Tag: Urban Fantasy Page 10 of 43

On January 13, 2023

Had to take a couple of weeks off when things got busy on the homefront, but I’m back now (and apparently my 1-2 weeks became a month and change. That wasn’t my intention).

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 12: Whose There?

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #12
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: December 2, 2022

“May I come in?” She asked from bluish lips that flashed a pair of pointed teetch as she spoke. I felt like a rabbit in the presence of a snake.

Or a fly to a spider

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 Whose There About?

Before the conversation started in the last episode can bear any fruit, there’s a knock at the door. Before the door is opened, Bonaduke feels a chill—at first you think it’s the kind of chill someone gets when they’re nervous/worried—and he is both, but there’s more. It’s a physical chill that he’ll feel a lot of (and more intensely) as the episode goes on. It’s a relative he hasn’t seen in more than a decade—who apparently is one of the people who put him in this situation. Or maybe she’s just working with the people who abducted him—I’m not sure yet (although I lean toward the latter).

She delivers some bad news and some conditions to the others in the apartment, messes around with Bonaduke (she is not warm and fuzzy to her relative), and leaves. One of the men in the apartment leaves, and the other tells Bonaduke that it’s time to give him that explanation he has been waiting for (the reader, too).

Naturally, that’s when the episode ends.

So, what did I think about Whose There?

We start to get some answers here, and more are promised. Of course, we get new questions, too. Regardless, this is the best episode in quite a while. Things happen, a little more supernatural ability is thrown around, and it looks like the story is about to go somewhere.

Okay, the editing on this one was just bad. Distractingly and annoyingly bad. It happens (I know that better than anyone). But ick.

Regardless, I enjoyed this one, and am eager for the next.

3 Stars

My Favorite Audiobooks of 2022

On January 3, 2023

In Audiobook, Fiction, News/Misc., Non-Fiction

My Favorite Audiobooks of 2022
Last year I kicked off my Year-End Retrospective with a look at my favorite audiobooks, I might as well repeat that this year. How do I keep this from being just a rehash of my other year-end lists? By focusing on the audiobook experience over the content. What was it like to listen to it? How engaging was it, how did the narrator do? Was it a good match in terms of tone, content, and performance? All of these books are/were good—but the audiobooks are a bit better because of the narrator and the rest of the people involved in the production.

(in alphabetical order by author)

The Law

by Jim Butcher

My original post
Sure, I love Harry Dresden—so it’s almost a given that this novella is going to show up somewhere on my end-of-year lists. The fact that Jim Butcher did the narration himself makes this something special (thankfully, he’s still fully intending on having James Marsters do the series). Butcher’s good at this, he’s not great, but he’s good. Hearing his idea about what the characters that we know and love sound like was a lot of fun. Also, after all the epic and emotional moments that Butcher’s put his fans through lately, having something non-epic or world-changing like this is such a nice breather.

4 Stars

Black Nerd Problems:
Essays

by William Evans & Omar Holmon

My original post
Funny, insightful, thoughtful, thought-provoking, passionate (about things both important and trivial). This collection of essays about pop culture, race, and the intersection of those two things was a surprise to me—I thought I’d have a good time with it, I didn’t know I’d have a great time and be moved, too. The authors narrated this themselves—both have backgrounds in poetry jams, and the panache from that shines through. I have quoted this and referred more people to various essays in this than probably anything else this year.

4 Stars

On Eden Street

by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

My original post
This one makes the list due to the nature of the book and how well Jackson handled it. The previous book served as a transition point from the DC Smith Mysteries to the Kings Lake series—but this is the one that’s truly different. We have a bunch of new characters to deal with in addition to serving those we’ve grown accustomed to. The nature of the central character and his new boss underlines how different this is from the previous incarnation, but it’s the same books at their core. And Jackson gets both through to the listener. It’s all there in Grainger’s text, no doubt—but it’s the narration that solidifies it for the listener.

4 1/2 Stars

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

by T. Kingfisher, Patricia Santomasso (Narrator)

My original post
I don’t know if I can put my finger on why this made the list, but as I was looking over the list of audiobooks I read in ’22, as soon as I saw this one, I knew it had to make the list.

Between Kingfisher’s text and Santomasso’s narration, this was just a great experience. The story is fun, the characters (particularly as embodied, or emvoiced?, by Santomasso) were endearing—as a whole, it was an immersive and pleasant time—just what you want in an audiobook.

