Desperate Souls
Gregory Lamberson
Medallion, Oct 2010, $14.95
ISBN: 9781605421704

A new drug is sweeping the streets of New York City and it is more addictive than any illegal or prescription drug. Black Magic was made with malice and evil as it turns the user eventually into a zombie who can only be killed by a blow to the head, which allows the soul to finally leave the body for its final destination.

Former police officer turned private detective Jake Hellman meets one of these creatures and is shocked that only a blow to the brain will kill it. He traces the Zombie Plague to drugpin Prin e Malachai the one who sells the drugs though he unaware that his lover the Voodoo Priestess Katrina has the power to control him thanks to the demon lover who gives her magical powers. They plan to take control of the city’s drug business, but she has an even bigger strategic goal. Jake needs to kill herb because assassinating Katrina means he will be able to unravel her spells.

After fighting the demon Cain (see Personal Demon) Jake would have been happy doing background checks and following errant spouses. Fate has a different plan for him as he called upon to hunt the supernatural evil. Like Jake, readers will get the creepy crawlies as they visualize the zombies that only a few people believes they exist even though anyone who really sees them knows that something is wrong with the way they look . Gregory Lamberson is one of the bright new stars in the horror world.

Harriet Klausner

Dragons of the Valley
Donita K. Paul
Waterbrook, Sep 21 2010, $13.99
ISBN: 9781400073405

Chiril is a peaceful prosperous land. However the tranquility ends when an army invades the country. Tipper Schope must hide three statues because if the enemy gets it will mean the end of her nation as she knows it. She enlists her Bealomondore the artist to help her with her quest. He understands he must wield a sword like he did a brush.

At the same time that the terrible foe marches into Chiril, a horrific beast is stalking and killing anyone in its path. No one is safe from the predatory Grawl. Time is running out for the two heroes and their companions as they struggle to reach the Valley of the Dragons where they plan to leave the statues.

The latest inspiration dragon fantasy (see Dragonknight and Dragonquest) is a fabulous tale that, as always in a Donita K. Paul thriller, takes the audience soaring across the author’s vivid mythical landscape. As chaos threatens the land, Tipper and Bealomondore are heroic figures; not because they may succeed, but due to risking their lives against overwhelming odds as for instance a peace loving artist picks up the sword. Action-packed with deadly perils from outside coming in and inside expanding out and with a strong cast especially the champions, fans will need a seat belt as this fast-paced novel never takes a respite.

Harriet Klausner

Dark Peril
Christine Feehan
Berkley, Aug 31 2010, $25.95
ISBN: 9780425236598

An ancient Carpathian warrior Dominic decides on what he knows is a suicidal mission to destroy the South American vampires. To achieve his objective, he swallows parasites needed to control the urges which will enable him to go undercover and infiltrate the vampiric horde. Dominic keeps his sanity by dreaming of a shapeshifting female Jaguar warrior who keeps him focused though he doubts she exists.

Although she knows this is suicidal to be at war with her evil father Broderick who killed most of their family and clan, shapeshifter Solange Sangria has kept up the fight to rescue other shapeshifting women and her sanity due to her fantasy of a heroic lover. She and Dominic are stunned when they meet because each assumed their dream lover was a fantasy they made up, but now have each other. With both on death quests, they need to find a way to survive yet also achieve their respective objectives as they now have a reason to live.

The latest Dark Carpathian romantic fantasy (see Dark Slayer) contains a wonderful refreshing premise of two individuals on suicide missions who have found solace in their dreams of the other. Although the tale would have been stronger if either or both fail in the flesh and bone to live up to the image each has of their dream lover, fans of the long running saga will enjoy the action-packed aptly titled Dark Peril as her father and the vampiric horde are a formidable foe.

Harriet Klausner

The Double Human
James O’Neal
Tor, Jun 2010, $24.99
ISBN: 9780765320155

Due to overseas intervention, anthrax deployment in malls, oil dictatorships and domestic political discord at home, the once United States is disintegrating. In this increasingly lawless society in which the central government is non-existent and New York City is a wasteland, terrorist anthrax attacks supplemented by radical climate changes have turned Miami into a deadly anarchistic “Quarantine Zone”.

