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RE-ISSUE DAY REPOST: The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson: A Hilarious Fantasy Filled with Adventure and Shenanigans. Definitely Shenanigans.

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On April 4, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction, Humor

The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) TrueThe Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

by Sean Gibson

DETAILS:
Publisher: The Parliament House
Publication Date: December 10, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 358 pg.
Read Date: March 10-12, 2022

I am, if not the most well-known bard in Erithea (yet), arguably the most talented, and unarguably the cleverest. I also wouldn’t quibble if you suggested that I’m the most beautiful, but that’s just because I’m very agreeable (and beautiful)…

Decades ago, I was sworn to secrecy regarding the true story of the great and terrible “Dragonia,” but recent developments have released me from that promise, and so I can finally tell the tale.

A Quick Bit About the Re-issue

You should probably just read what Sean Gibson said over on his website, but I’ll share a snippet:

Bibliophiles the world over know there’s nothing quite like the feel of a hardcover book in your hands, especially when it’s nattily attired in a gorgeously illustrated dust jacket. It’s so much more than a book—it’s an experience. The story pulsating between the covers, a mystical alchemy of ink and imagination exponentially greater than the sum of its parts, guides you on a journey to an infinity of impossible destinations. When you’re reluctantly ready to return to reality, the stolid feel of those very same covers, just one design element of a marvel of engineering that can’t possibly be improved upon, slowly draws you back—changed, bettered, by the experience, somehow made more whole.

With that spirit in mind (or, perhaps, despite that spirit), Parliament House Press has re-issued this novel in hardcover and brought along Mateusz Wisniewski to provide this dazzling new cover. I liked the original cover, but this one is the kind you want on a hardcover.

I’d love to tell you exactly how snazzy this cover looks in person, but for two days now the tracking information says, “The shipping label has been created. Your package will be picked up by the carrier soon. Check back for updates on your delivery, or sign up for notifications.” Woe is me. You should head over to your local bookstore, Bookshop.org, or wherever you get your books and get your hands on this edition* today!

* Or, like me, an annoying and nowhere-near-as-attractive status update.

Enough about that, let’s talk about what’s behind the cover—as great as the cover is, this is the best part:

What’s The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True About?

This is that true story about Dragonia, told alongside the “official” account so the reader can see how the details were adjusted and tweaked to create the story everyone knows.

The town (or village, depending on who you ask) of Skendrick is being terrorized by a dragon—crops are being ruined, trade is disrupted, and the town is about to fall apart. Desperate, they put out a call for adventurers to come and kill the dragon. But they get no takers—so they go to Plan B. The villagers (or townspeople) pool their meager resources to hire a bard. This bard is to compose a song to make the attempt to kill the dragon sound appealing enough—and its treasure (which may or may not actually exist) enticing enough—to get a band of adventurers to come.

This is where Heloise comes in. She takes the gig and soon gets a new and yet unaccomplished band of adventurers to take up the call to action. I don’t want to get into describing the group, you want to meet them in the book.

They encounter difficulties from without and within; nasty, malodorous geography; orcs and other creatures; and, well, the dragon.

Heloise the Bard

“You’re not half as funny as you think you are, as I suspect you have a very high opinion of yourself.”

“My opinion of myself is in direct proportion to my amazingness,” I said sweetly.

The half-elf, Heloise the Bard is our narrator—as you can tell from the quotations above, she has a fairly high opinion of herself and her abilities. She’s also rather impressed with her hair and certain other physical attributes. Probably her greatest skill is self-promotion.

She decides to accompany the adventurers, to chronicle their journey and the outcome of their clash with the dragon. Her wit and quick thinking prove valuable to their effort and her particular set of skills make all the difference.

She is a hoot. It’d be easy for Heloise to be an annoying, over-the-top character, but somehow Gibson keeps her as an entertaining, over-the-top character. I’ve been trying to come up with a character to compare her to, and I’m failing. Maybe she’s the Fantasy version of Evanovich’s Lula, except Heloise has the skills that Lula thinks she has. Maybe she’s the equivalent of High Fidelity‘s Barry. Somewhere in the Venn Diagram featuring Fantasy, Lula, and Barry, I guess.

She appears in a couple of other books by Gibson, and I’m eager to spend some more time with her.

The Humor

The section could easily be merged with the previous one because the humor displayed in the book is primarily Heloise’s. The jokes are pretty much non-stop—even in the middle of fight scenes, or when death is nigh. The danger is still present, and the combat (and so on) is as deadly as it would be in another book—it’s just surrounded by laughs.

It didn’t take me long before I’d highlighted too many lines to quote—not that it stopped me from going on. My notes on this one are ridiculous. I kept chuckling throughout the reading. I probably would’ve finished the book in 2/3 the time, if reacting to the jokes didn’t make me stop reading for a moment.

If you’ve read The Tales of Pell, you’ve got a good idea for the pace of the jokes—and tone of the book, too.

There’s slapstick, there’s scatological humor, a great Meatloaf (the singer) line, some fantastic bursts of alliteration for the sake of a laugh, some general silliness, clever dialogue, and…honestly, I’m having a hard time thinking of a kind of humor that’s not in there. There’s a running gag (that I’ve alluded to) throughout about whether Skendrick is a town or a village—I can’t tell you how often it’s brought up. And the joke works every time—I should’ve gotten sick of it, and I never did. I don’t know how Gibson pulled that off, but that alone is the mark of a fantastic humor writer.

In addition to The Tales of Pell, if you’ve enjoyed Christopher Healy, Dave Barry, K.R.R. Lockhaven, Peter David, Scott Meyer, Joe Zieja, Jim C. Hines’ Jig the Goblin series, or John Scalzi—you’re going to dig the humor here. And if you dig the humor, you’re going to really enjoy the book. It’s that simple.

So, what did I think about The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True?

You know by this point that one of my main goals in telling this story is to show that the adventuring life isn’t all it’s thought to be. It’s mostly boring, frustrating, dangerous (though not excitingly dangerous), smelly (dear gods, so smelly), and not particularly lucrative. Occasionally, however, it’s exactly how the songs make it sound, and in those moments, it’s easy to see why people—even smart, capable people like Nadi—would devote their lives to doing something so irrational. Let the record show that entering a dragon’s lair for the first time is one of those moments, and it’s fair to say that each member of our intrepid band experienced more than a frisson of excitement as we crept across that threshold.

I think it’s pretty clear that I had a blast with this book, but I should probably make that explicit. I had a blast reading this book.

