Tuesday, February 21, 2017
GUEST BLOG: When Fantasy Meets Reality: Looking at the World Through 4 Dimensional Glasses by Erika Lewis (Game of Shadows)
Have you ever wanted to see the world differently? We all
would love to do that at some point. That is exactly what our guest blogger for
today explores – seeing the world through 4D glasses when fantasy meets
reality.
Fantasy Book Critic is excited to welcome Erika Lewis to
guest blog. Erika is celebrating the release of her debut novel, Game of
Shadows. Game of Shadows comes out February 28, 2017 and is published by Tor
Books.
Summary of Game of Shadows
Ethan Makkai thought
that seeing ghosts was the worst of his problems. Between his ethereal gift and
life with a single mother hell-bent on watching his every move, he feels
imprisoned. When Ethan sees a chance to escape, to leave the house by himself
for the first time in his life, he seizes it, unaware that this first taste of
freedom will cost him everything.
Ethan is thrown into a strange and eerie world, like nothing he's ever seen. He's assaulted by dive-bombing birds and rescued by a stranger who claims to be his bodyguard. His apartment is trashed, and his mother is kidnapped to a place Ethan never knew existed—a hidden continent called Tara.
Travelling to Tara in search of his mother, Ethan discovers that everything he knows about his life is a lie. His mother is royalty. His father is not dead. His destiny is likely to get him killed.
Confronted by a vicious sorcerer determined to destroy the Makkai family, Ethan must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother and all the people of Tara, including the beautiful girl he’s fallen for.
Ethan is thrown into a strange and eerie world, like nothing he's ever seen. He's assaulted by dive-bombing birds and rescued by a stranger who claims to be his bodyguard. His apartment is trashed, and his mother is kidnapped to a place Ethan never knew existed—a hidden continent called Tara.
Travelling to Tara in search of his mother, Ethan discovers that everything he knows about his life is a lie. His mother is royalty. His father is not dead. His destiny is likely to get him killed.
Confronted by a vicious sorcerer determined to destroy the Makkai family, Ethan must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother and all the people of Tara, including the beautiful girl he’s fallen for.
Please welcome Erika Lewis to our blog! A huge thank you to
Erika and Tor for arranging this blog stop!
******************************************************************
When Fantasy meets Reality: Looking at the World
through 4 Dimensional Glasses by Erika Lewis
Have you ever strolled
through a zoo, wondering how many of the sleeping animals were really
shape-shifting aliens just trying to get a little shuteye? Or leaped over a
gutter not wanting to fall into the drainage system underneath the city, but
you know the truth. It leads to an underground world where you’ll be dragged
into the service of a militant gremlin for his personal pleasure.
That’s what I like to call
looking at the world through 4-D glasses. My favorite stories bend the real
world into something different, magical and exciting, and dark and twisted.
C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with a doorway that
leads to a strange and wondrous land called Narnia. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter
universe where wizards and witches’ magic life intersects with the muggle
world on a daily basis. Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter novels where a battle
between pantheons, and their unique offspring, rages throughout history,
and into present day New Orleans (at least in the first book.) All brilliant
authors who imagined the streets outside their doorsteps with the same quirky
houses, and nosey neighbors, in the same towns with the traditional markets and
clothing stores, but they saw something else. They saw soul-sucking vampires
who roamed the streets at night, witches and warlocks living and working side
by side with humans who had no idea magic even exists, or a door inside a
wardrobe that would take you to an entirely different land.
I loved these books. Books
that force me to examine my own world in a new way, to wonder if the impossible
was possible in my own backyard. It all began with Roald Dahl’s Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory. My love for sugar led to a fixation on finding a way
to get to the chocolate factory through my own house. Let me preface this by
saying that I was seven. I told my friends who were sleeping over that the
downstairs bathroom’s shower was a secret elevator into the factory. Yeah. I
had a very active imagination. But, here’s the catch, it only worked at the
stroke of midnight. Months of trying, we could never manage to keep our eyes
open after eleven. I never got to bathe in the chocolate river, or drink soda
that let me float to the ceiling.
During my college years, I
spent a semester living in London, but traveled to Ireland almost every
weekend. With little money for flights, a group of friends and I would hop on a
train for Liverpool as soon as classes let out. We’d stop there for an hour
because they had COLD beer on tap! Don’t laugh. It was hard to come by in England
at that time. Then, we’d get the ferry from Liverpool to Dublin. I don’t
recommend this as a travel plan unless you have a very strong stomach. Rough
seas lead to intense seasickness, especially post beer. Flying is much easier.
Renting the cheapest car we
could find, we’d pile in, with my friend Faith and I usually in the backseat,
the peanut gallery they called us, and we’d give directions. But we never had a
map. When we came to a roundabout or a fork in the road, we’d just pick a
direction. Usually not the same one… thus the nickname.
