Category: Urban Fantasy Page 11 of 45

On July 7, 2023

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode Episode 28: The Warning

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #28
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: June 29, 2023

I could feel blood dripping down my back and begin soaking the waistline of my pants by the time I reached the exit. The pain from my leg almost blocked out the sensation of my socks soaking from the ankle down, but it was there.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and…

What’s The Warning About?

This episode is essentially Bonaduke carrying the woman he rescued out of the building and thinking about what happened at the end–how did his grift work in that situation? It was a lot more powerful than he’s used to–for that matter how does it work in the first place? He’s still trying to figure that out.

He doesn’t come up with a firm answer–not much of any answer, but he’s chewing on it.

So, what did I think about The Warning?

So, um…yeah. It’s good for Bonaduke (and therefore the reader) to get some clarification on what happened, but I’m not sure we got any solid answers here. I’m pretty sure he didn’t, and if he didn’t, we can’t. I’d like an answer or two soon. The beginnings of theories are interesting, and it’s nice to see a character think through something. But argh…some progress we could hang our hats on to would be interesting.

I’m reminding myself that if I wasn’t reading this episodically, I’d probably not have these frustrations. But…I am and I do.

I don’t have a firm opinion on this episode, because it’s a stepping stone. The problems I have with it are because of the design, not the execution. I didn’t dislike it is the best I can do–oh, and I want more.

I’m hoping we get back to the guys in the apartment (or their colleagues) in the near future–and maybe some more with the sister-in-law. But if Slaywood’s got another interesting curveball to throw at us, I won’t complain.

3 Stars

20 Books of Summer 2023: June Check-In

On July 1, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Urban Fantasy

Here’s a quick check-in for this challenge run by Cathy at 746 Books.

So far, I’ve read 4 2/3—which puts me a little behind last year (still far ahead of 2021, though). I should read at least 1 1/3 this coming week, so I’m feeling pretty good about where I am. Since one of those four that I have finished was The Ink Black Heart and that took a week or so, I’m not that worried. None of the rest of these are nearly that much of a commitment.

1. The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
2. Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Episodes 1-3 by Kate Baray
3. The Lemon Man by Ken Bruton
4. The Flood Circle by Harry Connolly
5. Barking for Business by E.N. Crane
✔ 6. Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air by Jackson Ford
7. Eye of the Sh*t Storm by Jackson Ford
8. A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers by Jackson Ford
✔ 9. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
10. Stone of Asylum by Hilarey Johnson

11. Proxies by James T. Lambert
12. Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert
13. Stray Ally by Troy Lambert
✔ 14. Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley
15. Shadow Ranch by Rebecca Carey Lyles
16. Pure of Heart by Danielle Parker
✔ 17. The Worst Man by Jon Rance
18. However Long the Day by Justin Reed
19. Klone’s Stronghold by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
20. Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo by Amy Maren Rice

(subject to change, as is allowed, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).

20 Books of Summer '23 June Check In Chart

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 27: Zero Rescue by R. T. Slaywood: So, That Happened

On June 30, 2023

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 27: Zero Rescue

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #27
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: June 29, 2023

This is bad

This is really bad

…

I’m losing.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

Before then, he gets himself drunk and we get some of his tragic backstory. As he ponders this, he decides to use some of his ill-gotten-gains to buy more booze and walks into a liquor store robbery. He foils it in some sort of magical fashion, gets some more to drink, and heads off to the park to drink until he’s arrested (probably for the failed robbery). At least that’s his plan, but it gets interrupted by being hit by a car. He wakes up on some sort of short, metal bed and is unsure what’s going on. It turns out that some group is subjecting him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. Taking refuge in a homeless encampment, Bonaduke has to make some decisions. He starts to get his thoughts in order when the police begin a raid at the camp. During the raid, he’s apprehended by…well, we need to find out. But first, the interrogation kicks off—Bonaduke tries to work his grift to get him out, and while that effort starts off promisingly…it didn’t quite go the way he’d intended. He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and…

[I really need to tighten that up, hopefully I have time for that next week]

What’s Zero Rescue About?

That title doesn’t fill you with a bunch of hope for what’s about to happen, does it?

We left Bonaduke in a pretty precarious situation. And it gets worse this episode starts.

And then…well, I’m not precisely sure what happens (yet?), but it’s big.

I know I’m being vague, but it’ll be an episode or two before we get a real idea what happened.

So, what did I think about Zero Rescue?