3.5 Stars

The World Record Book
of Racist Stories

by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar

My original post
My wife assures me that the paper version of this is well-worth reading, but I can’t imagine having the opportunity to listen to Ruffin and Lamar reading this and passing it up—the goofy voices they employ and little tunes they sing in addition to the reading adds a nice little layer to the book that you’re not going to get with the print edition.

This is a more serious, more somber, book than its predecessor was—by design. But because of that, it feels like they dialed the silliness up to help alleviate things. It can’t be an easy balancing act—discussing the horrors of everyday racism in a way that is entertaining enough that it can educate those that need it the most. Ruffin and Lamar hit that balance in both print and in audio.

4 Stars

How to Be Perfect:
The Correct Answer to
Every Moral Question

by Michael Schur (Writer, Narrator)
with: Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May

My original post
Yeah, that’s a huge cast—but 95+% of the work is done by Schur. The contributions of the rest shouldn’t be overlooked, but when you think about the narration, you’re going to be thinking about the author, Mike Schur. My appreciation for Schur’s writing goes back before I knew who he was on a baseball blog that I really enjoyed. After that, I got on board with this TV writing and became a huge fan. What puts this audiobook on this list is the way that Schur is able (thanks to his own writing) to make this introduction to ethics and philosophy so accessible. It doesn’t feel dry, or head-in-the-clouds at all. Yes, I have significant issues with a lot of the thinking in this book (he rules out theism or morality given to us by a deity from the get -go), but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn from it—I can’t gain an appreciation of the thinking through ethical dilemmas.

I had fun, and I think I learned something. You can’t ask for more.

4 Stars

Movies (And Other Things)

by Shea Serrano, Mario Toscano (Narrator)

My original post
There’s a little bit of the seriousness of Black Nerd Problems in this collection of essays about Movies (and things like it), but Serrano doesn’t spend that much time with it. Serrano’s approach to movies is a wonderful hybrid of fanboy and educated critic that can appeal to people all over that spectrum. This results in a book that’s a great combination of movie knowledge/insight, social commentary, and humor mixed throughout each of these. Even when it came to movies I’ve never seen, have no interest in seeing, or saw ages ago and don’t remember well, Serrano kept me pretty engaged and entertained. Toscano’s narration is so good, so convincing that you have to remind yourself that he’s reading Serrano’s words and isn’t speaking from the heart.

3.5 Stars

We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

by Dennis E. Taylor, Ray Porter (Narrator)

My original post
Stumbling across this series is one of the highlights of 2022 for me. Ray Porter doing the narration is what pushed me to give this story a shot, and I’d be happy I did if only for his narration. I can think of a handful of narrators that could’ve got this gig (based on their other work, etc.) and I’m not sure how many of them would’ve got me to come back so quickly—nothing against Taylor’s text, but it’s Porter’s skill and warmth that elevates this book (and the rest of the series) into something I can see myself revisiting often.

It’s not all about Porter, I should make clear—Taylor has a gift for SF comedy. Throw in Bob’s snark and optimism and the great premise that pretty much opens the door for Taylor to do just about anything he wants in the series for as long as he wants to, and you’ve got yourself a real winner.
3 Stars

The Hobbit, or
There and Back Again

by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator)

My original post
As soon as I read that Serkis was doing audiobook versions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I knew I had to listen to them—what could be better? I mean, for the scene between Bilbo and Gollum alone, you know that The Hobbit is going to be worth the time and expense. And it was.

The rest of the book is great, too, make no mistake. Serkis knows what he’s doing with his voice—because of the nature of a lot of his acting jobs, his voice has to carry the performance that his (own and natural) face can’t. It’s a great skill that he brings to bear on an audiobook’s narration. This is just a joy to listen to.

5 Stars

Free Billy

by Don Winslow, Ed Harris (Narrator)

My original post
Speaking of actors who can do a lot with their voice, here’s Ed Harris. There’s something so natural about his delivery of this short story that I have to wonder why he hasn’t been making audiobooks for years. It’s like Winslow’s words were written solely for him (I’ve heard three of these Audible Originals from this pair and could listen to another 20 this year). This book is a sequel to The Dawn Patrol—one of my All-Time Desert Island books. You get Ed Harris to do the narration on that, and you know I’m going to love it. People who aren’t me are likely going to enjoy it a lot, too.

