Urban Fantasy - The Irresponsible Reader

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. I’ve had themes for most of these lately, this one really doesn’t have a theme. Just books I can’t seem to find time to write about, I guess. I really wanted to do lengthier posts about these (and have drafts started on them), but it’s just not going to happen.

The Authorities

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 49 min.
Audible Studios, 2015
Read: May 26-28, 2021

(the official blurb)
This is a comedic police procedural with a dash of SF. A beat cop who ends up featured on a very embarrassing viral video gets the opportunity to capitalize on his inadvertent fame by becoming the face of an oddball group of crime fighting experts assembled by a tech guru to revolutionize policing.

This screams TV movie as backdoor pilot to an 80s TV show. I could see this as a pretty long-running series. I’m guessing the sales weren’t there–or maybe Meyer didn’t have a second novel in him (maybe it was a stand-alone all along?)–because there hasn’t been a follow-up. With something that feels so much a kick-off to a series, the fact that there’s nothing more takes a little of the shine off the ending. Just a little.

I enjoyed this–decent mystery, great cast of suspects–great cast of characters period–fun set up, solid (and goofy) execution. Lots of fun.

The narration on this was done by Luke Daniels, who I am an unabashed fan of, I’m not going to waste anyone’s time talking about what a great job he did with this one, because it’s obvious.

A Man With One of Those Faces

by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator)
Series: The Dublin Trilogy, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 11 min.
McFori Ink Ltd, 2018
Read: May 12-17, 2021

(the official blurb)
I did a Media Res post about this audiobook, and it was as fun as it seemed at the time. It’s another comedic crime novel–there are a couple of cops running around, but the focus is on a couple of civilians who should absolutely not be the focus of a crime novel. Which is what makes it work.

Looking ahead, my least favorite character (actually, I had a hard time liking him at all) seems to be the focus of the series. It makes me reticent to carry on, but curiosity might get the better of me.

But as a stand-alone? This works so well–a solid thriller but told with wild characters. It’d be really easy to edit this just a little and remove all the humor and end up with a pretty gripping thriller novel, but with the humor? I really strongly recommend this.

The narration is really well done, although the voice choice for Bunny McGarry irritated me–and I probably would’ve disliked the character anyway but it really didn’t help.

The Vigilante Game

by Meghan Scott Molin
Series: The Golden Arrow Mysteries, #3
Kindle Edition, 267 pg.
2020
Read: March 4-8, 2021

(the official blurb)
MG has so much to accomplish in this book–she has to get her bestie out of jail, uncover the vigilante running around as The Golden Arrow, keep the Hooded Falcon movie on track, and secure her career in comics–oh, and maybe embrace adulthood and a real relationship.

It was…fine. It was enjoyable, a little mad-cap, and frequently sweet. While better than the second novel, I don’t think it achieved the levels of the first novel. I had such high hopes for this series–and I’m not saying I’m disappointed by the way it ended, because Molin wrapped up everything nicely and sent our characters off with happy endings. but I was underwhelmed. Still glad I read the series, just not as glad as I expected.

Wild Sign

by Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha and Omega, #6
Hardcover, 368 pg.
Ace, 2021
Read: March 17-22, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
My first reaction to the setup for this novel was An Answer to a Question No One Asked…

In the end, I like what the book did for the relationship between Bran and Leah (and hopefully gets rid of some of the “ew” factor from Burn Bright). It didn’t wow me, but I really enjoyed my time in this world again.

I’m sensing a trend here in the Mercy-verse, for the longest time, Vampires were the major threat, then we dabbled with the Fae, but it didn’t stick as much as it could’ve–now we’ve had a couple of novels in both series where witches are behind all/most of the trouble. I wonder what the end game is…

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.

Quote of the Moment: from Burned by Benedict Jacka

By HCNewton

On August 23, 2021

In Alex Verus, Benedict Jacka, Books, Fiction, News/Misc., Quotations, Urban Fantasy

I’m not sure why, but since I listened to these paragraphs last week, I’ve come back to them a few times. Sure, Gildart Jackson’s narration was part of it, but I just really liked this. We tend to focus on plot, magic systems, characters, and whatnot–but it’s the little moments like this that really make a book stand out. They don’t advance the plot, they don’t really reveal a lot about the narrator, but they shed a little light–adding flavor to someone we know.

from:

Burned

by Benedict Jacka
Most people in the world don’t travel much. In a lot of cases, it’s because they just don’t want to. Either they don’t have any real interest in seeing other places, or they’re too occupied with the life they’re living already. But for a lot of people, it’s not a case of not wanting to, it’s that they can’t—either they don’t have the time or the money, or there’s something actively preventing them from leaving. When you’re in that second group, you usually have fantasies about getting to travel and see the world, visiting different cultures and having new experiences. There are people who spend their whole lives dreaming about journeys overseas.

