Book Log 2/2013 - Kevin Hearne: Hounded

Atticus O'Sullivan is the last (real) druid. he's been on the run from Aenghus Óg: Celtic god of love, who has been pursuing Atticus for over two thousand years to retrieve the Fragarach, a sword of unearthly power that Atticus acquired on the battlefield. Currently Atticus, a permanent twenty-something in appearance, is the proprietor of the Third Eye bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, about as far away from any portals available to malevolent Irish gods as he can get, but Atticus is getting fed up of running, so when he gets several warnings that Aenghus Óg is getting close he decides to stand his ground.

There are some good characters including Oberon: Atticus' Irish Wolfhound who communicates telepathically with Atticus and has some snappy dialogue (and for a talking dog is quite an engaging character and very dog oriented). Atticus himself narrates the story in first person and since he's got two millennia worth of knowledge and experience, nothing much comes as a surprise to him, so it's not a question of figuring out what next but more about Atticus figuring out how to deal with what's next.

In addition to Irish gods from the Tuatha Dé Danann, some friendly, some not and all forming factions, Atticus' attourney is a werewolf and the boss of the law firm is a vampire (cue the occasional joke). There's also Granuaile: barmaid at the local Irish theme pub, who is currently possessed by an Indian witch and interested in taking up the magic trade.

Yes, this is first in a series, much recommended by various avid readers on the r.a.sf.w newsgroup I frequent. As a first outing it lives up to expectations as a fast paced, engaging urban fantasy with mythic overtones, so I shall be looking or the next one.

Book Log 3/2013 - Kristen Callihan: Firelight – Darkest London #1

Miranda is a firestarter whose accidental spawning of a warehouse fire in her childhood ruined her merchant father's finances and he has forced her into a life of thievery to deflect creditors. She comes to the notice of Lord Archer, London's most nefarious nobleman who covers a mysterious disfigurement behind a full-face mask. When her father's fortunes are at their lowest ebb Archer makes an offer no one can refuse and Miranda is 'sold' to him in marriage, though she quickly finds this much to her liking.

Frightened of rejection Miranda hides her fire-starting talents from her new husband even though she's often in danger of causing a conflagration, but he's equally secretive which leads to inevitable misunderstandings - a Regency Romance type trope. The two main characters could have solved a lot of problems before things got dire between them if only they'd trusted each other and talked.

There's not much consummation at first, though there's plenty of passion and mystery. Archer's past is coming back to haunt him. Someone is murdering his former associates and Archer himself is under suspicion. Miranda doesn't believe him guilty and sets out to prove it, getting into various scrapes and finally putting herself in danger from his magical ancient enemy.

Though the setting is late Victorian it often feels much earlier. In fact one of its flaws is that it doesn't quite seem to pin down the period. Though we have plenty of stinky back alleys, it doesn't feel quite modern enough for late Victorian London. It's much more Georgette Heyer with supernatural elements than it is Conan Doyle. For instance it talks about 'the ton' in Regency terms. Although I believe the term persisted into the late 19th century we're so used to hearing it in a Regency context that it felt wrong here. But despite my historical misgivings the mystery is handled well. The pacing feels spot-on. Elements are teased out organically and we only find out about Archer's condition, and what caused it, as Miranda does.

This is fast-paced and brimming with sexual tension. It's a quick read and a real page-turner even though you want to bang Archer and Miranda's heads together a couple of times. There's a very real threat-level and Callihan makes you care about the characters. Worth a read.