‘Mean Streets’, an Urban Fantasy Anthology

Don’t worry, this group of very entertaining people does include one British Author, New York Times Bestselling Author Simon R.  Green, whose ‘Tales from the Nightside’ were my first introduction into the captivating world of Urban Fantasy, which truth be told, has made up the majority of my ‘light’ reading ever since.  Also contributing to this anthology is a personal favorite author of mine, Jim Butcher, New York Times Bestselling Author of ‘The Dresden Files’, and two authors whose personal worlds I was not previously familiar with, National Bestselling Authors Kat Richardson and Thomas E. Sniegoski.

‘Mean Streets’ is a collection of four novellas – stories longer than a typical short story, but far shorter than a novel, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept.  Think like 70 pages in a mass-market paperback.  Normally I’m not one to pick up and pay for a Novella anthology, but sometimes you just need a Harry Dresden fix.  You’ll understand soon, I promise.

The first in this collection is Jim Butcher’s contribution, entitled ‘The Warrior,’ and starring the incomparable Harry Dresden.  Someone sent him surveillance pictures of his friend Michael, a former Knight of the Cross (a mythical trio of Holy Warriors wielding swords forged in part from the three nails which held Jesus to the cross) who was wounded while helping Harry rescue the collection of all Human knowledge from a set of Fallen Angels.  Given the crowd who know Michael is more than the contractor he is in the normal eye and that they’re mailed to Harry, Harry takes these as a threat – what he learns is that this threat comes from the last group of people Harry would ever expect to threaten Michael…

Next up is Green with ‘The Difference a Day Makes,’ starring his Hero from ‘Tales of the Nightside’, John Taylor, from whom nothing can hide or be hidden.  He sits enjoying a drink in the Oldest Bar in the World, Strangefellows, with his friend, the incomparable Dead Boy.  In stumbles the one thing that always and only means trouble in the Nightside – a weeping woman.  Her name is Liza, and she’s lost an entire day of her memories, and wants to hire John to help her find them, and her missing husband, who is entangled deeply in the darkest section of the Nightside, Rotten Row…

Third is Kat Richardson’s Greywalker, Harper Blaine, who sees Dead People – oh, and has limited ability to manipulate them, as well.  In this novella, entitled ‘The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog’ she’s pulled out of her Seattle home by a Mexican woman’s will, demanding she bring a figurine to a grave somewhere in the mountains of Mexico, on the Night of the Dead.  Little does she expect such a seemingly simple mission will uncover a tale of black magic, hidden lineage, and secret identities.

Last, and certainly not least, brings Thomas E. Sniegoski’s ‘Noah’s Orphans’ and fallen angel turned private detective Remy (Remiel) Chandler as he mourns the death of his human wife from cancer at their summer home.  There he is visited by Sariel, leader of the fallen Grigori – God’s former heralds to humanity.  Sariel introduces Remy to the scene of Noah’s murder, and Remy becomes entangled in a mystery older than humanity itself.

‘Mean Streets’ is an excellent contribution to the worlds of Butcher and Green, and Sniegoski’s contribution pulls me towards his with a fascinating new look at Christian mythology and a very deep character with the type of issues that make me sympathetic towards his cause.  Richardson’s addition, however, lacks the asskicking showdown of Butcher or Sniegoski’s, and the dry sarcasm and overall awesomeness of Green’s.  For fans of any of these series, avoid the usual elitist view towards Novellas, and partake of this anthology – you’ll get a fix, and an introduction to a few new characters at the least.

“Why are you here, Sariel?”  Remy asked, not even trying to hide his exasperation.

“The old man is dead,” he replied.

“The old man…who…what old man?”  Remy was confused, but then it dawned on him, the connection with the Grigori.

“Noah?” Remy asked, “Noah is dead?  How?”

Alex’s Amazing Antiquities presents: Treasure Island

Avast, ye scurvy lads and genteel ladies…  Here be Pyrates!

Treasure Island is a masterpiece – when it comes to pirate fiction, it is still THE masterpiece, though it was first published in 1883.  Treasure Island is the heart of nearly all awesome pirate lore – Hidden Treasure?  Peg Legs?  Mutiny? X marks the spot?  Check.  Check.  Check plus.  Oh yeah, baby, just like that!

Treasure Island covers the adventures of one Jim Hawkins and his adventures aboard the schooner Hispaniola, and their journey to the fabled ‘Skull Island’, where lies the buried treasure of the notorious pirate Captain Flint.  On the way, the ship’s cook, Long John Silver, a peg-legged seaman leads a mutiny against the ship’s owners, inhabitants of the sea town Jim Hawkins is from.  Over the course of the novel, Jim Hawkins meets a marooned pirate, steals and pilots the Hispaniola, and races the anti-hero Silver for Flint’s treasure.

One of the best novels ever written in the English language – and then it has pirates, to boot.

“Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”

Neil Gaiman’s ‘Stardust’

Oooh!  More British!

Most of you are probably at least familiar with this story from the Major Motion Picture made based on it, but be aware that the movie has a LOT more action in it, whereas Stardust has a lot more whimsy.  Honestly, I prefer the whimsy, though they’re both VERY enjoyable.

Stardust chronicles the adventure of one Tristran Thorn, of the village of Wall in Victorian England, into the lands of Faerie.  He goes in pursuit of a Fallen Star, in order to obtain the love of Victoria Forrester, the grey-eyed queen of beauty in the small hamlet.  England and Faerie are separated by a long wall, the only gap in which is located beside the village named after that wall, whose inhabitants are only allowed through the gap into faerie once every nine years for a Market.

