REVIEW: Resurrection: Demon Squad by Tim Marquitz

Resurrection: Demon Squad by Tim Marquitz
Publishing information: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Damnation Books
ASIN: B005347SZ8
Series (Book 2)
Copy: Given by Author
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "Book 2 in the Demon Squad series.

Armageddon averted, the world returns to business as usual. Unfortunately for Frank "Triggaltheron" Trigg, business as usual sucks.


His night out interrupted by a horde of kidnapping zombies, what could possibly be worse? The resurrection of the Anti-Christ, that's what. Caught in the middle of a supernatural pissing match between the Devil's wife, a legion of undead, and an overachieving necromancer, Frank must survive long enough to stop Hell from being unleashed upon humanity; Again."

It is no secret that I am a fan of Tim Marquitz. Aside from being a all-around good guy, he does a great job of writing fast-paced and action packed stories. Resurrection: Demon Squad is no exception.

Resurrection takes place not long after the events in the first book Armageddon Bound. However, instead of giving the reader a lot of background and infodumping. Marquitz assumes that you already know the events from the last book and sets out to continue the adventures of Trigg. There are a few clues interwoven within the story to jog your memory but it is so well done that you really forget that it is there.

Many of our favorite, and not so favorite characters are back for round number two and we also have a few new individuals who enter into the story. Each character is well written and provide a new wrinkle in the mythology that is being created. The only real complaint that I have with the characters is Trigg himself. He does not grow much as a character. He also does not seem to learn from his mistakes. That said, it is a minor complaint and I hope that it is something that Marquitz thinks about when he gets around to writing his next novel in the series.

Without giving things away I will say that the story is interesting. The historical references are given a new twist and I think Marquitz had a lot of fun with the plot of the story and all of the characters we are introduced in this edition. The addition of zombies was also a nice touch and a great way to start the series up and build up from there.

Overall, there is very little if anything to complain about in this sophomore effort to the series.

Why this series has not been picked up by a major publishing house is beyond me. With every new short story and novel Marquitz continues to write interesting and compelling stories. It is hard to go wrong with anything he has written. If you have not read Marquitz then now just might be the time to start. Resurrection: Demon Squad is a long awaited sequel to a great Urban Fantasy series. Recommended.

Plot 7/10
Characters 7/10
Style 7.5/10

Overall 7/10

REVIEW: Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm

Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm
Paperback: 298 pages
Publisher: Voyager; (Reissue) edition (4 Oct 2010)
Originally published: 1986
ISBN-10: 0007112564
ISBN-13: 978-0007112562
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought online

From the back of the book:
Seattle: a place as magical as the Emerald city.

Subtle magic seeps through the cracks in the paving stones of the sprawling metropolis. But only inhabitants who posses special gifts are open to the city's consciousness; finding portents in the graffiti, reading messages in the rubbish or listening to warnings in the skipping-rope chants of the children.

Wizard is bound to Seattle and her magic. His gift is the Knowing - a powerful enchantment allowing him to know the truth of things; to hear the life-stories of ancient mummies locked behind glass cabinets, to receive true fortunes from the carnival machines, to reveal to ordinary people the answers to their troubles and to safeguard the city's equilibrium.

The magic has it's price; Wizard must never have more than a dollar in his pocket, must remain celibate, and he must feed and protect the pigeons.

But a threat to Seattle has begun to emerge in the portents. A malevolent force born of Wizard's forgotten past has returned to prey upon his power and taunt him with images of his obscure history and he is the only wizard in Seattle who can face the evil and save the city, his friends and himself.

I first read this book in the late 1980's, when it was originally published, but forgot all about it until I was browsing online and stumbled across a review of the re-released edition. I then remembered how much I enjoyed the book at the time and tracked down a copy. Re-reading it was an enjoyable experience, particularly in light of how popular urban fantasy has become in recent years. However, this is 'true' urban fantasy, in that the city plays a central role and is integral to the plot. Indeed, I would suggest that this book has been a significant influence on many current urban fantasy writers.

Wizard of the Pigeons has as it's main character a homeless war veteran who also happens to be a wizard of some considerable power. His power is dependent upon him observing several rules; listening to people even when what they have to say is hurtful, giving away more than he receives, remaining celibate, never having more than a dollar in his pocket, feeding and protecting the pigeons.

