If you are incredibly wealthy and a loved one dies in an accident, Reconnect can help you out (for a hefty fee). They’ll send their agents back in timIf you are incredibly wealthy and a loved one dies in an accident, Reconnect can help you out (for a hefty fee). They’ll send their agents back in time to just before the death. Seth & Mark will snatch the person, fake the death, and in a few weeks you’ll be reunited with the person that you had lost. Unfortunately all of this is illegal, and the FBI has been investigating for quite a while, hoping to get a good lead. Seth & Mark find themselves caught between the FBI and their employers, who don’t have their best interests in mind.
Ed Brisson has written a captivating mashup of hardboiled crime dramas and time traveling chicanery. That’s an interesting juxtaposition that you don’t encounter often. Yes, the plot is incredibly timey wimey and very very confusing. Personally I found this to be a feature, not a bug. The characters themselves are confused and frustrated, and the plot complications made their emotional states clearer.
Michael Walsh’s art is simple and dark, echoing the noir tones in the story. It looks more like a crime story than a SF one. Unfortunately the dark tones and shadows mean that occasionally the details are lost, and it can be difficult at times to determine exactly what is happening.
This isn’t a comic for everyone, but I found it to be a great deal of fun. The plot twists kept me guessing and wondering what could possibly happen next. ...more
By now you’re probably aware of how the bog standard urban fantasy steals its bones from Detective novels. The protagonist is in the role of the classBy now you’re probably aware of how the bog standard urban fantasy steals its bones from Detective novels. The protagonist is in the role of the classic private eye, trying to unravel some sort of mystery, and the cast is populated with an assortment of vampires/werewolves/whathaveyou. In The Blue Blazes, Wendig sidesteps this generic setup, borrowing instead from the crime novel.
The protagonist, Mookie Pearl, works for the mob (or The Organization, in Wendig’s world). He runs crews who mine Blue Blazes, a powder that makes you feel invincible and lets you see the terrible things that live deep in the Earth below New York City. Unfortunately for Mookie, the head of The Organization is dying, and there’s a succession problem. And oh yeah, his teenage daughter is working on the outside to seize control of the whole thing.
The Blue Blazes was my first experience reading one of Wendig’s books. I was delighted to discover his lean and mean style. Short sharp sentences combined with a propulsive plot push the reader along making the book harder and harder to put down. Great worldbuilding combined with selective usage of tropes from crime and urban fantasy novels make this a unique, fun read.
But what really sets The Blue Blazes apart from the competition is its heart. Sure Mookie is a big lug who does bad things to bad people. That’s not so uncommon to read about. What makes Mookie a great character is the great big heart inside this big scary guy. His loyalty to The Organization and his boss; his love for his daughter; his desire to protect the innocents who get caught in the crossfire of this whole mess; these things give Mookie a depth that make him sympathetic and the story engaging on an emotional level.
It’s not all hugs and kisses, however. Be prepared. If you have problems with offensive language, or violence, this won’t be a book you’ll enjoy. It’s big and bold and profane. But if you can handle that, Mookie will take you on a ride to hell and back. ...more
With the impending 50th anniversary of Doctor Who we are being treated to a variety of special treats celebrating the long history of the Doctor in hiWith the impending 50th anniversary of Doctor Who we are being treated to a variety of special treats celebrating the long history of the Doctor in his various regenerations. This limited series is part of that celebratory overview.
Its premise is intriguing, if rather bold. Each incarnation of the Doctor will have an adventure. Each adventure will be connected, forming an overall story arc.
This first volume contains the first three issues of the series, featuring each of the first three doctors. So far there is no obvious connective thread between the stories, except for the disappearance of the companions.
I’m no expert on the early incarnations of the Doctor, but the characterization of each seems to fit with what I know of each Doctor—the grandfatherly first Doctor, the weird second Doctor, the James Bond third Doctor.
