At A Glance: Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.

What the Goose? The good evil folks at the Secret Lair had decided in the last podcast¹ to add this book to the Secret Library.² Being a loyal minion friend and wanting to support these good evil folk, I decided to give this one a read.³

I’ll admit that I have had this book in my library for some time now.⁴ I tried reading it. Twice. But I found it a bit too dry for me. A bit too technical. So I put it down each time after only the first chapter and let it gather dust for awhile, thinking I’d get back to it eventually.

When the Overlords⁵ announced this was going to be discussed next, I decided to try again. And, thankfully, Audible even had it as an audiobook I could download. Woohoo! I can read any book⁶ during my 45 minute drive to and from work in Akron. I downloaded it to the ol’ iPod⁷ and away we go.

By the way, I’m not a fan of the Hard Sci-Fi genre. Don’t get me wrong, there are many stories of sci-fi that I enjoy immensely, including such authors as Isaac Asimov and Lois McMaster Bujold,⁸ just to name two. But Hard Sci-Fi just isn’t in my bailiwick of what I like to read.

The Atrocity Archives consists of two long, related novellas, The Atrocity Archives and The Concrete Jungle. And in both we follow along in the footsteps of Bob Howard, a computer hacker/techie who works for the Laundry, which in turn is your basic British black ops unit that defends the world from occult happenings, including anything we would consider found within the Cthulhu mythos.

Yes, folks. Sounds like it should be a blend of 007 and Cthulhu, right? I was expecting a mash-up of Ian Fleming and H. P. Lovecraft, complete with action, adventure, gadgets, fast women, and fast cars mixed in with tentacle-wearing horrors, mind-wracking monstrosities, or evil-mad cultists. What I read was closer to a technical text-book on how Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science, completed his theorem on “Phase Conjugate Grammars for Extra-dimensional Summoning” and made it possible to summon demons and cast spells using computers and palm pilots.⁹

I had a hard time finishing the book. When Howard started on a monologue¹⁰ on how things worked or where things came from, my mind wandered greatly. The story was very interesting, in and of itself, especially when it included demon possession, dimension hopping, damsels in distress, dead planets, zombie guards, and gorgon-wielding bureaucrats. But the blandness and frequency of the paperwork descriptions and complaints or the technical mumbo-jumbo just lost me. There were times when I’d start the book up for the drive, and I’d have to listen for a few minutes, skimming back and forth,¹¹ trying to figure out if I had somehow skipped a chapter. Other times, I’d leave the book for a day to listen to a gaming-related podcast or even just the radio.

Yes, I found it very bland, indeed.

I’ve not read anything else by Mr. Stross. If I have to base the likelihood of my reading him again based on this book alone, the chances are very slim that I’d pick up another Stross story. If his other books are written similarly to this, then I can say now that I’m not going to be a Charles Stross fan. My apologies, sir.

I do want to be sure to give two thumbs up to the narrator of this version, Gideon Emery. He did a fantastic job. The character voices were all distinctive, and I think he read this book the way it was meant to be read.¹²

As for recommendations, I’d say anyone who really enjoys Hard Sci-Fi mixed with Cthulhu and sprinkled profusely with dry procedural nonsense would greatly enjoy this book.

Suck-o-meter: This book Kinda Sucked.

1. The last one I listened to at the time of writing this, anyway. There could be more out. I still don’t know the schedule they’re using.
2. Though, it’s not really all that secret.
3. Despite the fact that the previous novels selected have held either little interest for me or were very poor choices in general.
4. In the form of the anthology On Her Majesty’s Occult Service, which consists of two main books, The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue.
5. Kris and Chris, for those who don’t know them, on the Secret Lair.
6. Or so I thought.
7. I really need to find a good name for my iPod Touch. Something goose-related.
8. Spaceships and robots make it sci-fi to me. Please don’t yell.
9. Yeah, seriously. The protagonist does it many times throughout the book.
10. These could be either internal or external. Sometimes, I couldn’t tell the difference.
11. Not while I was driving. Thanks.
12. Unfortunately, perhaps, that way is very dry and English, for lack of a better description.

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Mark Strong.

