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A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark
A MYSTERIOUS KILLING
After years of waging a secret war against the supernatural, Marley Jacobs put away her wooden stakes and silver bullets, then turned her back on violence. She declared Seattle, her city, a safe zone for everyone, living and undead. There would be no more preternatural murder under her watch.
But waging peace can make as many enemies as waging war, and when Marley's nephew turns up dead in circumstances suspiciously like a vampire feeding, she must look into it. Is there a new arrival in town? Is someone trying to destroy her fragile truce? Or was her nephew murdered because he was, quite frankly, a complete tool?
As Marley investigates her nephew's death, she discovers he had been secretly dabbling in the supernatural himself. What, exactly, had he been up to, and who had he been doing it with? More importantly, does it threaten the peace she has worked so hard to create? ( yeah, it absolutely does.)
After years of waging a secret war against the supernatural, Marley Jacobs put away her wooden stakes and silver bullets, then turned her back on violence. She declared Seattle, her city, a safe zone for everyone, living and undead. There would be no more preternatural murder under her watch.
But waging peace can make as many enemies as waging war, and when Marley's nephew turns up dead in circumstances suspiciously like a vampire feeding, she must look into it. Is there a new arrival in town? Is someone trying to destroy her fragile truce? Or was her nephew murdered because he was, quite frankly, a complete tool?
As Marley investigates her nephew's death, she discovers he had been secretly dabbling in the supernatural himself. What, exactly, had he been up to, and who had he been doing it with? More importantly, does it threaten the peace she has worked so hard to create? ( yeah, it absolutely does.)
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
38 people are currently reading
909 people want to read
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January 3, 2021
“But there are always those who think violence is the best, most lasting solution. It can be hard to give up old enmities, especially when holding onto them feels like virtue”
February 13, 2015
This is urban fantasy turned on it's head. Where typical urban fantasy would have a powerful wizard kicking ass and taking names, Marley Jacobs uses her wits and tricks to solve problems. She keeps the peace in Seattle's magical community through charm, wit, wisdom, and caring. Marley's path seems unique, she is constantly second guessed and challenged, but never takes the bate and give in to violence.
Pacifist urban fantasy? Yes please. Marley really is charming and kept me reading well into the night. Each time I think that I have a grasp on what Marley will do next or how she will resolve a major conflict without getting tough, I am surprised and delighted.
I really like this story a lot. I love urban fantasy and this book makes me believe that the genre can be even more diverse than I ever thought possible. Harry Connolly has created a thoughtful character who is interesting and does not feel the need to throw her weight around while still being incredibly competent and likable.
Pacifist urban fantasy? Yes please. Marley really is charming and kept me reading well into the night. Each time I think that I have a grasp on what Marley will do next or how she will resolve a major conflict without getting tough, I am surprised and delighted.
I really like this story a lot. I love urban fantasy and this book makes me believe that the genre can be even more diverse than I ever thought possible. Harry Connolly has created a thoughtful character who is interesting and does not feel the need to throw her weight around while still being incredibly competent and likable.
August 15, 2015
I continue to feel super weird about this book almost six months after reading it, and I don't think I'm going to feel less weird or let down anytime soon.
The thing is, I think I'd have given this book an extra star, and it wouldn't have been a disappointment at all, if I hadn't read *about* it before reading it. This IO9 article gave me expectations that just -- were not met at all. I can't say why without massive spoilers, but this book is not, in my opinion, what the author thinks it is.
But it was a perfectly acceptable read. Fun! Light! Reasonably engaging! Just not what I was hoping for, based on that article. Of course, without that article, I would never have bought the book or even heard of it, probably, so the promo worked. I just probably won't buy a Connolly book based on promo again.
My advice to potential readers is: if the summary sounds like the kind of thing you like, even when it's not especially original or brilliant, then you will indeed like this book. But if you're hoping for something else because of that IO9 article, maybe wait on reading this.
The thing is, I think I'd have given this book an extra star, and it wouldn't have been a disappointment at all, if I hadn't read *about* it before reading it. This IO9 article gave me expectations that just -- were not met at all. I can't say why without massive spoilers, but this book is not, in my opinion, what the author thinks it is.
But it was a perfectly acceptable read. Fun! Light! Reasonably engaging! Just not what I was hoping for, based on that article. Of course, without that article, I would never have bought the book or even heard of it, probably, so the promo worked. I just probably won't buy a Connolly book based on promo again.
