Tag: Urban Fantasy Page 23 of 44

The Stay at Home Book Tag

On April 29, 2020

In Book Tag, Books, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc.

The Stay at Home Book Tag
I saw this tag over on this one from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club last week and figured I’d better join in the fun soon—our Stay at Home order is set to expire at the end of this month, and I may not get another chance.

Laying in Bed: A Book You Could/Have Read in a Day

This one gave me some trouble, honestly, if you’re committed, what book can’t you read in a day? But…I’m going to go with:

Not Dressed

by Matthew Hanover
I didn’t read this in a day, but man, I could’ve. This book (like last year’s Not Famous) is effortless to read. When I started this book, it was late in the day and I thought I’d just stick a toe in the water, maybe read about 10% of it. Before I knew it, I was about a third into the book (and were it not for the time of day, I’d have probably finished it in one sitting!). It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s infectious, it’s engaging as anything I can remember. I cared about these characters and got invested in their lives faster than I typically do. It’s as comfortable as staying in bed should be.

In case you’re curious, here’s my post about it.

Snacking: A Guilty Pleasure Book

Pop Culture! …Building a Better Tomorrow by Avoiding Today

by Dave Kellett
I’m honestly troubled by the idea of “guilty pleasure.” If you dig a piece of fiction, you dig a piece of fiction—why feel bad about it?* But, I ended up going with this collection of Sheldon comics. I love this strip and read them every time that Kellett posts a new one. I don’t let myself sit down and read through a collection (or part of one) very often, I feel like I should be reading “a real book,” or something I could blog about—or, you know spending time with my family, I guess. So, this is a pleasure that makes me feel guilty when I indulge (which I guess undercuts my opening line…oops).

* Note how I don’t go for the cheap Dan Brown joke here…

Netflix: series you want to start

The Shattered Sea

by Joe Abercrombie
Abercrombie’s Norse-influenced YA trilogy has appealed to me since it was announced. Especially as it’s complete, there’s no good reason I can’t tackle it—the entire trilogy is about as long as some epic fantasy novels, I don’t know what I’m waiting for.

Dan Willis’ Arcane Casebook is also right up there. I hopefully will get to both in 2020.

Deep Clean: a book that’s been on your “to be read” list for ages

Stiletto

by Daniel O’Malley
I loved O’Malley’s The Rook, but read it long before I launched this thing, so I didn’t write anything about it—and then re-read it so I could get ready for Stiletto, and took so many notes I couldn’t get through them all to write something. Anyway, this came out in ’16 and I heard so many lukewarm things that I haven’t been able to get myself to read it. It’s right there on top of my bookshelf, right where it’s been since July 2016 and I don’t know when it’s coming down.

Animal Crossing: a book you recently bought because of hype

The Last Smile in Sunder City

by Luke Arnold

A former soldier turned PI tries to help the fantasy creatures whose lives he ruined in a world that’s lost its magic in a compelling debut fantasy by Black Sails actor Luke Arnold.

Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.

I’m Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me:

1. Sobriety costs extra.
2. My services are confidential.
3. I don’t work for humans.

It’s nothing personal–I’m human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it’s not the humans who need my help.

Walk the streets of Sunder City and meet Fetch, his magical clients, and a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

How can I say “no” to that?

Yeah, this is on the list because of the hype, but when I went to find some examples of the hype that sold me, I could only find this one from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club, which was enough on its own, honestly. Still, if you’re reading this and I’ve just snubbed you. Sorry. Correct me and I’ll throw a link up here.

Productivity: A book you learned from, or that had an impact on you

How Not to Die

by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM, Gene Stone
This is a book that was recommended to me as part of a medical program I’m in (in an effort to forestall any future cardiac events)—I’m not convinced by all of what it says, but it’s helped me make significant changes to my life—and will continue to do so.

In case you’re curious, here’s my post about it (the post is about the library’s copy of the audiobook, I have the hardcover now—it’s heavy enough I could probably organize an exercise regimen using only it as a weight.

Facetime: a book you were gifted

The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

by Patrick Rothfuss, Illustrated by Dan dos Santos
My kids got this for me for Father’s Day in ’17—still one of my favorite gifts from them. A gorgeous edition of one of my all-time favorite books.

Self-care: what is one thing you’ve done recently to look after yourself

Ehhh…not much, really. This is the kind of thing I’m not good at.

Bonus: name a book that is coming out soon

Platonic Comedy

by Ian Shane
Ian Shane’s Postgraduate was one of my favorites from 2019. If this is almost as good, it’ll be one of my favorites of 2020.

