Five Odd Honors
Jane Lindskold
Tor, May 11 2010, $27.99
ISBN 9780765317025

Only recently did college student Brenda Morris learn that The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice existed based on what she thought were Chinese myths and that her ancestors crossed over from this alternate earth place (see Thirteen Orphans and Nine Gates). Although she has also learned she possesses the powers of the Zodiac Rat, her dad pleads with her to ignore her magical prowess and the encouragement of her Aunt Pearl the Dragon in order to return to school. He wants her to live a normal life anchored on this earth.

However, the Orphans-Exiles seize an opportunity to open a gate into the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice in order to return with five of their dead so they can honor their late compatriots. However, once they open the ninth gate, the Thirteen Orphans are stunned as the Center is impenetrable and soon several are captured. On earth an assault of Pearl Bright the Tiger concerns Brenda who cannot get back into textbooks and lectures. When she learns what occurred in The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice, her first thought is that of betrayal; her second rumination is that of mounting a rescue though her third consideration is what superior being could have achieved what has occurred in the Lands.

The third Chinese zodiac urban fantasy is a superb thriller in which much of the violence is off page as the heroine and others discuss what happened and how to react. Thus the story line is character driven with much of the action passively discussed not actively performed. This approach provides reflective insight into Brenda, her family, and the Orphans while also enabling the reader to better comprehend the Chinese zodiac although the minute detail can turn overwhelming.

Harriet Klausner

Feed
Mira Grant
Orbit, May 1 2010, $9.99
ISBN 9780316081054

2014 is the year that has gone down infamy as blogger Georgia Mason notes twenty-six years later that everyone has someone on the Wall. Sometimes the cure proves worse than the disease as that is the year cancer and the cold were cured but the remedy led to a more powerful disease. The Rising virus spread throughout humanity taking over the body and mind of every dead host with one command: Feed. Only social networking saved society from total destruction.

In 2039, Senator Peter Ryman runs for president. He is the first realistic candidate for the top office from the new generation born after the world was somewhat saved from the zombies. The Senator invites the popular twin bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason to cover his campaign from the inside. They are euphoric with the offer even knowing that Ryman understands the value of keeping your potential enemy nearby. At a stop, zombies attack killing Ryman’s daughter. However, while the twins learn the power of the press, the government bureaucrats of CDC and a Machiavellian candidate want the bloggers shu down; but it is an influential group of co-conspirators who have ambition beyond the White House and want the bloggers reanimated but will settle for dead.

Told through the perspective of the twins, Feed is a profound action-packed paranormal political thriller that extrapolates from modern trends including epidemiology research, political buying, handling and spins, and blogging superseding mains stream media, but in a way that the audience would not expect. Fast-paced, Mira Grant avoids turning the tale into another zombie horror saga; instead Feed is a political thriller with plenty of hidden handlers working their candidate’s almost robotic run for higher office. Readers will appreciate the opening act of the Newsflesh trilogy while looking forward to the middle tale that like many on the Wall begins and ends with an idiot.

Harriet Klausner

Firefly Rain
Richard Dansky
Gallery (Simon and Schuster), Apr 6 2010, $15.00
ISBN: 9781439148631

He chose to remain in Boston after graduating from college; disappointing his parents as the visits back to Mayfield, North Carolina grew shorter in length and longer in gap. His father died five years after Jacob Logan finished school and his mother ten years later. Now with his business failing, Jacob retreats to his hometown where his family home has been maintained by his late mom’s creepy elderly friend Carl Powell.

Back home, Jacob finds no peace though he initially assumes it is because he failed to see his parents much after going off to college in New England. However, as unexplained things occur like the theft of his car from his driveway without a sound, Jacob concludes his life and those he still cherishes are in jeopardy although he is unsure from what or why. He must solve the enigma of the townsfolks odd behavior towards him, the spirits of his parents haunting him from their nearby graves, and more so the torrential rain of fireflies that seem everywhere except on or near his estate.

This is an exciting rural regional horror thriller that grips young adult readers from the moment Jacob returns to a home that fails to welcome the prodigal son back. The story line is action-packed, but at times overwhelms the audience with too much unanswered piled on. Still this is an entertaining haunting as Jacob learns you can’t go home unless the fireflies welcome you back.

Harriet Klausner

Freaksville
Kitty Keswick
Leap Books, Dec 2009, $16.99
www.leapbks.com
ISBN: 9781616030018

In Stony Creek, California, Maxwell females can see the future, which is hard on sixteen years old Kasey. She wears gloves to avoid touching anything or anyone as that triggers her skill; worse her mom sees everything.