So it’s really kind of sad that once you finally do get to spend a lot of time travelling, you tend not to appreciate it very much. Take me, for instance. I’ve visited more countries of the world than I can easily remember. I’ve even visited places not in this world, from bubble realms to shadow realms to the dreamscapes of Elsewhere. I’ve stood upon the tops of towers and looked out over castles the size of cities, walked through ancient forests where the trees have passed hundreds of years without hearing a human footstep, seen impossible alien landscapes that could never exist on Earth. Unfortunately, in pretty much every one of those cases, I’ve generally had more pressing concerns to worry about either there are people trying to kill me, or people who might want to kill me, or things that aren’t people that might want to kill me, or people or things that don’t necessarily want to kill me but nevertheless are important enough that it’s highly advisable for me to pay attention to them instead of spending my time sightseeing. Usually the place I’m visiting becomes a blur, a few brief images standing out in my memory while I spend my time dealing with various threats and problems. And by the time they’re all sorted out, it’s time to move on.

PUB DAY REPOST: Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne: Like the Spanish Inquisition, Nobody Expects a Turtle Dragon Spider.

By HCNewton

On August 10, 2021

In Iron Druid Chronicles, Kevin Hearne, Urban Fantasy

Paper & Blood

by Kevin Hearne
Series: Ink & Sigil, #2

eARC, 304 pg.
Del Rey Books, 2021

Read: July 31-August 3, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Paper & Blood About?

Al MacBharrais gets a message from an apprentice Sigil Agent—her teacher went to investigate an oddity in Australia and didn’t return—a nearby Agent went looking for her and hasn’t returned either. She’s (rightly) worried and needs help. She’s close to taking her exams, but she’s not at the point she’d need to be to take on whatever it was that seems to have captured—or killed—two veteran Agents.

Al and the hobgoblin in his service, Buck Foi, hitch a ride with a Fae to deliver them to Melbourne. Al also asks if a message can be delivered to the Iron Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan (now going by the alias Connor Molloy). If whatever this is has proved too much for two Sigil Agents, he knows that he and the apprentice are going to need all the help they can get.

Connor and his two dogs—Oberon (it’s been too long since I got to spend time with him, even if we only get a little bit of his speech) and Starbuck—join Al, Buck, and Ya-ping (Shu-hua’s apprentice) and they head to a hiking trail that was the last known location to find hikers screaming and fleeing from some sort of monster. There are injuries and casualties—and a monster unlike anything they’ve seen and/or read about. It’s not long before they decide that this monster is likely just the first thing they’ll have to deal with to find the Agents—and it’s probably going to get much more dangerous. Eventually, Nadia—the manager of Al’s print shop and battle seer—joins in the search when she starts getting visions of the danger they’re headed toward.

The Iron Druid Chronicles Postscript

This series is a spin-off of the Iron Druid Chronicles and functions very well in that way. But it frequently felt like Connor/Atticus was about to take over the focus of this book—just with Al’s narration rather than Connor’s first-person. That never happened, I just wondered a few times if it would.

At the same time, Paper & Blood served as a sequel to Scourged, or maybe it’d be more accurate to say that it was a belated epilogue to it. The more time that goes by the less satisfied I’ve become with the conclusion of Scourged and where it left Atticus and Oberon. This is the ending they needed, and even if I didn’t think Al, Buck, etc. were fully entertaining on their own, I’d be glad I read this for the Connor material.

I do hope that he can drop into this series from time to time, still—I’m not ready to say goodbye forever. But if I have to, this is the note I want to go out with.

Secondary Characters

In addition to those I mentioned above, there’s a local police officer, a couple of familiar faces from the Iron Druid Chronicles, and the return of someone from Ink & Sigil—it’s tough to describe without ruining the effect Hearne’s going for. But let me just say that something that I thought was a throwaway line in that book comes back and means so, so much more than I could’ve guessed (am pretty sure Al would say the same). Hearne is able to take these characters—new and established—and make you care about what they’re facing in no time flat. I’ve always been impressed in his skill in that and, if anything, he’s getting better at it than he was when Hounded first came out.