(sure, there’s part of me that wishes Ray Porter had been used—his work on the audiobook for The Dawn Patrol was stellar, but why be greedy?)

5 Stars

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Handful of Audiobooks

On December 30, 2022

In Audiobook, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I’m really behind on posting about audiobooks, so I’m going to tackle this half-dozen in one whack. It bugs me to not to write something about half of these, but at the rate I’m going, it’s just not going to happen. As always, the point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Legends & Lattes

by Travis Baldree

DETAILS:
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hrs., 22 min.
Read Date: September 30-October 3, 2022

(the official blurb)
Opening a coffee shop has to be hard—period. Especially if you happen to be an ork, tired of the adventuring and killing, who wants to retire to a quiet community (instead of dying in battle). Harder still if no one in this part of the world has ever heard of coffee. But Viv’s not known for backing down, she’s going to give it her all.

This is possibly the sweetest Fantasy story ever written. It’s just pleasant—as pleasant as whiling away an hour or two in a comfy coffee shop chair with some great beverages. I’ve got nothing else to say, everything else would just be a rewording or unnecessary expansion on that.

Baldree’s narration was as good as his text—sometimes I wonder about the ego involved in an author doing their own narration, when they just shouldn’t. But Baldree absolutely should’ve.

3.5 Stars

The Old Woman with the Knife

by Gu Byeong-mo, Chi-Young Kim (Translator), Nancy Wu (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hrs., 29 min.
Read Date: October 12-13, 2022

(the official blurb)
I think I need to read this, so I can focus on some things I didn’t give enough attention to (and a couple of the names confused me a bit, so I know I missed some things while I figured out the context).

But this story about an aging assassin who might be having memory issues, and could be developing a conscience of sorts—while trying to put a young up-and-comer in their place was just great.

Every front worked—the emotional moments, the dry wit, the action and intrigue, the character development…all solidly delivered. I’d probably have rated this higher if I’d read it and could’ve been more careful in understanding. Strongly recommended.
3.5 Stars

The Vexed Generation

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Magic 2.0, #6
Publisher:  Audible Studios on Brilliance
Publication Date: June 6, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 55 min.
Read Date: October 20-24, 2022

(the official blurb)
Oh, this was just fun. Gwen and Martin’s kids are teens now, and discover the whole magic/computer thing on their own (mostly because Gwen, Martin, and Philip are in major trouble and the teens blame Philip). We get to see some magic that’s not in the medieval England or Atlantean model, and see how strange everything in the first 5 books really is through the twins’ fresh eyes.

Daniels was his typical great self; Meyers was inventive, clever, and witty (as you expect), and the story was very satisfying.

If this is the end of the road for this series, it was a great way to go. If not? I’m really going to enjoy what comes next.
3.5 Stars

Druid Vices and a Vodka

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series, #6
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: March 17, 2020
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 15 min.
Read Date: November 16-18, 2022

(the official blurb)
I’m getting a little annoyed by this series, I have to admit—I’m in it for the long-haul, make no mistake. But man…it feels like we’re just spinning our wheels with a couple of the storylines (and not in believable ways, mostly just to stretch out the drama), and Tori just refuses to learn or develop in any meaningful way (which is realistic, sure, but irritating in a fictional character after this long).

Still, I enjoy the novels, and am intrigued by some of the developments. Dukehart is fun to listen to—and the way this is interwoven with the other series ensures I’m sticking around.
3 Stars

The Mutual Friend

by Carter Bays, George Newbern (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: June 7, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 15 hrs.,  56 min.
Read Date: November 21-25, 2022

(the official blurb)
Whatever problems I have with this are not with Newbern—I really enjoyed the narration.

I also really enjoyed portions of this—I can’t say entire storylines or characters—but maybe half of each? (some of the beginnings were great and then fell apart, some ended so well that I forgot that I really didn’t want anything to do with the characters/story, and some had great middles).

I found the overall “Friend” idea that tied all these divergent stories together both a great idea, and problematic at the same time.

