Tag: Urban Fantasy Page 19 of 44

The last of the “I’m too tired to post about What Abigail Did That Summer” inspired reposts. I’m revisiting this one because it’s another Subterranean Press Rivers of London book that could inspire an entire non-Peter Grant-focused series.

The October Man

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London, #7.5

Hardcover, 208 pg.
Subterranean Press, 2019
Read: June 19 – 21, 2019

So about the time that the one German Magic Practitioner hears that Nightengale has taken on an apprentice in Peter Grant, she decides that it’s time for Germany to do the same — keeping the playing field level, and all — she finds that apprentice in a second generation police officer, Tobias Winter. We meet Tobias a few years into things when he’s called away from leave time to investigate something that may be supernaturally related.

He recognizes vestigia right away — although I think the manner of death would be a pretty big tip off, no matter what. A mysterious fungal rot that covers him in precisely the way that fungus doesn’t cover people. I can’t do justice to how creepy it sounds when Tobias narrates it for us — you’ll have to read it.

Tobias is teamed up with Vanessa Sommer, a local police officer who knows the area, knows a bit about the particular fungus, and is super-curious about magic. Naturally, there’s an encounter with a River or two, and an interesting take on regional history — because this is a Rivers of London novel, what else are you going to get?

It’s a quick read with great story and the kind of people that Aaronovich fills his books with — these just happen to speak German and look at things in a different way from Peter and those he usually runs with — Tobias isn’t as funny as Peter, but he’s amusing to read and handles things in ways that Peter doesn’t. Still, at the end of the day, Peter’d be happy getting the same result (and probably would be jealous how little property damage that Tobias inflicts before wrapping up the investigation).

We’ve been given glimpses of what Nightengale and his fellows got involved in during WWII, but here we get more details — from the German point of view. It’s always been clear that happened wasn’t pretty — but I didn’t realize just how devastating it was until now. It’s also interesting to see just how significant it was for Nightengale to make Peter an apprentice. He essentially kicked off an international magical arms race (of sorts). Don’t get me wrong, the main point of this book is to be introduced to new characters, to see how magic is dealt with somewhere that isn’t London — but man, what we learn about things in London is fascinating.

I don’t know how this qualifies as a novella — even a “long novella,” as I’ve seen it marketed. I have several novels within reach of me right now that are smaller than this. It’s a semantic thing, but book nerds are supposed to be into words — so I don’t get it. Two hundred eight pages does not mean novella to me. If someone can explain it (or point to where Aaronovitch or Subterrerean Press explained it already), I’d appreciate it. Just to scratch that intellectual itch.

Aside from what to call this book, I enjoyed it. Tobias is an good character, he’s no Peter Grant, but he’s not supposed to be (in either Aaronovitch’s mind or the German practitioners’). I’d like he and Peter or he and the Nightengale to brush up against each other — or to have extended contact (like FBI Agent Reynolds and the Folly have had). If Aaronovitch decides on writing another novella/novel/adventure with him, I’d jump on it. But I’m not going to be waiting expectantly — if he doesn’t want to write another (or sales don’t justify it), I can be satisfied with just this much that we’ve been given here.

This’d be a great jumping on point for someone who wants to get a feel for the Rivers of London and Aaronovitch’s style. It’s also a great way for devoted fans of that series to dabble in something new, get a fresh perspective and realize that Peter Grant’s world is smaller than he realizes — while enjoying a creative and fun story.

—–

3 Stars

Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch: Entertaining Quick Dips into the Rivers of London

By HCNewton

On March 2, 2021

In Ben Aaronovitch, Fiction, Rivers of London (Peter Grant), Urban Fantasy

I’m reposting this one because I thought of it during What Abigail Did That Summer because Abigail gets to shine a little bit in this collection—and because it was short Rivers of London stories, just like the (fairly long) novella).

Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London

Kindle Edition, 139 pg.
JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc., 2020

Read: August 1-3, 2020

If asked, I’d have thought I posted about this book weeks ago, so imagine my surprise this past weekend when I saw this title still on my “To Be Written” list when I was checking for something else. Better late than never…

What are the Tales from the Folly?

The subtitle pretty much gives it away, really. These are shorter works set in the Rivers of London series. The Folly is the unofficial name for the recognized British magical organization, following in the first formal study of magic made by Sir Isaac Newton (no known relation, but that doesn’t stop me from claiming him as an uncle), it’s currently formally organized as the Special Assessment Unit of the Metropolitan Police. The Folly is also the nickname for their headquarters. Either use works for this collection.

There are seven short stores (or one novella and six short stories) told from Peter Grant’s perspective—just like the series. Then there are four stories from the point of view of other characters in the series and three “moments” (Aaronovitch’s term for “something that is more of a mood than a story, something that will last a page or two and conjure an atmosphere).

Peter Grant Stories

Obviously, this is Peter’s series (at least so far…), so he gets the bulk of the space. Most of these take place around the time of the first few books in the series, but at different stages of Peter’s development. I enjoyed them all and most of them are good enough to justify the purchase price on their own.

I can’t put my finger on why, exactly, but the first story “The Home Crowd Advantage” is my favorite. It’s about a French practitioner who got up to no good during the 1948 London Games who revisits the scene of the crime in 2012 when rookie apprentice Peter Grant is the only one around to deal with him.