My advice to potential readers is: if the summary sounds like the kind of thing you like, even when it's not especially original or brilliant, then you will indeed like this book. But if you're hoping for something else because of that IO9 article, maybe wait on reading this.
January 24, 2017
I really wanted to like this book. The idea is fantastic. Pacifist urban fantasy featuring a female protagonist over 60. Yes and please. The execution, though, is greatly lacking.
I enjoy books about which others complain not much happens. In fact, it was while reading the reviews on one of those books (as I often do after reading a book) that I found a rec for this book. This is no such book. A lot happens and events constantly propel the characters from point to point. So, I am disappointed by the rec. That said, I also greatly enjoy books with a plot focus. So, the organization of the book--whether around characters or plot--is not the issue.
My problem is two-fold. First, this book features a clumsy, coincidental plot. Second, the book fails to live up to its promise of pacifist urban fantasy. And I suspect that the latter is the culprit for the former. The overall effect is that the author had an excellent idea, but then had no clue how to actually pull it off.
Marley, our over 60 protagonist, is a former teen hero-type who has hung up her stakes and bullets. She has a great fortune, gained via inheritance, and a reputation. She has made Seattle a peaceful place, but she does so with the benefit of inherited wealth and a lifetime of being someone to fear. The book really only touches on the benefits of her wealth once that I noticed. Her past is presented as something she regrets and has grown past, but is never really explored beyond that.
Her active pacifism (as opposed to the structural pacifism she creates through her wealth and reputation) relies on magic and coincidence (which is another form of her magic, but I'm separating them). Her magic involves making people more inclined to help her, fooling them with what is basically psychic paper, and creating copies of herself, whether her entire body or just her voice. Her pacifism is never really challenged. She isn't really in danger; it was just a copy. No one is able to oppose her face on. She magically intuits their name and then lightly compels them into doing what she wants. Now, I love a charismatic protagonist who can talk people around (check out Lindsay Buroker's books if you've not), but that isn't what she does here. People just magically fall into line.
Except once. There is one scene in which Marley does not use her magic that way. She tries to talk someone around and fails (because, honestly, she isn't that good at it) and so threatens to use her wealth, connections, and magic to utterly destroy someone. And, this someone isn't even one of the antagonists in the book. The problem is that this scene and then, in contrast, the rest of the book, suggest that pacifism isn't actually possible, unless you have the privileges and benefits that Marley does. When Marley meets some young vampire hunters, she chastises them for killing people (read: vampires and those who help them), but does not offer a viable alternative for what they could have done given their situation. Marley has set something up in Seattle, but how does that help someone in Memphis?
The coincidence is her doing whatever she feels like she ought to do no matter how unrelated it might seem--such as messing up someone else's drawing (this happens in the first set piece of the book). Later this bit of coincidence just happens to work out. This kind of coincidence/etc is fun in Dirk Gently, but annoying here. It carries the plot from moment to moment and even, at one rather memorable point, relies entirely on cliche. This level of coincidence allows her avoid difficult situations, save for when it is time for a show-down to happen plot-wise, in which case it pulls her into the moment so that the action can happen. Then, in the couple cases where we could have really seen her pacifism tested, she is either saved by her nephew or by something bigger going wrong. (Or she uses her copy magic).
Marley is also saved by her knowledge of the supernatural. The scenes using that knowledge were the most fun to read. The book worked best when it relied on its character being proactive and interesting, rather than just getting everything handed to her or effortlessly (and costlessly) avoiding trouble.
It is easy to a pacifist when you're the one holding all the cards and situations via coincidence bend around you. In fact, other than a hurt arm and the ending, Marley's actions only hurt other people. Maybe that's worse and we do see her self-doubt (a necessary component of her magic though), though such self-doubts are quickly waved off by her nephew.
If I read a book described as pacifist urban fantasy that has this level of action in it, I want to see the protagonist actually being pacifist. I want to see them resisting temptation (not just getting disappointed at others for not sharing their beliefs), discussing their beliefs (rather than just ignoring questions as Marley mostly does, though I think she touches on it once), or being put into situations where fighting and weapons seem the best and easiest way out (Marley's magic/coincidence/etc made it so that no scene ever felt actually dangerous).