Directing: Guy Ritchie

At A Glance:

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.¹

What The Goose?: I am a Sherlock Holmes fan. Though I haven’t read everything ever written by Sir Conan Doyle,² I do own a collection that contains most of the adventures of the great detective. And, yes, I even read them.

When I first heard this movie was coming, and that the lead role was being filled by Tony Stark Robert Downey, Jr., I was excited! Tossing in Sky Captain Jude Law as Dr. Watson was just icing on the cake. Then, I saw the first of the previews… Well, it certainly looked action-packed and interesting, but I couldn’t recall Holmes ever boxing. “Oh, no big deal,” I thought. “I can handle some liberties.”

Christmas Day came and went. Obviously, I can’t see a movie on that day. Have to spend time with the family. But, New Year’s Day came, and an opportunity for some babysitting presented itself. My wife and I quickly took advantage of it and decided, after hearing some reviews from friends and relatives, that we would take a chance on this one.

Our reaction? We liked it, but something seemed off. Seriously, we still can’t put a finger on it. We very much enjoyed Downey’s Holmes and Law’s Watson. Their portrayals are definitely different from what one typically imagines for these literary characters.³

And Holmes’ fighting? It was original. Twice the viewer was brought along as Holmes went through within seconds in his mind on the best way to incapacitate his opponent, then proceeded to do so. Was it appropriate to the character as written by Sir Conan Doyle? Not sure, really. I want to pull out the stories I have and read through them and see if this is supported in any fashion. Also, Watson turns out to be a pretty darn good fighter as well. And that, honestly, was easier for me to swallow, given his military background.

I have to mention Mark Strong. First of all, one glance at his entry on IMDB shows that he’s quite the popular actor these days,⁴and though I’ve seen many of the movies in which he’s appeared, I wouldn’t have been able to point him out to you. That has now changed. He made Lord Blackwood,⁵ his own. Now I want to add many of his movies back to my Netflix queue just to find him and see what he did. Though, I will admit that I kept thinking through the movie that he was really Andy Garcia. Ah well, my bad.⁶

And Rachel McAdams? Eye candy on the screen and rather believable as Holmes’ old flame, not to mention a criminal mastermind in her own right. It was fun watching the chemistry.

All in all, it’s a very enjoyable flick. And, perhaps, I’m just getting more selective or demanding in my movie expectations. All I can say is, there was just something off in the movie. Not the pacing. Not the acting. Not even the writing. Just… something.

And the verdict? This movie didn’t suck… Though, I really wish it had sucked less than it did.

1. Quoted from the Sherlock Holmes movie website.
2. A guy actually named Conan. How cool is that? I wonder why Robert E. Howard chose “Conan” as the name of his most famous barbarian. I’m going to have to see if I can find that one out now.
3. Holmes as a disorganized and disorderly drunk. Watson as rather fastidious in appearance and demeanor, and someone that women would want.
4. He’s going to be in John Carter of Mars and Robin Hood, among others! Holy crap!
5. A name I just have to steal for one of my RPG games.
6. You have to admit, there is a strong likeness.

Published by DAW (January 6, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0756405327
ISBN-13: 978-0756405328

At A Glance: What would happen if an author went back to the darker themes of the original fairy tales for his plots, and then crossed the Disney princesses with Charlie’s Angels? What’s delivered is The Stepsister Scheme—a whole new take on what happened to Cinderella and her prince after the wedding. And with Jim C. Hines penning the tale readers can bet it won’t be “and they lived happily ever after.”

What The Goose?: Let me start with this: I can’t wait to read the next book¹ in the series! This is the first yarn I’ve read by writer Jim Hines² . And if the rest of his books read anything like this, I’m going to be getting my hands on everything I can.

Now, as the synopsis says, mix Disney princesses with Charlie’s Angels³ . Now, you may perhaps be wondering which of the princesses, aside from Cinderella (Danielle), makes this titanic trio. First, we have Snow White, (Ermilina, though she preferes Snow.) She’s a master of mirror magic and flirting. And then, to round out the trio, we have Sleeping Beauty (Talia, don’t call her Sleeping Beauty). She doesn’t sleep anymore, and with her fairy gifts of beauty, grace and wit, she’s become an excellent assassin. Yes, you read that right.