I hate to complain about typos (really)–but there’s one in the final line that took away some of the impact, which is a crying shame, because it was a good one.

I think I liked the episode, but I’m a little afraid that Slaywood might be getting vague and indefinite (maybe even muddled) rather than mysterious and enigmatic. But in time, I trust we’ll get some resolution.

I don’t really have much to say about this episode–I like the directionit’ headed, but I’m going to need to see more before I have much more to say.

3 Stars

Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley: This Cozy and Witchy Mystery Drips with Appeal

In Fiction, Literary Locals, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Urban Fantasy

On June 29, 2023

It’s been too long since I posted a Literary Locals book, so I’m glad to get a chance to do that again. I had a quick Q&A with Lawley a few months ago about writing in Idaho, if you’re curious.

Cutthroat Cupcakes

by Cake Lawley

DETAILS:
Series: Cursed Candy Mysteries, #1
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
Format: eBook
Length: 262 pgs.
Read Date: June 22, 2023

“How do you kill a person with a cupcake topper?”

“When it’s drenched with as much raw magic as yours are, so many different ways.” Sabrina ticked off options on her fingers. “As a potion additive, as part of a ritual, ingested by the magic-user to add to their own power. Yeah, those are probably the top three.”

“Yours was used to create a potion which was then added to a beverage the victim drank, from what we can tell,” Miles added helpfully.

I really didn’t feel so good.

What’s Cutthroat Cupcakes About?

Lina’s having a slow day in her store—a year-round custom-made candy store with a Halloween theme—when everything she knows about her family, herself, and the world as a whole changes.

Lina discovers that magic is real and that she’s a witch in one of the worst ways imaginable to learn these things—by being arrested by a supernatural cop for killing someone with an item you cursed.

This cop is a wizard with the International Criminal Witch Police who has a certain amount of leeway in his jurisdiction—since he’s easily convinced that Lina has no idea how she may have cursed the candies in her shop, he offers to cut a deal with her—if she helps to track down the person who used her unintentionally cursed items, he won’t pursue charges (ignorance of the law yada yada yada could still get her a few years as an Accessory). Apparently, once you know what you’re looking for it’s easier to find traces of your own magic than it is to find someone else’s, so it makes sense to recruit Lina into this investigation, even if she doesn’t know anything about the magical side of things.

Lina’s curious about this whole witch thing, desperate to not be convicted of a crime—and fairly attracted to this detective, truth be told. So she puts her store in the hands of a new (witch) acquaintance for a few days and takes the offer.

The Boise-ness of It All

“The three of you are it? For the entire city of Boise?”

Bastian huffed. “City? Town.”

“Hey, now. No smack-talking Boise.” I’d only lived here five years, but that was long enough to recognize that the place definitely had its charms.

“I’m not talking smack. I’m stating a fact. It’s a town, not a city. But to answer your question, the three of us cover the greater Boise area.” His lips pulled into a grimace. “Insomuch as there is a greater metro area.”

You know right away that this is some sort of fantasy—there’s no way that a homemade candy shop—particularly a Halloween-themed candy shop—survives in downtown Boise for as long as Lina’s has. Yes, the idea is appealing, but it’s easier to buy the idea of the magic, to be frank.

Outside of that, putting this series in Boise helps ground it—Lawley has some good fixed locations for things and is able to use that geography to her advantage. But no one who is unfamiliar with Idaho’s capital is going to suffer for it—it’s a nice bonus for those of us who make the same drive as Lina does to know how long it takes so we know how long the uncomfortable silence (or whatever) will be. But that’s about it.

The Cozy Factor

I drank my exceptional espresso with exactly the right amount of cream and tried to keep my annoyance at recent events to a minimum. Nothing like a rotten mood to ruin good caffeine.

This is pretty “cozy” on two fronts—the magic and the mystery. We only get very broad brushstrokes about magic, how it works, what it can/can’t do, the society of witches/warlocks/wizards, and so on. Lawley gives us enough details to keep the story moving. We do get to see some magic at work, and get a sense that some ritual and effort is necessary—but Lawley’s not coming at this like Butcher, Rowling, or Harrison.

The mystery part of the book is solidly in the cozy area as well—we’ve got a candy store owner, a detective who works out of a coffee shop, and a whole lot of generally nice people (even a suspect or two are pretty nice when you get to know them).

The effect of both of these is to make you as comfortable as if you’re relaxing with one of the some of the drinks and treats described while the world passes by.

So, what did I think about Cutthroat Cupcakes?