The last entry in this section is the novella, A Rare Book of Cunning Device that I talked about when it was released as an Audible Original in 2017. It’s rare for me to go from hearing a work to reading it, so it was interesting that way. I enjoyed it just as much this time around, but I think Holdbrook-Smith’s voice is a better one for this series than whatever is echoing around in my skull.

Everyone Else

The fact that Aaronovitch is able to tell stories outside of Peter’s perspective shows the strength of the series in my book, he’s built the world and the characters out enough that they can carry the weight of a narrative for at least a little bit.

We get a story from the perspective of one of the Rivers, one from Abigail’s perspective that will warm the cockles of your heart (and maybe make you a little sad for a bit), a nice one featuring Vanessa Sommer from Germany (making me hope we get back to Germany for another novel soon), the answer about what happened to the River Lugg after Foxglove Summer. Then there are the moments, one featuring Nightengale, one with Reynolds and one with Sommer’s pal Tobias Winter years before The October Man

So, what did I think about Tales from the Folly?

That’s easy, I thought it was great. I’d buy volume 2 tomorrow, and volume 3 next month. If Aaronovitch wrote that quickly, anyway. They’re like the comic series in a way—a nice way to spend some time in this universe without having to put in the time of a novel.

The collection covered the gamut of emotions and types of story typical of the series with Aaronovitch’s evident charm and skill. It’s a must for every Rivers of London fan.

4 Stars

REPOST: Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

By HCNewton

On March 2, 2021

In Authors, Ben Aaronovitch, Fiction, Rivers of London (Peter Grant), Urban Fantasy

So the plan was, read What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch on Monday and post about it Tuesday. What happened was: read What Abigail Did That Summer Monday, do some parenting things and have no energy left for anything else. Whoops. So, I’m going to repost a couple of Rivers of London books I thought of while reading the upcoming novella and we’ll try again tomorrow. This novel explains why Peter wasn’t around to give Abigail a hand (not that she’d have asked for it).

Foxglove Summer

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London, #5

Mass Market Paperback, 323 pg.
Daw Books, 2015
Read: January 9 – 10, 2014

“Hail the conquering hero,” said Beverly and held up her bottle to clink.
“Sic transit Gloria mundi,” I said, because it was the first thing that came into my head — we clinked and drank. It could have been worse. I could have said, “Valar Morghulis” instead.

It’s always a pleasure to spend some time in the pages of a Peter Grant/The Rivers of London novel, but Foxglove Summer is probably the most pleasurable entry in the series since Midnight Riot (The Rivers of London for non-US types). I’m not sure I can put my finger on why that’s the case, but that’s not something I’m going to worry about. Unlike Peter’s mother, who

never saw a gift horse that she wouldn’t take down to the vet to have its mouth X-rayed — if only so she could establish its resale value.

Two young girls have vanished in a small village slightly north of London, and Peter’s sent to make sure that the (supposedly) no longer active wizard in the area had nothing to do with it. Having done so, he decides to stick around and see if he can help with some of the routine/mundane work needed.

Naturally — well, I should say, Supernaturally, it’s not long before The Powers That Be ask him to see if there’s an angle to the case that’s more up his alley than theirs. Peter finds some undeniable evidence of magic at work and things get going from there.

Nothing against London — but loved this breath of fresh air in this novel. For example, Peter’s dealing with different superior officers to not want to deal with magic/supernatural — these don’t have the antagonism that usually shows up in London, they just don’t want anything to do with it. The town is full of interesting types — including traveling fair ride owners, tavern keepers, farmers, and vacationing journalists.

As always with this series, the sheer amount of British Police acronyms and assumed knowledge of structure and procedures are a hurdle many US readers won’t want to try (I’ve been told this by a few who I’ve tried to get to read these books) — it’s a little effort, and easily worth it to overcome.

My major — only? — gripe is that Peter’s not making a lot of progress with his magic, he seems to be pretty much where he was three novels back. Yes, he’s more confident, yes, he’s able to apply his knowledge of magic with some good old-fashioned police ingenuity — but his abilities and skills are still rookie-level. Without Beverly as magic back-up, he’d be in trouble. The two of them — plus one local cop out of his depth, but committed to work — are able to handle things.

Yeah, it was nice not to focus on Lesley and the Faceless One (which isn’t to say their shadows don’t loom over a good chunk of the book), but it’s clear that they’ll be back in a really big way soon. Which I’m looking forward to, as nice as it was to have this mental palate cleanser here. Foxglove Summer was great mix of police procedural, Urban Fantasy and Folklore — both traditional and contemporary (the area’s obsession with UFOs is great) — with Aaronovitch’s deft humor, pop culture references and tight plotting. We’ve got ourselves a winner here.

—–

4 Stars

A Two-Fer: Twenty Palaces and Child of Fire (Audiobooks) by Harry Connolly and Daniel Thomas May

By HCNewton

On February 17, 2021

In Audiobook, Harry Connolly, Twenty Palaces, Urban Fantasy

Twenty Palaces

by Harry Connolly, Daniel Thomas May (Narrator)
Series: Twenty Palaces, #0
Unabridged Audiobook, 8 hrs., 14 min.
Tantor Audio, 2020
Read: July 29-30, 2020
4 Stars

Child of Fire

by Harry Connolly, Daniel Thomas May (Narrator)
Series: Twenty Palaces, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hrs., and 9 min.
Tantor Audio, 2020
Read: September 8-10, 2020
4 Stars

What is The Twenty Palaces Series?