Ex-jock Rob and socially awkward Liz weren’t likely to become best friends, but they’ve had each other’s back since college. On a night both of their romantic lives implode, they make a pledge; if they aren’t married by Rob’s fortieth birthday, they would marry each other. With a year left before their deadline, Rob and Liz make a mad dash to find “The One,” while navigating a minefield of modern dating complications. They must deal with skeptical friends, faces from the past, and hidden jealousies and feelings neither one of them will ever admit to.

From Ian Shane, author of Postgraduate and Radio Radio, comes an unconventional one-in-eight-billion romantic comedy. Platonic Comedy is a contemporary When Harry Met Sally that is perfect for fans of Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper, and Matthew Norman.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

The Identity Thief by Alex Bryant: A Contemporary Hunt for Centuries-Old Power

By HCNewton

On April 16, 2020

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

The Identity Thief

by Alex Bryant
Series: The God Machine, #1

Kindle Edition, 438 pg.
K&M Books, 2020

Read: April 13-14, 2020

Bryant has given us a YA/MG Urban Fantasy Adventure with so many layers that it’s hard to summarize or talk about with any degree of detail.

Essentially the book is about a villain with the unlikely name of the Cuttlefish who is trying to steal as many of a set of books that he can. On the face of it, that doesn’t seem to be much of a premise, even when you throw magic into the equation. Cuttlefish doesn’t really strike fear into your heart at first glance, and stealing books? Really? But the lengths he goes to in order to get these books—fatal lengths—gets the reader invested far before the motive behind wanting all the books is revealed.

While the Cuttlefish is running around England, using his very interesting brand of magic, we generally focus on a twelve-year-old girl, Cass, her friends, her mother, a boy she’s totally not interested in (and he’s not interested in her, just ask them), and a new family in their neighborhood.

Cass seems like a fairly typical pre-teen. Her peers’ approval of her is more important than it should be and overrides her reflexes to be polite/friendly when it comes to Hector (the new boy). In a nice bit of realism (even if it’s frustrating to read) that when her friends show themselves to be unworthy of her loyalty/concern, she’s still unwilling to break free from them.

Hector is an unattractive, socially awkward (for good reasons, it turns out) boy of Greek descent (in this world magic is tied to ancient Greek culture, so he’s a little bit of an outsider already). He desperately wants to be Cass’s friend but has no idea how to do that—especially not in a way that she won’t find mortifying. Not only is he strange, but he is also prone to seizures—there’s just no way for him to gain any kind of social acceptance.

Cass’s mother is with the police, a branch dedicated to policing magic users—and she’s very involved in the Cuttlefish hunt. She’s also decided that Hector and his mother are going to be her project—they’re new to the area and not that welcomed by the populace. So, she’s going to do her part to make up for everyone else. As is Cass, whether she wants to or not. Hector’s mom is strange, but incredibly friendly—which really doesn’t help Cass. And when the two mothers get uncomfortably close, Cass just can’t handle it.

Cass is part of a clique of four at her school, and she’s definitely not the Alpha. One of her friends is nice, supportive and not really as fixated on the typical popularity/social goals. The other two are probably not the kind of girls you want your daughter to be friends with. In pack-mode, however, the don’t make life easy for Hector. Although there’s a group of boys who make these girls look like saints—although one of them (the one Cass is absolutely only a friend with) does try to get everyone to treat Hector like a human being. You may find yourself tempted occasionally to wonder why we’re dealing with all the twelve-year-old drama, but have patience, it’ll pay off—also, Bryant makes it all entertaining enough that you rarely wonder what it has to do with the Cuttlefish story.

Cuttlefish is sort of a Voldemort figure. He’s a notorious thief who disappeared (and was assumed dead) for years, only to re-appear with more outlandish crimes than before. The thing about him is that no one knows what he looks like. He is an Identity Thief—he can perfectly mimic anyone—voice, appearance—the whole thing. Typically, he takes on the likeness of his most recent victim and uses that identity to gain access to his next.

The magic system is pretty intricate, but there’s a lot yet to learn. It does, again, have its roots in Ancient Greece, and the alphabet and language of the Greeks are vital to its use. As magic users are ostracized in British (and presumably, Western) culture, Greeks are seen as likely magic users and are treated suspiciously. It’s a strange quirk that most authors wouldn’t have added to this, but says a lot about this world.

The Identity Thief joins a large number of books I’ve read in the last 6 months or so that scatters a lot of supplemental material throughout the book—newspaper articles, school flyers, website comment forums, and the like—these add a lot of flavor to the book, as well as ways for Bryant to dump a lot of information about the world without detracting from the narrative. Oh, also, most of them are just a lot of fun.