I think I should not that this is not a book to read if you’re in a “find out what happened and get to the end of the story” frame of mind. This is a “enjoy the trip, not the destination”/”stop and smell the roses” kind of book. The destination/what happens is fully satisfying, but the getting-there is so much better.

In addition to the jokes and the dragon, there is a running commentary on what “the adventuring life” is like outside of the glamorous or exciting bits. A lot of fantasy novels will show bits of it, but not enough of them do—and most don’t do it this way. For example, The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True contains more description of various odors than every 99% of the fantasy novels I’ve read by a significant factor. If this were a scratch and sniff book…well, I can’t imagine anyone would stock it—you just don’t want that in your warehouse/store. Sure, it’s silly talking about realism in a book featuring orcs, halflings, elves, etc.—but this factor does ground the book and give it a seriousness (for lack of a better term) that makes this more than a collection of jokes.

This is the funniest book I’ve read in 2022, and I can’t imagine it’ll face much competition. It’s got it all, go get your hands on it.

4 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, opinions are my own.

Mrs. Covington’s by K.R.R. Lockhaven: Friends, Nachos, Friendly Rodents, and an Utter Absence of Crow Noodle Soup. What More Could You Want?

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On March 30, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction

When I took part in the Cover Reveal for this novel, I warned you that I’d be talking a lot about it (and have lived up to that). I’m putting a big push in today. I’ve got this post about the book as well as a Q&A with K.R.R. Lockhaven coming up about the Kickstarter campaign and the book itself (you really need to check it out. I might have another post about the book to come today, too—but no promises, I’m running into a creative issue. Keep your eyes peeled, though.

Before I blather on a bit, let’s focus on the main thing: to get this book funded.

And now…let me blather:

Mrs. Covington'sMrs. Covington’s

by K.R.R. Lockhaven

DETAILS:
Publisher: Self
Publication Date: TBD
Format: Beta Version
Read Date: March 6-16, 2023
Kickstarter Page

First things first

I read a Beta copy of this—but a late-stage one, I think—so not a lot will have changed between what I read and what you’ll hopefully read. Still, there’s a chance that some things will have improved by the time you get to it.

What’s Mrs. Covington’s About?

This is a cozy fantasy, and as holds true for most of them, the plot could be summarized in a sentence or two. So I’m going to try to do that in a way that leaves some mystery.

Jacob is the son of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the Archipelago*, and is being pressured to join the family business, groomed to take it over, and so on. But he wants his own life. He wants something more than just carrying on his father’s work. Possibly even adventure. A life at sea perhaps?

* Yes, it takes place in the same world as the Azure Archipelago series, but it’s independent of that series and you don’t need to know anything about it to read this.

He’s dissuaded from pursuing that by someone he respects and looks for a new way to establish his own path. While doing so, he stops by a quiet pub in the city he’s visiting for a drink. While there the owner (mostly) jokingly offers to sell him the place. After thinking it over a bit, Jacob does that.

The bar is named for its resident capybara—Mrs. Covington—at sea, the capybara is supposed to bring good luck. She hasn’t seemed to do much for the pub yet, but maybe soon.

The first thing he has to do is find a way to make a profit—he offers the two employees there (a human, Tadrick, and a cigupa, Cora) full partnerships if they help him get this place in shape. Together they come up with a new business plan, redecorate, and start to devise new ways of bringing in customers (not all at once and not necessarily in that order, but I’m trying to summarize). The other thing Jacob does is befriend his neighbor, a widowed faun trying to raise two children and run a restaurant.

These four become friends and start to collaborate in a handful of ways.

When he bought Mrs. Covington’s, Jacob also received the parchment describing a local treasure hunt that belonged to the pub. People have been looking for the treasure for a while, and there’s no reason to think that Jacob and his new friends will have more success than anyone else. But like Wade Watts and his chums, they might as well try, right?

Platonic Relationships FTW

There are plenty of romantic relationships in this book, but none of them are the focus (as much as Cora’s parents try to steal focus with theirs). There’s even a nice past romance and the promise of a potential future one by the end of the book. But the relationships between the core characters are entirely platonic.

I don’t mind romantic stories or arcs—I think they’re a great way to show character, develop character, advance a plot, etc. But a good platonic friendship is one of those things that I admire more and more all the time—particularly between people who’d likely be coupled up in other books.

If the studies and stories I read hold true, friendships between adults are less and less common, and (American, at least) adults are more and more lonely and isolated. So maybe books about good friends are a new form of aspiration/fantasy? We don’t need to read books about swooning over someone we fancy anymore, just stories about falling into deep like?

Whatever lies at the root of it—I liked these friendships. All of them—the mutual support and encouragement in whatever configurations of characters were solid. Mrs. Covington’s sounds like a great place to hang out—maybe if you can’t hang out there with your own friends, reading about others doing it is a handy substitute?

Interludes

Something I should’ve mentioned in my beta feedback are the Interludes.* Three times we walk away from the story to get a glimpse of what’s going on with good old Mrs. Covington.

* Whoops. Sorry, K.R.R.! I’ll make it up to you next time.

These don’t advance the plot, give insight into the other characters, or anything like that—I’m not even sure they give insight into Mrs. Covington, because that would require a level of self-awareness that the rodent doesn’t seem to possess.

They are simply interludes. Nice, short, and quiet breaks from the novel. They’re the literary equivalent of taking a brief break to watch nature videos on Youtube or something. I’m just theorizing here, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find that they’re largely inspired by Lockhaven taking writing breaks to watch capybara videos.

I’m not sure why I used the term “quiet” there, it’s not like I’m talking about an audiobook here, but it fits. I guess it felt to me like there’s a film score playing quietly in the background (except when the band, Bilge Rat, is performing), and then the music dies for these interludes and all you get is crickets in the background or the sound of birds in the distance.

I’ve spent far more time than I originally intended to trying to describe the effect of these breaks. All I meant to say is that they’re an unexpected (unless you just read this) and thoroughly pleasant little addition to this book—and the kind of thing that most authors wouldn’t have thought to throw in.

I doubt that Lockhaven would be able to find enough of a story to justify a novella or novel along these lines. But a collection of scenes/episodes/random days in the life of the titular capybara would be something I’d jump on and probably return to often. Especially if he could get a great illustrator on board.*

* There’s your next Kickstarter, K.R.R. You’re welcome. Maybe this evens the score?

So, what did I think about Mrs. Covington’s?

I joked earlier about the plot being minimal—although it’s true. That’s not to say that the plot is inconsequential or bland. It’s a fun little story–Treasure Hunts have been a tried and true story engine since at least the time when Jason and his pals went on that cruise. And who can’t relate to a group of friends coming together to build something special? There’s enough plot to get your teeth into even while it’s not likely to be what you focus on.