Florida United Police Force detective Tom Wilner enters this dead zone in search of the serial killing “the Vampire”, who is Undead. There he meets benevolent teacher Mari Saltis of Columbia who refuses to leave the Quarantined Zone as she feels the children need her. As their attraction flourishes within this dark area, the insane predator he chases after wants both of them dead.

This is an entertaining futuristic science fiction-horror police procedural that requires leaving the plausibility at home. The story line is filled with action-packed subplots although some are left dangling (like that of the alien arrival) for a sequel. James O’Neal provides some of the back story as to what happened to Southern Florida and elsewhere as civilizations collapsed; thus this dystopian thriller can stand alone but is enhanced by first reading its predecessor The Human Disguise.

Harriet Klausner

Dust
Joan Frances Turner
Ace, Sep 7 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9780441019281

After not buckling her seatbelt, she died at fifteen in a car accident and was interred in a zone void of humans. She wakes up inside her coffin and though she has only one good arm as her right was almost severed off in the accident, she pushes her way out of the coffin and digs through the dirt. The teen immediately knows what she is: a revenant (zombie) and joins a pack of her kind. They live in a human-free zone where they hunt animals for food.

Jessie is an undead who does not suffer from zombie amnesia as she remembers her previous mortal life though nine years have passed since she passed. She has feelings for those she considers family (past and present) though humans lock them away with putting electrical security fences their homes as if they were illegal immigrants and the police have standing orders to kill at first sight. However an inexplicable plague arises like none before as this pandemic disease can kill human and revenant. If a miracle cure is not found soon, both species will go way of the dinosaur turning into fossils and Dust.

This is a first rate urban fantasy that “humanizes” zombies who are not mindless shark like predators, but a different sentient life form with feelings for others. Jessie is a strong willed resolute soul who thrives on coping with whatever splitter fastball life throws at her head. Readers will root for her while enjoying Joan Frances Turner’s sensual revamping of zombie fever.

Harriet Klausner

The Dervish House
Ian McDonald
PYR, Jul 27 2010, $26.00
ISBN: 9781616142049

In 2027 in Istanbul, Turkey Necdet rides the jammed tram to work, but though he is not a creep he cannot stop staring at the young woman with the red highlights and silver curls. Thus he sees first hand when she touches a jewel at her throat and detonates her head. The exploding skull panics everybody.

The nanotechnological Swarmbots gizmos investigate what seems like a loner suicide bomber. Necdet knows he must elude the Swarmbots because they have ways of knowing everything; he must not reveal that he is moving into the Dervish House for fear he will destroy his brother’s plan to use the home as a sanctuary for an underground Islamic group. The timing for the move is bad especially as the country celebrates its fifth decade as a member of the EU, which means terrorists will blow themselves and others up for some obscure inane cause in God’s name and law enforcement will sweep anyone regardless of criminality.

This is a complicated gloomy science fiction novel that extrapolates current trends in politics, economics, religion, science, technology and social terrorism into a strong entthralling thriller. The cast is solid starting with Necdet and the Swarmbots while the story line is fast-paced and extremely dark. Readers will appreciate Ian McDonald’s ominous near future as 1984 comes to full throttle in his vision of 2027.

Harriet Klausner

Dick and Jane and Vampires
Laura Marchesani; illustrated by Tommy Hunt
Grosset & Dunlap (Penguin), Aug 26 2010
ISBN 9780448455686

Dick and Jane are surprised to see a bat. Over time, the bat is comfortable with Dick and Jane, their parents and their baby sister Sally. He shapeshifts into a Vampire and becomes friends with Dick and Jane. Soon he is playing with them and welcomed by the rest of family though dad is a bite or two concerned that he may have a cape wearing rival. Eventually the milkman delivers bottles of blood along with milk.

Broken into three short stories with illustrations, this is a lighthearted romp that early elementary school children and older readers who grew up on Dick and Jane will enjoy. Each tale is further broken into short shorts so that the younger readers can take breaks. Although I think a child vampire instead of an adult would be more apropos especially playing with the children, the targeted audience to include nostalgic boomers and the older Gen X will enjoy Dick and Jane making new friends summed up: “See Dick Play. See Jane Play. See Dick and Jane Play with a vampire!”

