I very much enjoyed this book, in a read-it-all-in-one-go sort of way (and as busy as I am these days, that doesn't happen as often as I'd like anymorI very much enjoyed this book, in a read-it-all-in-one-go sort of way (and as busy as I am these days, that doesn't happen as often as I'd like anymore!). The plot is straightforward, the characters are likeable (hooray!) and it's always highly entertaining to read about a place I've actually lived. (Okay, the place is never named exactly, and *maybe* some of it's been fictionalized and/or vagued a little bit--but it's still my old college town.)
Fear Itself is a fun romp in the best sense of the description. The bad guys are really bad (icky trans dimensional beings, in fact, so no one is sorry to see them go), the good guys are good everyman types, and the moral of the story is, really, "Don't read ancient spells you don't underestand from old books, even if you don't think magic is real. Just--don't." No grey morality here--which is rather nice, actually. It's funny in places, horrific (intentionally, mind you) in others, and the characters react believably and are, thank goodness, refreshingly practical. I particularly enjoyed the transplanted police detective, whose stubborn insistence that "no, a bear bloody well did NOT do that, I don't care what you say" was amusing and, when proven right, accepted the real explanation with very little denial or whimpering. Indeed, most of the characters, major and minor, when confronted with the facts did not behave stupidly--and that in itself is nice to see. I hate it when plot tension is artifically heightened by deliberately, suicidally stupid characters. (The Pendergast series, for example, is terrible about this.) The academic who gets dragged into it all near the end for his ability to translate just about everything (except Sumerian--but he has colleagues for that) even gets a little excited (horrified, but excited) about the whole thing, and manages to be endearing about it rather than creepy. Even the redshirts who die early on and mid-novel are, in their brief time the reader gets to know them, likeable, and I was very sad and shocked when they died--which is an indication of some very good characterization. It helped me empathize with the surivors and their grief: I shared it.
The editing was excellent--I caught maybe one typo in the entire book, which is a far sight better than many "professionally" edited books I've read recently. The writing style is intelligent, easily readible, and has a lovely wry touch in the right places. The characters managed to cling to their senses of humor (by ragged fingernails, at times), and never lost their humanity--which, in the end is what enabeled them to win.
The book itself has a little bit of everything: horror, fantasy, humor, romance (a whirlwind one, but one I could actually buy!), adventure, and suspense. I especially liked the two main protagonists (this is an ensemble cast, but Sara and Vaaslo were clearly intended as the primary heroes). Sara, for reasons even she can't name, is the one person who is immune to the horrors and, in spite of the grief, heartbreak, and horror that has invaded her life remains tough and determined to protect as many people as she can. Vaaslo, the transplanted homicide detective, is badass and cool--but manages to avoid the paranormal romance stereotypes that seem to crop up nearly every time a cop character turns up in a book with fantastic/supernatural elements. (Though he is hot, mind you--I kept envisioning Vin Diesel. But Vaaslo also had actual depth, interest, and he fell for the main female protagonist for her strength and compassion and brains, not because of an indefinable "connection" or because he thought she was hot. Sara in turn liked him because he didn't treat her like a wilting flower, he *believed* her, and he actually *listened* to her--y'know, treated her like a person and not an object of desire. *Thank* you, SMR Cooper!) The supporting cast was just as likeable: Stephanie, for example, could have turned into a whimpering, quivering basket-case and no one would have blamed her, but instead she grew a spine because she loved her friends, dammit. The one character who might have qualified as "underdeveloped" is really only so because, y'know, he's the one who read the book in the first few pages and vanishes into the ether--though we get to know him somewhat through the eyes of his sister and friends, and he does do his best to help even if he is either dead or in limbo (his fate, alas, is unknown).
I definitely recommend this book--it's a far sight better than many I've read recently that were "professionally" published (seriously, it's astonishing the crap that rolls out of the publishing houses sometimes). Miles better, in fact. It's a quick read, and an extremely entertaining one....more
An utterly charming collection of fantasy short stories! Wonderful reading, whether you're in the mood for a single story or a read-in-one-sitting sesAn utterly charming collection of fantasy short stories! Wonderful reading, whether you're in the mood for a single story or a read-in-one-sitting session.
On to the stories themselves:
"Night Service": This is my second favorite story in the collection (the first is the Forgotten Path). It's a beautiful piece, very touching--and it (pleasantly) surprised me in NOT going in the expected, implied ghost-story direction. The setting is lovely--I wouldn't mind visiting that spot in the woods myself.