I’ve made it this far and haven’t even talked about the villain of the piece. Ugh. You can tell how much importance I put on him. Think Charles Durning’s Doc Hopper from The Muppet Movie or Chris Cooper’s Tex Richman from The Muppets, or a good number of the men behind the masks in the original Scooby-Doo series. I’m not sure why I’m stuck on examples like them instead of something more highbrow, but that’s the frame of mind I’m in. He’s mean (actually, I don’t think he cares enough to be mean…maybe spiteful?), he’s power- and money-hungry, and doesn’t like anyone not acceding to his whims. He’s perfect for this story—and not that important ultimately. Yes, he’s standing in the friends’ way, so they have to do something—but he’s not as present as other obstacles.

I do have some quibbles about the timing of some of the elements. I think some of the relationships develop too quickly, and I wonder about the timeline for a couple of things. I don’t know if Lockhaven’s able to massage that a bit before the final version comes out, but I do think it needs some tweaking. That said—they’re only quibbles. I liked where every relationship went, how they developed, and so on. And all the events that happen too suddenly for my comfort? I enjoyed them all and understand why he put them where he did. So ultimately, I don’t care if that kind of thing works well because I enjoyed the results. To paraphrase Joel Hogson, “repeat to yourself, “It’s just a book, I should really just relax.”

And it’s easy to relax with this book—because it’s such a pleasant, comfy atmosphere. A treasure hunt with the staff of the friendliest bar this side of Cheers! might be the plot of this cozy fantasy novel. But the book’s core is kindness, community, optimism, and helping. Brought to you in a great fantasy world with a light and engaging voice, Mrs. Covington’s will leave you snug and content.

The book delivers on what it promises—comfort. Warm fuzzies. Kindness. Good times. It’ll brighten your day, and make the world feel like a better place for a bit.

Read it when you can. And pitch in to the Kickstarter before April 13!

4 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.

Grandpappy’s Corner: The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith, Katz Cowley (Illustrator): Tongue-Tying Magic

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On March 16, 2023

In Fiction, Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

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The Wonky Donkey

by Craig Smith, Katz Cowley (Illustrations)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Cartwheel Books
Publication Date: December 29, 2020
Format: Board Book
Length: 21 pgs.
Read Date: March 8, 2023


What’s Wonky Donkey About?

Lifted from the lyrics of a children’s song, the book starts:

I was walking down the road and I saw…
a donkey,
Hee Haw!

And goes on from there to describe this unfortunate equine in more and more detailed (and ridiculous) ways–starting with its three legs, going on to describe its taste in music, coffee consumption, attitude, attractiveness, and so on.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Katz Cowley is fantastic. The natural world and physical objects are presented in a great realistic fashion–heightened just a bit. The titular donkey and a bird that shows up in every scene, however, are a goofy cartoonish exaggeration of that fashion

I don’t know who decided to give this donkey a prosthetic leg–but it only comes up in the illustrations, so I’m going to give Cowley credit for it. It’s a great detail on many levels.

The expressions on the bird and donkey are the stars of the show–better than the words (by a crooked hair). I don’t know how a child can look at them and not want to stare. Or not wanting to pick up the book for another reading session.

Especially when a child is the age of the target audience, the adult reading the book is going to see themselves in the coffee-less expression of the donkey on the page talking about the caffeine deprivation. So everyone wins?

You can see some of the art, and learn more about the book, on Cowley’s website.

How is it to Read Aloud?

Ohhh boy. This is going to be hard to convey. First, it was only after I’d read this that I took the time to track down the song, but I couldn’t help but get a sing-songy cadence and voice as I read it. I also found myself talking faster and faster as I went through the book–like there was this unconscious effort on my part to spend the same amount of time reading each pair of pages–like a snowball rolling downhill, growing bigger and getting faster. This is great and all, but it’s also kind of a workout of both stamina and verbal dexterity.

You can’t help having fun with these lines–even as they build up and repeat like the 12 Days of Christmas. Really, try being expressionless or frowny while saying “He was a hanky-panky crank stink-dinky lanky honky-tonky wink wonky donkey.” You can’t, can you?

You might need to start using a spirometer before cracking this thing open though. As fun as it is, you’re going to end up getting requests for encores, and after 2-3 readings in a row, it’s going to lose a little bit of its charm. So keep something else around so you can switch to it for a minute or two before having to come back.

(between you and me, the song isn’t my style. I really hope the Grandcritter doesn’t discover it, because it feels like the kind of thing that’d you’d have to listen to 30 times a day–like that ditty about an infant scaleless predatory fish)

So, what did I think about Wonky Donkey?

A couple of weeks ago, my wife was telling a friend about our prep work for grandkids, including all the books we’re starting to stockpile. Once she got over being aghast that we’d never heard of The Wonky Donkey, she insisted that we fix this. We dutifully complied and it’s either one of the best moves we’ve made or one of the worst (see what I said above about reading it).

Joking aside, this is a great book for the intended age group. I’m going to have to do a deep dive into both the work of Smith and Cowley.

The other thing my wife’s friend told us was to get the board book–and she was right again. Parents/Grandparents/Etc. Do NOT get the paperback or hardcover. If the child(ren) doesn’t/don’t like the book, you’ll have spent too much money. If they do like the book (the more likely outcome), they will destroy it. It’s going to demand the number of re-re-re-re-reads that anything else won’t hold up to it. It’s also going to end up being one of those books a kid is going to carry around with them and flip through themselves–a lot. Paperbacks/hardcovers will not survive the gumming, accidental ripping, deliberate ripping, and overall expressions of toddler love that are so destructive.

I can’t see where this doesn’t become a tongue-tying obsession. The book you know the kid will love, you enjoy (the first few times a day you read it), you end up memorizing without trying to and just hope your lung capacity holds out during. It’s fun, it’s goofy, and it’s the kind of thing you’ll look back on in fondness.

4 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.
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The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington: A Thoughtful Fantasy Adventure Shares the Page with 900 Fireball Jokes, 750 Quips about Useless Clerics, 600 Ways to Mock Paladins, and Plenty of Other Comedic Bits

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On March 15, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction

So this is like a month overdue. I feel really bad about that because Andi Ewington got his Q&A responses back to me in record-time and I paid him back by dithering with this. It’s one of those I started and abandoned several times because it wasn’t right. This isn’t either, but I forced myself to actually finish it—it’s just going to get worse the more I tinker with it.

Oh, yeah, and do check in later this morning for a very nice Q&A with Ewington.