"He lived a simple life upon the streets of the city, passing among the folk like the wind passes among the flowers, unseen but not unfelt. He was known, to the few who knew him, simply as Wizard."

He is a gentle character, scarred from his mysterious past but someone who genuinely cares about people. As the story open Lindholm takes us through his daily routine and shows how he interacts with the residents of Seattle and with the city itself. But soon warnings begin to appear; something dark and evil is approaching, something that threatens Wizard personally. By tempting him to break his rules, the presence is also threatening Seattle by weakening Wizard's magic and creating an imbalance within the city.

The secondary characters are well drawn and support Wizard in his battle against the malevolence. Cassie embodies the female archetype and is a strong magical presence and a good friend to Wizard. She seems to be a shapeshifter of sorts, but this is not made clear and adds to her mystery. Of the other wizards who live in Seattle's streets, Rasputin and Euripedes have their own forms of magic and rules which they live by. The evil that is coming is focused on Wizard and it is he who must ultimately confront it however much his friends want to help.

And it is this that makes the book stand out among the current crop of urban fantasy books. There are layers of ambiguity within the narrative, mostly relating to Wizard's past, which is vague to say the least. Is he a Vietnam vet or has he experienced much earlier conflicts, such as Troy for example? How much of his personal experience is real or allegorical? Is the whole magical, good versus evil conflict a metaphor for post-traumatic stress disorder, or a descent into madness? For a short book, there are certainly plenty of thought-provoking ideas.

As the book progresses, Wizard becomes more unreliable as a narrator. His perceptions are misleading as he begins to come apart mentally. There is little action as such, no face-on battles with an evil entity, but rather an internal conflict reaching a point of no return. This is what makes Wizard of the Pigeons a fascinating read. It is not straightforward fantasy yet the magical elements are central to the plot. The strength of the book is the characterisation and the insight into Wizard's world.

Another aspect of Wizard of the Pigeons that stayed with me from my first reading over 20 years ago is the role of Seattle in the book. At the time, I knew little about Seattle, but the descriptions of the city made me want to visit, if only to experience the locations myself. Megan Lindholm's writing brought the city alive and gave it an endearing personality all of it's own.

"On the far western shore of a northern continent there was once a harbour called Seattle. It did not have much of a reputation for sunshine and beaches, but it did have plenty of rain, and the folk who lived there were wont to call it 'The Emerald City' for the greenness of its foliage. And the other thing it boasted was a great friendliness that fell upon strangers like its rain, but with more warmth." (opening paragraph)

With my recent re-reading, I gained the distinct impression that Wizard could not have existed in any other US city, but perhaps my perceptions have been influenced by the fact that most of my favourite bands come from Seattle and surrounding areas [Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, Nirvana, Pearl Jam et al].

Overall, Wizard of the Pigeons is a book to savour. While definitely fantasy, it does not conform to the expected current urban fantasy standards, which is no bad thing!. The quality of the writing combined with the lead character's ambiguous nature make strong combination, resulting in an enjoyable and thought-provoking gem of a book.

Plot 8/10
Characters 8/10
Style 8/10

Overall 8/10


Note: Megan Lindholm is better known as Robin Hobb, author of The Farseer trilogy, The Liveship Traders trilogy and The Tawny Man trilogy, amongst others.

REVIEW: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
Publishing Information: 2001 (first publishing) 2001 (current edition)
Publisher: Roc Fantasy, Mass-Market Paperback, 439 pgs
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-45844-5
Series: The Dresden Files Book #3
Reviewer: Andy
Copy: Out of Pocket

Synopsis: (from back of book): Harry Dresden has faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant Scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you're the only professional wizard in the Chicago-area phone book. But in all Harry's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: The spirit world has gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble - and not just of the door slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone-or something- is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn't figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself....

Given the serialized nature of a series like Dresden, the biggest danger is falling into the formula trap. When an author is producing 1.5 books of a series per year, all somewhere between 380-500 pages, its easy to simply repeat what has been done before and write self-contained novels that don't push a larger story forward. For example, the comfort of watching a popular sitcom on television is that each week you know that characters will be right back where they began at their natural standpoint as if nothing ever happened. This creates a sense of familiarity at the expense of character development.