I really wanted to like this, and assumed going in that I was going to love it. But I think this novel has taught me a lesson I should’ve learned with his TV show—Bays has moments of brilliance, but shouldn’t be allowed too much control over a story’s ending. (but if given the chance, I’m sure I’ll give him another try)

2 1/2 Stars

Bookish People

by Susan Coll, Alexa Morden (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harper Muse
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 11 min.
Read Date: November 29-December 1, 2022

(the official blurb)
Coll tried so hard—you could feel the effort on every page. There were some truly amusing moments, and even a little sweetness here. But every storyline was entirely predictable—and not in the way that can be comfy and reassuring, but in a disappointing way. The madcap/slapstick moments felt disorganized and chaotic. The earnest parts felt like a Hallmark card.

The parts of the book that were about the ups and downs, travails and semi-triumphs, of a small bookstore made me like this enough not to resent the experience. But that’s about the best thing I can say.

2 1/2 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, opinions are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: Some Lighter Reads/Listens

On December 29, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Humor, Non-Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I just don’t have a lot to say about these books, so let’s take care of them briefly. The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Working It Out

by Jo Platt

DETAILS:
Publisher: Canelo
Publication Date: February 3, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 384 pg.
Read Date: October 1-3, 2022

(the official blurb)
Platt’s voice is great. All the characters were great (well, maybe all but one of them were). But the story just fell flat for me over and over again. The resolution just made me mad. The behavior of the protagonist was supposed to be cute and endearing–but it only served to annoy me. If you take this cast of characters, mature the protagonist a degree, and put them in the service of a better novel, I’d have loved it. But…bah. It was an okay way to burn some time in a hospital waiting room (which is where I was), but that’s about it.
2 Stars

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Guild Codex: Demonized, #2
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: Feb 4, 2020
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 27 min.
Read Date: October 6-11, 2022

(the official blurb)
I wasn’t sure how this series was going to really go after that first book, but I’m really pleased by this one. I particularly enjoyed the way that this fits in with the other series in this ‘verse. The action was good, the magic interesting, and the characters grew on me (or continued to, I should say).

I’m not particularly a fan of the friendship/affection/whatever between Robin and Zylas. But I don’t hate it, so there’s that.

This is one that I think I need to see through to the end before I decide about individual books–are some of these plotlines a waste of time? Are they going somewhere satisfying? Are they just going to prove frustrating? It’s too hard to tell. I think I’m going to end up thinking of this positively, but I can’t be sure yet. (I’m a little worried they could end up in the same spot as the Ella Grey series)

Cris Dukehart continues to get the job done and keep the books interesting.

3 Stars

The World’s Worst Assistant

by Sona Movsesian

DETAILS: 
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hrs., 25 min.
Read Date: October 11-12, 2022

(the official blurb)
Sona Movsesian has been Conan O’Brien’s assistant for years–his friend, too. Listening to the two of them on his podcast, you can hear the affection–and get caught up in their odd communal humor. I’ve also listened to enough of her that it feels strange to refer to her as anything but Sona.

The book gives a brief biography of Movsesian before moving into her time working various low-level jobs in television before getting hired by O’Brien as he started to move his show and family to California to take over The Tonight Show. We get a look at some of what happened to him there and then what they did afterward–both professionally and personally.

Essentially, this is a book about Movsesian and her good friend and boss–how much fun they have together, some of the amazing things she’s gotten to do, and the people she’s gotten to meet because of their jobs.

You start off listening to this book (I imagine), because of her boss and wanting to hear what it’s like to work with him–even if you’re the worst assistant in the world (how do you keep the job in that case?). You end up listening to the whole thing because you can’t help but like Movsesian and want to hear her tell stories about her life and laugh along with her.
3 Stars

Declassified:
A Low-Key Guide to
the High-Strung World
of Classical Music

by Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hrs., 48 min.
Read Date: October 14-18, 2022

(the official blurb)
This would be tough to describe even if I was doing a full post, not just a quick take. I had a lot of fun with Warsaw-Fan Rauch’s book.

The behind-the-scenes bits about classical music, orchestra, and the education/training involved for today’s performers was great to hear. The jokes, snippy bits, and history of classical music, composers, and various instruments (and those that play them) were a special kind of geeky fun that I appreciated (not as much as someone who’s seriously played and/or studied, I’m sure, but enough for me).

The personal material didn’t do much for me–I don’t know her enough for that to have mattered (and didn’t get enough reason throughout the book). But it’s easy to get over that and focus on the highlights.