The Hero InterviewsThe Hero Interviews

by Andi Ewington

DETAILS:
Publisher: Forty-Five Limited
Publication Date: December 1, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 925 pgs.
Read Date: January 20-February 11, 2023

What’s The Hero Interviews About?

The child and sibling of heroic adventurers, Elburn Barr, has taken a different path in life—one fit for someone with his particular set of skills (or lack thereof). He is a Loremaster—no spells, weapons, or danger for him, thank you very much. At this point in his life/career, Elburn has set out to understand what makes a hero tick—what is it that drives them, what early influences molded them, how do they keep going on? Does it vary from type to type? Are Barbarians made of different stuff from a Cleric or a Thief? What about a Ranger or a Wizard?

In addition to interviewing various leading examples of each type of hero, he talks to non-heroes, too. Like a farmer whose farm was saved(?) by some heroes from a dragon, the curator of a hero museum, people who run/design dungeons, etc.

We get these interviews in transcript form—with a little introduction from Elburn at the beginning of each, and maybe a little narrative about what’s going on around them during the interview, or what he does after. But primarily, it’s transcriptions of the interviews.

In addition to trying to understand the heroic psyche in general, Elburn’s hoping to understand and maybe connect with his adventurer-filled family. But he has an ulterior motive for all this—his older brother went off adventuring ten summers ago, and Elburn would like to know what happened to him. He’s hoping to find him alive somewhere but will settle for just knowing what happened.

This sounds heavy—but I should stress that this is a comedy. There’s a serious story (or three) being told, sure. But the book is a comedy.

Comic Footnotes

I’m a long-established fan of comic footnotes in novels—see what I’ve said about Josh Bazell, Lisa Lutz, Thomas Lennon, and K.R.R. Lockhaven for example. But Ewington puts them all to shame.

At least in terms of volume—there are almost 2 per page, although I’d have wagered it was higher than that (that’s an average—there are pages with several). Occasionally, it feels annoying to stop the flow of what you’re reading to check it. All I can say is that if you’re feeling that way, just keep reading and then circle back for the footnote after that bit of dialogue or at the end of the chapter—it’s not going anywhere.

On the whole, they work better in the moment without doubling back, so click the link if you’re not at the annoyed point. I did it both ways depending on my mood and can vouch for both methods. Whatever you do, don’t skip them.

You get a good sense of Elburn’s personality and attitude toward his interview subjects from the main text—but it really shines forth in the footnotes. To really understand the protagonist, you need to read them.

But your comedy-per-word ratio is higher in the footnotes, too. In the main text, comedy has to come out of the words, situations, and characters. In the footnotes, Ewington doesn’t have to do that—he can just make the joke. Frequently, that’s all it is—the joke. Neither is a superior joke-delivery method, it’s just easier to get to the funny bit in the footnote.

Audience

Anyone who’s into Fantasy to one degree or another is going to be able to appreciate most of what Ewington’s doing here. There is a pretty solid D&D-basis to everything, however, so the more you understand and/or have been exposed to the game.

The Length

There’s no getting around this point, The Hero Interviews is long. One might argue that it’s too long. I’m not sure I’d agree—but I wouldn’t disagree.

Early on (maybe around the 20% mark), I started to wonder if this thing wouldn’t work better as a trilogy. Break this into (roughly) thirds, add a 1-3 page Epilogue/Prologue to each to connect them and it’s a lot easier to digest. I think it’d work. Check out my Q&A with Ewington to see why he disagrees with that idea. I’m not entirely convinced, but at the end of the day, it’s not that important.

I do wonder how many readers will find their patience pushed by the length—I’d tell them to stick with it because it’s absolutely worth it (but taking a break every few chapters isn’t the worst idea).

A practical downside to the length is that it’s likely cost-prohibitive to publish this in paperback. This is a real shame because everyone I can think of to give this to won’t read it in ebook. (but I’m trying to think of a way to work around that)

So, what did I think about The Hero Interviews?

I hate when people drag out Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett when talking about humorous SF/F, but I can’t get away from this one. For a long time, I’ve said that Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams isn’t so much a novel as it is a series of comic episodes/scenes/bits trying to look like a novel.* As I’ve been trying to come up with a succinct way to talk about this book the last few weeks, I’ve decided that it’s the opposite—it’s a novel trying to look like a series of comic episodes/scenes/lines.

* I feel compelled to add at this point that I love the book, some of my favorite lines/paragraphs/ideas from Adams are in it. But it’s not a good novel.

It takes a while to see the plotlines emerge—it really does seem to be a light-hearted look at D&D clichés, stereotypes, tropes, etc. at the beginning, but eventually, you start to see the story arcs emerging and even start to see Elburn grow and develop. That’s something I didn’t expect to see when I started reading this.

If only because I have memories of interview transcripts and fantasy humor (and sadly, not much else), I expected this to feel like Off to See the Wizard by Clay Johnson, but it really doesn’t. Ewington’s ambitions are larger—and he packs more jokes into his pages. Ewington is also more interested in playing with the tropes and types of the genre, while Johnson was working within pretty well-established types.

Once I got to the interview with Gwenyn, the poor farmer with a field ruined by a dragon corpse left behind by heroes, I knew this book was for me. The Mime Warrior interview was so ridiculous that I had to love it—and I even came around to the least-Conan-like Barbarian (I admit I had a hard time with that one at first blush). Ewington both seems to embrace and relish going for the obvious joke—but the way he gets there, or what he surrounds the obvious joke with—that’s pretty special and creative. I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense, you’re just going to have to read it to see what I’m trying to communicate.

It’s really easy to see why Jodie recommended this one to me for the 12 Books Challenge, and I’m so glad she did (I wanted to, but hadn’t gotten around to buying it until she did). You should pretend that she recommended it to you, too (here, read her post about it). I mean, I’m recommending it to you—but maybe you’ll listen to both of us more than you’d listen to just me.

You’ll laugh; you’ll chuckle; you’ll grin; you’ll shake your head and roll your eyes while wondering, “Did he just find another way to make the same fireball joke?”*; and you’ll have a lot of fun. No better time than the present to go grab this, you’ll be glad you did.

* Yes, yes he did.

4 Stars

PUB DAY REPOST: Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt: Corey Douglas Starts to Come Into His Own as a PI

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On March 14, 2023

In David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Good Dog, Bad CopGood Dog, Bad Cop

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: The K Team, #4
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: February 28-March 2, 2023
9781250828965

What’s Good Dog, Bad Cop About?

Pete Stanton, when he’s not building up a tab for Andy Carpenter at their favorite sports bar, is in charge of the Homicide Division of the Paterson PD. He doesn’t have the budget for more police detectives, but he had a healthy budget for consultants (figure that one out if you can). So he’s hired the K-Team to look into some cold cases for him.