There is a darkness to this book that’s uncommon for YA/MG fiction. But there’s a playfulness to all of it, too—particularly the Cuttlefish portions. He enjoys what he’s up to. The feel of the work reminds me of Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant. And like Landy’s books, this is the kind of YA/MG (MG-leaning) book that can appeal to readers of all ages.

I had a blast reading this—Bryant’s creativity with the magic involved is only topped by the creativity he displays with the plot. Every time I thought I knew what he was going, he’d pull something off that I couldn’t have expected. Those times where I did know what to expect (there were a couple of them), his execution was still skillful enough that it felt like I didn’t know what was coming. Which is a pretty neat trick, you have to admit.

This was simply fun to read and I’m a more than a little curious about what’s in store for these characters. Inventive, stylish, unpredictable—The Identity Thief should steal a place on your TBR right away.

3.5 Stars

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Identity Thief by Alex Bryant

By HCNewton

On April 16, 2020

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

Today I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the unexpected The Identity Thief by Alex Bryant. A few weeks ago, I was pleased to take part in the cover reveal for the book, and now it’s time to talk about the book! Following this spotlight post, I’ll be giving my take on the novel here in a bit. But let’s start by learning a little about this here book, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: The Identity Thief by Alex Bryant
Release date: February 28, 2020
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Publisher: K&M Books
Length: 438 pages

Book Blurb:

A shapeshifting sorcerer called Cuttlefish unleashes a terrifying wave of magical carnage across London. A strange family known as the River People move into Cassandra Drake’s neighbourhood. Are the two events connected?

Spoiler alert: no.

Reasons to buy this book:
✔ Good cover.
✔ Cheap. Seriously, the Kindle version only costs as much as about 3 mangoes. What would you rather have – 10 hours of gripping urban fantasy, or 30 minutes of biting into sweet, succulent mango flesh?
✔ OK, I shouldn’t have used mango, objectively the best fruit, as a comparison. But buying this book doesn’t stop you from buying mangoes, if that’s what you insist on doing.

About the Alex Bryant:

Alex has led a largely comfortable but unremarkable life in North London, and more recently Oxford. His main hobbies as a kid were reading and sulking.

When he’s not writing, he’s performing with his improvised comedy troupe, Hivemind Improv. And when he is writing, he’s procrastinating.

The first idea for The God Machine came when he was 19, shortly after falling off a horse. Or possibly shortly before – the exact chronology is lost to history. So is the horse’s name, in case you were wondering.

Social Media:

Author Site ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Purchase Link:

https://amzn.to/2vlq0Qg

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs: Mercy Deals with Unexpected Threats from Every Direction

By HCNewton

On April 6, 2020

In Fiction, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, Urban Fantasy

Smoke Bitten

by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson, #12

Hardcover, 342 pg.
ACE, 2020

Read: March 24-28, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

There’s just so much going on in this novel, it’s hard to know where to start—this may be the busiest Mercy Thompson novel yet. Well, okay, we’ll start with the titular bit. Something/Someone has escaped from Underhill. This seems fairly impossible, but I guess even nigh-omnipotent sentient spaces make mistakes every now and then. Doubtlessly the Columbia Basin pack would’ve gotten involved at some point, but since Mercy recognized the threat before the Fae—or anyone else—did, they were on the front line for this. Whoever it bites, it controls. It can shape-shift to look like anyone, too. It’s deadly and doesn’t seem to have much of a plan beyond creating as much chaos and gathering as much power as it can.

While dealing with that, another threat to the pack presents itself. There are some new werewolves in the area, and their goal is simple: become the new pack in town. As Adam’s pack is now independent of The Marrok, these wolves have decided they’re ripe for a takeover. None of these are wolves to be taken lightly—some have recently left a pack run by very dominant Alpha, which took some strength. All of them have strong reputations amongst the wolves (generally positive), although one is known as the wolf who’d do things that Charles Cornick wouldn’t do for his father. These are not going to be easy to face off against.

The thing that’s the most distressing (and given what I’ve just talked about, that’s saying something) for Mercy is that there’s a problem between her and Adam. The roots of the issue go back to before we met Adam, but something happened in Storm Cursed to tip Adam over the brink. The latest meddling by Adam’s ex, Chrissy, made it all boil over and threatened the peace and stability of the pack—as well as their marriage. We see Mercy at her most vulnerable since…well, probably since the attack at the garage (or what The Monster tried to do in Bone Crossed), which stresses for the reader how bad the situation is. The two take some positive steps, but things aren’t resolved wholly here—and I hope Briggs doesn’t patch things up quickly between the two between novels. I think we need to see the pair continuing to work through things.