One day, as fate took a
hand, we ended up in County Meath, at the Hill of Tara, the Celtic seat of
power. An hour following a loquacious guide with tales of high kings, magical
Druids, and a mother goddess, and I was hooked. I knew I wanted to bring them
in to the real world, into my world and yours, but how?
Game of Shadows. When Ethan Makkai, a kid
from Venice, California, whispered in my ear, I knew I had a sarcastically
funny, relentlessly tormented, reluctant hero. And who better to push Ethan
every step of the way than a strong-willed, kickass young woman from Tara with
magical powers she never knew she had until he comes into her life. Sounds like
a match made in the Otherworld, right? Ethan couldn’t agree less the first time
he meets her, since she’s gleefully attempting to remove his head.
But, this 4-D world starts
off in Los Angeles where Ethan lives with his mother. Not sure about where you
live, but L.A. is filled with loudly screeching, hungry crows. They straddle
the wires that run through the alleys behind houses, prepared to dive-bomb for
their lunch. But you see, in Ethan’s neighborhood, those crows are actually
spies waiting to dive-bomb him, once they find him alone. And they’re not alone
in spying on Ethan either.
Not unlike the elevator I
wanted to take to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, Ethan travels to Tara
through a portal that reminds me of my time on that rocking ferry to Ireland,
only much, much worse. And on the other side of that gateway, he finds a world
that both excites and terrifies him…
So, the next time you’re
walking down the same old boring street, bring a notebook. Take out your phone
and take some pictures. Is there something you never noticed before? Are you
afraid to touch it? Go on. Do it. Push the tiny grate open. I double-dog-dare
you…
ERIKA
LEWIS graduated from Vanderbilt University, and went on to
earn an Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing from Stony Brook University.
She has had a successful career in television production for the past fifteen
years, working with Sony (V.I.P, Strong Medicine), with
Fireworks Television (La Femme Nikita, Andromeda, Mutant
X, Strange Days at Blake Holsey High), with Fox (On Air with
Ryan Seacrest, Ambush Makeover) and with G4 (Attack of the
Show, X-Play). Erika is the author of The 49th Key,
currently running in Heavy Metal Magazine, with the trade out soon,
and the recently released Firebrand with Legendary
Comics. Game of Shadows is Erika’s debut novel. Find out more
at: http://www.erikalewis.com/
12:00 AM | 
Posted by
Cindy |
Monday, February 20, 2017
"The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett" by Chelsea Sedoti (Reviewed by Cindy Hannikman)
Visit Chelsea Sedoti's Official Website Here
OVERVIEW: A teenage
misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing
person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her
boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy
theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to
immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her
boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own
place in the world.
FORMAT: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is a YA
contemporary mystery novel. It stands at 398 pages. It was published January 3,
2017 by Sourcebooks.
ANALYSIS: Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a
stalker? You know one of those people who sees someone for a nanosecond and
they become so obsessed with them they think of them day and night and start to
become that person? If you answered yes, then this book is for you!
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett was supposed to be this
mysterious contemporary YA novel about a girl who goes missing while on a
camping. Of course, the girl was loved by the entire city and was uber-popular,
but one girl Hawthorn becomes obsessed with the case and is hellbent on solving
it.
Sounds like it has potential, but it sadly missed the boat.
The book is filled with 95% of Hawthorne being an ultra-selfish, rude,
insensitive person who doesn't care about anyone or anything. That is until she
develops a borderline stalker attitude towards Lizzie Lovett – after Lizzie
went missing.
I understand people being upset about someone missing, but
Hawthorne takes it to a whole new level. She had only talked to the girl ONE
time in her entire life. In fact, she hated Lizzie and couldn't stand her. But
when Lizzie goes missing Hawthorne is going to solve the case.
How is she going to solve the case you ask? Well, she
becomes Lizzie. Yes, she goes and takes the same job at the small diner as
Lizzie, she frequents the places she went, walks around the campsite she went
missing, and even starts dating Lizzie's boyfriend (who BTW is 25 and Hawthorne
is 17). Hawthorne makes it her life to become and be Lizzie – because she
believes she has this perfect life.
While she is working on solving the mystery, Hawthorne gets
this brilliant idea that Lizzie has turned into a werewolf (did I mention this
book is a contemporary YA novel? If not, please keep that in mind because... it
is important). Hawthorne doesn't just keep her theory to herself. She tells her
brother, her parents, and even Lizzie's boyfriend. And it isn't like 'Oh maybe
she was a werewolf", we are talking full researching werewolves, going on
hunts, and honestly believing that Lizzie is a werewolf.