The first one they pick is a doozy. A few years ago, a retired detective and mentor to Corey Douglas was found shot on his boat, a woman’s body was also found there. Some suspicions about a murder-suicide were floated, but nothing stuck. Corey wants to look into it, and Pete approves it with one caveat—they have to investigate the murder of that woman’s husband. He, too, was a Paterson police officer who was murdered. Other than his wife, there’s no obvious connection between the cases, and they weren’t investigated that way.

Corey and Laurie knew going in that Pete would assign them both if they requested one—and honestly, they wanted it that way. All three were aware of the game they were playing, and they all did their part. Now, hopefully, the K-Team and help the PPD close these cases and get some justice for the victims.

Simon

This is really Corey’s book—Laurie’s in it a decent amount, but she doesn’t seem to play as vital a role as usual. Marcus isn’t around much—but is when it counts. Where it comes up short is, as is often the case, Simon’s involvement.

We need to see more of him—Corey even jokes about it at one point, saying Simon’s going to be jealous about something he’s up to without him. That’s all well and good–but it’s not enough.

This is a series about detectives who name their team after a dog. Corey’s a former dog handler. The dog needs to be around more. Do we get some good Simon action? Yes. Are the lines about him and the action involving him good? Absolutely (equating him to Marcus is a great idea). But c’mon, Rosenfelt—give us more Simon.

Poor Sam

Okay, it’s been evident for quite some time in the Andy Carpenter books that while Sam is a good accountant, he enjoys his side gig as a computer researcher for Andy (who isn’t impeded by things like ethics or laws), and he’s more than happy to help out with the K-Team.

But these guys are starting to rely on him too much—sure, they do the legwork. They put a lot of the clues together—but Sam got most of those clues for them. And the number of times that Corey called with new tasks for him was borderline outrageous. They’re working this guy to the bone.

It occurs to me that I said something very similar about the computer tech in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. Is there maybe a union for overworked tech geniuses in Mysteries/Procedurals? Maybe Tilly Bradshaw can organize something.

Corey as a PI

Corey is really coming into his own as a PI (at least as far as fictional PIs go). In the first book or two, he tried to do things the right way—he was very aware that he was no longer a cop and had to act in a certain manner because of it. But he still acted like a police officer, with those kinds of instincts.

Laurie had spent enough time as a PI, was more comfortable in the role, and accepted a greater degree of looseness when it came to protocols. I doubt Marcus ever cared about them in the first place. But Corey was pretty uptight and had to be cajoled into doing certain things.

He seems over that now—he’s willing to color outside the lines, ignore certain rules/laws, and so on. It’s about getting the results and taking care of details and technicalities later.*

* I want to stress that I’m okay with this because we’re talking fictional detectives. The casual attitude toward privacy, phone records, financial transactions, and breaking and entering in a real person would be intolerable—I don’t care what their profession is.

It’s great to see him grow and develop. He’s not the same character that he was when we met him in the Andy Carpenter books–or when this series started. I’m sure that growth with slow and/or stop soon—but for now, I’m liking the journey.

The M Word

As much as he’s growing in his new profession, Corey’s got a long way to go on the personal front. Sure, he’s made great strides since meeting and starting to date Dani. He’s in a long-term committed relationship and isn’t thinking of running for the hills or making some lame excuse to break up.

But he can’t even bring himself to say—or think (including in his narration)—the word “marriage.” He will call it “M” throughout the book—and he’s thinking about it pretty frequently in this book. Sure, it’s immature—he realizes it. But that’s not enough. This is also one of those things that the reader has to suspend disbelief and just roll with. If you do, it’s a fun running joke (it’s easy to do, because if anyone can make a somewhat emotionally stunted man entertaining, it’s the creator of Andy Carpenter).

So, what did I think about Good Dog, Bad Cop?

I know this series (like the Carpenter books) aren’t technically cozies—Marcus by himself keeps them from being considered that way. But I don’t know if there is a pair of series (or one) that I feel so comfortable in. Within a paragraph or two of the protagonist showing up, I’m enjoying the book and feel at home.

Sure, there are better entries and lesser entries—characters moves I like more than others, and so on. But I know as soon as I start one of these books that I’m going to have a good time. That’s what happened here.

I’m enjoying Corey’s transformation into a more typical PI—there are a couple of moments where he felt like the 1990s-era Spenser (just with a dog that wouldn’t run from gunfire). I’m not going to complain about that—ever. I enjoy the dynamics between the team, between the team and the police/other law enforcement entities, between the team and Andy, and so on. I simply enjoyed myself here.

The mysteries on top of that were good, too. I admit that I got suckered into a red herring or two, and things that I was sure of along the way were wrong (I was on the right path, and was only one connection away from being in step with Corey).*

* I’m sure I probably sound defensive there, but that’s only because I am.

I don’t know what else to say—this is a good installment in a reliable series. Fans of Carpenter, the K-Team, or lighter mysteries will gobble this one up. Satisfaction assured.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 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 Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther, Translated by Robert Kolb: A Pastoral Gem from the Reformer

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On March 12, 2023

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Freedom of a ChristianThe Freedom of a Christian: A New Translation

by Martin Luther, Translated by Robert Kolb Carl R. Trueman (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Series: Crossway Short Classics Series
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Format: Paperback
Length: 86 pg.
Read Date: February 26, 2023


Some Thoughts on the Series as a Whole

The point of this series is to take classic short works—sermons, tracts, articles—package them attractively, edit a bit (modernize language, eliminate footnotes, tweak grammar, etc.), and make them widely available. Each is given a short introduction to help the reader get the context and a bit of information about the author.

They published seven books in this series last year, and I discussed them here. Two have come out this year (so far), but I’m hoping for more.

What’s The Freedom of a Christian About?

A Christian is a free lord of everything and subject to no one.

A Christian is a willing servant of everything and subject to everyone.

This is Luther (early in the Reformation) laying out his vision for good works for the believer–how they are to be performed, why they are to be performed, and their place in the life of the believer. I’m sure there’s more to say, but that’s basically it.

That quotation gives his two theses–the rest of the book is his working out the thinking behind them. It’s penetrating, it’s convicting, and it’s inspiring to watch him work. Whoops, I seem to have stumbled into the next section.

So, what did I think about The Freedom of a Christian?