Maybe I should have dithered, asked for more information, heck, even asked for the questions first. But this was the guy who’d cured my headache. Despite having locked us in my store earlier and disabling my phones, he seemed a stand-up sort of guy. Maybe he wasn’t warm and fuzzy, but…I trusted him. And that’s saying a lot given the fact he arrested me.

I initially thought this seemed like a charming idea for a cozy mystery series, but I wasn’t prepared for the extent of its charms. I devoured* this in one sitting and if I owned it, I’d have likely rolled right into the sequel (I will be rectifying this situation soon). I want to use words like cute and adorable, but those both feel condescending, so I’m sticking with charming for now. Enchanting might work there, too. But that’s a little too something given all the witchiness of the book.

Lawley’s not afraid to have a little fun with the premise—the first (aware) witch we meet is named Sabrina, for crying out loud.

*Pun intended, naturally.

The characters are all great (I thought about spending some time talking about them, but why ruin your fun?). The candies are tantalizing—even for someone who abstains from sugar. The coffee shop owned by the detective (there’s not enough supernatural crime to be a full-time job in this area—and he needs a cover story for the non-magical folks) will cause cravings for sure.

Basically, this is a light-hearted, sweet, appealing, and charming book. I encourage you to grab a snack, pick up Cutthroat Cupcakes, and get lost in the world for a little while. You’ll feel better for it.

3.5 Stars

Literary Locals logo

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 26: Something Awful by R. T. Slaywood: Whoa…

On June 23, 2023

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 26: Something Awful

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #26
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: June 23, 2023

My boot connected with his face. I felt a squishing sensation through the heel of my foot and watched as his entire head collapsed inward like an oversized cadbury egg.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

Before then, he gets himself drunk and we get some of his tragic backstory. As he ponders this, he decides to use some of his ill-gotten-gains to buy more booze and walks into a liquor store robbery. He foils it in some sort of magical fashion, gets some more to drink, and heads off to the park to drink until he’s arrested (probably for the failed robbery). At least that’s his plan, but it gets interrupted by being hit by a car. He wakes up on some sort of short, metal bed and is unsure what’s going on. It turns out that some group is subjecting him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. Taking refuge in a homeless encampment, Bonaduke has to make some decisions. He starts to get his thoughts in order when the police begin a raid at the camp. During the raid, he’s apprehended by…well, we need to find out. But first, the interrogation kicks off—Bonaduke tries to work his grift to get him out, and while that effort starts off promisingly…it didn’t quite go the way he’d intended. He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and…

What’s Something Awful About?

We left Bonaduke in a tight spot—surrounded by a lot of people being led by someone with some sort of interest in their abductee. We don’t know what that interest is, but we know it’s not going to be easy for him to get her out of there.

That’s what this episode’s about—just how hard it’s going to be when all of these people decide to stop Bonaduke. There’s no magic, there’s no grift, there’s no navel-gazing, or anything. It’s just an all-on-one brawl. Bonaduke’s better at that than I’d have guessed—it might just be a combination of fear, adrenaline, and oddly good luck. But it might be working for him.

So, what did I think about Something Awful?

This was nothing but action. The plot didn’t move forward at all, like with many other episodes, but this was so action-packed, who could notice?

There were a couple of lines where I wasn’t sure exactly what Slaywood was trying to accomplish, but by and large, he did a convincing job with this brawl. I was glued throughout and can’t wait to see how/if Bonaduke gets out of this one.

3.5 Stars

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Handful February and March Books

On June 19, 2023

In Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Politics/Current Affairs, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Celeste was right, and I don’t have to write about everything—but I have a hard time convincing myself of that. I’m far overdue on saying something about these six listens and one read. So, let’s do a little catch-up (if only so I can feel better about myself). As always, the point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

The Devotion of Suspect X

by Keigo Higashino, Alexander O. Smith (Translator), David Pittu (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Detective Galileo, #1 (in English, anyway)
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2011 
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hr., 2 min.
Read Date: March 7-9, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org!

(the official blurb)
A homicide detective consults with his friend, a genius and physicist about a tricky murder. His friend may be a college professor and not a detective, but there’s something about the way his mind works that helps Detective Kusanagi think better, and consulting his friend has worked in the past.

This is the murder of a seemingly odious man and it seems tied to his ex-wife, who’d been avoiding his abusive presence for years. Kusanagi can’t tie her to the killing, but there’s something going on that makes him want to. So he keeps investigating and then his pal gets involved, too.