Hines does a great job turning all these stories on their ears, adding a twist, and shaking well. I’d give examples, but I really don’t want to ruin your reading pleasure. But, wait until you see Snow White’s Seven Dwarves.

This is also very much a good-vs-evil type of story, so if you enjoy those, you’ll enjoy this.

Suck-O-Meter: This book Really Didn’t Suck.

1. Book 2, The Mermaid’s Madness is already out in your local bookstore and, probably, library. I’ll be grabbing mine, soon!
2. Thank you, @KJToo, for the loan
3. A reviewer on Goodreads suggested a mash-up of the Brothers Grimm and the Powerpuff Girls

Published by Bantam, Feb 1997

ISBN-10: 0553561952
ISBN-13: 978-0553561951

At A Glance: A dying man presents himself at Indy’s office and gives him a mysterious box, which is found to contain some Icelandic spar–the mythological sunstone–and the last pages of the man’s journal. They detail an amazing journey to Ultima Thule–the top of the world. From here, the stone will lead Indy on a perilous trek into the depths of the earth itself.

What The Goose?: This was the first Indiana Jones-based book that I’ve ever read. And, perhaps, I think it suffered for that reason. I have a small stack of Indy books that I purchased as a bundle many months back, and no where in the stack could I find that there was any particular chronological order to them. So, I picked one that fit with the pulp themes that have been running around in my head. Thus, the Hollow Earth jumped out at me, not the least reason being that I have a copy of the Hollowed Earth Expedition RPG, but I digress.

Now, as for characters, it was a lot of fun. Of course, there was Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr., himself with fedora on his head and whip in hand. The scientist in question is one Evelyn Briggs Baldwin, and yes, this is a guy. An old geezer, actually, who is based on a real-life person I find out later. He doesn’t last long in the book. Then there’s Ulla Tornaes, a “brilliant and beautiful Danish scientist” who can, quite literally, kick Indiana’s ass if so inclined. And, while this would have been the obvious love-in-the-sack-”ah Venice”-kind-of-girl normally, were we watching this as a movie, Indy and Ulla don’t actually hook up, though Ulla wouldn’t have minded. Next, we meet Sparks a 17-year-old radio technician/genius. He offers very little in the way of comic relief, though there is some. Definitely not to be compared to one Short Round.

The story itself was interesting in some places and rather bewildering in others, at least to me. Dr. Baldwin shows up on Indy’s doorstep, apparently being pursued by our favorite baddies, the Nazis. He chats at length with Indy about Hollow Earth stuff, gives him a box, tells him to guard it with his life and let no one know its contents, then runs off to die. Not bad as far as plot hooks go. But after this, the story gets, well, funky. Indy finds Dr. Baldwin’s daughter, talks with her about stuff, then gets hauled into the government somehow, because they want him to keep track of some Nazis on a zeppelin who happen to have his love interest from, I dare guess buy don’t know, a previous book.

Turns out he’s not with said love interest because he took a Crystal Skull (no, not the movie version, this book was written in 1997 after all) from someplace, and there was a curse on it. So he broke it off with said woman. Now he wants to find the Skull and return it so, hopefully, he can settle down with his heart’s love. And this is where it got really weird, because he insists on going after this Skull on his way to the supposed entrance to the Hollow Earth.

Anyway, the actual time that Indy and Ulla and Sparks spend in the Hollow Earth is about, well, 10 seconds, give or take. No, seriously. And that was near the end of the book. It was really quite the let down, personally.

This book seemed to be a stepping stone for a larger story-line, but I didn’t know that. Sorry, Bantam, but it’d be helpful if you could let me know what order books should be read in, if possible.

Suck-O-Meter: This book Didn’t Suck… unless there isn’t a book I’m missing, in which case… yeah, It Sucked.

Narrated by Kate Reading

Published by Penguin Audiobooks

At A Glance: In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies – elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal – 15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos – when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies – Tavi’s simple courage will turn the tides of war.

What the Goose? It’s very interesting to go back and listen to an audiobook version of a novel you’ve already read. I had read Furies of Calderon a few years ago, when I first discovered Jim Butcher and the Dresden files and was curious about his fantasy series. I wasn’t disappointed then, and I’m not now with this go ’round.

If you’ve listened (do people still say ‘read’ for an audiobook?) to the audiobook versions of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, then you’re familiar with Kate Reading and her work, along with Michael Kramer, in that audio-omnibus. She has also narrated such novels as Stephanie Meyer’s The Host and Wendy Orr’s Nim’s Island. Actually, the list of books where you can listen to her voice is vast, and with very, very good reason. Kate is very good at her job, lending tension where needed, changing the timber and accent of her voice so that you can easily identify characters by how she reads them, and keeping the pacing of the book consistent.

And, as for the book itself, anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel won’t be disappointed with this. I love the idea of the elemental furies, and the story-crafting abilities of the author are definitely shining strongly with this novel, as always. And the great thing, in my opinion, is that it’s very different from Dresden. The voice is different, at least to me, as are many of the situations. Yes, there are some similarities, but they are told and done in such a different way that at first, I didn’t notice them.

A great book, and a great audiobook. Pick it up.

Suck-O-Meter: The book itself Doesn’t Come Close to Sucking, and the audiobook Really, Really Didn’t Suck.

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, and Lara Robinson.

Directing: Alex Proyas

At A Glance: A teacher opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son’s elementary school; in it are some chilling predictions — some that have already occurred and others that are about to — that lead him to believe his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

What The Goose? This had a very promising beginning. As the synopsis states, a time capsule is unearthed and opened. Within it are pictures that the children of the elementary school where it was buried had drawn, depicting what they thought the world would be like 50 years in the future (the pictures were drawn in 1959). But, one of those pages doesn’t have a picture, but instead is full  of numbers. Line after line of seemingly random numbers.

The movies progresses fairly quickly with Nic Cage finding that the numbers correspond to dates when tragedies happened, as well as the number of people that died in said tragedy. It takes a few more minutes of the movie to show that the other numbers between these dates were the location (longitude and latitude) of said tragedy. But, there are only three dates left on the sheet.

Now, I started to enjoy this movie, despite the fact that aliens were obviously involved. Depending on who you talk to, including my wife, you may find that these aliens were actually angels. But the end of the movie shows to me that they’re aliens. Why? Well, see, I have a problem with angels using spaceships. Yeah, I know. Close minded am I.

And that’s really my biggest problem with it. The aliens. Couldn’t you come up with something else, Hollywood? Aliens? Really? Also, the movie just seemed really, really, really drawn out. The tension level was kept high and long for most of the movie, leaving me feeling tired within the first hour. I was so ready for it to be over.

So, in a nutshell, this is just another Big Apocalypse movie where aliens come down to save mankind by taking away those who “hear the call.” They take these kids (I presume, given that the two main kids of the show were the only ones we actually saw) to another planet, where they’re set down in a really badly rendered CGI wheat field, near a glowing white tree (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil anyone?).

Whoopdeedoo!

My verdict? This movie Almost Sucked.

Published by Tor Books, it was released on August 15, 1994 in hardcover and in paperback on July 15, 1997.

At A Glance: In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher’s forest sanctuary seeking help… and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.

In a dark age it takes courage to live, and more than mere courage to challenge those who hold dominion, Richard and Kahlan must take up that challenge or become the next victims. Beyond awaits a bewitching land where even the best of their hearts could betray them. Yet, Richard fears nothing so much as what secrets his sword might reveal about his own soul. Falling in love would destroy them – for reasons Richard can’t imagine and Kahlan dare not say.

In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword – to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed… or that their time has run out.

This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.

What The Goose?: About 9 years ago, I read my first Terry Goodkind “Sword of Truth” novel, and it wasn’t this one. It was actually Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth, Book 6).Why? I had a weekly commute of 4-5 hours, and I enjoyed audiobooks. This was the only one I could find at the time, so I decided to snag it. Though much of the story went over my head, it was still enjoyable enough that I had wanted to read the first book for quite some time. And finally, I found the time.

And I wasn’t disappointed.

This was Goodkind’s first novel, and I have to admit to being very impressed with it. The writing was solid and never bored me. I always knew where I was and who was talking. All the characters seemed very real to me, rich in depth, meaning and feeling, with real motivation.