The Twenty Palace Society is a secretive and ancient group that has devoted itself to the regulation of magic in this world for the benefit of humanity. Those who use magic outside of the Palaces control have a tendency to unleash disaster—and by disaster, I mean things with the potential to destroy the world—and the Society stops them with extreme prejudice (and if collateral damage happens, so be it—we’re talking about the survival of the human race here).

Most of these threats come by way of unleashing Predators—beings from the “Empty Places” between dimensions. Their main drive seems to be coming into this (or any) reality and snacking on whatever life forms they can find. They typically begin by seeming to obey and/or help the humans who summoned them. But eventually, they turn on their summoners and exact a horrible price.

The Society’s methods, structure, and personnel largely lie in darkness, but we know a little bit—there are peers (magic users of impressive strength, but not as strong as others in the Society), investigators (whose purpose is to look for magical/Predatory activity), and wooden men. Wooden Men are cannon fodder. They’re the designated redshirts whose purpose is to draw the attention of the humans or Predators the Society is attacking so their peer can come in and eliminate the threat while they’re focused on the Wooden Man. It’s obviously not a place to be if you’re all that concerned with living a long and quiet life.

Our protagonist, Ray Lilly, is a Wooden Man (or becomes one in TP). In that book, he stumbles upon some unauthorized magic use, casts one spell himself (which would be enough to kill him over, but he proves useful to Annalise so she delays that), and then stumbles upon a group of predators and helps Annalise stop them from turning Seattle into a home base to bring in others of their kind and then to destroy humanity.

In Child of Fire, the two find themselves in a small town, where a man/company (it’s hard to tell at first) seemingly has made a deal with a Predator for some benefit to the town, but at the cost of the children of the town—and it happens in such a way that the memories of parents are affected enough that they don’t remember their children ever existed.

Publication/Listening Order

While I do think a good prequel can be fun, by nature they are wholly unnecessary. If you don’t have everything you need in the books/movies/whatever as they were published, the author/creators failed. Also, you probably don’t get something successful enough to generate a prequel.

Again, they’re fun. It can be entertaining to get an explanation for something in the original work (“Oh, so that’s why there’s a lampstand in the middle of the wood”), occasionally it gives you a new perspective on the series, that kind of thing. I was more than happy to read Twenty Palaces when the series had been mothballed, but I wasn’t clamoring for it.

But last year, when Tantor started putting out the whole series in audiobook form (the first book had been already, but the rest hadn’t been), I went with the order that Tantor published—Twenty Palaces first and then moving on to the rest.

I was surprised at how well it flowed. There’s very little time between Twenty Palaces and Child of Fire and it really felt like CoF was a sequel. There were just so many throwaway details in CoF that were there to make it seem like Ray had a past (not that we learned much about it), that there was a little bit of history with Ray and Annalise (but not much of one). As you read it (assuming you read in publication order), there’s a mysterious, violent past—one that it’s good to know Ray has, but we don’t need to know it.

Connolly did a great job of taking those details and building events in Twenty Palaces around them. I’m not saying this is the best way to listen to the books—but it makes them a lot more approachable. I can see why Tantor went the way they did.

Ray Lily

Yes, Ray Lilly is an ex-con with a violent streak. But he sincerely wants to live a straight life—while he admits to himself that he enjoys the rush of violence. He also likes the fact that his work for the Society matters. He tries to be a good, law-abiding citizen as much as possible. He works hard to prevent injury to those who have nothing to do with the Predators.

He’s incredibly loyal to Annalise—which is not a little twisted because Annalise has told him repeatedly that she will kill him.

He’s essentially what you expect in a male UF protagonist—but he’s as close to powerless as you can be in this world and yet survive. Which definitely marks him out as different. He also has a real talent for getting people (many people, anyway) to trust him and is better at inspiring bystanders to action than most UF protagonists (although most of them don’t need to recruit help, and Ray does). There’s a very human quality to Ray that makes you like him.

Annalise Powliss

Annalise is old (well over one hundred years old), but looks younger than Ray. She has a high voice and looks like she hasn’t had a decent meal in ages. But that’s deceptive—she’s supernaturally strong and magically powerful. While she doesn’t relish the prospect of collateral damage/fatalities—she’s familiar enough with the treat posed by Predators that she’s more than willing to let a town’s worth of citizens die to prevent all of humanity from being consumed. Still, she’s largely willing to indulge Ray’s compassion—up to a point.

Annalise has all the powers of your typical UF protagonist—maybe even more. But none of the wit, sarcasm, or optimism. For her, this is a duty, not one she particularly enjoys, but it’s something that has to be done.

Daniel Thomas May

I admit that I was worried about Daniel Thomas May as the narrator for these audiobooks. All I know him from is the Venators series, and this is about as far from a YA Portal Fantasy as you can get. But my worries proved groundless and he does a bang-up job portraying Ray Lilly and the horrors that this world holds.