There’s a few more things going on, too, including some fun with Sherwood (who is quickly becoming a favorite character), some interesting developments with Jesse’s life, and some interesting character development in general with pretty much each of the pack members we usually get time with. Oh, and lest I forget, an old friend comes back.

One final thing to mention: last year, while talking about Storm Cursed, I said:

There’s something that happens in the climactic battle scene that I want to talk about more than I want to talk about anything else in this book—because in the long run it’s going to be bigger and more important than anything else that happens or I’ll eat my hat. It’s so small, so quick that it’d be easy to miss—2 sentences on one page, then twelve pages later 2 more sentences. And Briggs has at least one novel’s worth of plot seeded right there. I love when I see an author do something like that and make it look effortless. And I think I’m underselling it. But I’ll have to leave it there—maybe in book 12 (or 15) when it happens, I’ll remember to say, “Remember that thing I didn’t talk about in Storm Cursed? This is it.”

Well, Briggs gave that seed plenty of water and a little fertilizer in these pages. I still don’t feel comfortable talking about it in detail for reasons I can’t explain. But whoo-boy, I can’t wait to see what Briggs has in mind.

So, yeah, like I said—a lot of balls in the air. Or plates spinning. Pick a metaphor you like best. And I think Briggs did alright by them all—yeah, I’d have liked a bit more time with the new wolves, but we didn’t need it—and I’m not sure we’re done with them (maybe in the next Alpha and Omega book if not in an upcoming Mercy novel?). To deal well with all these elements and keep the novel moving quickly and resolving in a satisfactory manner (with a few more strings than usual left for the next installment) speaks highly of Briggs’ skill. Fans of Mercy Thompson shouldn’t wait to grab this, people who are curious about the series should be able to come on board now, too (although, you really ought to read them all). Briggs is at the top of her game now, and it’s just fun to watch.

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.

The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn: Just who is the Vampire Rick, Anyway?

By HCNewton

On April 3, 2020

In Carrie Vaughn, Fiction, Kitty Norville

I’ve been trying to get this out for over a week now (it was published last week), but I couldn’t seem to be able to—I’m a little surprised I’ve had the energy to post anything since I started telecommuting (odd that not going anywhere tires me out more than going to work does). Finally, with apologies to the publisher for getting this post up late.

The Immortal Conquistador

by Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville

eARC, 192 pg.
Tachyon Publications, 2020

Read: March 20-23, 2020

I’ve been a fan of the Kitty Norville series since the debut in 2005, and one of the supporting characters that fans seem most enamored of—and are given the least information about—is Kitty’s vampire ally, Rick (the Master of Denver).

For those (like me) who need a little brushing up on some of what went on toward the end of the series, Rick leaves Denver for a while in order to explore a different way to take on Dux Bellorum (the series’ Big Bad).

This book gives the reader some insight into what Rick was up to during this time. The book stitches together four short stories about Rick’s origin (some previously published, some not) while Rick introduces himself to the Order of Saint Lazarus.

I’d already read the first story, “Conquistador de la Noche,” in the collection Kitty’s Greatest Hits—but it worked really well in this setting, too—this sets the stage for the rest of Rick’s history and tells about him becoming a vampire. The next two stories show what happens when he first encounters the Vampire sub-culture and is first exposed to the rules (most) Vampires live by and how Rick skirts the edges of those rules and starts to make both a name for himself and build his different kind of power base.

The fourth story is my favorite detailing what happens when Rick meets a legendary Old West character. It was just a great story with an element of fun. It’s also something the reader is told that Rick’s never told anyone about before. It’s precisely the kind of thing that Kitty would kill to hear, she’s constantly asking vampires and other supernatural types for stories like this. That Rick would go out of his way to deprive her of this story (but we get to read it) was a little extra dash of fun.

I don’t know that this gave me a much better picture of Rick—the novels had pretty much done that. We know his character, we may not understand his past and what he was—but we know who he is. But this book rounds out our understanding of the man and gives the reader a little hope for his future.

Once I cottoned on to what Vaughn was doing—stitching together short stories—I was a little skeptical of the format. But I came around pretty quickly and decided it worked really well. It’s better than a simple short story collection, essentially giving us a bonus story. The stories (including the framing device) feel different from the Kitty series, but not so much that it doesn’t feel like the same world.