Kasey has a vision starring mysterious English foreign exchange student Josh Johnstone. Her sight leads her to co-starring with Josh in Romeo and Juliet and a kiss. However, someone wants to harm either him or both of them starting with a stage light falling and there being locked in the basement. When they see a ghost, each knows who the malevolence is who is after them, but neither knows how to send the mean spirit to its final resting place even though she has the gift of sight via touch and he is a werewolf.

This is an enjoyable teen romantic urban fantasy starring a Romeo and Juliet couple harassed by genetics and paranormal incidents. Although blogging provides an interesting modern feel to the plot, this is also a big detractor as Miss Manners wisely says: “Don’t go public with your so-called private life.” Still young adults will enjoy Freaksville as the cast is solid even the ghost and Kasey’s BFF could support her own tale.

Harriet Klausner

Full Moon City
Darrell Schweitzer and Martin H. Greenberg (Editors)
Gallery (Pocket), Mar 9 2010, $15.00
ISBN: 9781416584131

Full Moon City contains fourteen dark werewolf and one leaning more towards vampire (Darrell Schweitzer’s “Kvetchula’s Daughter”) urban fantasies written by some of the genre’s most renowned authors. None are clinkers, but only a few can be considered as super. For the most part the environs are places not anticipated in werewolf tales such as the Plaza Hotel in Esther M. Friesner’s where “No Children, No Pets” prevail but six years old Emmeline lives next door in Central Park; at Houston Community College where the Lycanthropy Support Group meets in “The Truth About Werewolves” by Lisa Tuttle and Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty returns to Vegas in “Kitty learns the Ropes”. More typical locales are used too but less frequently like in Ian Watson’s “The Weredog of Bucharest”; the Bayou is the setting for Peter S. Beagle’s “La Lune D’Attend” and Hollywood in “I Was a Middle Aged Werewolf” by Ron Goulart. In my opinion the best contribution is Holly Black’s “The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue” as the werewolf actress looks deeply at conversion. Overall this is a very good collection worth reading only by fans of the modern take on the werewolf mythos

Harriet Klausner

Fallout
C.L. Talmadge
Healing Stone Books, 2008, $16.95
http://www.greenstoneofhealing.com
ISBN: 9780980053746

On Azgard, Lord James Mordecai recognizes adult physician Helen Andros as his daughter from a liaison with Miriam Andros (see Vision). However, their union is not harmonious as each brings a different past to the father daughter relationship. He demands offspring loyalty and she wants much more from him.

Meanwhile Exalted Lord Toltec King has healed from his debilitating drug induced coma and is interested in Helen’s skills as a natural healer and as a surgeon as she brought him back to the living. He orders her to marry her second cousin Lord Justin Atlas. She now knows the Green Stone she wears enhances her medical abilities, but is unsure why. However, she is worried about what will happen to her father, who stands trial for seditious acts. At the same time Justin’s father Prince Enoch Atlas believes he is finding the secrets of the priests of the Temple of Kronos in the use of life and death kura energy, which if successful will further his ambition.

The second Green Stone of healing tale is a terrific fantasy starring a large cast held strongly together by the confused heroine. The story line is fast-paced throughout and never slows although much goes on in several subplots. Enoch is a great villain with plans to raise himself and his House to the Exalted Lord level as C.L. Talmadge continues to expand on her deep political fantasy that requires the audience to read the first tale in what is so far a great saga.

Harriet Klausner

The Folding Knife
K.J. Parker
Orbit, Feb 22 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780316038447

Bassiamus “Basso: Severus was born to an aristocratic family in the Republic of Vesani. His father was First Citizen, but lost his position in the next election to an offspring of a sausage worker. He decided to buy up a bank’s outstanding shares. When Basso grew up he married the woman his parents chose for him. When Basso comes home one day, he sees his wife and brother-in-law having sex; he kills both of them.

His sister who Basso loved more than anyone else turned her back on him. However, he is the First Citizen of the Vesani Republic and owns the bank so still does his best for her. The only demand she made of him that he could not fulfill was to cut all ties with his son Bassano. The people love Basso and the House passes all the bills he presents to them. He knows the Republic must annex their neighbors to become an empire because he fears the Empire of the East, once it stops rebuilding, will look westward to places like Vesani. His first invasion is mineral rich Mavortis which has no central army, but a traitor insures his plan fails to execute properly.