More than that, I’m glad I listened to these if only for Annalise’s voice. It’s both exactly what Connolly says it sounds like—and is about 3.4 million miles away from what I’d imagined.

So, What Did I Think about these Audiobooks?

They’re just great—I thoroughly enjoyed being back in this world and I still don’t understand why the books weren’t bigger sellers. I hope they find a new audience in audiobook. I don’t know if I’ve ever talked about the series on this blog without using the phrase “criminally underselling,” (or words to that effect). It comes to mind once again, I just don’t get why readers didn’t get behind this.

They’re dark, they’re grim, they’re on the violent end of the UF spectrum (but I can easily find darker, grimmer, and more violent series)—but there’s a glimmer of hope throughout them all. Not just from Ray’s undaunted trust in humanity, but that’s where most of it comes from. Even with all the death and destruction, they’re entertaining reads and you get immersed enough in the world that you don’t want to come out of it.

You really should get these in your earbuds or in front of your eyes.

A Few Thoughts about Forged by Benedict Jacka

By HCNewton

On February 11, 2021

In Alex Verus, Benedict Jacka, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Forged

by Benedict Jacka
Series: Alex Verus, #11

Mass Market Paperback, 294 pg.
Ace Books, 2020

Read: December 17-22, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

The whole time I read this, I kept thinking, “How do I write something about this?” More than a month and a half later, I’m still not sure.

Book Blurb

I’m so unsure what to say, that I’m not even going to attempt to summarize the setup. I’ll just steal the back of the book:

To protect his friends, Mage Alex Verus has had to change–and embrace his dark side. But the life mage Anne has changed too, and made a bond with a dangerous power. She’s going after everyone she’s got a grudge against–and it’s a long list.
In the meantime, Alex has to deal with his arch-enemy, Levistus. The Council’s death squads are hunting Alex as well as Anne, and the only way for Alex to stop them is to end his long war with Levistus and the Council, by whatever means necessary. It will take everything Alex has to stay a step ahead of the Council and stop Anne from letting the world burn.

Not Quite Fully-Formed Thoughts

I was blown away by the first novel in this series, Fated back in ’12. The cover caught my eye, the pull-quote from Jim Butcher on the front put it in my checkout stack at the Library. I was impressed enough that I bought the paperback almost immediately. And the series has been an auto-buy for me since. Here we are at the penultimate novel and so much of my loss for words is attributable to not knowing what he’s going to do with the events of this book.

Yes, it’s a complete story—we even get introduced to a new character. But I’m not sure what any of the events will actually mean for Alex/the series, so my judgment feels like it’s in limbo. If he does X, Y, or Z in Risen, well, sure it’ll be worth it. But if he goes in another direction…I just don’t know.

I’ve read four Urban Fantasy series from start to conclusion. Anna Strong, The Hollows,* Kitty Norville, and The Iron Druid Chronicles. If you stand back and take in the series as a whole, the first three had a very similar arc, and the IDC had a different one. It sure seems like Jacka’s taking a more IDC approach. If I’m right, that puts things in the last couple of books in a certain kind of light, and I can evaluate them on that basis. If I’m wrong (to some extent) it puts those things in a different light, and I’ll think about them differently. At the moment the book is in a pretty “is the dress white and gold or black and blue” kind of place for me. I don’t usually say that kind of thing about a book, I normally know what I think about a book without wondering too much about the future of the sequel/series. But I can’t help it this time, even if it feels like a cop-out.

Which is not to say that I think there’s a superior way for Jacka to land this plane—I’m confident he’s going to nail the landing regardless.

* Yeah, sure, that was temporarily concluded, but let’s pretend that Harrison didn’t come back for the sake of this paragraph

So, can I say anything? Yeah. This was the most violent of any of the books, Alex knows full well that this is the endgame for something, and has nothing holding him back. I’m sure that in many ways the Alex Verus of the early series wouldn’t do what he’s doing now, and wouldn’t want to. But things have changed him, and he doesn’t have time to waste pulling his punches.

Alex is running out of choices—an odd thing for a diviner. He’s burnt a lot of bridges lately—many of which I held out hope that he could repair. Instead, he burnt them to the ground, gathered the ashes, stomped on them, and then scattered them to the four winds. I’m not sure that he has a whole lot of moves left—if Alex is the King on a chessboard, it truly seems he’ll be checkmated in just a couple of moves.

I enjoyed this book, I don’t particularly like the choices that Alex is making—but I get why he’s making them. I don’t particularly like the choices Jacka’s making, either—but I think he’s probably doing the right thing for the series.

I’m not sure what else to say, really. Come back this fall after Risen and I’ll probably be a bit more definitive.

There was another realisation too, something that was harder to explain. I had the feeling that Morden was going to survive all this. He wasn’t aiming to settle grudges and wasn’t seeking the crown, and because of that everyone else would always have someone they wanted dead more badly than him. When this was over he was going to be walking away, back to the forests and streams of his shadow realm and to his new group of disciples. The same wasn’t likely to be true for me.

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.

White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton: A Broken Family is at the Center of a Battle for A City

By HCNewton

On February 1, 2021

In Book Tour, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

For the first part of this Tour Stop, we looked at the novel, White Trash Warlock from a distance, now it’s time to dive in.