And, the monsters, too. I guess I should talk about them—Hearne let his very fertile imagination go crazy with these strange hybrid creatures (like the Turtle Dragon Spider that I mention in the headline)—it was great to see in action, and horrible to imagine.

Paper and Ink

Along the way, Al gives lessons about/tributes to the making and uses of both paper and ink in his narration. These little vignettes are just golden. They cement Al’s calling as a Sigil Agent—one who deals in ink and paper as their stock in magical trade—and capture the romance of these things that readers depend on just as much as the Agents do. Even in our world, these things are used to make magic and I appreciate Hearne reminding us of that.

So, what did I think about Paper & Blood?

There’s just so much to like about this book that it’s hard to know where to start. There’s the Glaswegian dialect that, like Ink & Sigil, the narration is written in (or at least a flavor of it)—Hearne gives us a nice Author’s Note describing it, too.

Next, I’d talk about the perspective that an elderly protagonist is able to approach things in—he has wisdom and experience that your typical UF narrator doesn’t. Something in the way that MacBharrais and the rest are able to use to defeat the final monster that gives him an idea about how to combat his curse—I’m assuming we’ll get to see it in action soon (I’m not sure how long Hearne plans this series, but I’m pretty sure it’s about over as soon as Al takes care of the curse). I don’t know if it’ll work or not, but I like that Hearne seems to be finding a way to resolve things that doesn’t fit the typical UF mold. Just the fact that Al is able to start making this plan says a lot about him. I should really spend a couple of paragraphs talking about what makes Al unique, but I don’t have the time.

There’s also all the fun of the supporting characters and what they bring to the story—again, something I should spend more time on, but I’d end up spoiling something—but while there’s nothing wrong with the main plot (killing monsters and trying to find the Agents), it’s these secondary characters and plots that make this so much fun.

There’s really just so much to commend about this book that I can’t list it, so I’ll just say that this is a must-read for anyone who enjoyed Ink & Sigil to any degree—this shows what Hearne can do in this world now that it’s established—and/or IDC. I don’t know that this is the best jumping on point—but if you do, you’re not going to regret it (your life would just be easier if you read the first book before this, though).

Hearne’s one of the best around, and this just cements this—go pick up Paper & Blood now.

4 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

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.

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne: Like the Spanish Inquisition, Nobody Expects a Turtle Dragon Spider.

By HCNewton

On August 5, 2021

In Iron Druid Chronicles, Kevin Hearne, Urban Fantasy

Paper & Blood

by Kevin Hearne
Series: Ink & Sigil, #2

eARC, 304 pg.
Del Rey Books, 2021

Read: July 31-August 3, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Paper & Blood About?

Al MacBharrais gets a message from an apprentice Sigil Agent—her teacher went to investigate an oddity in Australia and didn’t return—a nearby Agent went looking for her and hasn’t returned either. She’s (rightly) worried and needs help. She’s close to taking her exams, but she’s not at the point she’d need to be to take on whatever it was that seems to have captured—or killed—two veteran Agents.

Al and the hobgoblin in his service, Buck Foi, hitch a ride with a Fae to deliver them to Melbourne. Al also asks if a message can be delivered to the Iron Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan (now going by the alias Connor Molloy). If whatever this is has proved too much for two Sigil Agents, he knows that he and the apprentice are going to need all the help they can get.

Connor and his two dogs—Oberon (it’s been too long since I got to spend time with him, even if we only get a little bit of his speech) and Starbuck—join Al, Buck, and Ya-ping (Shu-hua’s apprentice) and they head to a hiking trail that was the last known location to find hikers screaming and fleeing from some sort of monster. There are injuries and casualties—and a monster unlike anything they’ve seen and/or read about. It’s not long before they decide that this monster is likely just the first thing they’ll have to deal with to find the Agents—and it’s probably going to get much more dangerous. Eventually, Nadia—the manager of Al’s print shop and battle seer—joins in the search when she starts getting visions of the danger they’re headed toward.