A cool bonus of this—you can read it totally independent of the Kitty Norville series. It’s not dependent at all on the events or people of the series (there are references to certain antagonists, but not in any way that makes familiarity with the series necessary for understanding).

I do have to wonder about the timing of this—the series ended almost five years ago, so I’m not sure I get why we’re getting this material in this format now. But that’s just me being curious, not complaining. Did I (or the series) need The Immortal Conquistador? No. But I’m very glad I got it.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tachyon Publications via NetGalley in exchange for this post —thanks to both for the opportunity.

3.5 Stars

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch: Peter Grant Gets a New Job and a Great Series Gets Better

By HCNewton

On March 12, 2020

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

False Value

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London, #8

Hardcover, 294 pg.
DAW Books, 2020

Read: February 28-March 3, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“Somebody else came during the night and magicked them,” I said.

“Is that a real term—’magicked?'” asked Guleed.

“And it’s spelt with a ‘k,’ too,” I said. “But the technical term is actually ‘enchanted.’ Only the trouble with that word is that everyone starts thinking glass slippers and spinning wheels.”

There’s very little that I don’t like in The Rivers of London series, you may have noticed, but the friendship and banter between Peter and DS Sahra Guleed is possibly my favorite part of the books. The way they slip between discussions of magic (or magick) theory, police procedure, family stuff, the cases they’re working without missing a beat—or doing so professionally or like a couple of teenagers having too much fun under the nose of authority figures. It feels real, it feels natural, and it’s fun.

It’s also much more beneficial for each character—and the Queen’s peace—than his friendship with Leslie May.

After the series-altering events of Lies Sleeping, the question most readers had was, “Will the series be any good post-Martin Chorley?” Most were likely like me, with a firm “Very probably. Hope so.” False Value demonstrates that things are just fine without Chorley—better than fine, really (although everyone is dealing with the aftermath of everything he did).

Also, as nice as The October Man was, it’s great to be back with Peter and the rest of the Folly.

Most of the books in this series are about a Wizard-in-Training who happens to be a police officer. This book was a Crime Fiction novel about a guy who happens to be a wizard in training.

With the suspension he received at the end of the last book, and his future with the Police uncertain, Peter Grant goes off in search of a new job. He ends up finding work investigating some internal shenanigans for a tech giant headquartered in London. Peter’s computer-geek gets the chance to shine a bit as well as flexing his investigative muscles.

It’s not long before he discovers the source of the shenanigans, and that’s where things get interesting. The source is associated with The New York Libraries Association, “the militant magical wing of the New York Public Library Services.” Which is one of the American analogues to The Folly (just without the official police sanction). He and his superior are also investigating the company—because they’re convinced that SCC is utilizing magic in a potentially hazardous way, paving the way for something huge. I am beyond curious about the Libraries Association and hope we get to see them in action again soon. The whole thing is ripe with possibilities and it’s going to be great to see it all play out.

If you were to draw a Venn diagram with circles for Charles Babbage/Ada Lovelace, Artificial General Intelligence, and Wizardry—the overlap is where you’d False Value. Who wants more? The mix of contemporary cutting-edge technologies and Newtonian magic is just fantastic.

This all leads up to a wonderfully exciting climactic showdown between Nightingale, Peter and the rest on one side, The Librarians on another, and SCC on the other.

If we act now we might be able to roll them up before they know what’s hit them.”

Nightingale frowned into his teacup.

“Perhaps,” he said.

“What have we got to lose?” I said.

Nightingale looked up and gave me a strange, sad smile.

“Oh, everything, Peter, “he said. “But then such is life.”

Yeah, sure, there’s plenty of things going on with Abigail, Molly, Foxglove, and (of course) a very pregnant Beverly. But I just don’t have the time to talk about it all. I think it’s safe to say that this is the busiest novel in the series with something for every fan (more than one something, too).

We also got to check in with our favorite FBI Agent. She was able to give Peter all sorts of background about SCC and its founder (an American), which proved vital and interesting (she got some information about the Librarians in return). Better yet, some of what she uncovered changed Peter’s understanding of some of what went on in Lies Sleeping (the reader’s understanding, too). I’m betting this will prove to be at the core of the next arc for the series.

So now we have an idea about two groups in the States, German practitioners, ,and then a smattering of some in the UK. I love how they’re all very diverse, while sharing a lot in common.