Overall this volume is a bit difficult to evaluate. Since the storylines haven’t really come together, it’s difficult to tell where this series is going. Only three issues in a collection seem more than a bit slight, my preference would have been for the series to be collected as a whole, or divided into two volumes at most. ...more
Once again I seem to be outside the hivemind. Look around the internet, & you’ll see glowing gushing reviews for Wesley Chu’s debut. Funny, action pacOnce again I seem to be outside the hivemind. Look around the internet, & you’ll see glowing gushing reviews for Wesley Chu’s debut. Funny, action packed, with a protagonist that people identify with. That hasn’t been my experience at all.
Here’s the setup: When a spy mission goes cockeyed, an alien named Tao is forced to look for a new host. He grabs Roen Tan & enlists him in a war between alien species that goes back millions of years. Hijinks ensue.
The tone is light & breezy; the type that you would normally associate with an Urban Fantasy novel. Despite the hilarity that so many others experienced, I didn’t find the book to be particularly funny. Of course humor is incredibly subjective, so YMMV.
My biggest gripe is squarely at the center of the book: Roen Tan himself. When we first meet Roen, he’s an underemployed fat slob with a post-collegiate drinking problem. While out on a drunken night on the town, he ends up playing the unwilling host to Tao. Other than as a collection of negative characteristics, Roen as a character doesn’t really seem to exist. He has no interests or hobbies. He doesn’t actually have any friends. (His roommate is the closest to a friend that we meet, yet their relationship seems to be more of a caricature of young male friendships rather than an actual representation of such.) He exists more as a placeholder for audience identification than as an actual character.
Assuming that Roen is indeed intended as an audience identifier, then his characterization is insulting. (And I would argue that he does in fact exist solely for the reader to identify with. The narrative is crafted in such a way that the reader is forced into this position. And if there’s any doubt about this, simply read some of the many reviews on the book. It’s clear that readers are seeing themselves in Roen.) Roen is continually referred to as being incompetent and of less worth than other characters. Chu doesn’t try to subvert this image, but instead plays it up; perhaps to greater dramatize Roen’s training. If the author creates a character that is intended as a reader substitute, and that character is continually belittled by other characters as well as the author, then what does the author think of the reader?
Of course we do have another option in characters, that being the titular alien, Tao. Tao is presented as one of the good guys, but think for a moment about what actually happens here. Tao forces himself upon an unwilling host (We don’t know if Roen would have given permission, but he was never asked for his consent.). Tao can only leave Roen with Roen’s death. So Roen has zero choice in the matter. At this point Roen is thrust into a war that has lasted for thousands of years. And what exactly is the difference between the good guys and the bad guys? Both sides want to run the world and treat humans as little more than pets. The “good” guys might create less military destruction, but we really don’t know that.
With such a problematic core, I didn’t find The Lives of Tao to be enjoyable. Admittedly, I’m on the outside of what seems to be the consensus opinion. ...more
The most common failing of any mashup is that the parts aren’t true to their origin, & the result is somehow less than the sum of its parts. Paul CornThe most common failing of any mashup is that the parts aren’t true to their origin, & the result is somehow less than the sum of its parts. Paul Cornell’s London Falling combines a police procedural with dark urban fantasy, and retains both the grittiness of the former with the wonder and awe of the latter.
The book opens as a straight police procedural. We see the culmination of a long undercover operation to arrest the leader of a large portion of the organized crime in London. When the suspect dies a shocking and strange death while in custody, a small group of police officers are tasked with cleaning up the mess that the investigation has become. They follow a lead into an abandoned house, where a strange encounter leaves the police officers with the Sight. That is, the ability to see the hidden supernatural nature of the city. It turns out that their prey is a centuries old witch who has been abducting and killing children, among other victims.
Unlike most urban fantasy, Cornell’s magical London is a horrible place. There is blood sacrifice, murdered children, horrible things in the shadows, and other dangers. The detectives are stumbling around trying to find the rules of this place, and the reader along with them. They struggle to achieve the few answers that they can find, and we are left with as much mystery as the characters themselves.