Tristran, through the aid of a dwarf/gnome/leprechaun, realizes that he knows where everything in Faerie is exactly in comparison to his current spot.  Clearly, Tristran is at least half-faerie (which the reader already knows by this point, as the first chapter deals primarily with how his parents meet and his conception.)

Tristran obtains from his new friend a little nub of a Babylon Candle, and uses it to collect the star ahead of the other people searching for her – a Witch who wants to cut her heart out and use it to live forever, and a pair of noble brothers angling for the pendant which knocked her from the sky.

What’s that?  Oh.  Right.  Yes, the star’s a her.  All the stars are, in faerie.  And this one is sarcastic, angry, and not at all happy when Tristran leashes her to take her back to Victoria.  Hijinks ensue, and it is this part of the story which differs the most from the movie.  There is no Captain Shakespeare, and Tristran isn’t morphed into a fighter of renown on the journey home.  The brothers die in entirely anticlimactic fashion.  Yet the story, itself, is stronger in Gaiman’s own words.

Read this book.

“Yes,” she said. “Which only goes to prove that you are indeed a ninny, a lackwit, and a… a clodpoll.”

“Dunderhead,” offered Tristran, “You always used to like calling me a dunderhead.  And an oaf.”

“Well,” she said, “you are all those things.  And more besides.  Why did you keep me waiting like that?  I thought something terrible had happened to you.”

Douglas Adams’ ‘A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’

I can see you now, “What’s with this dude and British authors, anyway?”  Or perhaps you’re saying.  “Hey.  Alex.  You’re from America.  Read American.”  To which I say, “Ptttttttthhhhh.”  Just for that, I’m reading Nail Gaiman next.  Serves you right!

Anyway, this review will only encompass the first installment in this series, because if you want the other books reviewed, you’ll just have to wait for the future.  I’m not at your every whim, you know.

“A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” chronicles the worst day of Arthur Dent’s life.  He wakes up to find a construction crew set up outside his home, preparing to demolish his house.  While objecting to this development, his friend Ford Prefect drops by in order to take him to a noontime drink.  At this noontime drink, Arthur learns that the impending demolition of his house is the least of his problems.

See, Ford Prefect is an alien from the planet Betelgeuse 7, who happens to have been stranded on Earth fifteen years ago while updating the planet’s entry in “the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor” – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  To top it all off, Earth is scheduled for destruction in order to build an Interstellar bypass, which will occur in 12 standard Earth minutes.  Which leaves Ford with only one real decision – grab his friend Arthur and hitch a ride with the Vogon Construction Fleet as it swings by to wipe out our “Mostly Harmless” planet.

“A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is a journey aboard stolen space ships, with the President of the Galaxy, as they journey to the planet Magrathea and discover the nature of their home planet and the Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything – the answer of which is “42.”  Don’t Panic.

Laughs and fun are had.  Read this book.

“I mean, here we are are on the run and everything, we must have the police of half the Galaxy after us by now, and we stop to pick up hitchhikers.  Okay, so ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking, yeah?” — Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the Galaxy to Trillian, one of the last 2 humans in the Galaxy.

Next up – ‘Stardust’ by Neil Gaiman

Tom Holt’s ‘You Don’t Have to be Evil to Work Here, but it Helps’

Usually, first posts on reborn book blogs reflect a profound, life-changing sort of book.  For example, I could review ‘Angela’s Ashes’, or even ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ both of which I’ve read, and perhaps will review for the readers at some point.  Of course, both of those belong to Oprah’s Book Club already, and she might get upset if I start straight off impinging on her territory.

Besides, it’s been a while since I read either of those books.

It has not, however, been even a full day since I finished ‘You Don’t Have to be Evil to Work Here, but it Helps.’  My initial impression of this book, shared with my mother, fellow BBBB (Big Bad Blogger Bookclub, obviously) contributor Lisa, was “Damn.  This book is very, very… British.”  Holt is much, much more ‘British’ in style than Neil Gaiman.  ‘Evil to Work Here’s’ humor is dry, relying on clever allusions and the reader’s knowledge of history and world culture.  “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell” this book is not (Damn.  I guess I’ll have to review that, now, too.  This might start being work!).  If you enjoy Ricky Gervais on the British verison of ‘The Office’, or even his stand-up, you’ll enjoy Holt.  He’s written 27(!) books in ‘Evil to Work Here’s’ vein, including titles like ‘Flying Dutch’ and ‘Snow White and the Seven Samurai.’

‘Evil to Work Here’ chronicles the journey of Colin Hollinghead (younger), a young man drudging through life in the family’s struggling widget-making business.  Soon after, he finds that the new consultants his dad has hired, J.W. Wells & Co., posess business cards which describe their business as ‘Practical and Effective magicians, Sorcerors and Supernatural Consultants.’  To top it all off, they’re currently brokering a deal between Colin’s father and the devil, in which the family business will receive an unlimited free workforce for the measly price of one Eternal Soul.

Of course, Colin turns out to be a time/star-crossed lover reborn, and the representative from J.W. Wells, Cassie Clay, is the woman he’s predisposed to love.  One problem – the two of them aren’t even remotely attracted to each other, and so their ‘symptoms’ are more distressing than warm and fuzzies ought to be.

Colin’s struggle to get his dad off the hook with the devil and figure out the situation with Cassie are the center of ‘Evil to Work Here,’ a delightfully understated Urban Fantasy novel by Tom Holt.

“Of course They can do it.  They can do anything.  Look it up in the dictionary, under M for Magic.”

Next Up: “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams