Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Review of The Player by Joe Consentino

September 21, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

The Player by Joe Consentino

Blurb:

When young music teacher Andre Beaufort discovers an antique player piano in the basement of his apartment building, he is visited by the ghost of the original owner: a dapper and charismatic playboy from the Roaring Twenties, Freddy Birtwistle.

Andre has never seen a ghost and Freddy has never been one, so they get off to a rocky start. But when Andre finds his neighbor murdered on his doorstep, he and Freddy join forces to narrow the pool of suspects.

Soon Andre and Freddy discover that opposites attract, even if one’s alive and the other dead. Together these amateur detectives make an enticing team, and it’s a good thing too, because the first murder they solve together won’t be their last. But the real mystery isn’t just whodunit—it’s how a romance between a man and a ghost can have a happily ever after ending.

The Player contains two stand-alone cozy murder mysteries, The City House and The Country House.

Review:

I love stories featuring ghosts — especially romances — so I couldn’t wait to delve into this novel. The Player is actually two gay cozy mystery stories in one book. The first novella is entitled “The Country House,” which opens with Andre discovering an old player piano in his apartment building’s basement. His Aunt, who is the landlord, agrees to let Andre haul up the piano to his apartment. What Andre doesn’t know is that there’s a handsome ghost named Freddy Birtwistle attached to the piano whom Andre inadvertently releases when he begins to play the pianola.

As we soon learn, Freddy, a wealthy meticulously-dressed socialite from the roaring 20s, was shot at the age of 30 by a jealous husband in 1935. Freddy was quite the gay “player” in his day, and if any of his numerous stories about his exploits can be believed, he left a trail of broken hearts in his wake. According to Freddy, he broke the heart of every eligible male Hollywood celebrity, and even his presence would often send spouses/partners into a jealous rage. This part of the book was a lot of fun, though I did find that Freddy’s rambling anecdotes got to be a tad repetitive by the second book.

The novel then takes a compelling turn when one of the tenants in Andre’s building is murdered, and once Andre becomes a suspect, the duo takes it upon themselves to investigate the crime in the style of Holmes and Watson. Through their investigation, we meet all the other quirky tenants of the building as we try to guess whodunit.

Given that Freddy was bound to the piano and couldn’t physically leave the apartment, Andre did all the legwork and then reported his findings back to Freddy. The two men then put their heads together to try to figure out the case. And of course, while working together, they fall deeply in love.

This story was a lot of fun and incorporated several surprising plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I also loved Freddy’s continuous stream of 1920s lingo and expressions, many causing me to laugh out loud.

The second book, The Country House, takes place at Freddy’s former country house, now converted into a B & B. At first, we think that Andre is on his own, but another of Freddy’s original player piano’s is in Andre’s rented room, and a couple of pumps of the pedal bring Andre’s ghostly lover to him.

Once again, a murder occurs, and this time, it’s the surly proprietor of the B & B. Like The City House, this second book is also populated with a plethora of compelling and outlandish characters. I found the second book to be as delightful as the first one. It was fast-paced, delightfully twisty (more so even than the first) with a shocking ending.

Now it’s worth mentioning that given that these two novellas are cozy mysteries, meaning there is no on-page sex, swearing, or violence. What we do get, however, is a sweet romance between a young man and a saucy charismatic ghost from the 1920s, as well as a couple of captivating murder mysteries to solve. I hope the author writes more in this world as I’d love to revisit these two enchanting characters.

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Review of Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro

August 11, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

Xochital is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village’s stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enimagic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes.

Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit.

One night, Xo’s wish is granted—in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town’s murderous mayor. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match… if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.

Review:

The story follows Xochitl, who lives in Empalme in Central America. Since she was eight years old, she has filled the role of the “cuentista” of her village, which is sort of a sin-eater. She has the power to “take in” the villagers’ stories and, later, deliver those stories to Solís, their god. Giving their stories to a cuentista removes the burden of their transgressions, guilt, and secrets from the villagers, in essence, freeing their conscience in the process. So in taking their stories, Xochitl refreshes them, unburdens them, and cleanses them. Once Xochitl gives the story back to Solís in the desert through a ritual, she no longer remembers any of the story that was given to her, though she is utterly drained, exhausted and forgetful for quite some time afterward.

After a particularly horrendous and brutal event in her village, Xochitl decides to head out into the desert to find her true self — to try and discover her place in the world. Along the way, she encounters all sorts of unusual beings, some human, some magical.

She ends up traveling with a girl named Emilia, which may seem surprising given that Emilia is the daughter of the brutal, murderous man who terrorized Xochitl’s entire village. In the beginning, neither woman trusts the other, but they slowly warm to each other as they progress along their perilous journey.

It’s also worth mentioning that this is a post-apocalyptic story, in that the world was burned by Solís, an event referred to as La Quema. This event is considered to be Solís’s wrath/curse upon humanity. Thus, the majority of the story takes place in the desert, and the author does an excellent job of taking the reader along with our characters into this harsh environment. The setting is vivid, intense, and atmospheric, and we really get a sense of the desperation, sadness, and mistrust of the people of the various villages that were ravaged by the angry god’s fire. In this way, I found the world-building to be phenomenal.

I loved Xochitl’s character arc throughout the story as she ends up being quite a different person by the end of the book — strong, brave, and resilient. Moreover, she learns that just because a story/belief has been passed down to you, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true. In the process, Xochitl discovers, in an eye-opening way, that though a belief or an idea can extend through generations and across different lands, the actuality of that idea may be different from culture to culture and from village to village. And it is this aspect of the story I found especially riveting. In this way, our main character learns that things are not always what they seem, and there may be more than one “right” way of viewing a situation, thus challenging her belief system in the process.

As Xochitl and Emilia journeyed through the desert, several different themes and lessons unfold in the story, such as freedom, the power of stories, sacrifice, responsibility, human shortcomings, the coexistence of different belief systems and destiny. I really enjoy stories centered around the idea and power of “story,” and this novel was no exception. I loved how the story focused on not just our own personal stories but how those stories fit in with the stories of our community and of our land.

Additionally, I found the prose to be utterly beautiful — ethereal and flowing. I thought that the substantial inclusion of Spanish words added to the authentic feel of this story, though it did send me running to my Spanish dictionary many times. I imagine some people may find this aspect of the book a bit off-putting as not every Spanish word’s meaning is clear from the context. So the reader may have to put in a bit of work.

The LGBTQ+ relationship in this story was such a beautiful, slow burn, and though it was by no means the main point of the story, it was satisfying and a joy to read.

All in all, I really loved this powerful story. Though I found the ending a tad abrupt, overall, Each of Us a Desert is an ambitious, unique, and at times heartbreaking novel with compelling characters and lush, gorgeous writing. This is my first Mark Oshiro novel, and I hope to read more of his work.

Each of Us a Desert will be release on September 15, 2020 though it is available now for preorder.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this novel.

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Review of Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria by J.M. Bergen

July 25, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

A boy discovering his destiny. An ancient object of unspeakable power. An impenetrable web of deception.

Three months ago Thomas and his friends faced off against the enigmatic Arius Strong in a fight to determine the future of humanity. When they defeated the billionaire-magician and his two most powerful allies, they thought the war was over. It was only just beginning.

Now, with a mysterious message from an unknown hacker, the action starts again. This time the stakes are higher, the enemies stronger, and the future more uncertain. Will Thomas and his friends see through the lies in time to stop the forces of evil and prevent a global catastrophe?

Review:

Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria takes place three months after the events of the first book, in which Thomas and his friends defeated the powerful dark wizard Arius Strong, thus preventing an apocalypse.

Now, Thomas’s group receives an enigmatic message from an unknown hacker and, subsequently, discovers that they are once again facing a formidable foe, one who’s searching for a magical artifact that’s perhaps even more powerful than the Crystals from the first book. Thomas and his group are convinced that it’s once again the work of Arius, but this time, he’s not alone. He’s apparently gathered all manner of dark and powerful creatures include shapeshifters that are nearly impossible to injure, evil warlocks, and other powerful beings.

What’s interesting is how this evasive new foe can defect all of their magical attacks and possess technology far superior to theirs, rendering their quest even more difficult. In this way, their enemy seems to be always several steps ahead of them.

The magic is really leveled up in this book as Thomas and Enrique engage in private training with Scott Alpheus to augment their magical abilities and prepare them for the imminent encounter with their evil nemesis. I enjoyed the training scenes with the boys who worked with multiple instructors. It’s worth mentioning that success doesn’t come easily for our characters, though, and through it, we see themes of tenacity, resolve, friendship, and the necessity of working together.

This is one of those novels that sucks you in and doesn’t let go for a moment. There’s a delightful, pervasive feeling of menace that lingers over the story, and this really added to the book’s intrigue. As is befitting a middle-grade fantasy, the action never lets up, and the characters never lose their endearing humanity. What I enjoyed is how the thrill never wanes, the dread never diminishes, and the pulse rarely slows down. Smart and original, this edge-of-your-seat gripping fantasy has irresistible characters and startling twists around every corner (the huge one at the end I did not see coming!). There was also an element of “nobody is as they seem” which I enjoyed.

What I found especially endearing about the novel was the relationship between Thomas and his friends, Akhil and Enrique. I loved the powerful bond of friendship that existed between them as well as the fun banter they shared. In fact, all of the characters are vividly and wonderfully rendered. This fun series pulled me in early, on the strength of the world-building, but the vividly drawn characters drew me in further for enjoyment .. . and anticipation of the next volume. The writing also is excellent — it flows smoothly, seamlessly with no unnecessary fillers.

All in all, I found Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria to be a delightful, fast-paced, rollicking fantasy adventure set in a fascinating world and populated with lovable, memorable characters. I adore what the author has created here, and I find their vision and their voice beyond exciting. What we end up with here, then, is a sympathetic and enterprising group of heroes and an evil stop-at-nothing villain with the fate of the world, once again in their hands.

So did it deliver, I hear you ask? YES!!!!!

A huge thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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Review of Or What You Will by Jo Walton

July 13, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

What a clever, unusual book this is! It’s kind of a “book within a book” and is one of the most interesting experimental books I’ve read. I have to admit that the initial ancient Celtic-style stream of consciousness by the book’s narrator at the beginning took a bit of getting used to as I desperately struggled to figure what was going on. But once I caught on (about 10% of the way in) that our narrator is sort of a self-aware Muse with a distinct personality inside of Sylvia’s head, I relaxed into what turned out to be quite an enjoyable journey.

The narrative alternates between the discussions between Sylvia, an aging fantasy writer who may or may not be dying, and her muse, the nameless narrator. We also follow along with the latest fantasy novel that Sylvia is writing – a fusion between Shakespeare’s The Tempest and The Twelfth Night that takes place in Ilyria, one of the worlds that Sylvia wrote about in her earlier books.

It is in Ilyria where we meet several Shakespearean characters, and we learn that it’s also a place where immortality is possible. It actually took me a moment to realize that the title of this book comes from the original title of The Twelfth Night (The Twelfth Night, Or What You Will).

So the narrator/Sylvia’s Muse is trying to convince her to go to Ilyria before she dies so they can continue to be immortal together, and in doing so, he steers her new story in that direction.

What’s interesting here is that in Sylvia’s chapters, we learn about her challenging and painful past and how our narrator fits into it all. There’s a lot of different moving parts and layers to this novel, and I found it so much fun to be carried along with them.

I will say that this isn’t the sort of story you can sit back with your feet up and mindlessly sail through; it requires careful attention and the ability to quickly switch gears even mid-chapter. That’s not to say that the story is difficult to follow, because it’s not — as long as you don’t let your attention waver too much. It might also be helpful for the reader to be a bit familiar with the storyline of The Twelfth Night and The Tempest plays, as doing so could increase your enjoyment of the story.

There are a plethora of themes and subplots in this book. It’s about art, creation, immortality, mortality, Italian history, magic, myths, and Shakespeare, but it’s also about child abuse, emotional trauma, grief, and spousal abuse, and all of it comes together cohesively in the narrative. I really enjoyed all the ideas in this story and how it all went in so many exciting and fascinating directions.

All in all, I loved this magical gem of a book about a writer’s life, and the world and characters that she created. I feel Shakespeare enthusiasts would especially enjoy this book though prior Shakespeare knowledge is not necessary — just helpful. Though I’m not always a tremendous fan of speculative fiction, I thought this book was brilliant, and I’m so glad it came to my attention. I’d definitely read more by this author.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and MacMillian-Tor/Forge for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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Review of The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

March 30, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Holy. Freaking. Moly.

I am a longtime T.J. Klune fan, so I was excited to learn about his new book. What’s so delightful about this author, is that each of his books is vastly different, all with a different feel to them, so you never quite know what you’re in for. Here, the author gives us a world here where humans and magical creatures coexist, though magical beings are stringently monitored by the government and are required to be ‘registered.’

This story follows a lonely middle-aged gay bureaucrat named Linus Baker who, for the past 17 years, has worked as a caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth where he travels to the various government-sponsored orphanages and evaluates them, strictly adhering to the suffocating RULES AND REGULATIONS as set forth by his department. It’s up to Linus to recommend whether or not the residences he inspects should remain open or be closed down.

One day, he is summoned to the offices of the fear-inducing Extremely Upper Management and told that he is to be sent on a mandatory top secret/top priority assignment: He must travel to the Marsyas Island Orphanage where six of the world’s most problematic and dangerous children reside, one of whom could even bring about the end of days. Linus is to remain there for a month and then report back on the residence’s daily operation — the children and their enigmatic caretaker — ultimately deciding upon the fate of the orphanage and the children therein.