The Iron Druid Chronicles Postscript

This series is a spin-off of the Iron Druid Chronicles and functions very well in that way. But it frequently felt like Connor/Atticus was about to take over the focus of this book—just with Al’s narration rather than Connor’s first-person. That never happened, I just wondered a few times if it would.

At the same time, Paper & Blood served as a sequel to Scourged, or maybe it’d be more accurate to say that it was a belated epilogue to it. The more time that goes by the less satisfied I’ve become with the conclusion of Scourged and where it left Atticus and Oberon. This is the ending they needed, and even if I didn’t think Al, Buck, etc. were fully entertaining on their own, I’d be glad I read this for the Connor material.

I do hope that he can drop into this series from time to time, still—I’m not ready to say goodbye forever. But if I have to, this is the note I want to go out with.

Secondary Characters

In addition to those I mentioned above, there’s a local police officer, a couple of familiar faces from the Iron Druid Chronicles, and the return of someone from Ink & Sigil—it’s tough to describe without ruining the effect Hearne’s going for. But let me just say that something that I thought was a throwaway line in that book comes back and means so, so much more than I could’ve guessed (am pretty sure Al would say the same). Hearne is able to take these characters—new and established—and make you care about what they’re facing in no time flat. I’ve always been impressed in his skill in that and, if anything, he’s getting better at it than he was when Hounded first came out.

And, the monsters, too. I guess I should talk about them—Hearne let his very fertile imagination go crazy with these strange hybrid creatures (like the Turtle Dragon Spider that I mention in the headline)—it was great to see in action, and horrible to imagine.

Paper and Ink

Along the way, Al gives lessons about/tributes to the making and uses of both paper and ink in his narration. These little vignettes are just golden. They cement Al’s calling as a Sigil Agent—one who deals in ink and paper as their stock in magical trade—and capture the romance of these things that readers depend on just as much as the Agents do. Even in our world, these things are used to make magic and I appreciate Hearne reminding us of that.

So, what did I think about Paper & Blood?

There’s just so much to like about this book that it’s hard to know where to start. There’s the Glaswegian dialect that, like Ink & Sigil, the narration is written in (or at least a flavor of it)—Hearne gives us a nice Author’s Note describing it, too.

Next, I’d talk about the perspective that an elderly protagonist is able to approach things in—he has wisdom and experience that your typical UF narrator doesn’t. Something in the way that MacBharrais and the rest are able to use to defeat the final monster that gives him an idea about how to combat his curse—I’m assuming we’ll get to see it in action soon (I’m not sure how long Hearne plans this series, but I’m pretty sure it’s about over as soon as Al takes care of the curse). I don’t know if it’ll work or not, but I like that Hearne seems to be finding a way to resolve things that doesn’t fit the typical UF mold. Just the fact that Al is able to start making this plan says a lot about him. I should really spend a couple of paragraphs talking about what makes Al unique, but I don’t have the time.

There’s also all the fun of the supporting characters and what they bring to the story—again, something I should spend more time on, but I’d end up spoiling something—but while there’s nothing wrong with the main plot (killing monsters and trying to find the Agents), it’s these secondary characters and plots that make this so much fun.

There’s really just so much to commend about this book that I can’t list it, so I’ll just say that this is a must-read for anyone who enjoyed Ink & Sigil to any degree—this shows what Hearne can do in this world now that it’s established—and/or IDC. I don’t know that this is the best jumping on point—but if you do, you’re not going to regret it (your life would just be easier if you read the first book before this, though).

Hearne’s one of the best around, and this just cements this—go pick up Paper & Blood now.

4 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

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.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: Nowhere To Run; Sworn to Silence; Three Mages and a Margarita

By HCNewton

On August 2, 2021

In Audiobook, C. J. Box, Joe Pickett, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Urban Fantasy

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. This time we’re looking at some recent Aduiobooks I got from the Library.

Nowhere To Run

C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator)
Series: Joe Pickett,, #10
Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hrs., 13 min.
Recorded Books, 2010
Read: June 4-7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Joe vs. a couple of hard-core survivalists and possibly breaking a missing-persons case that’s been dormant for years. It’s a great set-up—Joe stumbles onto these survivalists poaching and in the end, becomes hunted by them. He escapes, barely, but no one else can find them. So Joe and Nate gear up to go hunting for them on their own—if for no other reason, than to prove that Joe isn’t making the whole thing up.