This was a perfectly satisfying read, but I wasn’t as wowed by it as I expected to be. Sorry, Jeff, still appreciate the recommendation.

3 Stars

The Dead Will Tell

by Linda Castillo, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Kate Burkholder, #6
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: July 8, 2014
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 37 min.
Read Date: March 10-14, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org!

(the official blurb)
A pair of apparent suicides gets Kate Burkholder to dive into their pasts, and she discovers a common tie—to a 35-year-old murder of an Amish family. This puts her in a race against time to discover what’s (or who has) caused their deaths now, and if she can stop anyone else from dying while maybe solving this old horror.

The cold-case nature of this is a nice change of pace, but at the end of the day, it’s a brutal crime against the Amish. I’d just like to see someone else in her community the victim of a crime.

That came out wrongly. But it’d be nice to let this community have even some fictional relief.
3 Stars

Profiles in Ignorance:
How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber

by Andy Borowitz

DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: September 13, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 51 min.
Read Date: March 13-14, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org!

(the official blurb)
Borowitz traces how mass media and the political parties (particularly one) have worked to dumb down politics, the electorate, and our elected officials since Reagan’s initial run for governor and ending in the present. It’s insightful, it’s depressing, but it leaves a little room for hope.

I really wish he’d done a better job of making this bi-partisan. While he might be right that one party is guilty of more of what he’s talking about, I refuse to believe they’re alone—which makes this feel like too much of a partisan attack, rather than an exploration of the topic. Both have their place—I’d just have preferred a little more of the latter.

I initially assumed that this would be typical Borowitz humor—which I appreciate. But no, this was serious in intent and execution. Earnest Andy Borowitz is an interesting concept. A little humor crept in, but not much. I prefer him when he’s trying to be funny, but I’d read/listen to more like this from him, too.
3 Stars

Space: 1969

by Bill Oakley, starring Natasha Lyonne and too many others to list.

DETAILS:
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: 2022
Format: Audible Original
Length: 5 hr., 35 min.
Read Date: March 29, 2023

(the official blurb)
This is more like an audio play than a book (with all the clunky dialogue that implies). Oh well.

So the premise is that Kennedy survived the Dallas shooting and the space race kicked into overdrive—and by 1969, we have a Moon Colony and a space station. Nancy Kranich is a nurse on the station (with an interesting past), and is pretty miserable, oddly enough. Nancy stumbles into a conspiracy involving an intergalactic threat and former vice-president Nixon (a largely forgotten figure by this time).

Without Natasha Lyonne (and most of the voice cast), I don’t know if I’d have finished this. But because of Lyonne, I’d enjoy relistening to it. It was amusing and strange—feeling like a classic radio SF drama but with some really contemporary sensibilities. I’m not sure it’s the best of both of those worlds, but it was a fun combination.

3 Stars

Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Guild Codex: Demonized, #3
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: June 23, 2020
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 28 min.
Read Date: February 1-2, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org!

(the official blurb)
I’m having trouble remembering just what happened in this one—that’s the case for the entire Demonized arc so far, it’s all one story (which is great for the series, a pain when you’re trying to say “this is the one where…”).

I did enjoy the overall plot of this one, but my favorite parts are where this series overlaps with the other series in The Guild Codex—and I found myself increasingly impatient with Robin as she was off doing her own thing.

I am really tired of the will-they-won’t-they between Zylas and Robin—which is really a how-long-can-Marie-stretch-this-out.

3 Stars

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

by Elle Cosimano, Angela Dawe (Narration)

DETAILS:
Series: Finlay Donovan, #3
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: January 31, 2023
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 38 min.
Read Date: February 9-13, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org!

(the official blurb)
I am continuing to enjoy this series—but I’m not sure for how long. It’s getting harder and harder to accept the antics that Finlay and Vero get up to—and the way Finlay treats those around her. This book in particular stretched credulity. I fear that Cosimano is learning the wrong lessons from Evanovich.

I’d also like to see Finlay actually do some more parenting—it’s hard to sympathize with her plight when it comes to custody, etc. when she’s always handing off her children’s care to someone else (although, it does keep them safe).

Dawe’s narration is so good that I will put up with a little more zaniness. But without some changes to the series, I’m not sure how long I’ll stick around.
3 Stars

Anna and the Vampire Prince

by Jeanne C. Stein

DETAILS:
Series: Anna Strong, #9.5
Publisher: Hex Publishers LLC
Publication Date: April 25, 2017
Format: Paperback
Length: 92
Read Date: February 17, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org!