The whole werewolf thing was just weird and out of place. I
am not sure if it was some attempt at humor or some attempt at fantasy realism
or what, but it didn't work. It just seemed like Hawthorne was immature and
mentally unstable, and people like Lizzie's boyfriend just encouraged her by
taking her on werewolf hunts and doing all this stuff to help 'find the
werewolf'.
I honestly thought that Hawthorne was going to turn out to
be some mentally ill, bipolar individual. She was so all over the board with
the things she would do. For example, she is upset that everyone is upset
Lizzie is missing and she claims they shouldn't care because they hadn't seen
her in a while. Jump forward a few weeks, Hawthorne is now obsessed with
Lizzie's disappearance and she is upset that everyone has moved on.
Another example is of her and her rather rude attitude
towards her brother. She just said whatever popped in her head no matter how
rude or insensitive it is. I couldn't believe someone would be 17 and not have
one single ounce of care for anyone around them. Hawthorne didn't. There had to
be something wrong with her.
I will say that Chelsea Sedoti has a really good writing
style. It is very conversational and it makes for a fast read. I just feel that
this novel could have become so much more than it did. The mystery (which was
non-existent) was boring, the ending of the book was unsatisfying, and the
obsession with someone you barely knew was just odd. Maybe it would have been
better if Hawthorne had been a little nicer, the mystery a little more
mysterious, if the werewolf theory wasn't so front and center, or even if
Hawthorne and Lizzie had been friends (either currently or in the past). But it
wasn't and it just made for a weird read.
Official Author Website
Order The Killing Floor Blues HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Long Way Down
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The White Gold Score
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Redemption Song
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Living End
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Plain-Dealing Villain
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Winter's Reach
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Instruments Of Control
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Interview with Craig Schaefer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Craig Schaefer was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by Elmore Leonard, Richard Stark, Clive Barker & H. P. Lovecraft. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in Joliet, Illinois and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Nobody has ever escaped from the Iceberg. It's a privately-owned prison deep in the Mojave Desert, staffed by brutal guards and surrounded by desolate wasteland. Inside the walls, gangs and predators are constant threats; outside the walls, there's nothing but a sniper's bullet or a slow death in the desert heat.
Framed for murder and snared in a deadly curse, Daniel Faust lands behind bars with a target on his back. Worse, with Faust out of the picture, the Chicago mob is making its bid for control of Las Vegas. If he can't engineer his escape in time to stop them, none of his friends are safe. Then there's the matter of the warden's dark secret, the one that's filling up the prison morgue with body bags.
Faust has been caged, buried, cut off from his allies and his magic. His enemies think they've won. They're about to learn, the hard way, that this is one sorcerer who always has a trick up his sleeve. Nobody has ever escaped from the Iceberg. But the Iceberg has never had a prisoner like Daniel Faust.
FORMAT/INFO: The Killing Floor Blues is 326 pages long divided over forty-eight chapters with a prologue, an epilogue and an afterword. Narration is in the first-person, via Daniel Faust solely and similar third-person narratives for the prologue and epilogue. This is the fifth volume of The Daniel Faust series.
July 30, 2015 marked the North American paperback and e-book publication of The Killing Floor Blues and it was self-published by the author. Cover art and design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design.
CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a cast of anti-heroes and with a magician con-man as the protagonist, the Daniel Faust series is Richard Stark's Parker crossed with The Dresden Files and set in Las Vegas.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Killing Floor Blues was my favorite book of 2016 and possibly the best book in the Daniel Faust series (of the six I've read so far). This book while being such an awesome read, cannot be read as a standalone unfortunately. There will be mild spoilers as I cannot discus much of its blurb without mentioning certain events from A Plain Dealing Villain. On a side note, I believe the events of The Killing Floor Blues are set a little before the events showcased in Harmony Black (book 1 of the Harmony Black series).
The prologue affords us another look at the Smile and his lackey Ms. Fleiss, most readers will recognize Fleiss from the events of the previous book wherein she hired Daniel Faust to steal an artifact in Chicago. The Smile & Fleiss talk about their efforts and this is the first inkling we get of the grand plan that the author has only hinted at so far. In our world, Daniel wakes up disoriented and finds himself on way to the Eisenberg correctional facility (also called Iceberg) in the Mojave desert. Confused as to why he's on way to prison without having a trial, Daniel finds out that he's already been tried and found guilty. Thoroughly befuddled by this rapid turn, Faust soon learns that a grand sinister plan is underway and he's been targeted for reasons unknown.