I stopped short in the first sentence of the book:

My final interview at the Serious Cybernetics Corporation…

Serious Cybernetics Corporation? As in,

The Encyclopedia Galactica defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as “Your Plastic Pal Who’s Fun to Be With.” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy defines the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetic Corporation as “a bunch of mindless jerks who’ll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes,”

from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. So I thought that Aaronovitch was having a little fun with an in-joke and moved on. But no, it was a theme throughout the entire tech company. HR is referred to as “the Magrathean Ape-Descended Life Form Utilization Service,” and Security (where Peter was applying) is “the Vogon Enforcement Arm.” The book is full of these things, and after page 14, I stopped counting them. There’s so many of these that around page 150, Peter says something about SCC “pushing copyright” after a particularly egregious example. I had a great time with this book anyway, but all this was a thick layer of icing on the cake.

A carefully and intricately plotted main story, some fantastic action scenes, and character growth—coupled with Aaronovitch’s signature style and wit. I just can’t think of anything wrong with this book—this is exactly the kind of book that I want to read.

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.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin; Bloody Acquisitions (Audiobook) by Drew Hayes, Kirby Heyborne; Dark Harvest Magic (Audiobook) by Jayne Faith, Amy Landon

By HCNewton

On March 5, 2020

In Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, YA/MG/Children's Books

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

The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues

by Ellen Raskin
Paperback, 170 pg.
Puffin Books, 1975
Read: January 7-8, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

I’ve never claimed to have an exhaustive knowledge of Ellen Raskin novels, yet I was surprised to find a passing reference to this one last fall. So I grabbed it up and jumped into it with relish. It’s been since I was in MG that I’ve read other works by her that aren’t The Westing Game, so I can’t say for certain if this is her usual kind of thing or not (I think this is closer to her norm than Westing, though). There’s an over-reliance on funny names (frequently some sort of wordplay involving food) and outlandish eccentricities as a source of humor, but that’s a minor thing.

This is really 3-4 short stories linked together with an overarching narrative to make a novel—which actually works pretty well. The pair have a few smaller mysteries to solve while a bigger one builds. This reads like a collaboration of Donald J. Sobol and Daniel M. Pinkwater—which absolutely would’ve been up my alley when I was the right age, and is still amusing enough right now for me to enjoy the quick read.

Is it my favorite thing ever? No. But it’s a clever read that’s entertaining enough.

This is a little more mature than usual for MG books (especially given its publish date, I’d think), but it’s not mature enough for YA. Not that it matters, that’s just me trying to categorize it. I think it’s probably appropriate for MG readers, though (there’s one scene that might push it over the edge, but…I’d risk it).

(the official blurb)
3-4 paragraphs
3.5 Stars

Bloody Acquisitions

by Drew Hayes, Kirby Heyborne (Narrator)
Series: Fred, The Vampire Accountant, #3
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 52 mins.
Tantor Audio, 2016
Read: January 31-February 4, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I continue to enjoy these lighter UF books about the world’s dullest Vampire and his supernatural friends. Of course, the joke is that he’s not really that boring at all, Fred just thinks of himself that way.

The core of this novel is Fred dealing with a group of vampires coming to town to set up shop. The big question is: can they share the city with him? Typically, the answer is no, and he’ll either have to join with them or leave. The last thing that Fred wants to do is to leave his home and business==he’ll just have to figure out a way.

I think this works better as a novel than the previous two installments and is overall just a touch more entertaining. I’m not sure that I have much else to say—these are fun reads/listens.

3 Stars

Dark Harvest Magic

by Jayne Faith, Amy Landon (Narrator)
Series: Ella Grey, #2
Unabridged Audiobook, 8 hrs., 32 mins.
Tantor Audio, 2017
Read: February 22-25, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I have even less to say about this one. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the previous one, maybe because just about all of it felt like Faith was setting things up for the next book or two in the series more than telling a story now. This does mean that the next book or two should be really good, because I liked most of what she was setting up.

Aside from that, Dark Harvest Magic really feels a lot like it could be the next several chapters in Stone Cold Magic. Which means that pretty much everything I said about it applies here. An entertaining read/listen, I still like the characters and really want to see where Faith is taking this all, even if I wasn’t gaga over this sequel.

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.

COVER REVEAL: The Identity Thief by Alex Bryant

By HCNewton

On March 2, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Alex Bryant’s The Identity Thief! Thanks to Time Zones and whatnot, this isn’t so much a Cover Reveal as much as it is a Cover Confirmation at this point, but that’s being a little pedantic. There’s a spiffy looking cover down below, but before that, I’ve got a few words to share about the book. Probably my favorite bit of marketing material I’ve received to date here at this blog. Hope you enjoy it half as much as I did as you scroll your way to the cover…

Book Blurb

Spoiler alert: no.