I sincerely hoped Butcher would not fall into that trap. Butcher could produce a one-shot mystery for us each time without a deeper storyline, but in that case his novels wouldn't have much more substance than Nancy Drew. Thankfully, Grave Peril, Butcher's third novel in the Dresden Files, indicated that it is willing to take the series in new directions. A new partner, by the name of Michael is introduced, a pious and holy cross between a character from Camelot and a character from Highlander. Michael deepens the religious themes in the series, as he constantly cautions Harry against premarital sex and lying. The moral rigidity of Michael adds a nice foil to the rule-bending and brash maverick Harry.

And even better, we begin to explore Harry's past. Apparently, Harry owes some kind of soul-debt to a creepy fairy godmother that pesters him throughout the novel. There is a strange sexual tension between the two characters and this is complicated by Harry's growing affection for reporter Susan Rodriguez. We learn more about vampire politics and the various vampire factions that compose the vampire underworld. These elements enrich the Dresden universe while adding enough intrigue and character development to keep the series fresh....

Still though, this series causes me minor annoyances on many levels. There are constantly monotonous info-drops in every novel, the serve to fill first time readers in on Harry and his modus operandi. Butcher attempts to be clever with quite a bit of the dialogue, but often ends up sounding cornball. The 1st-person Harry has a flare for the dramatic, as he tries to explain his life in the most dramatic way possible, and often ends up sounding like someone with a deeply constructed narcissistic narrative about themselves. Meanwhile, there are knockout femme fatales that make eyes at Harry around every corner, even offering him sexual favors. This charade gets tiresome quickly and makes you wonder if the novel's target audience is teenage boys or Butcher is simply playing out his personal fantasies. More mature readers may roll their eyes during these moments.

Still, there is plenty to like about the Dresden series. It's fun urban fantasy, with a pulp noir and a horror twist and this novel might open the story up a bit for future books.

Plot……….7/10

Characters………6/10

Style……….5.5/10

Overall……….6.5/10

REVIEW Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot (2 Sep 2010)
ISBN-10: 0857660543
ISBN-13: 978-0857660541
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought online

From the back of the book:
Zinzi December has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit, and a talent for finding lost things. But when a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, she's forced to take on her least favourite kind of job - missing persons.

Zoo City was released in September 2010 with a fanfare of glowing reviews from the bloggers and tweeters and high praise from all quarters. Was this just another hype? Well, the answer is a resounding "No"! Lauren Beukes, with only her second novel, deserves to see Zoo City in the award nominations for 2010. For this is an original and exciting book which reclaims the Urban Fantasy genre as there is little romance here. Set in a near future Johannesburg, life is tough and unforgiving for those who carry their guilt in the form of a spirit animal. Prejudice abounds and the 'animalled' need to use their wits to survive.

Told from Zinzi's point of view , she has her Sloth to remind her of the murder of her brother and a past drug addiction. Her role in the murder is never made clear but we know she served her prison time and is now trying to make a life for herself in the rundown suburb of Hillbrow, the 'Zoo City' of the title. Along with her Sloth, she runs online scams and finds lost things to make a living and repay the drug debts from her 'Former Life', the past she and the other 'animalled' can never return to and rarely discuss. While this may seem to be a rather depressing existence, Zinzi has strength, resilience and plenty of attitude. And her voice throughout the novel is quirky and feisty with plenty of humour. She is a very likeable character and I found myself willing her to triumph over the dangers she faced at various points. Yet her existence is one of dubious morality. Ostracised by mainstream society i.e. the non-animalled, forced to live in what is virtually a ghetto and having to take what work she can find, it would appear that Zinzi is caught in a downward slide. By taking on a job of finding the missing half of a pop duo sensation, her life threatens to spiral out of control.

Zoo City is gritty, dark and full of weirdness. Many things are mentioned but not explained, at times leaving me wondering if I was out of my depth. But this is part of what makes the book so good. Take the Undertow, for example. This is feared by all, a dark, menacing, otherworldly presence that comes for all the animalled people in the end, but the how and why of it is never made clear. In one scene, where a grizzly bear is killed and the Undertow  manifests to claim the bear's host, we know of the horror and fear felt by the onlookers as they know this will be their fate too one day, but the Undertow itself is not described, just experienced. Is it a dark phantom that drags their souls from their bodies? I don't know, and this makes it all the more terrifying. This is a strength of Zoo City; by not explaining things in detail, Lauren Beukes keeps us reading to the end in the hope that we find out, but our imaginations fill in the blanks...