So Linus, along with his grumpy cat Calliope, travel to Marsyas, which turns out to be the adventure of a lifetime. Linus’s presence on the island sets off a remarkable chain of events, and his life changes in ways he never could have predicted. As Linus and the children’s charming ward, Arthur Parnassus, grow closer and closer during Linus’s month-long stay on the island, long-hidden secrets of both the orphanage and the island are exposed.

The characters in this story completely won over my heart, and I fell in love with each and every one of them. Each was quirky and distinctly drawn and touched my soul in ways that I simply couldn’t have fathomed when I first picked up this book.

This story is brimming with personality as the tone shifts from light to dark, snarky to serious and back again with plenty of dry humor/black humor interspersed throughout. There is a deeper story within these pages as it speaks to the divisiveness of the world we live it. This book is all about casting off shame and stigma, and the reader should ready for some definite lump-in-the-throat moments.

This charmer of a story is a love letter to anyone who’s ever felt out of place, like they don’t fit in. What we end up with here, is a moving novel about the deep bonds of family but not a family born of blood, but rather a chosen family. This is one of my favorite themes in a book: of how the bonds of a family chosen or “found” can be as strong or even stronger than those of the family you’re born into and teaches us to find solace in the special friendships that we forge and to trust those who love us.

The love and respect each child gives their caretaker and the close-knit relationships each of them has with Arthur was so endearing and sweet. This is an exceptional novel that delves into themes of prejudice, abuse, bullying, being different, tyranny, identity, mob mentality, doing what’s right vs. doing what’s expected of you, moving past labels, and finding your true family. It’s such an emotive story, and it moved me to tears many times throughout the book. It was full of laughs, smiles, some misty-eyed moments, excellent banter/dialog, with excellent LGBTQ representation.

The writing is superb, the storytelling is magnificent, and the ending is joyous and hopeful. Ultimately, this book about magical children hooked me and wormed into my heart and mind, and may end up being one of my favorite books this year.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and to Tor Books for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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Review of Winter Masquerade by Kevin Klehr

February 21, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

50433565 SY475 Winter Masquerade is an absurdist fiction story that follows a young man named Ferris who awakens on the Sea Queen, a ship that is sailing on a sea of chocolate and which contains passengers with names like Miss Calculation, Miss Communication, Miss Assumption and Miss Represent. He had no idea where he is or how he ended up in this bizarre, surrealistic world; all he wants to do is get home to his boyfriend, Harris. On the ship, he befriends an eclectic group of individuals who agree to help him find his way back. There is supposedly one person on the ship who can help him called The Alchemist, but unfortunately, he’s just been kidnapped, creating another mystery to solve.

A further mystery is the fact that Ferris seems to keep temporarily slipping into a darker, grittier, more menacing alternate dimension in which one of the ordinarily friendly musicians is trying to kill him, the ship he is on is nothing more than a rusted hunk of scrap metal, and the ocean is chock-full of garbage. What’s strange is that this only seems to happen when he thinks about a certain someone back in his “real” world.

This story really had an Alfred Jarry/Alice in Wonderland vibe to it, which was a lot of fun. Though at first glance Winter Masquerade seemed like an absurdist, possibly silly story, there were actually many layers to it, especially once we figured out the true reason that Ferris found himself on the Sea Queen, which was slowly revealed to Ferris throughout the course of the book.

I found it fascinating how Ferris’s new experiences paralleled what was going on in his real world and how the book ended up being a story about survival and finding your own inner strength — about taking back your power. It also served to remind us how easily someone can take that power away from us and, in the process, asks a lot of complex questions.

The characters in the story were charming and yes, silly, and each of them served a purpose in Ferris’s narrative as each helped Ferris to understand the life lesson his time on the Sea Queen is proving him. I especially liked Cole’s character and enjoyed how Ferris slowly unraveled the mystery, thanks to Cole’s influence. There’s also an interesting backstory surrounding Cole and Ferris’s relationship, which added an extra compelling layer to the story. All the quirky and outlandish events in the narrative were kept steady and were grounded by the realism and truth behind it all.

This was a wild ride of a story with stellar world-building, a fun cast of zany characters, and an important message underneath it all. I loved seeing Ferris come into his own and become the person he was meant to be. I thought this was utterly enchanting and a treat for anyone who enjoys an off the wall tale with many layers — an intense roller coaster ride through a world of chocolate and danger. This story is so inventive and so much fun that it repeatedly brought a smile to my face as I worked my way through it. I loved this little gem!

But at the end of the day, one cannot forget one of the most important lessons of the book: “Never fall in love on Wednesday. Nothing good can ever come from anything happening on a Wednesday.”

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