(the official blurb)
Anna’s in France dealing with her mother’s death, and her niece’s death is kidnapped. So she has to reach out to her local allies to try to rescue the girl.

The action bits were Stein at her best but the story felt rushed—but this was largely an excuse to revisit the characters, so it didn’t need to be too involved. As a bit of nostalgia, it was nice—but Stein did a good enough job wrapping up the series that I didn’t feel a giant need for something like this (as demonstrated by the fact that it took me 6 years to get around to reading it).

It was just fun enough to justify my time.
3 Stars This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, my opinions are my own.

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 25: Nothing by R. T. Slaywood: This Ain’t Nothing

On June 16, 2023

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 25: Nothing

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #25
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: June 15, 2023

My grift had brought me here. Call it luck, call it destiny, hell call it bad stuff I was done running away. Done hiding. Done. I clenched my jaw and pulled open the disabled sliding door that I somehow knew would be unlocked.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

Before then, he gets himself drunk and we get some of his tragic backstory. As he ponders this, he decides to use some of his ill-gotten-gains to buy more booze and walks into a liquor store robbery. He foils it in some sort of magical fashion, gets some more to drink, and heads off to the park to drink until he’s arrested (probably for the failed robbery). At least that’s his plan, but it gets interrupted by being hit by a car. He wakes up on some sort of short, metal bed and is unsure what’s going on. It turns out that some group is subjecting him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. Taking refuge in a homeless encampment, Bonaduke has to make some decisions. He starts to get his thoughts in order when the police begin a raid at the camp. During the raid, he’s apprehended by…well, we need to find out. But first, the interrogation kicks off—Bonaduke tries to work his grift to get him out, and while that effort starts off promisingly…it didn’t quite go the way he’d intended. He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good.

What’s Nothing About?

Before he can register what he’s doing, Bonaduke races to the woman to try to free her. There’s some commotion from the rest of the squatters and one—presumably a leader of some sort—moves to intervene.

A physical altercation ensues and Bonaduke finds a way to use his grift to help himself and…

I don’t know, we’ll see how badly this goes for him* in the next episode.

* Or how well, I should say—he’s due, right?

So, what did I think about Nothing?

Oh ho! This was good—plenty of action, a little exploration of Bonaduke’s abilities, and the kind of cliffhanger ending that leaves you in anticipation (rather than an eye-roll because it’s clearly manipulative (although the point of a cliffhanger is to manipulate, you know what I mean)).

Bonus points for the rather realistic self-injury resulting from a thrown punch.

No complaints from me on this one. I’m eager for the next episode.

3.5 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 24: Circles without Center by R. T. Slaywood: That’s Not What I Expected At All

On June 9, 2023

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 24: Circles without Center

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #24
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: June 8, 2023

My grift had brought me here. Call it luck, call it destiny, hell call it bad stuff I was done running away. Done hiding. Done. I clenched my jaw and pulled open the disabled sliding door that I somehow knew would be unlocked.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

Before then, he gets himself drunk and we get some of his tragic backstory. As he ponders this, he decides to use some of his ill-gotten-gains to buy more booze and walks into a liquor store robbery. He foils it in some sort of magical fashion, gets some more to drink, and heads off to the park to drink until he’s arrested (probably for the failed robbery). At least that’s his plan, but it gets interrupted by being hit by a car. He wakes up on some sort of short, metal bed and is unsure what’s going on. It turns out that some group is subjecting him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. Taking refuge in a homeless encampment, Bonaduke has to make some decisions. He starts to get his thoughts in order when the police begin a raid at the camp. During the raid, he’s apprehended by…well, we need to find out. But first, the interrogation kicks off—Bonaduke tries to work his grift to get him out, and while that effort starts off promisingly…it didn’t quite go the way he’d intended.

What’s Circles without Center About?

Not much. Bonaduke starts to wonder what’s going on with his grift, it’s not working like he’s used to–but maybe that’s because he doesn’t understand it.

He then walks into the building his grift brought him to and finds something neither the reader or he expected.

So, what did I think about Circles without Center?

I have no idea…I didn’t dislike it. But I’m not convinced that I have enough to form an opinion on. I need more to go on.

If the goal was to get me to click on the next episode–it worked. The only reason that I didn’t immediately go forward is that I needed to get some sleep. I really want to see what Bonaduke walked into.

3 Stars

I’m Sending Some Mixed Messages about BaIT by D.I. Jolly (and picked up some from BaIT, too)