For example, at one point Marley says that someone will have to go. This being will not go. We never see how she handles it. I realize that would be a detour for the plot, but it could have been worked in and it would have been a great way to see her pacifism in action. How do you make someone leave who cannot be reasoned or even just talked with?
In another book I read recently (and I am going to mangle this title, I'm sure), A Long Journey to an Angry Planet, the ship's captain is a pacifist. After his ship is attacked, some of his crew wish to arm the ship, but he insists on just improving their shields. This is a decision he has to affirm multiple times. And his pacifism costs--he gets hurt physically and his ship has to make a detour to resupply. He also thinks about how it is a choice not to arm himself or retaliate and how easy it would be to do otherwise.
Any moral choice we make costs. Some, such as being defensive or having a zero-sum attitude, have more immediate benefits than costs. Others, such as being kind, patient, and open to others, easily garner ridicule and pain. These have benefits over time as they improve relationships and often lead to people liking themselves a great deal more, but they aren't easy. Anytime we choose against fear, against meanness, against cynicism, we look foolish to a lot of people. We lose out in the short run. We may not get rewarded in any noticeable way in the long run.
Being a pacifist is not easy. It looks foolish and weak. It runs counter to how much of the world works.
Marley is not a pacifist. She is a regretful old woman with enough reputation, wealth, connections, knowledge, magic, and manufactured luck that she never has to put herself in the situations she faced in her youth. And she chastises others for not having the privilege and perspective that she has.
This is a fun enough book to read, but I do not rec it.
I enjoy books about which others complain not much happens. In fact, it was while reading the reviews on one of those books (as I often do after reading a book) that I found a rec for this book. This is no such book. A lot happens and events constantly propel the characters from point to point. So, I am disappointed by the rec. That said, I also greatly enjoy books with a plot focus. So, the organization of the book--whether around characters or plot--is not the issue.
My problem is two-fold. First, this book features a clumsy, coincidental plot. Second, the book fails to live up to its promise of pacifist urban fantasy. And I suspect that the latter is the culprit for the former. The overall effect is that the author had an excellent idea, but then had no clue how to actually pull it off.
Marley, our over 60 protagonist, is a former teen hero-type who has hung up her stakes and bullets. She has a great fortune, gained via inheritance, and a reputation. She has made Seattle a peaceful place, but she does so with the benefit of inherited wealth and a lifetime of being someone to fear. The book really only touches on the benefits of her wealth once that I noticed. Her past is presented as something she regrets and has grown past, but is never really explored beyond that.
Her active pacifism (as opposed to the structural pacifism she creates through her wealth and reputation) relies on magic and coincidence (which is another form of her magic, but I'm separating them). Her magic involves making people more inclined to help her, fooling them with what is basically psychic paper, and creating copies of herself, whether her entire body or just her voice. Her pacifism is never really challenged. She isn't really in danger; it was just a copy. No one is able to oppose her face on. She magically intuits their name and then lightly compels them into doing what she wants. Now, I love a charismatic protagonist who can talk people around (check out Lindsay Buroker's books if you've not), but that isn't what she does here. People just magically fall into line.
Except once. There is one scene in which Marley does not use her magic that way. She tries to talk someone around and fails (because, honestly, she isn't that good at it) and so threatens to use her wealth, connections, and magic to utterly destroy someone. And, this someone isn't even one of the antagonists in the book. The problem is that this scene and then, in contrast, the rest of the book, suggest that pacifism isn't actually possible, unless you have the privileges and benefits that Marley does. When Marley meets some young vampire hunters, she chastises them for killing people (read: vampires and those who help them), but does not offer a viable alternative for what they could have done given their situation. Marley has set something up in Seattle, but how does that help someone in Memphis?
The coincidence is her doing whatever she feels like she ought to do no matter how unrelated it might seem--such as messing up someone else's drawing (this happens in the first set piece of the book). Later this bit of coincidence just happens to work out. This kind of coincidence/etc is fun in Dirk Gently, but annoying here. It carries the plot from moment to moment and even, at one rather memorable point, relies entirely on cliche. This level of coincidence allows her avoid difficult situations, save for when it is time for a show-down to happen plot-wise, in which case it pulls her into the moment so that the action can happen. Then, in the couple cases where we could have really seen her pacifism tested, she is either saved by her nephew or by something bigger going wrong. (Or she uses her copy magic).