Rather than having his characters respond with a gleeful acceptance of this other state of reality, Cornell has the characters respond the way that people actually do after a trauma. There is denial, followed by a certain amount of acceptance, and ultimately a reliance on routine. There’s a sense that the familiar procedure of police work is all that is keeping them sane. And their procedure is what they count on to resolve the situation. The difference being that this time it’s (literally) a wicked witch, and not a drug lord or other criminal. Just as this reliance on procedure grounds the characters, it also grounds the story for the reader. The mental reactions of all the police officers are thus relatable.
London Falling is a fast paced gritty dark fantasy that should appeal to fans of both police procedurals and urban fantasy. Despite the dark subject matter, it was a very entertaining read. While the story is complete in his volume, there does seem to be a setup for future stories in this world. Hopefully they’ll be just as compelling. ...more
At first glance, The Grim Company appears to be a bog standard fantasy novel. In a city state ruled by an ancient despotic mage, a disparate group of At first glance, The Grim Company appears to be a bog standard fantasy novel. In a city state ruled by an ancient despotic mage, a disparate group of adventurers struggle to end his rule. There’s a young man destined to be a great hero, a couple of grizzled barbarians, a troubled young woman, an underpowered mage, etc etc….
Fortunately Scull almost immediately sets about deconstruction of these tropes. The gap between the young man’s mental version of his life and the actual version is comical. The barbarian has a rich internal life. The underpowered mage doesn’t power up and defeat all their foes. He develops these characters somewhat slowly, but carefully. They’re flawed, but still able to generate our sympathy and interest.
The plot itself is rapid and propulsive, as the group encounters numerous dangers and problems on the way to reaching their goal. The climactic battle sequence is suitably epic, with plenty of carnage. Despite the book’s length, it feels like a short quick read. There were a couple of problems, though they are common to first novels and to the start of a series in particular. Early in the book there’s quite a bit of infodumping. While the information is necessary, the manner of delivery is awkward and interrupts what is otherwise a strong narrative flow.
The other problematic area is the lack of development of the female characters in the book. While there are numerous female characters on all sides of the moral spectrum, most are underdeveloped with their plotlines seemingly leading nowhere. Hopefully these plotlines will be developed further in the subsequent books in the series.
Despite these flaws, The Grim Company is an impressive first novel. Scull has created memorable characters and a unique fantasy world that should only improve with subsequent volumes. Highly recommended for fans of Abercrombe, Sullivan, et al. ...more
One of my favorite horror tropes is when the familiar becomes sinister. Creepy dolls, municipal buildings like schools or hospitals; I’m sure that youOne of my favorite horror tropes is when the familiar becomes sinister. Creepy dolls, municipal buildings like schools or hospitals; I’m sure that you’re familiar with the technique. In 14, it’s an apartment building. There are a lot of them out there like this. At first glance they appear to be normal, but when you look more closely, things get strange. The architecture doesn’t quite make sense. Rooms don’t align; door or stairways don’t actually go anywhere. Changes and additions seem to have been made on an ad hoc basis.
The story opens with Nate, our protagonist, moving into an old apartment building. As he gets settled in he begins to notice strange things, like the light in his kitchen that only works as a black light. Or the strange florescent roaches with an extra leg. The more he looks into things, the stranger it becomes. Eventually he assembles his own Scooby Gang with his neighbors. They pool their knowledge and resources and eventually get to the bottom of the mystery of the Kavach building.
There are a couple of reasons why 14 is so effective. First is Clines’ skillful character development of various members of the ad hoc Scooby gang. They all have their own personalities, backstories and motivations. There are some mysterious elements as well to some of the characters, providing additional suspense and questions. The interactions of the building residents are a joy to read.
Most important is the skillful way that Clines’ handles the mystery at the heart of 14. The reader is only privy to the same information that Nate has at any given time. As events unfold and more and more strange facts emerge, there is a growing sense of dread. What is going on with this building? While the eventual solution does explain the strange things we’ve seen, the various pieces that are uncovered are sufficiently bizarre that it’s not easy to predict the secret of the Kavach building.
14 is a horror mystery rich in mythology, with vibrant characters and a strong emotional core. I’d highly recommend it to fans of the weird. ...more
In another medium, Mind MGMT would be referred to as a High Concept story. What if the US government had a secret program with weaponized mind controlIn another medium, Mind MGMT would be referred to as a High Concept story. What if the US government had a secret program with weaponized mind control specialists?