"Plumbing and the Modern Necromancer": I love the premise of this story--necromancers and his plumbing zombies (and vampires). One of the 'fluffier' tales in the group--but this is not a bad thing. It's a fun twist on urban fantasy tropes, and although I don't think the titual necromancer is different from his fellows in plotting to take over the world (or at least, leadership of the U.S.), he's less slimy than any real life politicians I can think of, and I think I'd prefer him as President! :D
"Squirrels in the Attic": Sometimes the vermin in your house aren't quite what you think... This one wasn't one of my favorites (though I still liked it), but it was still fun, and like the previous story it plays around with current fantasy trend tropes: in this case, I suspect a bit of poking fun at paranormal romances--which really need all the teasing they can get. Again, though, it doesn't work out as one might expect, which makes it rather superior to most paranormal-romance-type short stories I've recently had the misfortune to read. And nary a vampire or werewolf in sight, thank Heaven!!
"It's Cellar Time": One of my other favorites in the book. The villain is wonderfully despicable, and his would-be victims are charming--and the, ah, 'family curse' that lives in the basement is, again, something outside the "norm" for an urban/modern fantasy. And hey, I love old ladies who are badass in their own indomitable way...
"Just Like Clockwork": Being a lover of steampunk, I enjoyed the poking fun of the aesthetic in this story. Clockwork pet rat? Cute. Clockwork man? Probably not a great idea. The story is a bit of a cliffhanger--a bit of a change from most of the other tales--but it's nice to interpret your own fate for the unfortunate inventor and his buddy according to your preference for horror or happy ending.
"Behind the Gate": A fairly basic urban legend type of tale: a young boy, recently moved to the area and desperate for acceptance into a "cool" group of kids, accepts a dare from one of the cool kids to brave a scary estate as an initiation. Like most of the other stories, however, there's a bit of a twist...
"The Laundry Monster": One of my favorites. As anyone who has ever done laundry for a family with more than one child (be it their own children or siblings) knows, laundry is a NEVER ENDING PROJECT. Only in the case of this unfortunate family, it's more so: to the point that clothes long-gotten-rid-of are turning up in the laundry. The progress of the mother--from bewildered anger, to fear she's going crazy, to whimpering-on-the-couch, and finally to not only accepting but (with the aid of her also-convinced family) fighting back is fantastic and quite cute. Her unnamed but clever children's method of disposing not only of the laundry monster but also the monster that lives under the youngest's bed made me laugh out loud--because anyone who has ever lived in the suburbs, or been part of any kind of social grouping (be it church, school, or otherwise), has had a neighbor/acquaintance like THAT woman!
"Don't Forget Your Change": Really, it's a good idea to listen to what the local kids say about a place...Another fun twist on an old archetype: the troll under the bridge. Who--and I think this is not a coincidence--bears an eerie similarity to the nastier type of collections agent...
"Dragon, Party of Two": I think this one would really shine if done in a longer format, but it was a nice love story nevertheless--and I did enjoy the take on dragons. Again, Jane stays away from the endless variations-on-a-theme that glut the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres (you know what I mean: vampires are sexy, werewolves are sexy, dragons are sexy, etc, etc, etc) and instead takes the old mythological dragon--as representations of greed and selfishness--and deposits them in the modern world where, unsurprisingly, they do extremely well in certain (*cough* corporate *cough*) arenas. And her dragon hunter is pretty damned cool--I'd like to see a broader version of his adventures.
"Spinning": I love reinterpreted fairytales, and this one--though I twigged to it right away (I don't think it was meant to be un-obvious, honestly), I thoroughly enjoyed the twists applied. Prince Charming need not apply here: the "Sleeping Beauty" is not someone anyone wants to wake up!!
"My Big Brother Says": Another fun twist on urban fantasy, childhood rituals (the backyard campout in this case) and irritating older siblings. (Yes, there does seem to be a theme in the book of turning tropes on their heads--this is a Good Thing) I quite liked the fourth little boy, who--judging by his reasons for accompanying the other kids, has a bright future as a hero.
"The Forgotten Path": This is probably my favorite story in the group. It's a wonderful story of parental love, broken promises, and the fact that, sometimes, love really DOESN'T conquer all--not when an individual refuses to move past their own fears and insecurities and embrace a bigger, if "unknown" life. It also happens to use imagery and mythos from one of my all-time favorite mythological entities: the Green Man. (Jane--I want to illustrate this one!!!)
"Maple Days": This story would not be out of place in a collection of stories I own about green men and urban faeries that included the likes of Emma Bull and Neil Gaiman. It's a lovely tale about creativity and family, and I think it would, written in a longer format, make a wonderful YA novel--and again, with nary a vampire, werewolf, or insert-fantasy-critter-here boyfriend. Olivia, frankly, had far more important things on her mind--and I really enjoyed her company.
Overall, this is a collection of tales I would read again--some more than others, to be sure--and one I definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy, gentle satire, and down-to-earth humor about everyday things....more
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