Marley is also saved by her knowledge of the supernatural. The scenes using that knowledge were the most fun to read. The book worked best when it relied on its character being proactive and interesting, rather than just getting everything handed to her or effortlessly (and costlessly) avoiding trouble.
It is easy to a pacifist when you're the one holding all the cards and situations via coincidence bend around you. In fact, other than a hurt arm and the ending, Marley's actions only hurt other people. Maybe that's worse and we do see her self-doubt (a necessary component of her magic though), though such self-doubts are quickly waved off by her nephew.
If I read a book described as pacifist urban fantasy that has this level of action in it, I want to see the protagonist actually being pacifist. I want to see them resisting temptation (not just getting disappointed at others for not sharing their beliefs), discussing their beliefs (rather than just ignoring questions as Marley mostly does, though I think she touches on it once), or being put into situations where fighting and weapons seem the best and easiest way out (Marley's magic/coincidence/etc made it so that no scene ever felt actually dangerous).
For example, at one point Marley says that someone will have to go. This being will not go. We never see how she handles it. I realize that would be a detour for the plot, but it could have been worked in and it would have been a great way to see her pacifism in action. How do you make someone leave who cannot be reasoned or even just talked with?
In another book I read recently (and I am going to mangle this title, I'm sure), A Long Journey to an Angry Planet, the ship's captain is a pacifist. After his ship is attacked, some of his crew wish to arm the ship, but he insists on just improving their shields. This is a decision he has to affirm multiple times. And his pacifism costs--he gets hurt physically and his ship has to make a detour to resupply. He also thinks about how it is a choice not to arm himself or retaliate and how easy it would be to do otherwise.
Any moral choice we make costs. Some, such as being defensive or having a zero-sum attitude, have more immediate benefits than costs. Others, such as being kind, patient, and open to others, easily garner ridicule and pain. These have benefits over time as they improve relationships and often lead to people liking themselves a great deal more, but they aren't easy. Anytime we choose against fear, against meanness, against cynicism, we look foolish to a lot of people. We lose out in the short run. We may not get rewarded in any noticeable way in the long run.
Being a pacifist is not easy. It looks foolish and weak. It runs counter to how much of the world works.
Marley is not a pacifist. She is a regretful old woman with enough reputation, wealth, connections, knowledge, magic, and manufactured luck that she never has to put herself in the situations she faced in her youth. And she chastises others for not having the privilege and perspective that she has.
This is a fun enough book to read, but I do not rec it.
January 20, 2015
While this hasn't been released yet, I got a copy as a stretch goal for The Great Way trilogy Kickstarter. I was super excited for this bonus book, as Harry has been blogging about this book for some time, and I was getting worried that I'd never get to read it.
Now, for the book itself:
The thing I enjoy most about Harry Connolly's work is his attention to creating unconventional and interesting characters. This book does not disappoint!
Many of the urban fantasy tropes are flipped, and the result is a familiar setting with a fresh set of rules and characters.
The tone is lighter and less grim than the Ray Lilly Twenty Palaces series, and Marley Jacobs is one of the most unassuming and interesting protagonists I have read in a while.
Finally, a fantasy novel where the protagonist isn't a loner social outcast who turns out to be the most powerful [insert aptitude] of all time. Rather than might making right, cleverness and intuition win the day, and "winning" isn't always what you'd expect.
Sequels, please!!!
Now, for the book itself:
The thing I enjoy most about Harry Connolly's work is his attention to creating unconventional and interesting characters. This book does not disappoint!
Many of the urban fantasy tropes are flipped, and the result is a familiar setting with a fresh set of rules and characters.
The tone is lighter and less grim than the Ray Lilly Twenty Palaces series, and Marley Jacobs is one of the most unassuming and interesting protagonists I have read in a while.
Finally, a fantasy novel where the protagonist isn't a loner social outcast who turns out to be the most powerful [insert aptitude] of all time. Rather than might making right, cleverness and intuition win the day, and "winning" isn't always what you'd expect.
Sequels, please!!!
December 28, 2014
For some reason I was expecting a 20 Palaces story. This is very much not that. And despite how badly I want more 20 Palaces, I'm okay with it as long as Harry Connolly keeps delivering delightful quality like this.
I read a *lot* of urban fantasy and this made me so happy. There's mystery, humour, and unpredictable weirdness. There are wily factions and stupid hoodlums. Marley Jacobs always knows what she's doing, except that she doesn't. At all.