Harriet Klausner

The Demon Hunt
Kris Greene
St. Martin’s, Aug 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780312944230

Gabriel Redfeather just wants to go back to being a computer-bookworm geek, but he knows he can never go home to that existence ever since the former Hunter student met hybrid demon De Mona Sanchez and she introduced him to the attacking demon horde. The slaughter was horrific (see The Dark Storm) as they and their allies need a new sanctuary to regroup, but he surprised his kick his butt mentor and her allies with his use of Nimrod the ancient trident and thwarted attempts by the weapon’s former possessor, the insane and soul trapped Bishop, from taking it.

However, there is no respite for the war weary as Redfeather’s grandfather and Lucy the witch are kidnapped at a time a chasm has ripped open the barrier between dimensions. Titus the Betrayer and Goblin Prince Orden pursue mankind’s last hope with diligence and vigor. At the same time NYPD deems Redfeather as a person of interest when two of his friends from Hunter are murdered as all hell has broken loose on the streets of Manhattan

The adventures of computer role player Gabriel continues in Central Park and the nearby neighborhoods in an action-packed urban fantasy; though it helps to have read the previous book The Dark Storm to learn how the least likely hero is humanity’s last hope. Gabriel is terrific as the reluctant champion of humanity while his “sidekick” keeps kicking his butt when he feels sorry for himself. The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of street drama, but the overarching theme barely budges as the demonic horde begins pouring through the hole between worlds.

Harriet Klausner

Dark and Stormy Knights
Edited by P. N. Elrod
St. Martin’s Griffin, Jul 20 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780312598341

This fine nine urban fantasy collection focuses on dark knights who protect the innocent and the not innocent from dark nights. The anthology contains five strong entries and four solid contributions. The best two tales are “Even Hand” by Jim Butcher with a Dresden connection as his enemy Marcone has a grudge match with an inhuman sorcerer and Carrie Vaughn’s “God’s Creatures” with a Kitty connection as Cormac the hunter searches for a werewolf at a reform school. Also top quality are “Even a Rabbit Will Bite” by Rachel Caine starring a dragon slayer who faces unemployment and a fear what next since her prey are almost extinct; Vicki Pettersson’s Shifting Star has a female lead who stalks a predator kidnapping young girls; and Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels assigned to protect “A Questionable Client”. The entertaining compilation also includes fun tales from Shannon K. Butcher, P.N. Elrod (a Jack Fleming thriller), Deidre Knight and Lilith Saintcrow.

Harriet Klausner

Do Unto Others
Michael Z. Williamston
Baen, Aug 3 2010, $22.00
ISBN: 9781439133835

Minors Bryan Prescot and his family invented technology that enabled the mining of planets in the most inhospitable places. The invention made him and his kin the richest people in the universe. On the down side, many unscrupulous people see the Prescot brood as targets to be mined.

To keep his daughter Caron safe, Bryan hires the Ripple Creek Security firm whose guiding vision is protect the client at all costs. The magnificent six (Jason, Artemis, Alex, Bart, Shaman, and Elke) guard Caron with their lives; each vows to remain vigil as they pledge no harm will come to her. . However, an unknown adversary has sent a horde to kill the girl and her protectors. She has the sextet who doesn’t feel too concerned that they face an army that could take a planet but only need to take out one person. To the six keeping Caron safe is their business even if they have to nuke their way to keeping their client safe.

This is a wild outer space caper as the odds are overwhelming in favor of the thugs kidnapping Caron and killing all on her side. However, the magnificent six plus the miners defend her so don’t bet against Caron and her protective cronies. Over the top with nothing new as Michael Z. Williamston takes the honorable mercenary Magnificent Seven from Mexico into Outer Space (with six) to fight amoral ruthless outlaws. Yet knowing this going in, readers will enjoy every page of the confrontation as Mr. Williamston will not need to beg forgiveness from his fans with this entertaining thriller.

Harriet Klausner