sidetracked while looking for a quick snack?
Perhaps it’s because the book is filtered through Amanda’s perceptions, but it really does feel as though every trace of sensuality, sexiness, or beauty in the setting has been shot down, replaced by the never-ending snarktastic commentary of the main character. It’s impressive just how squalid and disgusting the underlying tone is, from the way Amanda deals with people, to how she sees her surroundings, to how she recounts important episodes from growing up. It’s not pretty, it’s not gentle, and Amanda Feral really does live up to her last name, as far as attitude and sophistication are concerned. Even the one sex scene — yes, zombies can have sex, God help us all — loses any trace of eroticism once Amanda’s had her way with things. Foul-mouthed and irreverent, Amanda drags the viewpoint down into the gutters, providing a distinctive take on the world.
And yet, this isn’t a bad thing. It makes for a memorable book at the very least, an urban fantasy that definitely stands out from the crowd. Partially fascinated, partially consumed by morbid curiosity, I enjoyed this book, and was more than a little amused at the bizarre turns the plot took. So once again, Mark Henry gets points for creating something new, unusual, and daring, a zombie adventure that proves they’re not all about “braaaaaains.” Here’s looking forward to the next in the series.
Originally reviewed for SF Site, 2009
Judy never expected to find a yeti in the freezer section of the Food Plus Mart while she was working the night shift, much less a yeti intent on eating all of the ice cream (save the vanilla.) But there it is, so what does she do? She calls Animal Control Services, which, surprisingly enough, actually has a remedy for her infestation issues. Enter Monster, of Monster’s Cryptobiological Rescue, a large blue-skinned man with a talent for transmogrifying and containing supernatural pests, and his paper gnome companion Chester. Several yetis later, the grocery store is pest-free, and that’s the last Judy ever sees of Monster….
Until her apartment is invaded by trolls and other weird creatures, and Monster again comes to the rescue. Though neither her apartment nor Monster’s van survive the job, Judy comes away with the valuable knowledge that the supernatural is real, and very annoying. Thus begins a rather uneasy, unlikely partnership between Judy and Monster, one born out of mutual convenience and mild dislike for one another. Monster shows her the ropes of being a cryptological containment expert, she does her best not to completely screw things up while acting as his transportation. But as they make their rounds, it becomes clear that the recent upswing in crypto activity may not be entirely random, and neither is Judy’s involvement. Something really weird is going on, and Judy’s at the heart of it all. With the fate of the universe at stake, can Judy and Monster get their acts together long enough to defeat a cranky immortal, defeat a host of hostile cryptos, and make peace with the most powerful artifact in existence? Or will all of humanity end up spending their lives as cats?
A. Lee Martinez continues to be one of those authors who reinvent themselves with every book, never settling for telling the same sort of story twice. This time around, we’re presented with a bizarre urban fantasy that reads like a cross between Neil Gaiman, Tom Holt and Christopher Moore. Audacious, thoughtful, comedic and oddly human, it’s an intriguing tale that never seems to go where you expect. It bucks convention and defies expectations at every turn, starting with Monster and Judy’s contentious relationship and ending with the very universe itself being up for grabs. In between, there’s more mythological monsters than you can shake a stick at, an extradimensional entity inhabiting an origami shell, Monster’s succubus girlfriend, and the most dangerous cat lady of all time. Great fun.
It’s tempting to write Monster off as a shallow book; it’s got that dry sense of situational humor that marks Tom Holt or Christopher Moore, where the characters and their foibles are played straight, and the comedy comes from the problems they must deal with. Of course, when yeti in the supermarket and trolls in the bedroom and walrus dogs in a diner’s kitchen are involved, things are anything but dull. And once you look closer, it’s easy to see that Monster has depths … or layers, like an onion. It’s a fun read, quirky and strange and the perfect addition to Martinez’s already varied repertoire. While it would be nice to see what’s next for Monster and Judy, I’ll happily take whatever Martinez decides to throw at us. But if you want comic fantasy, this is definitely a good bet.
Originally reviewed for SF Site, 2009
