Category: Urban Fantasy Page 15 of 46

On November 25, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 10: The Bathroom

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #10
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: November 24, 2022

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).

What’s The Bathroom About?

So the room that Bonaduke discovered (for lack of a better term) behind the bookshelf last episode is the bathroom he renovated in the home he and his wife shared all those years ago. He spends some time remembering this and grieving his wife—again.

So, what did I think about The Bathroom?

This was all atmosphere and introspection—which was pretty effective. I really liked this for what it is and trust that we’re going somewhere with this—and boy do I want to see where.

That all we get is atmosphere and introspection without it leading to anything leaves me wanting after the episode was over (but I’m getting used to that).

3 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 9: The Hand that Feeds by R. T. Slaywood: Things Get Weird…er, Weirder

On November 18, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 9: The Hand that Feeds

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #9
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: November 10, 2022

Letting out a breath I repressed a laugh then pinched the bridge of my nose, where it had been broken several times. I know that I’ve never done well with people, but even this was beyond my normal social dysfunction.

I can do better

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).

What’s The Hand that Feeds About?

Michael’s two captors? Examiners? Guides? Take him to an apartment in another part of the city—after everything he’s been through in the last day or so, he collapses into an exhausted sleep. When he wakes one of the pair is still with him—Om. Om either subjects him to more tests or starts the day off with strange tasks for him. Neither the reader nor Bonaduke knows for sure.

So, what did I think about The Hand that Feeds?

I think I like the path that we’re on…I really do, but it’s too soon to know for sure. I had fun with this, though.

3.5 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 8: Cat out of the bag by R. T. Slaywood: The End of the Test

On November 11, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 8: Cat out of the bag

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #8
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: November 10, 2022

I smiled at the stupidity of it all. No one who was right in the head would think this would work, even with a real coin. “Stupid stuff works all the time.”

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).

What’s Cat out of the bag About?

Bonaduke tries a couple of new strategies that fail, and when he’s about at the end of his rope, or maybe at the end of his rope, something happens. Now he’s ready to begin.

So, what did I think about Cat out of the bag?

Oh, ho. Now we’re cooking with fire—we see a little about Bonaduke’s childhood. And we get to the end of the test, so we can find out what this has all been leading to. Whatever it is, it feels like a real improvement compared to his life on the streets.

Or, it could be a trap.

Either way, it will be fun to see.

3.5 Stars

Gardens by Benedict Jacka: A Quick, Action Packed, Visit to the World of Verus

On November 4, 2022

In Alex Verus, Benedict Jacka, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Gardens

by Benedict Jacka

DETAILS:
Series: Alex Verus, #12.1
Publication Date: October 31, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 123 pg.
Read Date: November 3, 2022

What’s Gardens About?

This takes place about four months after Risen, and definitely should not be read by anyone who hasn’t read it (I’m not going to spoil anything though). We do get to catch up with the world of Mages, the Council, and the state of things with Adepts post-Risen, but we do so from a different perspective and with a largely new group of characters (they ultimately interact with some people we know though).

These characters are Daniel, Jess, and Emmanuel. They are youngish adepts with a little experience in thievery (although they really don’t like using that term) and are looking to expand. They’re hired by a mage to join a crew of others for a job to “retrieve” an object.

The object is in the possession of a mage, who they are told will be away from home for quite some time. All they need to do is open a lock (through an interesting application of wind magic that I don’t think I’ve seen before) and find the thing. Assuming they can get along with the other group of adepts hired for this job (which is clearly going to be an issue from the get-go), it sounds like an easy job.

But if it was an easy job, why would Jacka give us a novella about it?

So, what did I think about Gardens?

I had so much fun with this. It satisfied my desire to know more about this world and how things look after that fantastic finale—but was a different kind of story in it. Just not getting it told in Alex’s voice, but from a third-person narration, gave it a different feel immediately. Also, Jacka says that this is “a slightly different (but overlapping) genre to urban fantasy,” so that different feel is multiplied.