While in prison, he has to figure out the way of life in prison and also keep himself from being a target of a drug gang that has a branch in Las Vegas (as retribution for his alleged murder of one of their own). There's also bikers from a club to whom he owes money and lastly he will have to contend the inhumane conditions & odious guards in the private prison. Faust learns soon that things are truly f***ed for him as he finds out more about the strange on-goings in prison, the way of life inside as well as he tries to figure out how he landed in prison. The author then gives us a breakneck storyline that's full of action, plot twists and some superb revelations that had me fall in love with this book.
Going on to the positives, this book is one hell of an amalgamation of urban fantasy and a crime thriller. Think Prison Break mixed with a tad bit of Spartacus as well as Taken and you will get an inkling of what a crazy mix of a story this is. The story opens on a somber note but then quickly explodes as we get a fascinating look at private prisons and especially what a scenario might entail when a magician like Daniel Faust is thrown into the mix. The author isn't writing a polemic here so folks who want a detailed look at prisons and all the socio-economic factors that go into the prison populace won't find it here. What the readers will find is a story that will keep you excited, make you cringe and of course try to outguess the author. This is a perfect thriller if you ask me and one of the main reasons why this book was my top choice last year.
Going to the characterization, with the story having a sole narrative voice, it all depends on the character and Daniel Faust doesn't disappoint. With this being the fifth book in the series, the author has had plenty of time to perfect the character and his voice. Faust is a fascinating rascal of a character who doesn't shy away from the occasional violence but uses his brains, skills and talent to get what he wants. This story has him utilizing all three to survive in an environment which reminds him when he was helpless as a child. He swore never to have to experience those feelings but due to the actions of certain people, he finds himself a liar. The narrative never gets too bogged down with the character feeling dismayed as Faust is a fighter and he's already thinking on an escape plan.
The beauty of the plot twists is that while it might seem that this book is about a prison break, it's not that entirely. The story takes a lot of turns and in hands of another author might have been a simple story focussing on a singular plot thread. Craig Schaefer refuses to take the simple route as has been evidenced by his writing career so far. He combines at least three different plots into this storyline and makes them all coherent and flow smoothly. I loved how this book while sticking to the prison escape tropes, yet managed to make the story interesting by adding in newer twists. The author also explores the idea of magic existing but doesn't give the character a simple-get-out-of-jail trick/card. While there is one scene that simply exists to set up something about the character and for future story set-up, I doubt readers will find fault with it and like me, most will enjoy its creepy, oozy factor (I'm using oozy for a very particular reason and you will understand when you read it).
The story just zooms with all of its twists and then ends on a fascinating climax and then we find that there's more to the book. There's a coda plot twist that might upset a few readers but I enjoyed it as it was another way to upend reader expectations. Overall this story was one where I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Going on to the drawbacks, this was one book where I honestly found none. After finishing my primary read I've re-read a few more times and the excitement held up each time. For me that's a sign of an excellent read.
CONCLUSION: The Killing Floor Blues is a book that mixes various genre plots and leaves the readers bemused. For me this book was one of the best fictional reads that I've ever read in a long time. I would recommend most readers on this series just so they can enjoy this volume as much as I did. Do not miss this book and this series, as by the time it will be finished this will be considered a classic one.
Order The Killing Floor Blues HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Long Way Down
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The White Gold Score
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Redemption Song
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Living End
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Plain-Dealing Villain
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Winter's Reach
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Instruments Of Control
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Interview with Craig Schaefer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Craig Schaefer was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by Elmore Leonard, Richard Stark, Clive Barker & H. P. Lovecraft. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in Joliet, Illinois and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Nobody has ever escaped from the Iceberg. It's a privately-owned prison deep in the Mojave Desert, staffed by brutal guards and surrounded by desolate wasteland. Inside the walls, gangs and predators are constant threats; outside the walls, there's nothing but a sniper's bullet or a slow death in the desert heat.
Framed for murder and snared in a deadly curse, Daniel Faust lands behind bars with a target on his back. Worse, with Faust out of the picture, the Chicago mob is making its bid for control of Las Vegas. If he can't engineer his escape in time to stop them, none of his friends are safe. Then there's the matter of the warden's dark secret, the one that's filling up the prison morgue with body bags.
Faust has been caged, buried, cut off from his allies and his magic. His enemies think they've won. They're about to learn, the hard way, that this is one sorcerer who always has a trick up his sleeve. Nobody has ever escaped from the Iceberg. But the Iceberg has never had a prisoner like Daniel Faust.
FORMAT/INFO: The Killing Floor Blues is 326 pages long divided over forty-eight chapters with a prologue, an epilogue and an afterword. Narration is in the first-person, via Daniel Faust solely and similar third-person narratives for the prologue and epilogue. This is the fifth volume of The Daniel Faust series.
July 30, 2015 marked the North American paperback and e-book publication of The Killing Floor Blues and it was self-published by the author. Cover art and design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design.
CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a cast of anti-heroes and with a magician con-man as the protagonist, the Daniel Faust series is Richard Stark's Parker crossed with The Dresden Files and set in Las Vegas.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Killing Floor Blues was my favorite book of 2016 and possibly the best book in the Daniel Faust series (of the six I've read so far). This book while being such an awesome read, cannot be read as a standalone unfortunately. There will be mild spoilers as I cannot discus much of its blurb without mentioning certain events from A Plain Dealing Villain. On a side note, I believe the events of The Killing Floor Blues are set a little before the events showcased in Harmony Black (book 1 of the Harmony Black series).
The prologue affords us another look at the Smile and his lackey Ms. Fleiss, most readers will recognize Fleiss from the events of the previous book wherein she hired Daniel Faust to steal an artifact in Chicago. The Smile & Fleiss talk about their efforts and this is the first inkling we get of the grand plan that the author has only hinted at so far. In our world, Daniel wakes up disoriented and finds himself on way to the Eisenberg correctional facility (also called Iceberg) in the Mojave desert. Confused as to why he's on way to prison without having a trial, Daniel finds out that he's already been tried and found guilty. Thoroughly befuddled by this rapid turn, Faust soon learns that a grand sinister plan is underway and he's been targeted for reasons unknown.
While in prison, he has to figure out the way of life in prison and also keep himself from being a target of a drug gang that has a branch in Las Vegas (as retribution for his alleged murder of one of their own). There's also bikers from a club to whom he owes money and lastly he will have to contend the inhumane conditions & odious guards in the private prison. Faust learns soon that things are truly f***ed for him as he finds out more about the strange on-goings in prison, the way of life inside as well as he tries to figure out how he landed in prison. The author then gives us a breakneck storyline that's full of action, plot twists and some superb revelations that had me fall in love with this book.
Going on to the positives, this book is one hell of an amalgamation of urban fantasy and a crime thriller. Think Prison Break mixed with a tad bit of Spartacus as well as Taken and you will get an inkling of what a crazy mix of a story this is. The story opens on a somber note but then quickly explodes as we get a fascinating look at private prisons and especially what a scenario might entail when a magician like Daniel Faust is thrown into the mix. The author isn't writing a polemic here so folks who want a detailed look at prisons and all the socio-economic factors that go into the prison populace won't find it here. What the readers will find is a story that will keep you excited, make you cringe and of course try to outguess the author. This is a perfect thriller if you ask me and one of the main reasons why this book was my top choice last year.
Going to the characterization, with the story having a sole narrative voice, it all depends on the character and Daniel Faust doesn't disappoint. With this being the fifth book in the series, the author has had plenty of time to perfect the character and his voice. Faust is a fascinating rascal of a character who doesn't shy away from the occasional violence but uses his brains, skills and talent to get what he wants. This story has him utilizing all three to survive in an environment which reminds him when he was helpless as a child. He swore never to have to experience those feelings but due to the actions of certain people, he finds himself a liar. The narrative never gets too bogged down with the character feeling dismayed as Faust is a fighter and he's already thinking on an escape plan.
The beauty of the plot twists is that while it might seem that this book is about a prison break, it's not that entirely. The story takes a lot of turns and in hands of another author might have been a simple story focussing on a singular plot thread. Craig Schaefer refuses to take the simple route as has been evidenced by his writing career so far. He combines at least three different plots into this storyline and makes them all coherent and flow smoothly. I loved how this book while sticking to the prison escape tropes, yet managed to make the story interesting by adding in newer twists. The author also explores the idea of magic existing but doesn't give the character a simple-get-out-of-jail trick/card. While there is one scene that simply exists to set up something about the character and for future story set-up, I doubt readers will find fault with it and like me, most will enjoy its creepy, oozy factor (I'm using oozy for a very particular reason and you will understand when you read it).
The story just zooms with all of its twists and then ends on a fascinating climax and then we find that there's more to the book. There's a coda plot twist that might upset a few readers but I enjoyed it as it was another way to upend reader expectations. Overall this story was one where I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Going on to the drawbacks, this was one book where I honestly found none. After finishing my primary read I've re-read a few more times and the excitement held up each time. For me that's a sign of an excellent read.
CONCLUSION: The Killing Floor Blues is a book that mixes various genre plots and leaves the readers bemused. For me this book was one of the best fictional reads that I've ever read in a long time. I would recommend most readers on this series just so they can enjoy this volume as much as I did. Do not miss this book and this series, as by the time it will be finished this will be considered a classic one.