At a certain point, don’t Wyoming Law Enforcement Officers need to start giving Joe the benefit of the doubt? Maybe believe his hunches, theories—at the very least give credence to the things he says he’s actually seen and done? Sure, there’s the petty rivalries, and I get where the local sheriff can’t give Pickett any credit. But surely everyone else can—he’s got a pretty solid track record.

It was a decent read, with some good tension, some good character moments. I’m not blown away by any of it, but I enjoyed it and am eager to see what’s next. I’m not sure I like how the Picketts are dealing with April, but there’s time to turn it around.
3 Stars

Sworn to Silence

by Linda Castillo, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)
Series: Kate Burkholder, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 45 min.
Macmillan Audio, 2009
Read: April 20-23, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
When she was a teenager, Kate Burkholder left her Amish family and faith. Not long after that, she began a career in the Columbus, Ohio Police Department. Now she’s been brought back to her hometown as Police Chief—she brings the ability to understand the language and culture of the Amish as well as the background in law enforcement among “the English.”

Then a victim of a grisly murder is found. And then another. There are similarities between these and murders that occurred in the area before Kate left home. Public pressure is mounting for a quick solution and city leaders bring in a State Investigator to “help” Kate out.

This was a solid read—with maybe a touch of melodrama here and there. I enjoyed this and see a lot of potential in the setting as this series continues.
3 Stars

Three Mages and a Margarita

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 7 hrs. 14 min.
Tantor Audio, 2018
Read: May 21-22, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
This was a lighter Urban Fantasy, like the Ella Grey books. Tori’s a waitress who can’t keep a job—she has this annoying tendency to stick up for herself when a customer gets out of line. Desperate for work, she finds a Help Wanted ad in the street. They’re looking for a bartender at a social club in a less-than-nice part of town. She shows up, gets a try out and does well.

But there’s one little thing—the social club is actually a guild of magic users. Yeah, that’s right, magic is a thing, and the guild is made up of a variety of specialists. Some of them have taken a liking to her and she’s hired on as the regular bartender. Tori strikes up a friendship with three mages in particular—and the four of them stumble into something big and dangerous.

This was fun, the dialogue moved well, the interplay between Tori and the three was great, and I can see this lasting quite a while. Looking forward to coming back for more.

3 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Urban Fantasy

By HCNewton

On July 22, 2021

In Books, Fiction, Miscellany, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, Urban Fantasy

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

From the first moment that people did the strange thing of asking me to talk about their books on my blog, I’ve been impressed by the quality of a lot of what’s been published by authors going out on their own, taking all the risks, shouldering all the responsibility and doing all the work to get their words, their dreams, their blood, sweat, and tears. This should be celebrated—it’s definitely appreciated, as we’re trying to show this week.

I haven’t had time to read anything new for Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, and therefore don’t have anything new to blog about, so I’m going to highlight some of the self-published works that I’ve blogged about over the last few years—just a sentence or two. Hopefully enough to make you click on the link to the full post. Beyond that, it’d be great if I inspired you to add a few of these to your TBR. Also, be sure you check out the other posts over at the SPAAW Hub.

Today we’re going to be looking at Self-Published Urban Fantasy. For a genre that gets as much of my attention as this one does, I’m surprised that this list is as short as it is—feel free to fill the comments with recommendations. But what’s on this list is really good.

bullet Hostile Takeover by Cristelle Comby—a P.I. who is the emissary of Hades’ daughter on Earth investigates some mysterious deaths. (my post about it)
bullet Bad Little Girls Die Horrible Deaths and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy by Harry Connolly—a collection of short stories that I still think about. (my post about it)
bullet Twenty Palaces by Harry Connolly—I loved this UF series, but sadly was one of the few who read it. After the publisher declined to keep going with it Connolly has published a prequel and a sequel–with more on the way.
bullet Twenty Palaces—the prequel to the whole thing (my post about it)
bullet The Twisted Path (my post about it)
bullet Mostly Human by D. I. Jolly—one of the biggest rock stars in the world happens to be a werewolf. A little comedy, a lot of action.
bullet Mostly Human (my post about it)
bullet Mostly Human 2 (my post about it)
bullet In Plain Sight by Dan Willis—I just started this series set in the 1930s about a P.I. who practices rune magic and I’m eager to keep going with it. (my post about it)

If you’re a self-published author that I’ve featured on this blog and I didn’t mention you in this post and should have. I’m sorry (unless you’re this guy). Please drop me a line, and I’ll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith: Murder, magic and now rap music. Oh joy.