White Trash Warlock

by David R. Slayton
Series: The Adam Binder Novels, #1

Paperback, 307 pg.
Blackstone Publishing, 2020

Read: January 26-27, 2021

What’s White Trash Warlock About?

Adam Binder has the Sight. He can see mystical/magical beings, forces, phenomena. He can’t do much beyond that—he’s pretty lightweight in magical terms. But it’s enough that it messes up his childhood—he’s always looking at and responding to things that only he can see. A family that can’t—won’t?—see what he says worries for him and tries to get him to abandon this. After his father deserts the family and his brother becomes “The Man of the House,” they try to get him help and eventually put him in a treatment facility.

We don’t learn a lot about the facility, but it seems to be something right out of Cuckoo’s Nest. However, he does meet someone there who teaches him how the magical world works and how to use his meager abilities. He leaves the facility when he turned eighteen and now scrapes by doing car repairs for neighbors while he scours the area for items that seem to be produced by a Warlock. He’s convinced that the Warlock is—or will lead him to—his father, and then will understand how he got these abilities.

Meanwhile, his brother, Bobby, having done his duty for his brother got out of their small Southern town, went to college, and is now Robert J. Binder, M.D. in Denver. Robert’s wife has had a couple of miscarriages and isn’t coping well with them—he’s a shell of her former, vibrant self—and really should be getting professional treatment (I’m not sure why Robert has lost confidence in the profession). It wouldn’t have done any good, mind you, but he still should’ve tried—but as the book opens, Robert Sees something attached to his wife. Realizing he’s out of his depth, he calls Adam and asks for help.

Adam’s clues to the Warlock are also leading him to Denver, so he goes—killing two birds and one transcontinental drive, you could say. Once he arrives in Denver, he Sees that Annie is possessed by some sort of magical being that’s running amok through the city. We learn after a bit that this 98 lb. magical weakling is just the David necessary to take down this magical Goliath (yeah, it seems counter-intuitive, but that’s part of what makes it work).

He has to make alliances with some of the local Guardians (magical beings tasked with guarding an area) for aid, but ultimately it’s Adam versus the Big Bad for the safety of Denver.

Adam and Robert

This relationship is the most interesting thing in the book to me—there’s plenty of competition for that, I should add—the Guardians, the nature and origin of the Big Bad, Adam’s abilities, are a few examples. But it’s the brothers that captured my attention.

To start with, locking your brother up and never once visiting him to see how miserable the conditions were and how lousy the treatment was going, is not a great way to endear yourself to him. Robert would say he just wants what’s best for his brother, and was (and is) just looking out for him. He doesn’t understand why Adam just doesn’t get an education, find a respectable job and settle down to start a family—you know, be normal.

They grew up poor. Their father physically abused them and did not provide for the family at all. Their mother managed to keep them alive, but that’s about it—she was more than ready to let Bobby take over when it was time—and only signed the papers committing Adam because Bobby told her to.

Their horrific childhood left scars on both of them (physical—I assume—and mental). What happened to Adam made things worse for him, and the relationship is apathetic at best, and downright antagonistic at its worst.

Still, Robert knows who to call when he needs help. And Adam responds. They won’t admit it, but they need each other. Just neither is willing to pay the price to admit it, or do the work to restore the relationship in any way.

Yes, defeating the Big Bad seems to be what the book is about, but it all hinges on this relationship. I loved the dynamic, the dysfunction, and how that played out.

The Worldbuilding

I’m not going to describe it, it wouldn’t be fair to the novel (and I wouldn’t do that great a job at it). Ditto for the magic system.

The magic system reminds me of others I’ve encountered (more in traditional Fantasy than in Urban Fantasies), but Slayton’s take on it is pretty intriguing and fresh. His worldbuilding is very developed, it’s been a long time since I saw something this well-thought-out and constructed in the first book of a series. Both are commendable.

The Spoiler-y Things I’m Not Going to Talk About

So, the things I most want to discuss about this book are all things that are either spoilers or I’d have to spoil something to talk about. Which is pretty annoying. A couple of examples:

There’s someone I fully expected to develop and/or reveal magic abilities from the moment we meet them up until the point it’s clear that won’t happen. I’m happy that Slayton zagged there when I was waiting for him to zig. Also, I thought the way he pulled it off was really well done.

There’s a supernatural being that we’re introduced to—but don’t really get to see at work. I’ve seen this type in multiple TV series and books over the years. I’ve never, ever, ever, ever found it done successfully. Most of the time, I want to throw a shoe at the TV or the book across the room (timing has denied me the temptation to hurl one of these books at a fitting TV show—probably saving me from having to replace something). Slayton’s approach just might be the exception to the rule. It has good potential, but it’ll take at least one more book to know this for sure.

The Things that Frustrated Me

The fact that the most interesting part of the book (see above) was the least developed and explored. One honest conversation—or even a half-way honest conversation that gets cut off shortly before it finishes—and we could’ve seen some really strong development in these two as people and their relationship. Sure, it’s probably realistic that we didn’t get it. It’s a narrative choice to push it further to help with tension. I see and accept that, too. I can probably come up with a couple of other reasons to not give the reader that. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t frustrated by not getting it. It’s just not anything to hold against the book.