Official Author Website
Order A Plain-Dealing Villain HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Long Way Down
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The White Gold Score
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Redemption Song
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Living End
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Winter's Reach
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Instruments Of Control
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Interview with Craig Schaefer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Craig Schaefer was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by Elmore Leonard, Richard Stark, Clive Barker & H. P. Lovecraft. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in Joliet, Illinois and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: It's hard to make a dishonest buck in Sin City, especially when a rogue FBI agent is gunning for your head. Flat broke and one step ahead of the law, Daniel Faust flees Vegas and lands in Chicago, where a risky heist promises to fill his pockets with cash.
There are the risks you can account for, and then there are the risks you never see coming, the ones that leave you blindsided and fighting to survive. Daniel is a stranger in a strange land, out of his element and surrounded by corrupt sorcerers, demons, and worse. Still, with a friend's soul hanging in the balance -- not to mention a pile of stolen cash -- giving up isn't an option.
Before he's done, Daniel will descend into the depths of Chicago's occult netherworld, competing in an underground poker tournament where the winner takes all...and with the infernal Court of Night-Blooming Flowers running the show, "winner takes all" has an entirely new meaning. The Flowers haven't forgotten Daniel's past insults, and if they get their way, he'll never leave the Windy City alive.
FORMAT/INFO: A Plain-Dealing Villain is 316 pages long divided over forty-four chapters with a prologue, an epilogue and an afterword. Narration is in the first-person, via Daniel Faust solely and different third-person narratives for the prologue and epilogue. This is the fourth volume of The Daniel Faust series and is the start of a new arc in the series.
January 20, 2015 marked the North American paperback and e-book publication of A Plain-Dealing Villain and it was self-published by the author. Cover art and design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design.
CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a cast of anti-heroes and with a magician con-man as the protagonist, the Daniel Faust series is Richard Stark's Parker crossed with The Dresden Files and set in Las Vegas.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: This book is the start of a new arc in the Daniel Faust series as evidenced in the prologue of this book. I believe an informal title could be the "Cheshire Smile trilogy" but I have a feeling that this arc might last more than three books. The story begins with the after events of the downfall of Lauren Carmichael and her psychopath sorceress Meadow Brand. Harmony Black however has had enough of Daniel Faust and his illegal meddling. She makes it her business to obstruct every move of his, making it very hard for Daniel to conduct any of his cons. Forced to survive and pay off a big debt, Faust has to take on a new job away from his regular terrain and takes up an assignment to retrieve (read steal) an artifact in Chicago.
That's the start of this story, however once Daniel arrives in Chicago, he assembles a crew for this job but the process is turning out to be much more Herculean than he thought. The main event is to steal a ceremonial knife however its current owner is someone who's not to be trifled with as Faust finds out to his dismay. He also has to contend with the paranormal crowd in Chicago and we get introduced to another motley bunch as well as to the Chicagoan counterpart to the Tiger's Garden titled The Bast Club. This was an interesting place and after reading its introduction, I was intrigued to know more about it (hint the author explores the club and its owner a little bit deeper in Red Knight Falling which is book 2 in the Harmony Black series).
The plot while starting out as a heist story quickly become much more complex as things go south spectacularly and Daniel has his back to the wall (this seems to be a recurring trend...). I'm being purposefully vague here because of potential plot spoilers and the author really digs into Chicago and gives us a detailed look into it as he has done with Las Vegas so far. We get to see another court of Hell in action and are given an intriguing look into Caitlin-Daniel's relationship. Plus the best part about this book is the poker tournament that is focused upon in the latter half of the book.
I really enjoyed this book and one of the main reasons for my enjoyment was the characterization beginning with Daniel Faust himself. With most urban fantasy series being first-person narratives, it's very crucial for authors to find a distinct voice and keep them fresh. Some good examples which come to my mind are Harry Dresden, Kate Daniels, Frank Trigg, etc. Daniel Faust veritably joins this list and it's all due the author's talent. Faust is a bastard and I don't mean that literally. He's a conman who uses his skills to do things that most of us wouldn't do. He cheats, steals and basically even kills people when he thinks that it will save his life or if that someone deserved it. It would be very easy for such a character to become a villain but it's to the author's credit that he showcases the strengths besides Faust's flaws and makes him hard to pin down. He also has his moral limits and he will not cross them, even his relationship with Caitlin is seriously questionable and I liked how the author introduced some pertinent questions in this volume about it. Which puts his actions at the end of Redemption Song in a whole new light.
The author doesn't just stop with Faust, the character cast in the series has been increased with each volume and all characters that we meet have three-dimensional personas which are very intriguing to read about. Most readers will have their favorites and I'm no exception to it. I would love to know more about Faust's mentors and their backstory, Baron Naavarasi's origin, Harmony Black & a few more. This is another solid plus-point about these books that the characters featured within all have their own agendas and can potentially have their own series (Harmony already has gotten her own). Kudos to the author for developing such a strong character cast as well a world wherein nothing is truly what it seems. And to do it in a urban fantasy series, Craig Schaefer is truly writing an epic which I haven't seen anybody attempt to do in this sub-genre.