From all of this comes the conclusion that a Christian lives not in himself but in Christ and in his neighbor, in Christ through faith, in the neighbor through love. Through faith he rises above himself in God, from God he descends under himself through love, and remains always in God and in divine love. It is as Christ said in John 1[:51]: “You will see heaven standing open and the angels ascending and descending over the Son of Man.” Behold, that is the proper, spiritual Christian freedom, which liberates the heart from all sins, laws, and commands. This freedom exceeds all other freedoms, as high as heaven is over the earth. May God grant us that we truly understand that and retain it.

I wasn’t sure about reading this–it’s one of those works I’ve read so much about. I’ve seen it cited, heard descriptions of it in lectures, and read about it, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it. A lot of the times I read something that I know about like this, it doesn’t work out (I’ve never been able to get past page 40 of Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death, for example). But this is exactly what it should’ve been.

Martin Luther being pastoral is just great. Luther coming alongside those believers so often neglected in the Church and saying, here’s what to do–free of burden, free of guilt, free to live and love as they ought, as they’ve been called to.

This little read is a gem. I’m glad I took the chance on it and so glad that Crossway’s series brought it to us.

4 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.

Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt: Corey Douglas Starts to Come Into His Own as a PI

By

On March 6, 2023

In David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Good Dog, Bad CopGood Dog, Bad Cop

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: The K Team, #4
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: February 28-March 2, 2023
9781250828965

What’s Good Dog, Bad Cop About?

Pete Stanton, when he’s not building up a tab for Andy Carpenter at their favorite sports bar, is in charge of the Homicide Division of the Paterson PD. He doesn’t have the budget for more police detectives, but he had a healthy budget for consultants (figure that one out if you can). So he’s hired the K-Team to look into some cold cases for him.

The first one they pick is a doozy. A few years ago, a retired detective and mentor to Corey Douglas was found shot on his boat, a woman’s body was also found there. Some suspicions about a murder-suicide were floated, but nothing stuck. Corey wants to look into it, and Pete approves it with one caveat—they have to investigate the murder of that woman’s husband. He, too, was a Paterson police officer who was murdered. Other than his wife, there’s no obvious connection between the cases, and they weren’t investigated that way.

Corey and Laurie knew going in that Pete would assign them both if they requested one—and honestly, they wanted it that way. All three were aware of the game they were playing, and they all did their part. Now, hopefully, the K-Team and help the PPD close these cases and get some justice for the victims.

Simon

This is really Corey’s book—Laurie’s in it a decent amount, but she doesn’t seem to play as vital a role as usual. Marcus isn’t around much—but is when it counts. Where it comes up short is, as is often the case, Simon’s involvement.

We need to see more of him—Corey even jokes about it at one point, saying Simon’s going to be jealous about something he’s up to without him. That’s all well and good–but it’s not enough.

This is a series about detectives who name their team after a dog. Corey’s a former dog handler. The dog needs to be around more. Do we get some good Simon action? Yes. Are the lines about him and the action involving him good? Absolutely (equating him to Marcus is a great idea). But c’mon, Rosenfelt—give us more Simon.

Poor Sam

Okay, it’s been evident for quite some time in the Andy Carpenter books that while Sam is a good accountant, he enjoys his side gig as a computer researcher for Andy (who isn’t impeded by things like ethics or laws), and he’s more than happy to help out with the K-Team.

But these guys are starting to rely on him too much—sure, they do the legwork. They put a lot of the clues together—but Sam got most of those clues for them. And the number of times that Corey called with new tasks for him was borderline outrageous. They’re working this guy to the bone.

It occurs to me that I said something very similar about the computer tech in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. Is there maybe a union for overworked tech geniuses in Mysteries/Procedurals? Maybe Tilly Bradshaw can organize something.

Corey as a PI

Corey is really coming into his own as a PI (at least as far as fictional PIs go). In the first book or two, he tried to do things the right way—he was very aware that he was no longer a cop and had to act in a certain manner because of it. But he still acted like a police officer, with those kinds of instincts.

Laurie had spent enough time as a PI, was more comfortable in the role, and accepted a greater degree of looseness when it came to protocols. I doubt Marcus ever cared about them in the first place. But Corey was pretty uptight and had to be cajoled into doing certain things.

He seems over that now—he’s willing to color outside the lines, ignore certain rules/laws, and so on. It’s about getting the results and taking care of details and technicalities later.*

* I want to stress that I’m okay with this because we’re talking fictional detectives. The casual attitude toward privacy, phone records, financial transactions, and breaking and entering in a real person would be intolerable—I don’t care what their profession is.

It’s great to see him grow and develop. He’s not the same character that he was when we met him in the Andy Carpenter books–or when this series started. I’m sure that growth with slow and/or stop soon—but for now, I’m liking the journey.

The M Word

As much as he’s growing in his new profession, Corey’s got a long way to go on the personal front. Sure, he’s made great strides since meeting and starting to date Dani. He’s in a long-term committed relationship and isn’t thinking of running for the hills or making some lame excuse to break up.

But he can’t even bring himself to say—or think (including in his narration)—the word “marriage.” He will call it “M” throughout the book—and he’s thinking about it pretty frequently in this book. Sure, it’s immature—he realizes it. But that’s not enough. This is also one of those things that the reader has to suspend disbelief and just roll with. If you do, it’s a fun running joke (it’s easy to do, because if anyone can make a somewhat emotionally stunted man entertaining, it’s the creator of Andy Carpenter).

So, what did I think about Good Dog, Bad Cop?

I know this series (like the Carpenter books) aren’t technically cozies—Marcus by himself keeps them from being considered that way. But I don’t know if there is a pair of series (or one) that I feel so comfortable in. Within a paragraph or two of the protagonist showing up, I’m enjoying the book and feel at home.

Sure, there are better entries and lesser entries—characters moves I like more than others, and so on. But I know as soon as I start one of these books that I’m going to have a good time. That’s what happened here.

I’m enjoying Corey’s transformation into a more typical PI—there are a couple of moments where he felt like the 1990s-era Spenser (just with a dog that wouldn’t run from gunfire). I’m not going to complain about that—ever. I enjoy the dynamics between the team, between the team and the police/other law enforcement entities, between the team and Andy, and so on. I simply enjoyed myself here.

The mysteries on top of that were good, too. I admit that I got suckered into a red herring or two, and things that I was sure of along the way were wrong (I was on the right path, and was only one connection away from being in step with Corey).*

* I’m sure I probably sound defensive there, but that’s only because I am.