The nephew who just wanted to help out his elderly aunt and rapidly becomes her manservant/aide/companion/confidante is written so well. His military history isn't ignored, but nor is it simply used as an excuse to have the character blast away with guns all the time. In fact, the only time he ends up with a gun, his aunt orders him to put it down. Connolly plays these kind of inconsistencies with expectation and cliche all the time and it's highly enjoyable to read.
I just hope this one gets enough love and legs to lead to another. There are plenty of mysteries left and this story would serve well as a prequel to a longer series.
I read a *lot* of urban fantasy and this made me so happy. There's mystery, humour, and unpredictable weirdness. There are wily factions and stupid hoodlums. Marley Jacobs always knows what she's doing, except that she doesn't. At all.
The nephew who just wanted to help out his elderly aunt and rapidly becomes her manservant/aide/companion/confidante is written so well. His military history isn't ignored, but nor is it simply used as an excuse to have the character blast away with guns all the time. In fact, the only time he ends up with a gun, his aunt orders him to put it down. Connolly plays these kind of inconsistencies with expectation and cliche all the time and it's highly enjoyable to read.
I just hope this one gets enough love and legs to lead to another. There are plenty of mysteries left and this story would serve well as a prequel to a longer series.
March 5, 2015
The most well-crafted and engaging urban fantasy novel I've read in years. Entertaining, original, and fast-paced.
October 27, 2015
Don't let the somewhat stilted writing style put you off, there's a reason for it.
If you enjoy seeing tropes deconstructed, this is the book for you.
If you enjoy seeing tropes deconstructed, this is the book for you.
August 10, 2020
There was something about the way the main character of this novel was written that, for me, prevented her from feeling quite clear in my head. Perhaps the way she spoke was a little stilted. I think having her often address other characters as 'dear' was intended to give the impression of kindness and mildness - and it did, but it also became a sort of shortcut that annoyed me. All the same, I found the book interesting and quirky and very readable.
September 11, 2019
Saw this described as an urban fantasy novel about an older woman protagonist who uses nonviolent methods to resolve problems, and that is exactly what it is! Could easily become a series, but I'm kind of glad that it's a standalone because it's a delightful little nugget.
March 8, 2015
This is a pacifist urban fantasy, but when I read a genre book, my opinion is shaped not by the setting, but on the character interactions. And in this case, we have an older mentor, long in experience, and the younger follower, in this case a generally competent combat veteran, but new to the world they are in. And in writing their interactions, Harry Connolly does it in a way that feels real.
The setting is a Seattle in a world where vampires, were-animals, ghosts, demons and other sundry supernatural creatures are real. And the mentor has over the years forged a peaceful and non-violent co-existance among them and humans they are generally hidden from. But the normal way of existence is one where everyone takes what they can, and just like in modern American society, there are those who think they would be better off in that setting and desire to end that arrangement so they can presumably rise in the aftermath.
But what the book is really about is the relationship between Marley and Albert, her nephew. Albert is a generally competent individual, a combat veteran of Afghanistan who was discharged after injury. Marley takes him in as an aide, to be her driver and to handle a common task that would trigger a curse if she did it. He is not the first such aide, but part of the dynamic is that Marley does not tell Albert about what she is doing and, more important, why. And as Albert turns out to be the type who likes to know what he is doing and why (at least, why it would work), he asks about what is happening. And more important, he questions the why. It would seem that not telling her aides is something that has Marley has done before (we meet the previous aide, and she mentions that Albert asks different types of questions). And this difference in dynamic leads to what seems to be a different relationship.
One reason that the dynamic seems so real is that I've seen it, and I've been called out on it. In programming and data analysis, part of it can be taught, but much of it is art and craft. I have had side by side sessions with some of my students, and a few of them have commented that these one-on-one working sessions they learned so much that could not be taught in a classroom, or even by example. And the first times this happened, I did not even realize what they were talking about, but it is the fact that this is a craft, not a series of steps or a body of knowledge. And I am hardly the only teacher/mentor type person who forgets that those who are learning are missing what to us is tacit knowledge. But I don't see that dynamic often in fiction, we see the general mentor/mentee relationship, it is in a mentor with a plan. But my life is more like this, the mentor does not have a plan on how to teach, and in this case because she does not have one for herself, much less someone else being brought alongside her. And as Albert realizes this, the relationship moves to another level.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Much lighter in fare than most urban fantasy, or books by Harry Connolly. But what drives it are the rich characters, even the secondary characters have layers of motivation, and that makes it even more enjoyable.
The setting is a Seattle in a world where vampires, were-animals, ghosts, demons and other sundry supernatural creatures are real. And the mentor has over the years forged a peaceful and non-violent co-existance among them and humans they are generally hidden from. But the normal way of existence is one where everyone takes what they can, and just like in modern American society, there are those who think they would be better off in that setting and desire to end that arrangement so they can presumably rise in the aftermath.
But what the book is really about is the relationship between Marley and Albert, her nephew. Albert is a generally competent individual, a combat veteran of Afghanistan who was discharged after injury. Marley takes him in as an aide, to be her driver and to handle a common task that would trigger a curse if she did it. He is not the first such aide, but part of the dynamic is that Marley does not tell Albert about what she is doing and, more important, why. And as Albert turns out to be the type who likes to know what he is doing and why (at least, why it would work), he asks about what is happening. And more important, he questions the why. It would seem that not telling her aides is something that has Marley has done before (we meet the previous aide, and she mentions that Albert asks different types of questions). And this difference in dynamic leads to what seems to be a different relationship.
One reason that the dynamic seems so real is that I've seen it, and I've been called out on it. In programming and data analysis, part of it can be taught, but much of it is art and craft. I have had side by side sessions with some of my students, and a few of them have commented that these one-on-one working sessions they learned so much that could not be taught in a classroom, or even by example. And the first times this happened, I did not even realize what they were talking about, but it is the fact that this is a craft, not a series of steps or a body of knowledge. And I am hardly the only teacher/mentor type person who forgets that those who are learning are missing what to us is tacit knowledge. But I don't see that dynamic often in fiction, we see the general mentor/mentee relationship, it is in a mentor with a plan. But my life is more like this, the mentor does not have a plan on how to teach, and in this case because she does not have one for herself, much less someone else being brought alongside her. And as Albert realizes this, the relationship moves to another level.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Much lighter in fare than most urban fantasy, or books by Harry Connolly. But what drives it are the rich characters, even the secondary characters have layers of motivation, and that makes it even more enjoyable.
July 16, 2021
4.5
Well, this was a real winner to me. I quite enjoyed my time with Marley Jacobs. In fact, I want to be Marley when I grow up! I loved that she's smart and capable, with a wealth of knowledge and experience under her belt. I also like that having a 20-year-old ex-soldier as her sidekick really subverts the idea of a hero. (You'd expect it be to him, after all). And the banter between the two, as well as Albert's simple humor was great. I appreciated Connolly's obvious attempt to highlight the invisibility of older women in society, but even I have to admit it sometimes came across with the subtlety of bull horn.
But there were a few things that didn't work for me. As outside the mold as Marley was in some ways her character really stuck to some cliches. The worst for me was her constant use of the endearment dear. "It's all right, dear." "Very well, dear." "Would you like a cup of coffee, dear." I understand it was part of her aggressively cheerful demeanor, but it's a huge pet peeve of mine and I'm gonna have a little rant about it.
I don't know a single elderly woman who actually uses the endearment dear in any manner but ironically. Depending on where you draw your line on 'elder,' these women lived through free love, Woodstock, world wars and economic depressions. They have seen some shit and come through it. They have internal cores of steel. And this insistence in fiction that they must all be cute little old ladies who coo and call everyone dear constantly drives me nuts.
I realize that this might be regional and there might be old women out there who say it. But that it's no where near as ubiquitous as authors seem to think it is is a hill I'll die on. So, mega pet peeve for me. It's just SO cliched at this point. Plus, my Kindle says dear appeared 251 times in the book and I don't remember many (if any) that weren't Marley using it as an endearment. So, Connolly is particularity bad about something that especially irritates me.
I also thought the middle sagged. The books starts out really strong, then turns into a series of go here, do this, go here, run there, do that, then go here again, etc. Then it picks up again at the end. Though I kind of feel like the ending undermines a lot of what Connolly was very obviously trying to do with the narrative. He set out a whole story about a 65-year-old kickass woman and then handed it all to the young man at the end. One could maybe argue the last few sentences redeem it, but I think it's a little too vague to be given credit.
Lastly, the editing starts to deteriorate the farther in to the book you get. It's never horrendous, but you notice.
