Title & Author: Nightlife by Rob Thurman
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Setting: New York City
First lines: Most kids don't believe in fairy tales very long. Once they hit six or seven they put away "Cinderella" and her shoe fetish, "The Three Little Pigs" with their violation of building codes, "Miss Muffet" and her well-shaped tuffet--all forgotten or discounted. And maybe that's the way it has to be. To survive in the world, you have to give up the fantasies, the make-believe. The only trouble is that it's not all make-believe. Some parts of the fairy tales are all too real, all too true. There might not be a Red Riding Hood, but there is a Big Bad Wolf. No Snow White, but definitely an Evil Queen. No obnoxiously cute blond tots, but a child-eating witch...yeah. Oh yeah. There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I've known that ever since I can remember, just like I've always know I was one. Well, half of one anyway.
My thoughts: Meet Caliban Leandros and his older, very protective, half-brother, Niko. For years they've stayed one step ahead of Cal's monstrous father and the other supernatural beings like him. But now the Grendels have caught up with Cal, setting a trap for him that he might not be able to escape. And suddenly the fate of the human world depends on whether or not Niko can win the fight of Cal's life.
Talk about a roller coaster ride of magic and mayhem! This book is a lot of fun. Mostly because of the relationship between Cal and his brother, Niko, and also because of Cal's smart-ass attitude. They're quite a pair; they reminded me a little of Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural. But they're not all Nightlife has to offer. There's also a seventeen-year-old psychic, a puckish fellow named Robin, and a grundle of Grendels. Thurman's created a memorable cast of characters in this very entertaining and fast-paced fantasy. I can't wait to check out the sequel.
Happy Reading!
Similar books:
Charming by Elliott James
Something From the Nightside by Simon R. Green
Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong
OMG! Caliban and Grendels! I think this one is one I don't want to miss. (Although typically I would have less sympathy for a Caliban than for a Grendel--because I love John Gardner's version even more than the original character. Now, Grendel's mother is another story!)
ReplyDeleteHa! You have to give this one a try. I loved Cal and his brother, Niko. They're such great characters!
DeleteI liked this one too. Sadly I still haven't continued with the series. I intend to. I even bought all the books but somehow haven't gotten to them. I'll probably have to reread this one before reading the others.
ReplyDeleteI know how that goes! :) I just checked out the second book in this series, Moonshine, but my library doesn't own the third book. I'll either have to buy it or skip it. I hate when that happens.
DeleteI am so glad you liked this one. I've had this on my shelf for quite a while and still haven't managed to get to it. I really need to. I'm sure I will love it.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a lot of fun and a good read between more serious books. I'm looking forward to giving the second one in the series a try. :)
DeleteSounds like a fun read! I'll keep this book in mind should the mood calls for it. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, if you're ever looking for a "popcorn" urban fantasy, this is a good one. I also really like the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Those are probably my favorite urban fantasy books. :)
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