The romance on the other hand? Yeah, I think I’m going to. I’ve seen some references to it being a triangle (which would be reason enough to not be interested), but I think it’s more of someone not letting go of something that’s over than it is a viable option. On the other hand—the viable option . . . how do I say this? Adam himself wonders if it’s an organic, natural interest in each other, or if it’s magically-induced. I think the text is pretty clear that it’s the latter. Which makes it less a love story and more of two people coming to accept something that’s a fait accompli (even if they’re both not aware that’s the case).

Lastly, the way the book ends—both in stopping The Big Bad and launching into the second novel. I’m not complaining about what happens, just the way that Slayton told it. It felt to me* like as Slatyon’s gearing up to start the endgame portion of the novel, he’s continuing to plant the seeds for the second book/an ongoing arc that takes more than just two books to resolve, and gets so interested in that arc that he rushed the final 25-30% (or so) of the novel so he could get on to writing the stuff he was really interested in.

I was reading a hard copy, so I knew exactly how many pages were left in the novel, and my reaction was still, “Wait, what? That’s it?”

* I want to stress that I don’t think Slayton actually did this, it just felt like it.

So, what did I think about White Trash Warlock?

At this point, it may sound like I’m down on the novel. I’m not. As I’ve noted before, it takes more words to talk about a problem/frustration than it does to say something complimentary. Which really bothers me, but such is language, I guess. “The way that ____ hides among the humans and gets Adam the access to ____ that he needs to figure things out is pretty entertaining and cleverly done.” Especially without filling in those blanks, it’s hard to make that as large as the paragraph about the love story.

I liked the book. I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t like it as much as many other people did, based on the blog posts I’ve read since I finished. But I liked it.

I’m also plenty curious as to what happens next and I’m curious about Slayton’s development as a writer—does he figure out a better way to pace a novel and to wrap things up? (I’m betting he does). I liked the world he set up and the magic system (systems?) at work, and would like to see them both explored more—I really want to see more Guardians. There’s a rawness to the writing that makes it feel more natural than a lot of UF. There’s a brokenness—as well as a resiliency—to the characters that is compelling and draws you in. There’s nothing but potential for growth here and the series has a strong foundation.

I kept flashing back to last year’s Burn the Dark while reading this, they seem to come from a similar place and have a similar aesthetic. I’m glad to see Urban Fantasy like this (I’m sure there are precursors that I’m not thinking of at the moment), it makes me think that the genre is going to stay interesting.

3.5 Stars

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: White Trash Warlock By David R. Slayton

By HCNewton

On February 1, 2021

In Book Tour, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Blog Tour for the first in a new Urban Fantasy Series White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton. This Tour Stop consists in this little spotlight post and then my take on the novel coming along in a bit. Let’s start by learning a little about this novel, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: White Trash Warlock by David R. Slaton
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: October 13, 2020
Format: Ebook/Paperback/Audiobook
Length: 307 pages

Book Blurb:

Guthrie was a good place to be from, but it wasn’t a great place to live, not when you were like Adam, in all the ways Adam was like Adam.

Adam Binder hasn’t spoken to his brother in years, not since Bobby had him committed to a psych ward for hearing voices. When a murderous spirit possesses Bobby’s wife and disrupts the perfect life he’s built away from Oklahoma, he’s forced to ask for his little brother’s help. Adam is happy to escape the trailer park and get the chance to say I told you so, but he arrives in Denver to find the local magicians dead.

It isn’t long before Adam is the spirit’s next target. To survive the confrontation, he’ll have to risk bargaining with powers he’d rather avoid, including his first love, the elf who broke his heart.

The Binder brothers don’t realize that they’re unwitting pawns in a game played by immortals. Death herself wants the spirit’s head, and she’s willing to destroy their family to reap it.

Purchase Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Bookshop ~ Apple Books ~ Indiebound ~ Audible

About the Author:

I grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now I live in Denver, Colorado and write the books I always wanted to read.

My debut fantasy, WHITE TRASH WARLOCK, is available now from Blackstone Publishing in paperback, ebook, and audio.

In addition to writing, I have taught workshops and appeared on panels at Denver Pop Culture Con, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the League of Utah Writers Quills Conference, and the Seymour Agency Winter Retreat. By day I’m a software implementation consultant.

I love connecting with readers, librarians, and booksellers.

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

Catch-Up Quick Takes: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares; Undeading Bells; Paranormal Bromance; My Calamity Jane

By HCNewton

On December 18, 2020

In Audiobook, Carrie Vaughn, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Kitty Norville, Urban Fantasy, YA/MG/Children's Books

The point of these quick takes post to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares

by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, Ryan Gesell (Narrator), Tara Sands (Narrator)
Series: Dash & Lily, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 6 hrs., 40 min.
Listening Library, 2010
Read: November 14-17, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I picked this up as the result of “I need something to listen to and the library’s app just happened to have it at the top of the list.” This was about the time that the Netflix series was about to launch, so a good part of my Twitter feed was talking about it. I’d read something by Levithan years ago and had good memories, figured I’d try it out.

It was adorable. It was sweet. Pure silly fun. The narrators did a pretty decent job convincing me that they were teenagers. I think Lily can do better than Dash, but that’s probably just me. I doubt I’ll continue on in the series, but I’m glad I gave this a shot.