With all due respect to Jacka, I think it’s still UF. It is a darker form of it than we’re used to from him, though. But that’s just splitting hairs, and there are much better things to do with this novella.

Primarily we ought to just read and enjoy it—this is exactly what a heist-gone-wrong story told in the Verus-Verse should be. There’s in-fighting, double-crossing (maybe triple-crossing), lies, deception, unrequited love, and people in way over their head. Especially as we’ve been colored by Alex’s attitudes toward Adepts, it’s easy to forget what a great gulf there is between even a strong Adept and a Mage. Gardens does a great job of fixing that misapprehension. It’s a fast read with plenty of action—pound for pound, more than Jacka usually gives us, and I am here for it.

Is this a must-read for Alex Verus fans? No, not especially. But my friends, you will be missing out. You will be so glad you took an hour or so for this. This is definitely a must-not-read for people who haven’t read Risen (and if you haven’t read Risen, you likely haven’t read anything else in the series—which is something you should fix).

4 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 7: Lost Lamb by R. T. Slaywood: Lost, but Maybe on the Way to Being Found

On November 4, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 7: Lost Lamb

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #7
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: November 3, 2022

That’s the thing people don’t get about being homeless. Nobody wants to see you until you’re a threat.

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).

What’s Lost Lamb About?

So Bonaduke’s strategy last time didn’t work out so well—and he tries a couple of other things, and we end up in a similar situation to the ending of the last episode. Bonaduke’s got an idea, he’s trying something, and…well, it ends.

So, what did I think about Lost Lamb?

I thought I didn’t have a lot to say about the previous episode, and it turns out that I’m still there. Bonaduke’s not making a lot of progress in this test, and I’m not making a lot of progress in my evaluation.

Once again, I have nothing but questions at this point—and I think that’s the point. I liked what we got here, and am possibly more intrigued by this story than I have been so far. Again, I’m tempted to toss of my schedule and catch up on all the episodes right now.

3.5 Stars

Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel by James Howe, Andrew Donkin, Stephen Gilpin: The Children’s Classic Brought to Life in a New Format

On November 1, 2022

In Comics, Dogs, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, YA/MG/Children's Books

Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel

by James Howe, Andrew Donkin, Stephen Gilpin (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 29, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 128 pg.
Read Date: October 22, 2022

What’s Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel About?

This is easy—it’s a graphic novel adaptation of the modern classic, Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by James and Deborah Howe.

For those who missed this when they were kids, briefly, it’s the story about a dog (Harold) and a cat (Chester) reacting to a rabbit that their family brings home after finding him in a movie theater. The rabbit has some distinctive patterns on his fur that remind the kids (and Chester) of a classic Dracula-type vampire, so they name him Bunnicula.

Chester’s a literary type, with a taste for classic horror. Between his look, Bunnicula’s nocturnal habits, and the fact that every vegetable in the house starts being drained of its juices, Chester becomes convinced that the new pet is a vampire and tries his best to warn the family and destroy the intruder before he harms the family. Harold’s around as the voice of reason and tries to mitigate Chester’s shenanigans before his new little buddy gets hurt. Hilarity and shenanigans ensue.

Stephen Gilpin’s Work and the Look of the Book Overall

When I saw this on the bookstore shelf, I was intrigued because the original novel was such a favorite of mine—and then my kids, too. I had no real intentions of buying it because I could always just grab the novel again to revisit, but I picked it up to give it a quick glance and the art blew me away, and I had to buy it. Chester looked good, I clicked immediately with the character design for the Monroes (particularly the boys), Bunnicula was spot-on…

But the clincher for me was Harold. He might as well have been a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s, because his hair (and everything else) was perfect. Sure, now it’s expected that the dog will be my favorite character in a book—but that wasn’t my default when I first encountered the book. But it took little time for him to be my favorite character in the series*. So when Gilpin knocked that character out of the park, he won my affection. Sure, it’s based on the illustrations from the original book, but he owned it and brought the look to life.

