Archive | October, 2023

Magical Mysteries: Long Past Dues & Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies

11 Oct

Long Past Dues
by James J. Butcher
Long Past Dues is the second in James J. Butcher’s The Unorthodox Chronicles. Grimsby is a young witch who has achieved his dream of becoming an auditor at the elite Boston Department of Unorthodox Affair, but his dream job isn’t what he expected; his partner is depressed and refuses to leave his home, his friend he has a crush on is aloof, and he seems to only get the most boring of cases such as checking in with werewolves that they will be appropriately contained during the full moon. However, when he accidently becomes cursed, he must face creatures from the other realm based on myth like Echidna, a part woman/part snake monster, as well as creatures out of Butcher’s own imagination. I hadn’t read the first novel in the series, Dead Man’s Hand, but still was able to thoroughly enjoy it and quickly pick up characters and “the rules” of Grimsby’s world; warning though it ends on a cliff hangar that will lead you eagerly awaiting book three. Butcher is the son of Jim Butcher who also has written the Dresden Files, another Urban Fantasy I had previously blogged about.

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies
by Misha Popp
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies is the first in Misha Popp’s Pies Before Guys Mysteries. It is an unusual novel in the fact that though, Daisy, the protagonist is likeable in many ways, I still had trouble connecting with her character, similar to how I felt about the protagonist in Dexter. This is because both characters are murderers, in the case of Dexter, he kills serial killers and in the case of Daisy she uses magic pies to murder men who have violently abused women. Her pies can also give positive gifts like boosting confidence and giving a sense of calm to those who needed it. Much of the novel has a cozy mystery feel as Daisy tries to discover who is blackmailing her and starts seriously contemplating dating one of two love interests for the first time in her life; she is also entering a pie baking competition which probably could have been enough for an enjoyable read, but meanwhile Daisy is also finding women who she can make vengeful murder pies for. Usually when the main character is this morally gray in nature, the book tends to be quite a bit grittier, but there is a lot of whimsy in this story. Some of how you feel about Daisy and this book will likely be based on your feelings about vigilantism and certain political stances, but fans of the similarly whimsically dark TV series Pushing Daisies might want to check this novel out. I found it a truly unique reading experience. The third book in the series is scheduled to be published in May of 2024.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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October Thrills and Chills: The Dead Take the A Train and Comfort Me with Apples

4 Oct
Cover Images from Amazon.com

The Dead Take the A Train
by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
Being just across the river, I was excited to read The Dead Take the A Train which merges magic and otherworldly monsters with the gritty reality of New York City. It imagines a world where Cthulhu would be summoned by Investment Bankers or Legal Firms to increase their power. I had enjoyed in the past two of Khaw’s novellas so was curious to see what a full length novel that they cowrote with Richard Kadrey would be like. Julie, the main character, starts out feeling a bit like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, pretty girl with powers who is underestimated, but only she can manage to save the world, but it is much darker bringing in Julie’s drug use which she uses to fill the emptiness from being abandoned and abused in too many past relationships. Her found family includes a landlord who may be an ageless film star, who reminded me a bit of the narrator of Siren Queen, a recent favorite of mine. Plus there is Julie’s online gaming friend who is the priest to a pantheon of digital gods reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. All of these associations meant the novel was very much in my wheel house, but it also shouldn’t be taken away that there aren’t a lot of original ideas and concepts mixed in. Julie and her long time BFF, Sarah, who have unrequited feelings for each other, both have exs who are both mentally and physically abusive and the horrors of our real world are depicted as being just as brutal as those of the Nether Realm. This might be on the dark side for some fantasy fans, but horror aficionados will be counting the days to the sequels release.

Comfort Me With Apples
by Catherynne M. Valente
Comfort Me With Apples draws its title from a bible quote and besides the bible, the story also seems to have a bit of the classic Bluebeard fairytale mixed in for additional inspiration. Sophia wants to be perfect for her perfect husband and the perfect life she believes she has. Her neighbors seem to like her, but she worries that things might not be quite right despite their assurances since there is a mysterious basement she is not allowed to enter. I enjoyed this novella as an audiobook read by Karis Campbell who did a great job of bringing Sophia’s naïve wonder and fears at the world that she slowly understands to life. Her voices for Sophia’s neighbors were charming and added a bit of humor to what is overall a very dark work. Although I picked up fairly early on where the story was leading to, the dialogue at the end was still haunting and the story asks relevant questions about women’s autonomy and continued ability to define themselves on their own terms in our modern world. I had previously written about several of Valente’s other works including The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairy Land and Space Opera. Fans of Neil Gaiman and Holly Black will also enjoy this work.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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