The only bone I could find to really pick at was near the beginning, when Richard first encounters, and falls in love with, Kahlan. Perhaps it was just too late at night for me to be reading, but that was the only part where it seemed contrived. From there on, I enjoyed it. But the immediate love just didn’t do it for me right away. Of course, it could very well be that I just wasn’t getting into Richard’s head yet, either.

This was a solid, enjoyable read that I think anyone who enjoys fantasy should pick up. Yes, this is the first book in a long, long series, but at the same time, it was a book or story all neatly told in one sitting. Hooks have been offered for the sequels, but I don’t feel the reaction of having to grab the next book just to know what happens next.

Thank you, Mr. Goodkind, for opening this world up to the rest of us.

My verdict? This book Really Doesn’t Suck!

What do all of these systems have in common? Books. Some have a lot of books. Some have only one. Some of the books are large, some are small. Some books are even going electronic, while others are staying in the good ol’ pulp era. But, they’re still all books. Books you have to read. Books you have to carry around. Books, especially if you’re a GM, that you need close to hand in case a dreaded Rules Lawyer shows up at a game.

Now, don’t mis-understand, I love books. I like to hold them and smell them. I like to crack them open and feel the pages. I like flipping through them and generate a small breeze to ruffle my beard… Oh, uh, perhaps too much info?

Anyway, books.

But there’s a new game on the scene that doesn’t have any books! No, books?! Nope. Nary a one. And, get this, you don’t even need a character sheet?

But, Goose, come on. How can you play without books? Easy. You use cards!

Cards?! Yes, cards.

Untold is a new game and game system coming out from our good friends, The Wandering Men.

“Untold is a revolutionary new role-playing game (RPG) from Wandering Men Studios designed to combine all the best elements of Role Playing Games (RPG’s) and Collectible Card Games (CCG’s) but leave out all the crap. Untold is a CBRPG™: Card-Based Role Playing Game. It is exactly the same as any other RPG, but the primary physical “tools” of the game are different. Instead of rulebooks and character sheets, the only “tools” you need in Untold are cards!”

Klik Roller

I was fortunate enough to have been in contact with these good folks and was invited to play during the beta test. While I did sign the NDA with every intention of running my oldest goslings through an adventure or two, the opportunity did not arise. However, the Men had many a beta tester and so did not lack for support. And they’ve put out a very good product.

Your attributes and skills and everything else that defines your character can be found on cards. You lay them out before you and voila, time to game. I won’t get into the mechanics in this post, but suffice it to say they are easy to grasp in a rather short time (shorter, even, than it took me to get M&M 2e under my prodigious belt). The one mechanic I will mention here that I found most intriguing was damage. Hit points, you say? Nay! As you take damage, you start losing cards. For the most part, you get to say what cards or points you lose, but this is a unique way of having damage directly affect your character. Rather than using a number system, wittling away with each punch or stab, while your character otherwise shows no effects until it drops dead when it gets to zero, the PC finds himself losing power and/or effects with each heavy hit.

And that, my friends, is awesome.

On top of it all, they have great artwork to give you a hint of the kinds of characters you can play as well as a world that is well-written and fleshed-out to the point that you can immerse yourself for a good evening of gaming.

Untold, the CBRPG™ that is Full of Awesome Sauce™!

So, on my not-yet-patented Suck-O-Meter: This game Really, Really Doesn’t Suck!

Narrated by Jerry Sciarrio

Published by Books in Motion

At A Glance: Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran “Cork” O’Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota (population 3,752). Embittered over losing his job as a cop and over the marital meltdown that has separated him from his wife and children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago’s South Side, there’s not much that can shock him. But when a powerful local politician is brutally murdered the same night a young Indian boy goes missing, Cork takes on a harrowing case of corruption, conspiracy, and scandal. As a blizzard buries Aurora and an old medicine man warns of the arrival of a blood-thirsty mythic beast called the Wendigo, Cork must dig for answers hard and fast before more people, among them those he loves, will die.