* It’s very likely that Harold laid the groundwork for my appreciation of canine protagonists, like Chet and Oberon.

Sometimes, I wonder what the point is behind doing a graphic novel adaptation of a written work—does it really add anything? This one did—there are some nice updates (Harold uses a computer, etc.) and some visual jokes and flourishes that could only be made in this format. Gilpin clearly made the most out of what Howe and Donkin gave him.

So, what did I think about Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel?

It’d be hard (but not impossible) to make something faithful to the letter (as much as space allows) and the spirit of the novel that didn’t make me happy. But this one wowed me—it brought me back to the day I first discovered this great band of people and critters decades ago, recapturing and repackaging the magic.

I’m not sure that it’ll have that impact on everyone—I don’t know if an 8-10 year-old picking it up in 2022 is going to get hooked on the series, for example. I can’t imagine how one doesn’t, but I don’t know if they will.

I wasn’t sure how to rate this, how much of my reaction to it was based on memory and nostalgia and how much was this new work. But I know how I felt while reading it and I saw how my (now adult) children’s eyes lit up when I showed them this version of the book, and I had to go with the full five stars.

Adult fans who remember the book—grab this, you’ll have a blast. It’ll probably work its charms on younger readers, too—and hopefully will work to bring them to the original series.

5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 6: Rat in a Maze by R. T. Slaywood: I Feel Like I’m Lost in a Maze with This, but I Like It

On October 28, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 6: Rat in a Maze

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #6
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: October 27, 2022

I spent an uncomfortable amount of time pulling out the IV before standing up and rushing the door. The world spun upwards, and the floor hit my face.

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.

What’s Rat in a Maze About?

Bonaduke tries to escape from wherever exactly he is while learning what he can about it. It turns out that he’s going to be tested for something (he’s not told what) and if he passes, someone will explain everything. The test is…hard to explain without giving any details. Essentially he ends up taking a “Kirk passing the Kobayashi Maru” sort of approach. We’ll have to see how that works out for him in Episode 7.

So, what did I think about Rat in a Maze?

I don’t have a lot to say about this episode, but what I do have is complimentary.

I have nothing but questions at this point—and I think that’s the point. I liked what we got here, and am possibly more intrigued by this story than I have been so far. I’ve been fighting the temptation for a day to push on and ignore my schedule.

3.5 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 5: Hair of the Dog by R. T. Slaywood: Waking Up…

On October 21, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 5: Hair of the Dog

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #4
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: October 13, 2022

Only my experience waking from numerous drunken nights told me to keep quiet until I could sort out where I was. It also told me that the pain I was feeling was not from booze. It had started at the back of my head, and was already making its way down through my bones, joints, and muscles. Even my belly button hurt like hell. Each sensation fought like a bitch to complain the most. I felt like I was hit by a truck.

No.

It was a blue Prius.

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.

What’s Hair of the Dog About?

Bonaduke wakes up in pain, as you’re wont to do when hit by a car. Even by a Prius. He’s disoriented and hungover and it takes him a little while to piece together what had happened to him and how he may have arrived…wherever he is. That part’s unclear, he’s getting something delivered by an IV, he’s on something cold, metal, and too short to be a hospital bed (or anywhere else to hold an adult). There are a couple of people having a conversation nearby about him. Bonaduke doesn’t understand exactly what they’re saying or have any idea who they are.

Determined to confront them and get out of answers, he swings his “half-numb legs” off the bed and the episode ends.

So, what did I think about Hair of the Dog?

I’ll have to see what happens in Episode 6. I don’t have enough to really say—I think the direction this is going, though. Hopefully, Eposide 6 will be like 4, and give me something to chew on.

I think it’s clear at this point that the Kindle Vella format is really not my cup of tea. But I’m going to stick with this particular story, I just can’t see myself trying another.

3.5 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 4: The Five by R. T. Slaywood: In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

On October 14, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 4: The Five