Public praise for the advance readers’ edition:
“I was barely even a few sentences in and I was already hooked! This is such an interesting book, I really hope it gets published so I can read more of it!” ★★★★★ – Lottie Carmichael

“This book is perfectly suitable for younger readers, but still enjoyable for older. The premise is new and intriguing, while the writing style is entertaining and fresh. I loved the heroine. She was relatable, strong, and yet imperfect. You untangle the very complicated plot-line alongside her. I also enjoyed the deeper ideas, the writer was expressing that tie-in with current events. Very thought-provoking.” ★★★★★ – Carolyn Sachs

“This was a lot of fun to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to the published version.” ★★★★★ – Declan Tarstie

“Better value for money than three mangoes.” ★★★ – Alex Bryant

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3aclT7I

Without further ado…

The Cover

I should know the name of that style of cover art (I assume there is one), because I really dig it. Anyway, it’s the kind of cover that would make me do a double-take at the bookstore.

You can get your hands on this cover (and the novel it goes with!) at https://amzn.to/3aclT7I. I know I will.

If you’ll excuse me, I have to stop on the way to work and buy some mangoes. I have a sudden hankering…

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

Burn the Dark by S. A. Hunt: Like and Subscribe to Watch Her Gank Witches

By HCNewton

On February 12, 2020

In Fiction

Burn the Dark

by S. A. Hunt
Series: Malus Domestica, #1

Paperback, 368 pg.
Tor Books, 2020

Read: February 5-7, 2019

Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore! Or, on audio through Libro.fm!

I’m struggling to not over-share here, so I’m just going to cite the official book blurb to explain the set-up for this novel:

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets Stranger Things in award-winning author S. A. Hunt’s Burn the Dark, first in the Malus Domestica horror action-adventure series about a punk YouTuber on a mission to bring down witches, one vid at a time.

Robin is a YouTube celebrity gone-viral with her intensely-realistic witch hunter series. But even her millions of followers don’t know the truth: her series isn’t fiction.

Her ultimate goal is to seek revenge against the coven of witches who wronged her mother long ago. Returning home to the rural town of Blackfield, Robin meets friends new and old on her quest for justice. But then, a mysterious threat known as the Red Lord interferes with her plans….

I really love the concept for this book/series. No matter what I may end up saying below, I just want to say that Hunt deserves all sorts of kudos for coming up with it and executing the idea so well.

The Sabrina bit mentioned above comes from Robin, a childhood friend and someone new to town she meets when she returns. The Strange Things bit comes from a kid who has just moved to town (and into Robin’s old house—old bedroom) and the neighborhood kids he’s become friends with. Either group could probably be the focus of a book, the two of them together is what really works. I thought all the characters were well-drawn and interesting, and I would like to spend time with them all (except the witches, I think they could be developed a bit more—but that risks making them less threatening).

The magic system in this book is fantastic. Hunt gives us enough to understand it (and to see that it’s well-developed), but doesn’t drown us in the details that govern it. There’s something very raw, very rooted, almost tangible about it.

Hunt’s writing could be described the same way. It’s almost impossible not to see everything she’s describing; when she writes a tense scene, you feel it; and it’s engrossing.

Compelling writing, strong characters, a killer hook, and fast-moving plot with a great magic system–this is basically a recipe for a book that I’ll celebrate. But the entire time I read it, I kept thinking “I just don’t like this.” I kept reading because it’s precisely the kind of book I should rave about and I kept waiting for the switch to flip. But it’s just not my thing.

It’s not often I have this reaction, but it made me feel like Wendig’s Miriam Black books, Kadrey’s Sandman Slim, or Stross’s Laundry Files. In theory, each of those series is exactly my cup of tea. And I didn’t enjoy any of them (and I’ve read multiple volumes in two of those series). It’s an odd phenomenon, and I wish I understood it.

Still, it’s so well done that I can’t rate it lower than 3 Stars. I didn’t like it, but I respect it enough to recognize that it deserves at least that.

Eh, what do I know? Go read a post by someone who really dug this book instead.

3 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.

Stone Cold Magic by Jayne Faith, Amy Landon (Narrator): Meet The City of Trees’ Resident Demon Hunter

By HCNewton

On January 30, 2020

In Audiobook, Fiction

Stone Cold Magic

by Jayne Faith, Amy Landon (Narrator)
Series: Ella Grey, #1

Unabridged Audiobook, 8 hrs., 28 mins
Tantor Audio, 2017

Read: January 23-25, 2020

In 2001, a dimensional rift opens up in New York City, and all sorts of strange things come from out of it—demons, a virus that turns people into vampires, a zombie virus, and other assorted supernatural strangeness.