3.5 Stars

Undeading Bells

by Drew Hayes, Kirby Heyborne (Narrator)
Series: Fred, The Vampire Accountant, #6
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 34 min.
Tantor Audio, 2020
Read: November 9-13, 220
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
The wedding is nigh—Fred’s just got a little to take care of first. He’s got to hire someone to help him deal with his rapidly expanding business, he has to submit to some tests from the Blood Council, Amy needs some help with her new business model, and so on. But the main event is the wedding—which brings out friends (old and new) and enemies (old) alike.

This is the same kind of book that I’ve come to expect—fairly episodic with a nice through-line, amusing stories, an overall “blue sky” feel, with some fun situations for our Vampire Accountant to get himself out of.

I appreciated the new hire on the accountancy side, her particular supernatural type was a lot of fun. I also was impressed by what we learn about the Sheriff of Boarback. That was a simply great idea. I’ll also admit to being touched by the last few pages of the book, Fred’s in uncharted territory for him, and he does it well—public Displays of Affection and a little bit of rebelling.

I’ve spent most of this year dipping into this series when I needed a fun palate cleanser, and now I’ve caught up. Apparently, he’s working on the next book now, so I know I’ll be able to come back at some point, but…man…what am I supposed to do in the meantime.

3.5 Stars

Paranormal Bromance

by Carrie Vaughn, Neil Hellegers (Narrator)
Series: Kitty Norville, #12.5
Unabridged Audiobook, 2 hrs., 11 min.
Tantor Audio, 2018
Read: October 26, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Three guys who never should’ve been turned, and likely wouldn’t have survived as vampires if they weren’t in Rick’s Denver, are the focus of this novella. Since they’ve been turned, they camp out in their basement apartment and live largely human-ish lives. Basically, they’re the kind of guys who need advice from Kitty Norville, but who’ve never called into her show (or even listened)

Because they’re clearly the weakest, most pathetic excuses for Vampires (one sells collectibles online, another reviews video games) they’re targeted as a way to Rick by an enterprising reporter. While dealing with that, Sam starts to fall for a mortal—exactly the kind of woman he would’ve dreamed about dating as a human, but now he’s still feeling like she’s out of his league.

Watching Sam and his roommates deal with his friendship with the woman on the one hand and then the reporter on the other brings out the kind of fun that Vaughn didn’t often get to show in the Kitty-verse. It was a pleasant way to spend a few hours while packing/cleaning—and like I’ve said, any time in the world of Kitty Norville is a pleasant time.

3 Stars

My Calamity Jane

by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows, Sophie Amoss (Narrator)
Series: The Lady Janies, #3
Unabridged Audiobook, 13 hrs., 28 min.
HarperAudio, 2020
Read: August 31-September 3, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Man…of all of these in this post, this is the hardest to not write a lot about. I’m not sure this is my favorite of the series, but in many ways, it’s stronger—definitely an improvement over My Plain Jane (which I liked, don’t get me wrong).

Wild Bill’s Traveling Show is just a cover for him, Calamity Jane and Frank Butler to hunt garou throughout the Wild West. Annie Oakley is unaware of this, but is a crack shot and needs to make money (or get married off to someone she can’t stomach). She ends up signing on to the show, just in time for it all to fall apart. The group ends up in Deadwood, where a supposed garou-cure is being peddled.

Sure, Calamity Jane is the focus of the book, but for me, it’s all about Annie Oakley, she was a delight, and her stumbling romance was as sweet as you could ask for. I also loved that we got an Al Swearengen who never made me think of Ian McShane once.

These goofy supernatural alt-history books are just a lot of fun, and I’m eager to see what they do with Mary, Queen of Scots.

3.5 Stars

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

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston: Look Out World, There’s a New Magician on the Loose!

By HCNewton

On December 11, 2020

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

Amari and the Night Brothers

by B. B. Alston
Series: Supernatural Investigations, Volume Number 1

eARC, 384 pg.
Egmont Books, 2021

Read: December 7-9, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Amari and the Night Brothers About?

Amari is a thirteen-year-old girl from Atlanta’s inner-city, attending a private school on scholarship, and is in trouble when we meet her. She’s been antagonized (probably bullied, honestly) by some rich girls from her school and struck back. She’s now facing discipline—up to and including loss of her scholarship. The principal ties this behavior to her brother’s recent disappearance/presumed death, she’s been “acting out” since then.

While reeling from this, Amari receives a delivery from her brother—cutting the details, it’s an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. The invitation opens her eyes (literally) to the hidden magickal world around her. She can join the Bureau via a summer program (as her brother, Quinton, did) and if she passes some tests, she can become a junior member. She sees this as her best/only chance to find out what happened to Quinton—and hopefully, find him alive.

But also, it’s magick. How could she not want to be part of it?

One of the first steps involves finding her secret talent—where she learns that she has rare and illegal abilities. Determined to stay in the Bureau to find Quinton—and to show that just because she’s born with abilities that remind everyone of the worst people in the supernatural world’s history, it doesn’t mean she’ll be as evil.

It’s hard to make friends—hard not to be ostracized by everyone—because of her abilities, and she faces outright prejudice. But she does make an ally or two among the other supernatural youths, and a few among the adults overseeing the program*. Not only does Amari work to pass her tests to remain in the Bureau, she and her allies look into Quinton’s disappearance.