One thing that really stood out was the frequent use of South African slang words. I found this disorientating and at times wished there was a kind of glossary to assist me. But I also thought this was deliberate, an attempt (and a successful one at that) to push me out of my familiar comfort zone and adapt to the world of Zoo City. In a way, I thought this might be how the main characters in the book must feel, with their spirit animals and magical talents only recently thrust upon them. They were trying to cope with a whole new way of living and the use of unfamiliar language symbolised this to some extent.

If you are looking for something new and original, then Zoo City is a very good place to start. It is dark, and shows the underbelly of Johannesburg in a grim light. There are moments of weirdness - a cannibal penguin? There are also moments of vulnerability as Zinzi  tries to find her place in this new, strange world. Zoo City is written with snappy dialogue and in a fast-paced style, making it an exciting read for the most part. It does drag a bit in the middle, but then rushes headlong to the end, to the point that when I turned the last page I was left wanting more. Certainly Zoo City is not like any other book I have read and while the concept of spirit animals is similar to the daemons in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, there is really little comparison. For to carry with you a visible manifestation of criminality in the form of an animal that has to be looked after and is inextricably tied to your lifeforce is something I have not encountered before. I wonder will there be any more books from Lauren Beukes set in Zoo City? If not, I wonder what her imagination will produce in her next book. And that is something to look forward to.

Plot: 9
Characters: 8
Style: 8

Overall rating 8/10

REVIEW: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: DAW (5 Nov 2009)
ISBN-10: 0756405718
ISBN-13: 978-0756405717
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought online

From the back of the book:
The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival – but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October “Toby” Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas.

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery… before the curse catches up with her.

Rosemary and Rue is the first in a promising new Urban Fantasy series from Seanan McGuire, newly announced winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (Hugo Awards, 2010). Instead of the usual vampire or werewolf type novels in this sub-genre, this features the world of Faerie which exists parallel with our own world. As I love anything related to the Sidhe and similar Celtic mythology I was immediately attracted to this book. Knowing, from the cover blurb, that it was also a murder-mystery increased it’s appeal.

October “Toby” Daye is a half-human, half-Daoine Sidhe changeling. Looked down upon as a half-breed by the Sidhe and obliged to hide her Faerie features from humans, Toby has some issues with her identity. Events some 14 years prior to the main storyline (told in the Prologue) have led her to reject her Faerie heritage and hide away in the human world of San Francisco, living a lonely nocturnal existence as a supermarket. The brutal murder of the Countess Evening Winterrose of Goldengreen pulls Toby back into Faerie as she is bound by a powerful spell to investigate her friend’s death. This forces Toby to renew her alliances in the world of Faerie and resume her former career as a private investigator, something she had hoped to avoid.

From the outset we are thrust into the hidden world of Faerie and Seanan McGuire has created a detailed society, complete with its own traditions and culture which draws heavily from existing Celtic mythology. There are varying ‘races’ in Faerie, the Daoine Sidhe being the aristocracy and rule fiefdoms within San Francisco from their ‘knowes’, under the overall control of the Queen. We also encounter Cait Sidhe (cat shapeshifters), Undines (water spirits), Selkies and Kitsune, amongst others. The worldbuilding is excellent and, for me, enhanced the murder-mystery plot, giving it a additional dimension.

Toby’s investigation into the murder of Evening Winterrose was very well done – I didn’t guess who was behind the killing at all, though with hindsight there were several clues along the way. It served as an excellent introduction to several characters who I suspect will feature heavily in future novels in this series. Toby is a liege of the Duke of Shadowed Hills, Sylvester Torquill and his wife, Luna, is an endearing and sympathetic character. Their daughter, Rayseline is married to Connor, a Selkie who has some possible romantic history with Toby. My favourite of all is Tybalt, King of the Cait Sidhe, whose disdain for Toby is very apparent, yet he also seems to care for her wellbeing. Although only a minor role in Rosemary and Rue, my guess is that we will see a lot more of Tybalt in future novels.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rosemary and Rue and Toby is a strong, yet troubled lead. The quality of writing and style is better than many current urban fantasy offerings and Seanan McGuire shows much promise as a writer to watch, this view being supported by her recently receiving the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (Hugo Awards, 2010) As the first in a series, much of the book was setting the scene and providing us with basic history of the various characters and locations as well as introducing us to the hidden world of Faerie, it’s culture and mythology. I have now ordered the next two October Daye books and look forward to reading more of her adventures and exploring the world of Faerie further.