The action is this book, is a little bit understated than the previous volumes of the series however the author tips his world-building skills with some fascinating bits of Egyptian mythology. The main villain is also someone who shows a rare depth to him and I hope we get to see more of him. The humor in this book is very much in line with the first two books and I loved the reappearance of two certain lackeys from Redemption Song and their interactions with Faust are hilarious to say the least. The author also gives us a lot more revelations with regards to Faust's past, his family, Caitlin's gastronomical inclinations, and the workings of the infernal courts.
We also get to meet some fascinating Chicagoan characters who I believe add to the depth of the world and whom I would love to see more of (especially Dr. Halima Khoury, & Freddie) . This book does end on a solid climax and that beckons the reader into the next book perfectly. I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger but some might feel it's one. Lastly the book also introduces some major aspects of the main series arc that the author is hinting at and from what I can ascertain the author has some truly grand plans in motion. The being introduced in the prologue is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these plans. This book also is a first of sorts as the main action is set outside of Las Vegas for almost 90% of the book. While The White Gold Score was also set outside of Las Vegas but it was a novella and was written after this book while chronologically being set much before this volume.
Lastly the epilogue has a major revelation that will be further explored in the fifth book The Killing Floor Blues and I can't wait to see how the author plays up these events. This book also had a fascinating poker plot twist and the author does use it judiciously to play up the climax and then lays out his final plot twist. I loved how the ending seem to come from the left field and the epilogue then further pushes the readers into land of the lost. There were a couple of negatives though, I felt that while the Chicago part of the storyline was very exciting but the other parts didn't quite match its tempo. Lastly the whole behind-the-scenes things that are going on can be confusing to many a reader and I wish that the author could have explained a bit more.
CONCLUSION: A Plain-Dealing Villain is a new salvo in a series that has already won me over and this fourth volume just upped ante with its reveal of the grand series plan in the making. The author just keeps making this series more irresistible with each book and this fourth volume is no exception, give it a read and find out why the Daniel Faust series is the best thing being self-published right now.
Order A Plain-Dealing Villain HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Long Way Down
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The White Gold Score
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Redemption Song
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Living End
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Winter's Reach
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Instruments Of Control
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Interview with Craig Schaefer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Craig Schaefer was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by Elmore Leonard, Richard Stark, Clive Barker & H. P. Lovecraft. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in Joliet, Illinois and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: It's hard to make a dishonest buck in Sin City, especially when a rogue FBI agent is gunning for your head. Flat broke and one step ahead of the law, Daniel Faust flees Vegas and lands in Chicago, where a risky heist promises to fill his pockets with cash.
There are the risks you can account for, and then there are the risks you never see coming, the ones that leave you blindsided and fighting to survive. Daniel is a stranger in a strange land, out of his element and surrounded by corrupt sorcerers, demons, and worse. Still, with a friend's soul hanging in the balance -- not to mention a pile of stolen cash -- giving up isn't an option.
Before he's done, Daniel will descend into the depths of Chicago's occult netherworld, competing in an underground poker tournament where the winner takes all...and with the infernal Court of Night-Blooming Flowers running the show, "winner takes all" has an entirely new meaning. The Flowers haven't forgotten Daniel's past insults, and if they get their way, he'll never leave the Windy City alive.
FORMAT/INFO: A Plain-Dealing Villain is 316 pages long divided over forty-four chapters with a prologue, an epilogue and an afterword. Narration is in the first-person, via Daniel Faust solely and different third-person narratives for the prologue and epilogue. This is the fourth volume of The Daniel Faust series and is the start of a new arc in the series.
January 20, 2015 marked the North American paperback and e-book publication of A Plain-Dealing Villain and it was self-published by the author. Cover art and design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design.
CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a cast of anti-heroes and with a magician con-man as the protagonist, the Daniel Faust series is Richard Stark's Parker crossed with The Dresden Files and set in Las Vegas.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: This book is the start of a new arc in the Daniel Faust series as evidenced in the prologue of this book. I believe an informal title could be the "Cheshire Smile trilogy" but I have a feeling that this arc might last more than three books. The story begins with the after events of the downfall of Lauren Carmichael and her psychopath sorceress Meadow Brand. Harmony Black however has had enough of Daniel Faust and his illegal meddling. She makes it her business to obstruct every move of his, making it very hard for Daniel to conduct any of his cons. Forced to survive and pay off a big debt, Faust has to take on a new job away from his regular terrain and takes up an assignment to retrieve (read steal) an artifact in Chicago.