Based on Ancient Rome, The Folding Knife is a work of exciting speculative fiction. The fascinating story line focuses on idealistic Basso the Magnificent who is a brilliant pragmatic strategist. He knows his decisions will cost lives, but though he grieves what will occur, Basso feels this is only way to save his beloved Republic. What his idealism concealed from him is that it only takes one mistake to devastate even the greatest person.
THE FOLDING KNIFE is excellent because of the great storyline, well crafted characterizations and a look into a fascinating culture.

Harriet Klausner

First Drop Of Crimson
Jeaniene Frost
Avon, Feb 9 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780061583223

Over a year ago on New Year’s Eve, they were attacked by something paranormal that frightened her best friend Cat; Denise knew that little scares a vampire even a hybrid bloodsucker. Denise’s husband Randy went outside where the fray was on going, but told his beloved to stay inside with the runaway kids who take shelter with them and promised to be back. He never kept his promise dying during the zombie assault.

Over a year later, Denise’s cousin Paul informs her that he does not believed the doctors or police are right when they insist twenty-three year old Amber died from a heart attack; he thinks she was murdered and he is “Destined for an Early Grave” too. Denise says no way, but the man comes out of the shadows and grabs Paul who stops breathing. She attacks the man who laughs and vanishes. Next she tries CPR as does a stranger, but both end up coughing and Paul remains dead.

Unable to reach Cat or her BF’s mate Bones, Denise calls Spade the vampire. Bones’ best buddy quickly arrives and realizes that the killer left behind a residual of demon essence from Raum, which proves Paul was right; dead right. They seek Nathaniel, who escaped from Raum. As they search for the predator, each feels an unwanted attraction to one another, which she rejects out of guilt and he denies out of a previous failed mortal relationship.

This is a great beginning of a sidebar series spun from the terrific Night Huntress saga as Denise and Spade have consistently appeared so fans knows each of them. The story line is fast-paced from the attack on Paul and never slows down on either the urban fantasy thriller prime plot or the supporting romantic subplot. Jeaniene Frost provides a powerful tale.

Harriet Klausner

Flirt
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley, Feb 2010, $23.95
ISBN: 9780425235676

Wealthy business man Mr. Tony Bennington enters the office of Anita Blake, vampire executioner and zombie reanimator. Grieving for the loss of his beloved wife, he asks her to reanimate her so they can be together again. She explains to her potential client that the individual who crossed over will not be the same person who returns. He begs her, but though sympathizing with him and wanting to say yes, she knows the consequences as the love of Tony’s life will not come back the way he thinks. She continues to say no.

A few days later, Anita is at a restaurant when were-lions Nicky and Jacob join her. They are hired thugs who are to kidnap Anita in order to force her to bring back Mr. Bennington’s wife. They explain why she should cooperate as her shapeshifting boyfriends are hostages. Anita gives them her weapons as she accompanies them to their lair. Although telepathically asking for help and being blocked by a witch from communicating, she now knows she will work this one alone as her loved ones are at stake.

Although a short novel, Flirt is Laurell K. Hamilton at her very best as it packs quite an emotional wallop from the moment a grieving Bennington begs her for help and that keeps the angst level high. Also keeping the tension level high is the heroine’s love for her mates as she fights with all her strength and powers to end this High Moon confrontation. Throughout this tale the passions run stratospheric yet the plot is loaded with action as Anita must contend with powerful hooligan shapeshifters and their boss if she is to keep her boyfriends safe and not cause collateral damage; all she needs is a plan to deploy as she is buying time, but nothing else.

Harriet Klausner

Fang Face
Norm Cowie
Quake (Echelon), Sep 2009, $13.99
ISBN: 9781590806203

Her biggest issues had been math and acne until the bite. Now Erin’s most pressing problem is how to explain to her parents that just because she is a vampire, she does not want to sleep in a coffin especially a coke bottle shaped coffin. She admits to herself the benefits of healthy undead living include perfect skin, flying like a bird, scaring the crap out of her obnoxious younger sister Alex who had voted for cremation as the resolution to the family problem of having one of them being of a different blood type, and going out at night knowing you are safe.

Ironically her Undead complexion apparently is in as everyone says she never looked better; perhaps not eating pizza helps. The girls at school are jealous of Fang Face as they call her because the boys want to exchange hickeys with her. Erin’s deepest regret is now that she is a porcelain Goth beauty she cannot see how she looks as she has no reflection.

This is an amusing teen vampire tale that will remind readers more of the movie My Best Friend Is a Vampire than Twilight as Norm Cowie provides a tongue in cheek behind the overbite family drama. With a lighthearted jocularity and a somewhat anemic story line, Erin, her family, friends and fans learn the advantages and disadvantages of being a blood sucker while answering the most critical Undead question of all – can vampires cry?

Harriet Klausner