In its particulars, Mind MGMT is the story of Meru, a true crime writer who investigates a curious incident involving a commercial flight whose passengers all show signs of amnesia. Her investigation throws her into a spy story with psychics, immortal assassins, and former government operatives.
Given the widespread praise that this series has received in the single issue format, I was underwhelmed by this collection of the first six issues. The plotting is remarkably simple for such a convoluted tale: Maru travels to exotic location; escapes confrontation with assassins, then receives lengthy exposition. There are a few problems with this. First, Kindt gives too much telling without enough showing. We receive detailed backstory and answers to questions that have never been asked. Second, there’s no time to develop tension or for the reader to ask questions that are later answered. We’re given the answers without the questions ever being raised. This means that there is no payoff in the answers, since we aren’t invested. Also, we have no real investment in any of the characters in the story. Our protagonist, Meru, seems to be sympathetic primarily because she is the protagonist. Otherwise Meru is as much of a mystery as anything else in this story.
Quick mention must be made of the art choices in Mind MGMT. Kindt uses a rough watercolor style that is more common in more personal comics. It is a bit surprising to see it used with this type of storytelling, & some readers may find it a bit jarring. ...more
In case you haven’t been reading McGuire’s InCryptid series, here’s what you need to know so far: A cryptid is a creature whose existence has been sugIn case you haven’t been reading McGuire’s InCryptid series, here’s what you need to know so far: A cryptid is a creature whose existence has been suggested but not proven. This would include mythological stories about dragons and gorgons as well as more modern stories about Bigfoot or chupacabras. The Covenant of St George is an ancient society dedicated to the extermination of all cryptids. A few generations ago the Price family came to America and left the Covenant. The Prices think that humans and cryptids can live together peacefully. And the Covenant thinks they’re all dead.
Midnight Blue-Light Special focuses on Verity Price, the young Price daughter living in NYC in order to follow her dreams of being a ballroom dancer. She learns that the Covenant is sending a team to New York. Their report could lead to the Covenant exterminating all the cryptids in the city. And things will just get worse if they learn that the Prices are still alive.
On a surface level, the InCryptid series is like most urban fantasy series. There’s a young female protagonist, who is beautiful and a badass. The story is told in first person, with a quippy narrative voice. The heroine has friends and allies who are members of exotic nonhuman species. The reading experience is fairly light and breezy.
That being said, McGuire has a secret weapon that separates the InCryptid books from the plethora of urban fantasies lining the shelves everywhere these days. That weapon is her world building. First, she ignores the popular nonhumans. There are no vampires or werewolves to be found in these books. Instead, Verity Price’s New York is populated with dragons, gorgons, boogeymen, and a wide variety of idiosyncratic species from all over the world. Second, each of these species seems to have their own elaborate social and biological histories, and best yet – we get to see how these histories influence the behaviors of the characters. So members of predatory species act like predators. Those who would be prey act more like creatures who have a history of being hunted. This sort of world building gives an underlying structure to the series, and makes it stronger than some simple sort of wish fulfillment.
That being said, I did have a couple of problems with the book. First, at times McGuire is a bit too prone to infodumps. You get the feeling that she’s created all this cool backstory, and at times just can’t resist telling the reader about it. Now I really appreciate the work and world building involved, but it’s better to let that come out in characterization and action, not in characters directly telling each other these things.
Second, the agents from the Covenant were a bit too inept. After more than a book of building up the Covenant as an incredibly powerful antagonist, these agents really didn’t cause too much of a problem for Verity or the cryptids of New York. If the members of the Covenant had caused a bit more havoc in New York then it would have increased the tension substantially.
Midnight Blue-Light Special is a thoroughly entertaining read. Its detailed world building creates a fantasy world that it rich in depth and detail. The InCryptid series is one of the best in modern urban fantasy. ...more
“It has been a miserable last few years and every time I thought I’d finally hit bottom, God somehow found me a bigger shovel. All this pain and all t“It has been a miserable last few years and every time I thought I’d finally hit bottom, God somehow found me a bigger shovel. All this pain and all this loss and…and I just can’t bear the weight of it anymore and stay sane. I know that. So this is the way I’ve decided to be.”