Thirty years later, Ella Gray is a Demon Patrol officer with modest magical ability. Her role is to keep her patrol area clean of minor demons that are little more than annoyances—there are more powerful officers in charge of taking down bigger threats. One day she and her partner try to take out some small demons only to find out there’s a much bigger and more powerful demon in the building, too. In the following fracas, Ella and her partner are mortally wounded. Her partner dies, and Ella does, too. But her death doesn’t stick and she wakes up in the morgue.

A few weeks later, she’s back to work—she’s having strange visions, has a new partner (with a mysterious past and more magical power than she’s ever seen), a supervisor that seems pretty antagonistic to her and, well…life has become stranger than she thought possible. She finds herself investigating what seems to be a gargoyle possessed by a demon and somehow the gargoyle has imprisoned a human inside it, too. (don’t worry if you can understand it, no one in the book can at first, either).

Ella enlists help from a very human PI with all sorts of nifty gadgets that can help on the supernatural front; a political activist always in search of a new cause to take up; her best friend, a pretty powerful mage; and a supernaturally-inclined mutt. No, really. The dog is a lot like Walt Longmire’s Dog, just with freaky eyes and an apparent talent for protecting Ella from magical attacks. (some anyway). Such things ought to be encouraged whenever they’re encountered, and I hope this will work in the dog’s favor.

The novel’s focus is setting up the world and looking at the tensions between various aspects of Ella’s life and the characters around her. Although Faith tells a pretty good story along the way, I just can’t help but think that it comes in second to setting up the overarching series stories.

I really enjoyed Faith’s take on vampirism and zombies. It’s a nice blend of vaguely-science-y with the supernatural. I have many questions (that I assume will be answered in the ensuing books) about the demons and magic—and just about everything that goes bump in the night, I guess—in this particular world, but initially I’m buying in

I’m not saying that Faith borrowed (intentionally, anyway) from other UF series, but I had an impulse throughout to say “Oh, she got X from Kim Harrison,” “And that bit is from Sarah Kuhn,” “Is that Butcher or Strout there?” and so on. If she did, more power to her—she picked some good influences—and she took those elements, shuffled them up and put her spin on them. If she didn’t, all the better—fans of the things I think were influences will find plenty to like here. My gut instinct is to say that Faith is a student of Urban Fantasy and has read widely within it so she can produce something that draws from the best. Ignore the voice of the cynic and enjoy this book.

To be honest, I wasn’t looking for a new UF series (I’m always open to one, however), but a friend at work emailed me, wondering if I was familiar with this Urban Fantasy series that appears to be set in Boise of all places. This piqued my interest, and as I’d just finished an audiobook, I figured I’d take this one out for a spin. Now, this may come as a surprise to you, but Boise (and the general area) isn’t exactly a popular setting for fiction. I can think of a tiny handful of books that have a character stepping foot in the town, but only two (this and Kolokowski’s Boise Longpig Hunting Club) that actually portray the city in a recognizable fashion. Faith clearly knows Boise—her use of local names and locations testifies to that, and for those familiar with the city, we can easily see the action and movement of characters in it. Which is an added bit of fun, if only for the novelty. This isn’t to say that people who don’t know Boise will be lost or won’t be able to enjoy it—it’s like any other novel set in a city that’s not commonly used. Who doesn’t like getting to see a novel set somewhere that’s not NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, LA, SF, etc? Briggs’ use of the Tri-Cities in Washington, Vaughn’s Denver, Carey’s Pemkowet, Michigan; Hearne’s (all-too-brief) use of Tempe, AZ, and, now, Faith’s use of Boise.

(If—and this is a big if—Jayne Faith happens to be reading this, I’d love the opportunity to ask you a few questions about your choice of—and use of—Boise. Feel free to drop me a line!)

Landon does a fine job with the narration. I can’t really think of much more to say—I didn’t hear anything remarkably good (nor, remarkably bad) Simply a strong, capable narration to help listeners to get invested into the characters and story.

I really enjoyed this introduction to the Ella and the rest, the magic and the world Faith has put them in. I have a pretty good idea where some of the stories she’s set up are going, and am looking forward to watching them develop. At the same time, I also look forward to Faith showing me that she has a better idea for them than I assume. It’s a solid Urban Fantasy story with an unconventional setting. You should give it a shot.

3.5 Stars