By HCNewton

On July 15, 2021

In Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Know Your Rites

by Andy Redsmith
Series: Inspector Paris Mystery, #2

Kindle Edition, 313 pg.
Canelo, 2019

Read: July 7-9, 2021

With his “street” clothes and silly trimmed beard, Dirk remained the most bizarre magical dwarf the inspector had ever seen. Although he was acutely aware of how stupid that sounded.

What’s Know Your Rites About?

It’s been a couple of weeks since DI Nick Paris led the efforts to stop the demon invasion from the magical world—something celebrated on both sides of the portal, with parties, accolades from officials, TV interviews, etc. Now he just wants to get back home to Manchester and investigate some crimes involving humans–no elves, dwarves, talking animals, just people. It won’t be easy, but he really wants to put the whole magical world in his rearview mirror.

He’s called to the scene of a murder—a music producer has been killed in his home, and there’s a suspect in custody. There’s a catch—the suspect is a dwarf who’s in the non-magical world so he can pursue his dream of being a major rap star.

Dirk’s a pretty ridiculous character, but it’s hard not to root for him. You have a hard time believing he committed the crime and how do you not root for a guy who had to leave his own world to follow his passion? (the fact that he doesn’t appear to have a lot of talent, makes him more tragic).

There’s a lot of pressure on Paris to wrap this up quickly—the non-magical authorities are not wanting to publicize the fact that a human was killed by someone from the other side. Those on the magical side are wanting to negotiate trade pacts with the humans, and don’t want anything derailing that. Still, there’s something wrong with the case against Dirk, and Paris learns it quickly. But it’s clear that a “magical being” was the culprit. So the team from last time gets back together and crosses over to find their murderer.

We spend the bulk of this novel on the other side of the portal, getting a better understanding of the world and how it operates—including how the police department, postal service, and tourist travel work. We also get to meet several other magical creatures, and Redsmith’s take on them continues to be a winner.

For example…

Paris and the rest need to cover a lot of ground quickly, so Tergil hires some Lamassu to handle the transportation. What’s a lamassu? I’m glad you asked:

They were flying cows. Or, more precisely, flying bulls. Each had a bull’s body, with lion’s legs, huge wings attached to their shoulders, and a human head. A man’s head with striking noble features, a long yet neatly cut beard, and wearing a silver helmet. A silver jockey’s helmet.

And, for reasons that make a certain kind of sense, they have Australian accents.

I’m telling you, reading the passages about them justifies the purchase price. The rest of the book is icing on the bull-shaped cake.

The Humor: The Crux of the Matter

Paris frowned at her. ‘What?’ he said. ‘How did somebody called Ug Og end up with the middle name Serendipity?’

‘I don’t know,’ said the ogress. ‘It just sort of happened.’

She turned towards the inspector, baring her misshapen teeth in an attempt at a grin.

In Breaking the Lore Redsmith really swung for the fences to establish the series, but it felt like he dialed things back a touch. Which is not to say it’s bad, it’s just not as funny. I think the puns have really dropped off. I also think that Redsmith tries to squeeze more out of the “dwarf who can’t rap with ambitions to be the next Eminem” than is there. But it’s a ludicrous notion, so it’s hard to blame him for going back to it as much as possible.

In the first book, he established a strange, fantastic and ridiculous world (two of them, technically). Now he gets to play in it—he doesn’t have to try as hard, he can just play it straight and let the settings and characters bring the funny to the story just by being the way they are. I’m actually glad that he toned it down a bit. (just a bit—it was frequently chuckle-inducing, I’m not saying the humor is gone)

So, what did I think about Know Your Rites?

I was a little worried about returning to this so long after I read the first book in the series, and I shouldn’t have been, it took no time at all to remember the characters and situation. It’s just as enjoyable this time as it was last time.

There’s a straightforward crime story at the core of this, wrapped in Fantasy garb, enclosed in comedy. I like these characters, I want to spend more time with them, and I hope that there are more books to come. In the meantime, take some time to dive into this series.

3.5 Stars

The Friday 56 for 7/9/21: In Plain Sight by Dan Willis

By HCNewton

On July 9, 2021

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it

from Page 56 of:
In Plain Sight

In Plain Sight by Dan Willis

“My point is that we don’t know what we’re dealing with, and until we do, I suggest we limit possible exposure.”