That's the start of this story, however once Daniel arrives in Chicago, he assembles a crew for this job but the process is turning out to be much more Herculean than he thought. The main event is to steal a ceremonial knife however its current owner is someone who's not to be trifled with as Faust finds out to his dismay. He also has to contend with the paranormal crowd in Chicago and we get introduced to another motley bunch as well as to the Chicagoan counterpart to the Tiger's Garden titled The Bast Club. This was an interesting place and after reading its introduction, I was intrigued to know more about it (hint the author explores the club and its owner a little bit deeper in Red Knight Falling which is book 2 in the Harmony Black series).
The plot while starting out as a heist story quickly become much more complex as things go south spectacularly and Daniel has his back to the wall (this seems to be a recurring trend...). I'm being purposefully vague here because of potential plot spoilers and the author really digs into Chicago and gives us a detailed look into it as he has done with Las Vegas so far. We get to see another court of Hell in action and are given an intriguing look into Caitlin-Daniel's relationship. Plus the best part about this book is the poker tournament that is focused upon in the latter half of the book.
I really enjoyed this book and one of the main reasons for my enjoyment was the characterization beginning with Daniel Faust himself. With most urban fantasy series being first-person narratives, it's very crucial for authors to find a distinct voice and keep them fresh. Some good examples which come to my mind are Harry Dresden, Kate Daniels, Frank Trigg, etc. Daniel Faust veritably joins this list and it's all due the author's talent. Faust is a bastard and I don't mean that literally. He's a conman who uses his skills to do things that most of us wouldn't do. He cheats, steals and basically even kills people when he thinks that it will save his life or if that someone deserved it. It would be very easy for such a character to become a villain but it's to the author's credit that he showcases the strengths besides Faust's flaws and makes him hard to pin down. He also has his moral limits and he will not cross them, even his relationship with Caitlin is seriously questionable and I liked how the author introduced some pertinent questions in this volume about it. Which puts his actions at the end of Redemption Song in a whole new light.
The author doesn't just stop with Faust, the character cast in the series has been increased with each volume and all characters that we meet have three-dimensional personas which are very intriguing to read about. Most readers will have their favorites and I'm no exception to it. I would love to know more about Faust's mentors and their backstory, Baron Naavarasi's origin, Harmony Black & a few more. This is another solid plus-point about these books that the characters featured within all have their own agendas and can potentially have their own series (Harmony already has gotten her own). Kudos to the author for developing such a strong character cast as well a world wherein nothing is truly what it seems. And to do it in a urban fantasy series, Craig Schaefer is truly writing an epic which I haven't seen anybody attempt to do in this sub-genre.
The action is this book, is a little bit understated than the previous volumes of the series however the author tips his world-building skills with some fascinating bits of Egyptian mythology. The main villain is also someone who shows a rare depth to him and I hope we get to see more of him. The humor in this book is very much in line with the first two books and I loved the reappearance of two certain lackeys from Redemption Song and their interactions with Faust are hilarious to say the least. The author also gives us a lot more revelations with regards to Faust's past, his family, Caitlin's gastronomical inclinations, and the workings of the infernal courts.
We also get to meet some fascinating Chicagoan characters who I believe add to the depth of the world and whom I would love to see more of (especially Dr. Halima Khoury, & Freddie) . This book does end on a solid climax and that beckons the reader into the next book perfectly. I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger but some might feel it's one. Lastly the book also introduces some major aspects of the main series arc that the author is hinting at and from what I can ascertain the author has some truly grand plans in motion. The being introduced in the prologue is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these plans. This book also is a first of sorts as the main action is set outside of Las Vegas for almost 90% of the book. While The White Gold Score was also set outside of Las Vegas but it was a novella and was written after this book while chronologically being set much before this volume.
Lastly the epilogue has a major revelation that will be further explored in the fifth book The Killing Floor Blues and I can't wait to see how the author plays up these events. This book also had a fascinating poker plot twist and the author does use it judiciously to play up the climax and then lays out his final plot twist. I loved how the ending seem to come from the left field and the epilogue then further pushes the readers into land of the lost. There were a couple of negatives though, I felt that while the Chicago part of the storyline was very exciting but the other parts didn't quite match its tempo. Lastly the whole behind-the-scenes things that are going on can be confusing to many a reader and I wish that the author could have explained a bit more.
CONCLUSION: A Plain-Dealing Villain is a new salvo in a series that has already won me over and this fourth volume just upped ante with its reveal of the grand series plan in the making. The author just keeps making this series more irresistible with each book and this fourth volume is no exception, give it a read and find out why the Daniel Faust series is the best thing being self-published right now.
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