Over all, however, I enjoyed the heck out of this.
Well, this was a real winner to me. I quite enjoyed my time with Marley Jacobs. In fact, I want to be Marley when I grow up! I loved that she's smart and capable, with a wealth of knowledge and experience under her belt. I also like that having a 20-year-old ex-soldier as her sidekick really subverts the idea of a hero. (You'd expect it be to him, after all). And the banter between the two, as well as Albert's simple humor was great. I appreciated Connolly's obvious attempt to highlight the invisibility of older women in society, but even I have to admit it sometimes came across with the subtlety of bull horn.
But there were a few things that didn't work for me. As outside the mold as Marley was in some ways her character really stuck to some cliches. The worst for me was her constant use of the endearment dear. "It's all right, dear." "Very well, dear." "Would you like a cup of coffee, dear." I understand it was part of her aggressively cheerful demeanor, but it's a huge pet peeve of mine and I'm gonna have a little rant about it.
I don't know a single elderly woman who actually uses the endearment dear in any manner but ironically. Depending on where you draw your line on 'elder,' these women lived through free love, Woodstock, world wars and economic depressions. They have seen some shit and come through it. They have internal cores of steel. And this insistence in fiction that they must all be cute little old ladies who coo and call everyone dear constantly drives me nuts.
I realize that this might be regional and there might be old women out there who say it. But that it's no where near as ubiquitous as authors seem to think it is is a hill I'll die on. So, mega pet peeve for me. It's just SO cliched at this point. Plus, my Kindle says dear appeared 251 times in the book and I don't remember many (if any) that weren't Marley using it as an endearment. So, Connolly is particularity bad about something that especially irritates me.
I also thought the middle sagged. The books starts out really strong, then turns into a series of go here, do this, go here, run there, do that, then go here again, etc. Then it picks up again at the end. Though I kind of feel like the ending undermines a lot of what Connolly was very obviously trying to do with the narrative. He set out a whole story about a 65-year-old kickass woman and then handed it all to the young man at the end. One could maybe argue the last few sentences redeem it, but I think it's a little too vague to be given credit.
Lastly, the editing starts to deteriorate the farther in to the book you get. It's never horrendous, but you notice.
Over all, however, I enjoyed the heck out of this.
June 29, 2019
Quick thoughts: 2.5 rounded up for some of the underlying ideas, which were quite unique/intriguing. Unfortunately the interesting stuff doesn't get time to develop as this is a three or so book series crammed into one that collapses under its own weight. A lot of characters acting in weird ways and the book's own rules being stretched/broken towards the end to service the plot too. Strong start, disappointing finish.
May 7, 2015
One of the slowest books I have ever read…like watching a snail sleep and believe me, THAT would have been a better use of my time, than reading this book. I didn't care about any of the characters and it was flat, boring and I wish I would have stopped reading it by page ten. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
April 3, 2015
Originally published at Reading Reality
I bought this book because I read an article from the author on io9. It turned out that the io9 article was an extract from a more complete essay published at Black Gate. It’s here, go read it. I’ll wait.
For those who didn’t go to the full article, it’s the author talking about the writing of this book – specifically that there are no female protagonists in urban fantasy of a certain age. Or any age over 35. He had me hooked at that point, because yes, I’m over 35. You may not be yet, but we all get there at some point, unless we don’t survive.
There are female wisdom figures in urban fantasy over that age. There are also plenty of cosy mysteries where the sleuth, amateur or professional, is of retirement age – remember Miss Marple?
But in urban fantasy every heroine (and pretty much every hero), kicks butt, takes names and sets things on fire, not necessarily in that order. What if your heroine is past the chasing suspects at top speed stage but can still bring the baddies in with a lot of brain and heart. Especially a lot of brain.
We may not be as fast at 60+ as we are at 30+, but we (hopefully) know more stuff. And magic, in particular, is a field where knowing more stuff can definitely win the day.
Marley Jacob is 62, and she has been keeping Seattle safe from the supernatural, and the supernatural safe in the city, for a long time. She’s a good witch, but there are definitely circumstances where she is a good witch in the same way that Granny Weatherwax in the Discworld is a good witch – because her goodness is so sharp that it cuts things – including, occasionally, herself.
Marley is certainly a chaos magnet of the highest order. A lot of things go wrong in her orbit, sometimes because of something she did, and often because of something someone wants to do to her – with extreme malice.