This was a pleasant time (and a little educational, too). Give it a listen.
3 Stars

Rebel with a Clause:
Tales and Tips from
a Roving Grammarian

by Ellin Jovin

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 38 min.
Read Date: October 18-19, 2022

(the official blurb)
Um…this isn’t as clever as it thinks it is. Maybe, maybe, if I knew who Jovin was before starting this book, I might have a different take. It feels like such a bunch of inside jokes–the kind of stories that fans of someone well-established might relish, but new readers wouldn’t. On the whole, it wasn’t about her points about grammar or language usage (see Dreyer or Favilla for a couple of examples of how to do this), that drove the narrative and humor of the book. It was harder to define, it was more how odd people thought it was that she was traveling around the country giving her opinions on the sidewalk or finding people who cared enough to discuss it.

While picking up the anecdotes for this book, Jovin and her husband were making a movie about her grammar table. That movie might be more entertaining to watch, and I plan on doing that someday. I think it might work better as such–sort of a “man on the street” kind of thing that can work well (see countless talk shows and Youtube series for proof). But this was just dissatisfying.

(also, I wasn’t crazy about the narration)
2 1/2 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, opinions are my own.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson

On December 26, 2022

In Book Tour, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I’m very pleased today to welcome and help kick-off The Write Reads Blog Tour for Mark Richardson’s Malibu Burns. I couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule, but if you take a look at the feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next few days, you’ll see a lot of bloggers who did find the time to write interesting things about it. Still, I wanted to spread the word a bit.

Book Details:

Genre: Dystopian Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Next Chapter
Release date: September 29, 2022
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 288 pages

About the Book:

Near-future San Francisco is a dark world where reality is changeable and different dimensions overlap.

Teen Malibu Makimura discovers she can feel people’s emotions, and senses an ominous voice growing inside her. She lands a job at a women’s nightclub drawing surrealist caricatures. One night while drawing a portrait, she feels a sinister emotion projected by a woman named Luciana, who invites Malibu to her Presidio Heights mansion.

There, she makes a peculiar request – and Malibu agrees. With each following act the evil inside her grows, and Malibu begins to wonder if she will ever be in control again… or if she even wants to be.

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Mark Richardson is the author of the novels Malibu Burns, The Sun Casts No Shadow, and Hunt for the Troll.

His short stories have appeared in numerous crime and literary publications, including Hobart, Fugue, Segue, Crime Factory, Switchback, and Nth Position.

Born in the Chicago area, he graduated from the University of Iowa, and promptly escaped the midwestern winters for sunny California, first living in Los Angeles and then San Francisco. He spent thirty years working as a writer and marketer for tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Mark now lives in the East Bay with his wife, two children, and the world’s cutest dog. He spends his time writing fiction, obsessing about the Chicago Cubs, attending his daughter’s softball games, and reading stacks of books. He loves genre-bending fiction, especially speculative writing with a noir flavor. In 2019, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and supports the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Author Links:

Website ~ Instagram ~ LinkedIn ~ Goodreads

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Sacrifices by Jamie Schultz: To Destroy, or to Be Destroyed

On December 22, 2022

Sacrifices

by Jamie Schultz

DETAILS:
Series: Arcane Underworld, #3
Publisher: InterMix
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Format: eBook
Length: 351 pg.
Read Date: December 14-16, 2022

I look around, though, and I ain’t stupid. How’s this end? Just keep going like this forever? Naw. People gonna die.

What’s Sacrifices About?

That opening quote sums it up—the story, characters, and events of this trilogy can’t keep going. This ends—and not everyone is going to make it out alive. Maybe no one does.

After the end of Splintered, things were bleak—the team was, well, splintered. People were dead. Demons had infected (for lack of a better term) two of the team—and the biggest and most powerful one seemed to be working with the crime boss/would-be supernatural force that they’d been working so hard to get away from. But even Sobell didn’t seem to be fully in control and might be in danger from this demon.

This brings us to Sacrifices, Karyn had a vision/prophecy that gave hope that there was a way to defeat Belial. If they could just figure out what it said—of course, Belial heard it, too, and was at work to prevent anyone from fulfilling it. The FBI is lurking around—they may be willing to help, but are more interested in slapping the cuffs on Sobell and anyone else they could.

Now it’s just a matter of seeing what happens. Will their (literal and figurative) demons defeat them? Will Belial end up wreaking destruction on Los Angeles/the world? Will…actually, I don’t know if the reader—or any of the characters, actually—really gets a picture of the ultimate stakes here. I don’t think our minds could comprehend it—but it’s big, nasty, and possibly apocalyptic.