I don’t know what else to say—this is a good installment in a reliable series. Fans of Carpenter, the K-Team, or lighter mysteries will gobble this one up. Satisfaction assured.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 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 Shadow of Christ in the Book of Lamentations by C.J. Williams: Finding the Hope of the Gospel in the Laments

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On February 26, 2023

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Shadow of Christ in the Book of LamentationsThe Shadow of Christ in the Book of Lamentations:
A Guide to Grieving with Faith

by C.J. Williams

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crown & Covenant Publications
Publication Date: November 25, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 172 pg.
Read Date: February 5-12, 2023

The people had been warned about this day of judgement for centuries, but as God pleaded with them through the prophets, they became more stubborn in their sin. Now the day had come. If there was ever an “I told you so” moment, this was it. But the speaker does not stand aloof; he gives a voice to the sorrow and suffering of the people. He wept with them and for them with sympathy that arose from the depth of his soul. Although the people had brought this terrible day upon themselves, they were met with compassion and “a spirit of gentleness” with which we are to minister to those who are overtaken in any trespass (Gal. 6:1).

What’s The Shadow of Christ in the Book of Lamentations About?

Based on a series of sermons, Williams walks the reader through the book of Lamentations—in a careful manner. He doesn’t avoid technical points, nor does he dwell on them, moving the book in an esoteric direction. At the same time, he doesn’t keep it so simple that there’s not a lot to learn, to think about, or to meditate on.

As the back of the book says,

The book of Lamentations counsels us on how to:

  • respond to hardships with faith,
  • grieve with hope,
  • and find the renewal of grace during the trials of life.

and Williams is careful to draw out each of these points more than once.

But that’s not the focus of his book—and, Williams would argue, it’s not the focus of Lamentations. The focus is on how Christ is displayed and revealed through this short Old Testament book. This comes through loud and clear and proves comforting and inspiring.

Christ-Centered Perspective

When seen in this light, a book that technically has no direct speech from God comes alive with the voice of the Son whom he would send.

Starting in the introduction and carrying on through the end, Williams makes it clear that this is going to be a Christ-centered book because the role of this book is to reveal Christ to his people. There is a speaker throughout the book, referring to himself as “I.” Williams argues that this is the voice of Christ—he is the lamenting one alongside the other voices in the book.

I’m not going to try to echo his arguments—I don’t have that kind of space. But when he started to enfold it, I was captivated—and as he returned to it throughout the book, I kept being captivated and wanted to spend more time examining these points.

So, what did I think about The Shadow of Christ in the Book of Lamentations?

When believers experience hardship or the chastening of God, asking this blunt question awakens us to the truth: Has God utterly rejected us? To ask the question is to answer it. You may not know how any hardship will end, but as a child of God, you know how it will not end. Nothing can Separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:39).

The conclusion of Lamentations shows us that there js always a path forward when we walk with faith.

Of all the prophetic books, Lamentations is the one that has always resonated with me the most—but I always knew I was missing something about it. Starting in Chapter 2 (where he begins his argument for the Voice of Christ in this book), so many lightbulbs turned on—I know Christ was revealed in this book (as he is everywhere), but I didn’t understand how thoroughly the book did that.

I’m not for one second suggesting that this is an exhaustive treatment of the book, nor that Williams is the final answer when it comes to this idea—but it’s a fantastic place to start.

The rest of the book was just as good—I walked away from every chapter with a better understanding of or refreshed appreciation for the text.

If you’re looking for a trustworthy guide to this dark portion of Scripture (that is also full of light and hope), you’d do well to look to C.J. Williams.

4 Stars

The Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano by K.R.R. Lockhaven: Exactly What the Title Says

By

On February 20, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction

I didn’t think I had much to say about this book until I was about halfway finished with the post and realized I was nowhere near done with it. I’m not certain it’s all that coherent now, but it’s done, or as close to done as I can get without another two-three days to tweak it and wring all the stream-of-consciousness out of it.

The Foundling, the Heist, and the VolcanoThe Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano

by K.R.R. Lockhaven

DETAILS:
Series: The Azure Archipelago, #2
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Publication Date: January 20, 2023
Format: e-Book
Length: 313 pg.
Read Date: February 13-15, 2023
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s The Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano About?

It’s been a year or so since the events of MD&D* when we rejoin our friends on Adventure Ship as they pay a quick visit to Azure’s father.

*I’m just not going to refer to these books with their logorrheic titles, I’m just using initials. And to be snotty, I’m taking out all the T’s.

The visit is cut short when Azure receives a job offer—getting the Marauders a reliable flow of income is Azure’s top priority and it’s not going well. A raven named Sir Terry brings this lucrative offer to her and they have to jump on it—the fact he gets such an auspicious name, tells you how much we’re going to see Sir Terry for the next couple of books, I think. The Mauraders are on a hunt for buried treasure on behalf of the man who buried it and cannot seem to find it. For those thinking about the title, the treasure is buried near a volcano.

Along the way to the treasure, they get attacked by a pirate which proves to be a test of the new captain, who acquits herself well. They then discover that the treasure has been discovered by someone else very recently—requiring the titular heist. They also find the foundling—a young girl who stumbled into this world from Earth (getting her home also requires the titular heist). The girl isn’t the only one who came to this world from Earth—later on, a gargoyle on the hunt for a certain dragon does, too.

That’s a lot for a novel to tackle in 313 pages—but Azure and the Mauraders are up to it. Probably.

Before I Dive Into the Book

Pre-Chapter One, Lockhaven gives us a recap of the first novel. This is to be commended, and I try to make a point of saying it when any author does this because it needs to become a standard.

He gets bonus points for having a character do it in a very organic way, helping the reader get back into the feel of things in addition to remembering the events.

The Foundling

Oh, boy. I don’t know if I can remember a more adorable kid in fiction than Oriana.* It took me a freakishly small amount of time to fall under her charms—she’s brave, she’s sweet, she’s adaptable, she’s resilient, and she’s incredibly vulnerable.

* Oh, okay. Maggie Dresden. But it’s close.

The reactions of the crew—especially Elijah and Azure—to her are believable and do a great job of enforcing what the reader is already thinking about her.

What strikes me about Oriana is that really, Lockhaven doesn’t spend that much time on her—it’s actually largely the reactions of others to her that endear her to the reader. All the Maurauders take her in, Elijah dotes on her, but it’s Azure thinking about her, attempting the heist to get her home, and (being incredibly vague) going through a lot of introspection because of her. It’s through that that the reader really makes the connection to Oriana—as Azure and the others grow in their affection for her, so does the reader.

The Heist

It seems that people associated with a casino on Mirth Island took both the treasure and a tool that would return Oriana to her home (not recognizing it for what it is). Azure foolishly/full of belief in the goodness of people asks the Casino owner for them back. He takes a quick break from twirling his mustache to refuse her, so she has to come up with a new solution. One more suited for the Marauders.