Matt Murdock’s speech to Foggy is perhaps Mark Waid’s statement of intent with his run on Daredevil. Acknowledge the grimdark past of the comic, while offering a dramatic change of pace and tone. It’s perhaps a soft reboot more than anything, with past events staying in continuity, even while there’s a change of focus away from that type of storytelling.
Waid’s fresh approach to the title is in some ways a return to its silver age roots. Forgoing many trends of contemporary comics, Waid’s Daredevil is a swashbuckling hero. His concerns are at a more human level, protecting the poor and disenfranchised, than with slugging it out with supervillains. The stories are shorter, punchier, and more self-contained. A reader doesn’t need to know 50 years of Marvel continuity to understand the storyline. It feels fresh exciting and fun.
The art duties are split between Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin. Their simple clean lines reflect this reversion to silver age aesthetics visually. The colorists, Javier Rodriguez and Muntsa Vicente, only add to the throwback effect. Bold color choices, often themed in red and yellow (DD’s colors, don’t ya know). The overall effect is evocative of the pop art of the 1960s, the era of Daredevil’s birth.
I couldn’t be more impressed with a contemporary comic. It has both the fun and energy of a silver age comics, but with the stylistic sophistication of a 21st century piece. Highly recommended for all ages. ...more
When I was reading comics back in the 70s, I was never much of a Hawkeye fan. He always seemed to be the second most useless Avenger (I’m looking at yWhen I was reading comics back in the 70s, I was never much of a Hawkeye fan. He always seemed to be the second most useless Avenger (I’m looking at you Pietro). Underpowered, sort of a screw up, he was really a proto-emo superhero years before that label had ever been used. So now I’m sort of amazed that I find myself enjoying a Hawkeye solo series.
The tagline says “this is what he does when he’s not being an Avenger”, and that’s a good summation of the book. The majority of this book is Clint Barton helping out folks in his neighborhood, or accidentally getting into various adventures in NYC. There’s also a short storyline with Hawkeye getting involved in international intrigue, but it’s more of a spy story, not a superhero story. The stories are gritty, in that Hawkeye gets hurt—he’s got no superpowers-- but not grim.
What about the character himself? Fraction’s Hawkeye is much as I remember him. He’s quippy, brash and bold. Sometimes he makes stupid choices, but he faces the consequences of those choices.
The art duties are split between David Aja & Javier Pulido. For my tastes, Aja’s work is the standout. Simple lines, framing that is primarily close or medium provide intimacy that these types of stories deserve. The coloring is muted, with palette choices that echo Hawkeye’s costume colors, even though he’s in street clothes for the entirety of this collection.
This is one of the best comics that I’ve read in years. I’m very much looking forward to reading volume 2. ...more
Sometimes a book can really surprise you. I expected Dead Roads to be a fairly straightforward urban fantasy story, with a bit of Cajun flair. What I Sometimes a book can really surprise you. I expected Dead Roads to be a fairly straightforward urban fantasy story, with a bit of Cajun flair. What I got was so much more than that.
The story is centered on three siblings: brothers Sol and Baz, and their estranged sister Lutie. Sol, who has followed his father on the path of the traiteur, is investigating suspicious deaths along a railroad line in the Great Plains. We learn that a particularly vengeful ghost is responsible for the deaths, and that only by all three siblings working together will this ghost (and the small demon controlling it) be vanquished.
What follows is a gritty ghost hunt, as the siblings travel along the railways to investigate and battle with the ghost. It must be said that the ghosts of Dead Roads are not what you might expect. They are angry bitter badasses who can easily do physical damage to a person. Closely bound, as a fortune teller might do, they can cause insanity and death. Even proximity to a large number of ghosts can make someone physically ill.
What really makes Dead Roads work so well is the characters. Riopelle creates three strong central characters, and clearly establishes the relationships between them. The reunion of the siblings is at the emotional center of the book. I found this unexpected, and surprisingly moving. While the brothers have grown up together, their sister was taken from them at an early age, and only blurry memories remained.