The solution to all this may lie in the fact that demons have an enemy. An enemy even more terrible and awful (especially if you look at older definitions of those words). But what will have to be given up to secure their presence?

I’m So Glad this Isn’t a Scratch ‘n Sniff Book

It came to her that this was the world as it really was, just thin tissue floating atop an unknowable black ocean teeming with horrifying, malicious creatures— creatures at the command of the demon before her. For the first time, she saw him as much greater than simply another enemy, if more revolting than most. For the first time she really understood that he was also unspeakably ancient and filled with knowledge and power beyond reckoning. This was the type of entity she dealt with each time she delved into magic

Some authors will mention the smell of sulfur or something like that and talk about rot and decay when talking about demons. Other authors will basically make demons out to be Byronic hunks (the Cullening of demons). Schultz does not do that—either of them. He dwells on the rot, the decay, the blood, grime, disease, and filth that comes with demonic possession, power, and or presence.

His demons aren’t misunderstood, they’re not occasionally benign or honorable, and there is nothing to them other than destruction and power—they may seemingly aid a human for a time, but it’s for a price. A price that no one should pay.

Schulz’s descriptions of the demonic effects—and just the life in L.A.’s heat for those without much in the way of resources—are so vivid that you feel a little grimy just reading it. From the description of the clear bottle that one man uses as a spittoon, bloody sweatpants that have been worn for days, various wounds, and so much more—Schulz makes sure that your visual images of these events are real and substantial.

A quick personal note

I’d fully intended on jumping on this book when it came out in 2016—and cannot tell you why I didn’t. It’s just been sitting there collecting dust on my Kindle since then—and it’s been so long at this point, I didn’t think I’d remember the story enough to make it worthwhile.

But within a few pages, I was right back—Schultz did a little bit of recapping, but not much. Mostly it was the tangibility of this world and these characters, just seeing them brought it all back to me, and it was like no time had passed at all. There are few authors that can pull that off, but he did it. And I’m impressed as all get out by that.

So, what did I think about Sacrifices?

“Funny, isn’t it? Lack of a demon isn’t usually a problem to be addressed. Quite the opposite.”

“I’m not laughing.”

Sobell made a clucking noise. “That’s your prerogative, but from my position, I’d have to say that if you don’t find any of this funny, you’ll find it unspeakably bleak.”

On the whole, this book is closer to the unspeakably bleak end of the spectrum, but there are a couple of moments of brightness (and maybe a little bit funny). And I do mean a couple of moments, a handful at best.

Even the more optimistic statements and moves come with the air of “This is probably not going to work, but it’s something to do.” The only characters that are operating without a sense of impending doom are those who are on the outside of the occult happenings in the city. The futility of every scheme, plan, and idea taints everything—but these people (and/or magical/spiritual entities) keep moving forward, scrabbling after the chance that someone will make it out alive. This is hard to read—I wasn’t even sure the planet would exist when the book ends—but once Schultz got his talons into your brain, there’s just no way that you stop reading—you have to know what’s around the corner, even if it will leave you despairing.

This is a great UF trilogy, and one that I am so sad that didn’t get the attention it deserved (including from me for the last 6 years). Pick up the set, you won’t be sorry.

4 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 11: Knock Knock by R. T. Slaywood: Something Interesting’s on the Other Side of the Door

On December 2, 2022

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 11: Knock Knock

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #11
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: December 2, 2022

Frost sighed before turning around to face me.

Just like in the vet clinic, there was nothing behind his eyes. I felt a chill run down the back of my neck and to my hands, and found the immediate instinct to back down.

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 Knock Knock About?

Bonaduke has a some words with the two men who brought him to the new apartment and seem to be his guides through whatever is before him. But basically, this episode focuses on him getting a better idea just how serious things are. He also seems to find a little empathy for these men that he’s been nothing but antagonistic toward.

So, what did I think about Knock Knock?

I’m having a hard time sympathizing with Bonaduke’s attitude–he’s just pitching a fit without taking time to think or shut up and listen. Sure, this is a distressing situation–but this blind striking out that he’s doing isn’t doing anyone any good, and is a drag to read about in someone not a child. I trust he’ll get over it and start learning, but I hope it’s soon.

3 Stars

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 10: The Bathroom by R. T. Slaywood: Washing Off the Dust from the Past

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