* I really don’t have the time to get into it, but I really liked the adults in this book (with the exception of two that you’re clearly not supposed to like)

The Clincher

There are many reasons to read this, many reasons you’ll enjoy it. More than I have time to enumerate, more than you want to spend time reading. So I’ll just give you one word that should convince you: weredragon.

Were…@#$%&!…dragon.

I love this idea. I don’t know why we don’t have a half-dozen series about them in UF. Elsie, the weredragon in question, would be a character I love no matter her special ability/species/whatever. She’s a fun, vibrant, supportive, smart character, and combining those qualities with the idea of a human shifting into a dragon? You’ve got a fan in me.

The Inevitable Comparisons

It’s impossible to read this book and not think of a certain other MG series that rhymes with Larry Cotter. I think Amari and the Night Brothers comes off pretty well in such a comparison—I’m not saying it’s superior (or inferior), but it holds its own.

But honestly? I think this is closer to a Percy Jackson kind of thing (just without the mythological basis), and Alston’s style and voice are closer to Riordan’s.

I’d also throw in a comparison to Will Hill’s Department 19 books, but few of my readers will recognize it—and it’s for an older audience and is more bloody. But it’s one of those things that keeps coming to mind as I read Amari’s adventure.

I’m not suggesting that Alston’s just giving us an “inner city” version of Percy Jackson, etc. There are just things about Amari and the Night Brothers that remind me of the others, (the way that the Iron Druid Chronicles reminds readers of The Dresden Files, for example). The novel’s themes and particulars of the fantasy worlds will vary, but the overall feel and style of the novel will invite comparison to Barry Totter, Percy, and similar works.

The Real World

In the background of all the fantastic things going on in Amari’s life—all the unbelievable things she’s being introduced to, the incredible people and creatures she’s encountering—there’s the real world, and not an easy part of it. She lives in the inner city of Georgia with her mother working horrible shifts at a local hospital struggling to make ends meet. Her father has abandoned the family.

The police assume her brother’s disappearance has something to do with him being a criminal—he’s not missing, he’s off doing something he doesn’t want his mother to know about. Because that’s what young men in this neighborhood do. As infuriating as that prejudice expressed is, there’s someone in the neighborhood who is falling into that lifestyle. Quinton had been tutoring him, but now he has no one helping him—but Amari tries once she realizes what’s going on with Jayden. This is a storyline that we follow throughout the book, and it might be the most important and rewarding one.

Both in Amari’s school and even at the Bureau, she has to deal with privilege—people who were born into the right families, people who aren’t like her. Because of things she has no control over, no input into, simply accident of birth, there are those who don’t want her in the Bureau, don’t want her pursuing her goals—but she doesn’t back down. Never fear, the book doesn’t preach, it doesn’t moralize. It simply shows the challenges Amari has to deal with—and the challenges so many others don’t—and lets the reader draw their own conclusions.

Grit and Smarts

Amari is practically the embodiment of Angela Duckworth’s concept of grit. I made a few notes like that while reading, making Amari the kind of protagonist you can really get behind.

Duckworth’s website defines grit as:

Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals…
Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.
Instead, grit is about having what some researchers call an”ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.
Talent and luck matter to success. But talent and luck are no guarantee of grit. And in the very long run, I think grit may matter as least as much, if not more.

Replace the word “talent” above with “magick” and you’ve got Amari.

The book is also a celebration of thinking. Quinton, Elsie (the weredragon), and Amari are smart. They’re bookish. They’re problem solvers. Sure Amari has magical abilities, but before she uses magic, she thinks through a situation and addresses it with her mind. Amari and Elsie study, they plan. There’s one point where Amari remembers the book and page number where she learned a fact that proved vital to one challenge. Her remembering that page number just made me happy.

Elsie’s a tinkerer, even before she gets her magical enhancement, she’s inventing things, making things. Amari talks about how many things are in the library that she wants to read about, learn about that have nothing to do with her goals. Give me characters like this any day.

So, what did I think about Amari and the Night Brothers?

This was just so much fun. Even when things are looking dire for poor Amari (or anyone else), there is an ineffable sense of awe and hope to the book. That just magnified all the good from above (and helped me brush off the couple of minor reservations I had).

Is this one to give to the MG reader in your life? Yes. Is this one to read yourself if you like the occasional (or not-so-occasional) MG novel? Absolutely. I’m already planning on getting the sequels, and expect just about everyone who reads this novel will too.

4 Stars
My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel from Egmont Publishing via Netgalley) they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston

By HCNewton

On December 11, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Ultimate Blog Tour for the wonderful Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston. This Tour Stop consists in this little spotlight post and then my take on the novel coming along in a bit (warning: even after trimming things a bit, it’s on the long side). Let’s start by learning a little about this novel, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Publisher: Egmont Books
Release date: January 21, 2021
Format: Ebook/Hardcover
Length: 384 pages

Book Blurb:

Amari Peters knows three things.

Her big brother Quinton has gone missing.
No one will talk about it.
His mysterious job holds the secret …

So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon.

Amari must compete against kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent one that the Bureau views as dangerous.

With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is the enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton …

About the Author:

B. B. Alston lives in Lexington, SC. Amari and the Night Brothers is his debut middle grade novel. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.

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