Dead Roads is a strong assured first novel. Its emotional depth is quite surprising given how you may perceive the book in terms of how it fits in genre. I’m looking forward to reading future efforts by Riopelle. ...more
There’s a curious void at the center of Lonesome Melodies. Strangely enough for a biography, that void is the Stanley Brothers themselves. The strengtThere’s a curious void at the center of Lonesome Melodies. Strangely enough for a biography, that void is the Stanley Brothers themselves. The strength of Lonesome Melodies is the facts themselves. Johnson does a great job documenting session information, myriad band lineup changes, the migratory nature of the early bluegrass music scene, and other minutiae of the Stanleys career.
Unfortunately this is all delivered in a dry academic tone, making the reading experience less than enjoyable. At times it is like reading a more fleshed out version of the liner notes to a Bear Family box set. More egregious, however, is the lack of insight into the subjects of the book itself. If the purpose of the book is to function as anything more than a (very expensive) discography, then the reader should gain a greater understanding of the Stanley Brothers. Other than reaffirming the impression of Ralph Stanley as “tight lipped”, I can’t say that I have any additional insight into Ralph or Carter as men.
There were numerous opportunities to examine their character through anecdotal evidence, yet those incidents were slighted and quickly moved away from. For example, in the early days of the band, the Stanley Brothers apparently aggressively stole material from other more successful acts (most notably Bill Monroe). This caused serious rifts with other musicians. Yet Johnson refuses to examine this behavior. The facts are presented, and nothing more. What were the other musicians’ feelings about this? How did they see the Stanley Brothers in light of this behavior? Why did they do it? And how and why were these rifts eventually healed?
Making this facts without interpretation approach worse is Johnson’s tone. He writes in a dry academic style, which while useful in making the details clear also makes Lonesome Melodies a long slog of a read. This is not a book that will captivate readers not already fascinated with the music of the Stanley Brothers. ...more
I first heard about Michael J Sullivan in an online discussion of indie authors who made the jump to traditional publishing. Sullivan originally self-I first heard about Michael J Sullivan in an online discussion of indie authors who made the jump to traditional publishing. Sullivan originally self-published the Riyria books, and then after they had gained quite a following, was picked up by Orbit. Theft of Swords is an omnibus containing the first two books in the series, The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha.
Our protagonists are Royce and Hadrian, a thief and a fighter respectively, who are framed for the murder of a king. Of course things only get more complicated for them after that development, as they try to get out of one predicament only to find themselves in increasingly more complicated situations. Sullivan gives us thieves’ guilds, wizards, elves, dwarves, magical artifacts, lost towers, dragons, and more.
While Sullivan seems to get all the toys out of the fantasy box here, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s easy to forget that there’s a reason why certain tropes became tropes in the first place. Usually it’s because they were a fun and effective idea. Sullivan embraces them without irony and in the process reminds you of why you liked the trope in the first place.
The plotting is first rate, and for the most part the reader is propelled through the story, as Royce and Hadrian go from one problematic situation to another. There are vast underlying mysteries and conspiracies, but rather than dominate the storyline, they are referenced and hinted at, providing more mysteries to keep the reader intrigued.
Theft of Swords does seem to stumble in a couple of areas. First, at times Sullivan is a bit too eager to tell not show, and falls victim to largish infodumps. While the information is needed, I can’t help but wonder if there would have been a more nuanced means of transmitting that information. Second, the supporting characters are not well developed. The sequences not involving Royce and Hadrian seem to come to a crawl, as the characters are not strong enough to support the narrative. These sections seem to drag, especially as compared to the breakneck pace of the Royce/Hadrian portion of the narrative.
Sullivan has said that the Riyria books were written as the sort of escapist fantasy that he wanted to read. As such, they are very successful. There’s nothing here that is attempting to expand the genre, or be particularly challenging, but that’s OK. Every novel doesn’t have to be provocative and challenging. Theft of Swords is comfort food, and when viewed as such is very enjoyable indeed. ...more
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