What The Goose? My father recommended William Kent Krueger to me, which is a good thing as I’ve always trusted his judgment. Plus we have similar tastes, though he doesn’t get into the fantasy genre as much as I do. So, I thought this may be a fun book to listen to during my 45 min commute to work. I’ve been an Audible.com subscriber for a number of years now, and both my father and I were quite surprised to find that Krueger’s books, ALL of them, were on Audible. You see, Krueger is apparently considered more of a regional author, so finding all his books on my favorite distributor of audiobooks even raised my interest further.

So I added Iron Lake, the first in the series, to my library, downloaded it, loaded it into my iPod, and away I went. This book was a very good book, and this is Krueger’s first published work!

Very good suspense in this one. Yes, it’s a murder mystery and it contains enough twists and turns to keep that it kept me guessing to the end. I’d highly recommend this to anyone interested in these suspenseful, modern novels. Plus Jerry Sciarrio turned out to be an extremely good narrator for this story. I’ve listened to quite a few books from Audible. I’ve got my favorite narrators, and I’ve got some that I’d prefer not to listen to. Sciarrio is definitely on the good list.

Suck-O-Meter: This book Really Didn’t Suck.

Mean Streets by Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Simon R. Green, Thomas E. Sniegoski

Published: Roc Trade (January 6, 2009)

At A Glance: From four of today’s hottest fantasy authors—all-new novellas of dark nights, cruel cities, and paranormal P.I.s.

The best paranormal private investigators have been brought together in a single volume—and cases don’t come any harder than this.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher delivers a hard-boiled tale in which Harry Dresden’s latest case may be his last.

Nightside dweller John Taylor is hired by a woman to find something she lost—her memory—in a thrilling noir tale from New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green.

National bestselling author Kat Richardson’s Greywalker finds herself in too deep when a “simple job” goes bad and Harper Blaine is enmeshed in a tangle of dark secrets and revenge from beyond the grave.

For centuries, the being that we know as Noah lived among us. Now he is dead, and fallen-angel-turned-detective Remy Chandler has been hired to find out who killed him in a whodunit by national bestselling author Thomas E. Sniegoski.

What the Goose? I’m very happy this book came out when it did, ’cause I’ve been jonesing for some Harry Dresden action. It’s no secret to those who know me that I’m a crazy fan of the Dresden Files. Jim Butcher has definitely burst on the scene with this character and series, not to mention his fantasy series, The Codex Alera, as well. A master storyteller is he, yes. There’s just something about his manner of writing that immediately draws me in and holds me until the end, and then I want more. I’ve read all the Dresden and Alera books and can’t wait for the release of the next one.

And this story definitely filled the craving for a little bit. It’s all good as Harry fears for his good friend Michael. Yes, that Michael. The one with the really big sword. Only now, he’s retired (if you’ve read the last book, Small Favors, you’d know why). So now Harry is the keeper of two Swords of the Cross, and someone’s out to get them, and possibly hurt Michael and family in the process.

The other three stories were actually very good, in that I’ve been curious about these authors but haven’t wanted to invest the time and/or money in their books yet. Too many other things to read. But these short stories let me have a sampling of some very good authors. I’m definitely picking up Kat Richardson’s first book, Greywalker. And I think I may already have a Simon R. Green book in my library from a run to Half-Price Books. Looking forward to reading that one soon.

Now, Thomas Sniegoski. I have some mixed feelings, and it’s not because of his writing style. His main character is a fallen-angel-turned-private-investigator. Yes, that’s interesting. But it diverges so much from my own system of beliefs that it’s hard to separate the two and enjoy the story. In this one, for instance, Noah (yes, that Noah) has been murdered. Apparently his association with God during the whole Ark building gave him some kick-ass longevity. That doesn’t bug me much. It’s the part where he’s obsessing over those things that he wasn’t able to save. And I’m not talking about humanity. No, he’s concerned about those Chimerians. God’s first creations. Which He grew bored with and decided to save humanity instead. Interesting premise, but it’s just… I dunno. I did enjoy it, and I AM going to read Sniegoski’s first book about Remiel (the angel private eye). I’m just not sure if I’ll be able to enjoy it or not at this point.

All in all, Mean Streets is a quick and worthwhile read. Definitely not a disappointment. On the Suck-o-Meter, this book Most Definitely Did Not Suck.