Plot: 7
Characters: 8
Style: 8

Rating: 8/10

REVIEW: Death's Excellent Vacation edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

Death's Excellent Vacation edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner
Contributing Authors: Charlaine Harris, Sarah Smith, Jeaniene Frost, Daniel Stashower, A. Lee Martinez, Jeff Abbott, L. A. Banks, Katie MacAlister, Christopher Golden, Lilith Saintcrow, Chris Grabenstein, Sharan Newman and Toni L. P. Kelner.

Publisher: Penguin
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages.
ISBN 10: 0441018688
ISBN 13: 9780441018680
Copy: Penguin Canada
Reviewer: Victoria

On the back of the book. . .

The editors of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns deliver a new collection-including a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story.
New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost-plus Lilith Saintcrow, Jeff Abbott, and more-send postcards from the edge of the paranormal world to fans who devoured Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns.


With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner


 
Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels and Toni L. P. Kelner have managed to put together a rare mix of both fun and exciting, and comical and serious stories in Death's Excellent Vacation.  No two stories are alike, and there's a story for just about every reader.  For any fan of HBO's True Blood, you can get your fill of Sookie in Harris' offering, the first story in the collection.  Have you ever wanted to see how Sookie would behave in a strip club?  See if Sookie can handle her own with a gun, a vampire and a feral crossbreed? If so, then this story is for you.
 
Katie MacAlister's story, The Perils of Effrijim bring us on a comical adventure with a demon, Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park by Toni L. P. Kelner provides us with an interesting take on werewolf culture, and Jeaniene Frost with, One for the Money, gives us action, a strong plot, and some really believable characters.
 
My favourite stories in the anthology include works by Daniel Stashower, Lilith Saintcrow, A. Lee Martinez and Sarah Smith.
 
Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea by Daniel Stashower follows Jeff Clarke on his new job as an editor for LifeSpan Books.  He is assigned to the mysterious and notoriously fickle writer, Thaddeus Palgrave.  The story does not follow the usual pattern of paranormal tales, and because of that, it had me hooked from the beginning.  Stashower has a strong style which contains well thought out characters, believable dialogue and dashes of imagery.  At times I was reminded of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, insofar as the research which forms the main bulk of the plot is concerned.  I was sad when Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea ended.  I wanted more.
 
Lilith Saintcrow takes us through a pivotal point in a gargoyle's life in The Heart is Always Right.  The very fact that Saintcrow chose to write a story about a gargoyle piqued my interest.  Perhaps my curiosity was because gargoyles rarely see the limelight, or because I loved the cartoon Gargoyles from the nineties.  Either way, I really think she has something here, and would love to see more.
 
The Heart is Always Right is an urban fantasy piece written in first person limited, the narrator being a nameless gargoyle.  He tells us the roles of gargoyles, the hierarchy and social structure of their culture.  They're on the side of good, fighting all sorts of evil creatures, but in order to gain a name, in order to become one of the coveted inner circle, he has to bring in a Heart Candidate.  When he finds one, he finds something within himself he is not entirely prepared for it.
 
A. Lee Martinez offers a comical rendition of monsters from the deep in The Innsmouth Nook.  While this piece is not full of puns or extreme ridiculousness, there are some toned down similarities to Tom Holt when it comes to comic style.  In contrast, The Boys Go Fishing by Sarah Smith is a heartfelt tale about the loneliness and isolation of the last superhero on earth.
 
Death's Excellent Vacation surprised me.  I thought I'd have some light-hearted material for when I sat in a lounger in my backyard while sipping margaritas.  While this anthology is entertaining and fun, there are some excellent gems which shine more brightly than others.