“My boys have been in here for almost an hour,” Callahan said.

“And they’re probably fine, but let’s move everyone out of this room until I can run some tests.”

“All right,” Callahan agreed, then he shouted for everyone to stop what they were doing and go. “Don’t be too long, Doc,” he said once his men were gone. “I’m sure the Chief has heard about this by now and he’s going to want a report…soon.”

“We’ll be as fast as we can,” Iggy said and Callahan withdrew.

“You said you didn’t think it’s contagious,” Alex said once Callahan was out of earshot.

“I just wanted him and his men away from this room,” Iggy said. “It’s going to be hard enough to figure out what happened here without the police stomping all over everything.”

In Plain Sight by Dan Willis: A P.I. with a Magical Edge Races the Clock in this UF Series Start

By HCNewton

On July 9, 2021

In Fiction, Urban Fantasy

In Plain Sight

by Dan Willis
Series: Arcane Casebook, #1

Kindle Edition, 311 pg.
2018

Read: July 1-5, 2021

What’s In Plain Sight About?

Alex Lockerby is a P.I. in the late 1930’s New York. He occasionally consults with the police, but most of them don’t respect him. Generally, he’s taking small-time jobs (lost pets, etc.) to make ends meet—and it’s largely because his gorgeous secretary finds those jobs for him.

Oh, Alex is a Runewright—by drawing elaborate designs in a (generally) special ink and then setting the drawing on fire he activates various things—finding charms, disguises, a way to look at the past of a room/item, healing, etc.

His ability doesn’t necessarily mean riches aplenty or fame—it means that he has an edge in certain circumstances, but that’s it.

In this novel, Alex is dealing with three cases—a distraught young woman hires him to look for a missing brother. A case he consulted on for the police didn’t go the way he said it would, and he has only three days to fix the problem or he’ll be charged with something and his friend on the force will be unemployed. And, a local church’s soup kitchen—volunteers, priests, nuns, and those being fed–are killed by an impossibly fast-moving disease, and Alex (with the guidance of his medical doctor mentor) needs to track down the source of the disease.

The clock is ticking to deal with all three of these—also in the mix are the NYPD, the FBI, a powerful sorcerer, and an ages-old secret that threatens to destabilize the magic world.

Magic System

There are, we’re told, three types of magic users in this world: Alchemists, Sorcerers, and Runewrights. We don’t get to see a lot of Alchemy (but we hear a little about it). We see enough of Sorcery to get a pretty good idea what it’s like. But the star of the show is the use of and making of Runes.

Willis’s version of Runes are similar to Hearne’s Sigils, but it’s only similar (various wizards, witches, and other magic users from various UF series are more similar than these, though).

I liked the way that all three versions of magic are used, and interweave with each other. Also, while various magic users aren’t necessarily esteemed (Alex is dismissively called “scribbler”, for example), they’re all out in the open, selling their services, both on small scales and large scales.

We need more UF where the magic is out in the open—all the various series with a dozen different ways that the magic (and so on) is hidden from the general populace is getting tired. Magic being an everyday thing, something commercial…I like seeing that.

1930’s P.I.

We’re supposed to get a hard-boiled P.I.-feel from Alex here. Philip Marlowe with magic, kind of a thing. It’s close, but it feels sanitized. Safe. Really, Alex Lockerby is more Dixon Hill than Marlowe or Sam Spade.

I’m not saying I didn’t like the idea or the execution—I enjoyed it. It just felt tame.

So, what did I think about In Plain Sight?

This was fun—inventive, cleverly told, and a premise/magic system that is a breath of fresh air.

I appreciated Willis’ voice and style—I do wish he’d made things a bit more nuanced, a bit harder to figure out (although there is a reveal late in the book that took me by surprise), but it’s the first book—a setup for the series as a whole, and that’s not easy to do.

There’s a lot of charm to the writing and the characters, I can easily see this series becoming a favorite, until then, this was a fun way to spend a couple of hours, and the rest of the series looks to be the same. I’m looking forward to diving into the rest, and suspect you would be as entertained as I was.

3 Stars

Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison: Cincy’s New Boss Vampire has Rachel on the Ropes

By HCNewton

On June 14, 2021

In Fiction, Kim Harrison, The Hollows (Rachel Morgan), Urban Fantasy

Million Dollar Demon

by Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows, #15

eARC, 464 pg.
Ace, 2021

Read: June 3-7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Million Dollar Demon About?

