Plus One

Windrose Chronicles #4.3

by Barbara Hambly

If anyone thought that traveling to California meant Joanna and Antryg were going to have a nice peaceful life, unmarred by brushes with alien lifeforms, random Voids, and errant mageborn (not to mention rock stars, ectoplasm, and the intricacies of tending bar)…well, they were wrong.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories

85 pages, ebook

First published July 17, 2012

About the author

aka Barbara Hamilton

Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.


"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly

Reviews

[Heather D-G · Rating 5 out of 5]

It does seem as though Antryg and Joanna’s Further Adventures always involve something coming through the Void, but this one puts a little twist on that. Vegas shenanigans abound as well as a large dose of just desserts. Lots of fun!

[Laurey Steinke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Barbara for this fresh, humorous look at Antryg and Joanna in Los Vegas. Your witty turns of phrase delighted me, and the glimpse into the martial art was spot on. The insights into the characters of the two protagonists, and even the minor characters in the story reveal a great deal of empathy and a good understanding of human nature, all delivered with a light touch. I would still recommend that anyone wanting to meet this delightful and daft wizard and his partner first read the Silicon Mage trilogy before starting on the novelettes that comprise the Windrose chronicle. I do have a question however: my personal picture of Antryg borrows a lot from Tom Baker. Does yours as well? For the readers out there, this is one of my top three fantasy writers of all time.

[Erin (PT) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I'd read this some time ago, but reading the blurb, I realized I hadn't actually, what a delight! One of the reasons Hambly remains one of my favorite writers is that not only do I love her writing style, I deeply appreciate how she keeps writing continuing adventures for her most beloved characters.

Antryg Windrose & Joanna Sheraton's adventures have gone from being contemporary (in the 80s, when they were published) to historical (ouch!) but they never fail to draw me in, and I've deeply enjoyed seeing the two of them carve out a life together in 80s California (even though this one took place in Las Vegas).

[Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another dating tale

Yet another masterful tale from Hambly. What a joy it is to be with such believable characters. Keep them coming

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelette. Antryg and Joanna again, this time in a Vegas hotel, which made a nice change of setting.

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting novelette that makes you question what you'd do in the position of the Plus-One. It's not an easy answer. The best "further adventure" I've read so far in this universe.

[Pkeets · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent short story. I love the way Barbara Hambly makes here characters seem so alive and entertaining. It's part of a series that I've recently discovered, and I had to look for all of the books, plus the stories she has on her website. The characters struggle against the evils and problems within their own lives. They suffer losses, but managed to prevail in the end.