I’m not sure why either Lockhaven or Azure bothered with that—although it does give us a chance to meet the owner, Mr. Pierce, and look around a bit at the Casino. Pierce—and the people (and the falcon) who work for him are pretty despicable—they have ties to Gov. Pratt, and display the species-ism and sexism we’d associate with the former governor, with a heaping side-order of avarice. Not that the reader wouldn’t have been cheering for the Marauders to succeed in their extra-legal efforts to get the property back, but Lockhaven makes sure that we have no sympathy for him.

The design of the heist itself is pretty clever—and Azure has definitely watched or read her fair share of stage plays and novels about them (or listened to epic songs about them?)—and draws on those to design her plan. Sure, it resembles a Rube Goldberg device, but if it works, it’ll be a thing of beauty. Like a good Rube Goldberg device. If it doesn’t…

The Volcano

Well, yeah, there’s a volcano. There’s not much more to say. It’s been dormant for a while now, but it’s waking up at the point we encounter it—and it gets closer and closer to being very not-dormant as the story progresses.

It honestly doesn’t play as much of a role in the novel as I expected, but it does play an important role—and it does loom over most of the novel.

The Ending

So MD&D wrapped up nicely—it really could’ve been a stand-alone and that would’ve been fine. Readers would definitely want more with these characters, but that’s just because we’re greedy when it comes to things that make us feel good and characters we like. There was nothing in it that demanded a sequel.

That is not at all the case with FH&V. Yes, there’s the greedy reader, feel-good stories, likable characters, etc. But that’s not what I’m talking about. There are at least three things that we need another book to address. There’s one thing that will likely consume most of the action/plot of the next book, there’s something that we need to know more about and that will likely be a running subplot to the main action—and then there’s something we need to see a resolution about in the first twenty pages or so. Two cliffhangers and one thing that we’re staring down at the cliff’s edge from a safe vantage point. And we’re hanging onto a strong, but not that strong, plant with one of those cliffhangers.

So, what did I think about The Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano?

By skipping ahead a year, we miss out on the early, swoony days of romance between Elijah and Azure—we’re at the committed stage, and they’re trying to figure out how to navigate their relationship. I adore this—sure, those early, swoony days can be fun—but a couple doing the work (our focus is on Azure’s internal work, but we get glimpses of Elijah doing the same) within the commitment to make things go well? That’s what I want to see. Not a relationship falling apart, in danger of it, or blossoming—I see enough of those (and I’m not saying I want those stories to go away)—but it’s people navigating life together that I can’t get enough of. While on that idea, I really should spend a few paragraphs talking about the really healthy and robust marriage between our favorite Orcs, Nargol and Orok, but I’ve blathered on too long. One of the best marriages in fantasy.

Speaking of internal work—we get a lot of that from Azure. MD&D was about her working to patch things up with her father. Here she’s coming to terms with her new position, balancing it with her relationship with Elijah, and what to do with Oriana. Oriana just being around forces Auzre to think about her mother, how she related to her, and how her mother might have been inclined early on toward a Human First philosophy.

These two things aren’t as flashy and gripping as the Heist or anything going on with Zoth-Avarex—but they add meaning and depth to the work. Ultimately, it’s more important to this series and is what is going to make these books stick around in minds of readers.

All the fun stuff of the first book—the goofy characters, the songs (fantasy songs I want to actually read and not skip), the adventures, and the antics—is back. The heist is full of slapstick and tension. Everything clicks here and will satisfy readers of the first volume.

As far as new readers? Eh, I’d start with MD&D first for context—you’d probably be okay jumping in now, but why? I don’t think I’d call this a cozy fantasy—but it’s adjacent (too much violence for cozy if I understand the term correctly, but just a tad).

Labels aside, I’d sum it up by saying that FD&V is a lighthearted fantasy with a lot of heart. But that’s mixing heart metaphors, so I won’t say that. So imagine I said something pithy like that, but without the deficiencies, okay? Then go buy the book.

4 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 Night Watch by Neil Lancaster: Lancaster Just Keeps Getting Better and Better

By

On February 7, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Night WatchThe Night Watch

by Neil Lancaster

DETAILS:
Series: DS Max Craigie Scottish Crime Thrillers, #3
Publisher: HQ Digital
Publication Date: September 8, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 461 pg.
Read Date: January 9-10

Being alive is dull, being dead is tedious. The transition is what counts. Watching him die made me feel more alive than I could ever describe to anyone.

What’s The Night Watch About?

After a high-profile trial, a drug dealer walks free. He and his lawyer go separate ways to celebrate and are both soon dead. Theoretically, the lawyer’s death wasn’t suspicious, but the dealer was clearly murdered. The coincidence is too much for Max and his team to believe—and they soon find the evidence to back that up. The two of them killed near the same time? That smells like a vigilante.

These weren’t the vigilante’s first two victims either. A tip from an oddly cooperative reporter puts them on the right track—the victims appear to all be connected with the same investigative team. A vigilante cop is the last thing that Craigie and the rest want to imagine—but now they have to stop the killer before they strike again.

The Killer’s POV

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned a time or twelve that I rarely find chapters from the Killer’s POV in a Detective/Procedural novel to be that effective. I figure I’m in the minority on this point—if only because authors keep using them. And after the first one in this book, I made the note, “Did we need this? Did it add anything?” and it took a while before I saw Lancaster’s point with them in this one.

But note “it took a while,” by the end—I saw (at least most of) what Lancaster was doing with these moments from the Killer’s POV. Not only did I understand the point, but I appreciated what he did with them.

So, what did I think about The Night Watch?

I’m tempted to just copy and paste what I said about the last Max Craigie book, The Blood Tide—it all fits, once I swap out the titles. The Blood Tide was a noticeable growth over everything Lancaster had written before, and The Night Watch is even better.

Some procedurals are about figuring out who did what, and some are about figuring out how to prove they did it—or apprehending them before they do something else. This is about all of those. But—like the others in this series—it’s also about the toll paid by those involved in stopping the killing.

There’s some good character development with all the characters—not just our protagonist. Although most of it is happening between novels, and we just get to see the effects—I really like that style, it’s so much easier to buy than growth in the middle of one case that takes place over a limited time.

The Night Watch had some very effective twists, some great reveals, and some genuine surprises. Yeah, I identified the killer right away—but Lancaster fooled me and I abandoned the idea—and I just love that. As always, Lancaster knows how to keep the reader turning pages because you just have to know what happens next. Basically, this is exactly what I’m looking for in a police procedural.

Wholly satisfying and it just made me more eager for the next DS Craigie book.

4 Stars

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