It hasn’t been all that long for Rachel Morgan, but for her readers, it’s been ten books (and 14 years) since Cincinnati’s Master Vampire was killed. When this book opens, Constance, the new Master Vampire is days away from arriving to take over.

But she’s already exerting her influence to make things difficult for non-Vampire Interlanders in the city. From bogus evictions, trumped-up charges, intimidation, and just about everything else you can think of. There’s a certain common denominator among many of these targets—they’re tied in some way to Rachel. In more than a few cases, Rachel herself is clearly the target.

The message delivered is very clear—it’s time for Rachel to get out of town. Otherwise, Constance is going to make Rachel’s life miserable—and she’ll also target Rachel’s friends and families, their friends and families, and anyone that looks like might be sympathetic.

One of Rachel’s demon friends mentions an idea—it hasn’t been used recently but there is an old demon office called the subrosa—essentially the demon equivalent of the Master Vampire (there are nuances that I need to let you read for yourselves). Rachel initially blows off the suggestion to take up that mantle and from that position she can take on Constance, save some innocents and perhaps the city. But she keeps circling back to that idea, and her allies keep trying to talk her into it.

As a quick aside—Jane Yellowrock has a tendency to do things like this, too (I just finished revisiting Raven Cursed and the two reminded me of each other). It might not be a bad idea when someone mentions you taking up a title/position that you’ve never heard of to ask a few questions before you think about assuming the title.

Add in the ongoing drama with Trent and the Elves, the Elves fluctuating power structure, the changing relations between Elves and Demons, the Demons internal problems, Rachel’s problems with the Demons (and Al in particular), and…well, all the stuff that we all thought were pretty well settled until last year’s American Demon showed us we were wrong. Basically, there’s a lot going on.

Constance

The idea that the ruling Vampires named Constance as the City’s Master is pretty troubling. She is, to put it simply, bat guano crazy. I don’t remember a lot about her predecessor, Piscary, but I remember he was nasty and cruel. But Constance is a monster. She’s the kind of character that UF heroes are supposed to be focused on taking down, I wish Rachel had been quicker to step up (although I do understand her reasoning). I’ve been reading Urban Fantasy for about sixteen years, and I’ve seen a lot of nasty vampires (and other creatures), and Constance has got to be in the running for the worst.

But I’ve got to tell you, by the end of this book, I was convinced that her #2, Pike, is likely the vampire that’s the real threat. I’m wondering what you think.

So, what did I think about Million Dollar Demon?

I liked it. I had a lot of fun in these pages. And for a series as long-in-the-tooth as this one is, that’s saying something.

I didn’t get as thorough in this post as usually do and/or intended to. I had a few more notes that I wanted to cover, and I actually deleted 5 paragraphs from this because it just ended up being too vague to be of use—or all that interesting. Almost everything that I really wanted to chew on falls under what I’d call a spoiler.

Because there is a lot going on here—after shaking up the status quo in American Demon Harrison establishes—or at least starts to—a new status quo. She’s ignored Vampires for quite a while, and that’s over (and we shouldn’t expect that werewolves won’t stay out of the spotlight, either). I’m not convinced she’s pushing Elves or Demons to the back burner any time soon, but they’re going to have company on the front. How she’s going to keep all these balls in the air at the same time? I have no idea, but it’s going to be fun to watch.

Million Dollar Demon was exciting, there was plenty of drama, a lot of good action, and some important character growth—and as I said, it was fun. At the end of the day, that’s all I ask for.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

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Tag: Urban Fantasy Page 18 of 44

from:

What’s Paper & Blood About?

The Iron Druid Chronicles Postscript

Secondary Characters

Paper and Ink

So, what did I think about Paper & Blood?

What’s Paper & Blood About?

The Iron Druid Chronicles Postscript

Secondary Characters

Paper and Ink

So, what did I think about Paper & Blood?

What’s Know Your Rites About?

For example…

The Humor: The Crux of the Matter

So, what did I think about Know Your Rites?

What’s In Plain Sight About?

Magic System

1930’s P.I.

So, what did I think about In Plain Sight?

What’s Million Dollar Demon About?

Constance

So, what did I think about Million Dollar Demon?