Ed'd Mini Book Review: The Hellsblood Bride (Mookie Pearl Book #2)

More Mookie, yes please. That's how I left off my book review of the first Mookie Pearl book, "The Blue Blazes". We do get more Mookie, but we get a lot of Nora Pearl as well, which isn't such a bad thing. Ok, maybe it's a little bit of a bad thing since we want MORE MOOKIE!

But I digress.

"The Helssblood Bride" is not really a Mookie book, it is a Mookie and Nora book. That's not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. I started to see that Mookie is more of a one trick pony, one that I had hopes to grow into something a bit more than what was on the surface. Nora, on the other hand, is the much more interesting character, the one with the proverbial character arc.

In this installment, we find that Nora is trapped in the Underworld and Mookie is desperate to try and find a way to free her. So desperate, he falls into being who he is and neglects to visit her in person while he is tracking down every avenue to free her. With this neglect, comes the inevitable feeling from Nora that he has slipped into old habits and she hatches a scheme to get herself out.

Along the ride are some familiar faces, on both Mookie's and Nora's adventure. While the book jumps back and forth between them both, it works to balance out the story. Now, I wasn't all that pleased with how the book ended though it was a bold move. From what I have gleaned from some online comments, I am not sure Wendig will write the follow-up which is a shame as the story begs for another chapter. Solid but not as good as "The Blue Blazes".

My Grade: B/B-

LL

Ed'd Mini Book Review: The Blue Blazes (Mookie Pearl Book #1)

Hot off the heels of the latest Sandman Slim novel, the LL was jonesing for more. So I pop into the Google, "books like Sandman Slim". Out of the Google pops a book about some cat named Mookie Pearl, a book called "The Blue Blazes".

"The Blue Blazes" is a mix of a mob book with the "urban fantasy", supernatural thing that is all the rage nowadays. Ok maybe it's died down a bit but still, you know what I mean. Front and center is mob leg-breaker, Mookie Pearl. But, you see, Mookie isn't just your run of the mill leg-breaker, no siree. He takes care of the Underworld's underworld. The place beneath New York City where the demonic, supernatural underworld creeps into our world and what that world has to offer ours is The Blue Blazes. It's a drug mined from the dangerous depths beneath our world that is not only addicting but it makes you aware of the denizens beneath in their true form. It gives you the sight, which most would think is a drug induced hallucination, but those in the know can see the creatures from the Great Below that have come up to live in the city. And, that's what Mookie does and is good at, dealing with that world and all that it entails.

Half way through the book, I was clamoring for a Mookie Pear/Joe Pitt team up (For those that don't know Joe Pitt, I mentioned those books a while back.). Both set in NY, deal with the supernatural and both have a penchant for solving things with their fists. C'mon, it's a no-brainer.

What I really like about Mookie is that he's a blunt instrument. He's not your wise cracking, smart alec, fast-talking, scoundrel of a hero. No, he is who he is and he knows who he is. He's not the smartest and he's not funny, though that is not to say that the book is devoid of humor. He's a different hero, one that you don't see that often as the focus of a book.

"The Blue Blazes" is a fun ride, one that starts off with a toe in the water of the supernatural but then gets pretty deep into it. It didn't matter one bit if it did or didn't for me, and I know some like that sort of thing and some don't like too much of it, I was just along the ride for Mookie. I think you'll connect with him that way too and that's the hallmark of a great character.

More Mookie? Yes, please.

My Grade" A-

LL

Ed's Mini Book Review - The Kill Society: A Sandman Slim Novel

I love me some Sandman Slim. Let that be known up front. Full of witty, smarmy-ness and sometimes obscure, pop culture references. But, to be honest, I couldn't tell you much about the story line of the last few books. I chewed them up for Stark (Sandman Slim) and the pop culture references.

This go around, I was all in. I dug the story and various plot lines and legit wanted to see how it all turns out. Who is the mysterious leader of Havoc, The Magistrate and what is behind his "quest"? Is Stark going to get a new hook-up? I was there, pillar to post and my only big knock is that I think it ended too quickly. There I was, 400 pages in and I still felt cheated. I wanted more, I wanted to see where things took Stark next, but I guess I have to wait until next year.

Overall, an excellent outing for Sandman Slim and I can't wait for the next one.

My Grade: A-

LL

Ed's Mini Book Review - Kill the Dead by Robert Kadrey

Image by Rrrrred via FlickrKill the Dead is the second Sandman Slim book by Robert Kadrey which piqued my curiosity in the series after seeing it on a number of Top 10 lists for Urban Fantasy in 2010. I decided to read the first Sandman Slim book, cleverly titled Sandman Slim, though the review for Kill the Dead that I read said I didn't really need to read the first book and it seems like they were lying a bit.

Kill the Dead picks up shortly after the end of Sandman Slim and if you didn't read the first book, there would a lot that you would not get right away or just go right over your head. Kadrey does a good job of getting you up to speed but I think there would be a little lost if you hadn't read Sandman Slim. Kadrey also doesn't waste any time getting back into things with an action piece right off the top and let's face it, that's why you would read something like this anyway, for some hard nosed action. I also like that Kadrey has no problems going for the brass ring and bringing in the heavy hitters. What does that mean? Read the book and find out.

I've read too many books that are looking to drag things out for the sequel or to continue the series that it sometimes feels that things aren't progressing or going anywhere anytime soon. Not this series (of two so far). Kadrey keeps the action moving and, in a departure from the first, the development of Stark (Sandman Slim) beyond the sociopath bent on revenge to....something else. He was fairly one dimensional in the first book but here, in amongst the action pieces, we get some growth with Stark that added a change a pace as the one tune Stark gets stale after a while.

I highly recommend the Sandman Slim books if you're into that sort of thing, fast paced action of the urban fantasy variety. I can't wait for book three!

My Grade: A

LL