Although its not ever explained, I’m pretty sure based on context in the story that Marley Jacob’s name is no accident. If it rings a bell that you can’t quite close in on, reverse the order. Jacob Marley was Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly partner in A Christmas Carol. (I hope that in some later book we get more info, so I can find out if my guesses are anywhere near the mark.)
The title of the book, as long as it is, is also a description of the key elements of the story. All those things are involved, but it’s the last, that unfortunate remark, that sends everything careening on its way. Or at least that brings some of what is skulking in the dark out into the light.
It’s up to Marley, and her nephew and new right hand man Albert, to figure out how one unfortunate remark to her other nephew, the late and not in the least lamented Aloysius, could have kicked off so much chaos and mayhem in her city. Before it kills them all.
Escape Rating A+: For me, this book was absolutely un-putdown-able. (That needs to be a word)
Whatever the stereotype of older women may be in your head, Marley is guaranteed not to fit into it – and that’s a terrific thing. She’s very clear that once upon a time, she waged war. She used to be that kick ass magical gunslinger, and she has REGRETS. Waging peace in her one small corner of the world is just as hard, but she believes it is better in the long run for everyone – and backs up that belief with a lot of wisdom as well as the occasional spell.
But she doesn’t do violence. Her new assistant Albert was a soldier in Afghanistan, and one of their constant struggles is his desire to protect and defend Marley, with weaponry if necessary, only to discover that she has already figured a way out and that his attempts to grab a gun have only gotten in her way and made things worse.
At the same time, Marley is giving Albert a lesson about magic and its uses in the world, as well as an introduction to everything in Seattle that goes bump in the night. Albert also gets a surprising lesson into the old saying that goes, “Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.” Albert wants to meet a werewolf.
Marley’s version of waging peace involves keeping her city safe. At the very beginning of the story, she makes it clear to the late Aloysius that part of what she’s keeping the city (or at least its female population) safe from is him. When he asks her for a love potion, and she explains to him very carefully that what he is asking for is really a rape potion, I wanted to stand up and cheer.
She also makes Aloysius finally see himself as others see him – a smarmy and self-absorbed user. Also a complete slacker and bully who is disliked if not hated by everyone he puts the touch on. Seeing the light gets Aloysius’ lights turned off permanently. But even though he was an arsehole, he was still family. Marley moves heaven and earth (sometimes close to literally) to find out what the jerk was involved in that got him killed.
Finding out that there’s a dragon at the bottom of it all is a fantastic surprise.
If you love urban fantasy, or even like it, this is an awesome book. Please read it so we get more.
Reviewer’s note: I lived in Seattle until very recently, so a lot of the places in this book are VERY familiar. It’s not just that I’ve been stuck waiting for the Ballard Bridge more than a few times. There’s a scene where Marley and Albert go to the grocery store on W. Dravus in Magnolia, and walk towards Magnolia Hill over the railroad tracks. The store is a QFC, and I’ve been there and walked that same stretch. I still miss the Red Mill Burgers across the street. Very deja vu.
I bought this book because I read an article from the author on io9. It turned out that the io9 article was an extract from a more complete essay published at Black Gate. It’s here, go read it. I’ll wait.
For those who didn’t go to the full article, it’s the author talking about the writing of this book – specifically that there are no female protagonists in urban fantasy of a certain age. Or any age over 35. He had me hooked at that point, because yes, I’m over 35. You may not be yet, but we all get there at some point, unless we don’t survive.
There are female wisdom figures in urban fantasy over that age. There are also plenty of cosy mysteries where the sleuth, amateur or professional, is of retirement age – remember Miss Marple?
But in urban fantasy every heroine (and pretty much every hero), kicks butt, takes names and sets things on fire, not necessarily in that order. What if your heroine is past the chasing suspects at top speed stage but can still bring the baddies in with a lot of brain and heart. Especially a lot of brain.
We may not be as fast at 60+ as we are at 30+, but we (hopefully) know more stuff. And magic, in particular, is a field where knowing more stuff can definitely win the day.
Marley Jacob is 62, and she has been keeping Seattle safe from the supernatural, and the supernatural safe in the city, for a long time. She’s a good witch, but there are definitely circumstances where she is a good witch in the same way that Granny Weatherwax in the Discworld is a good witch – because her goodness is so sharp that it cuts things – including, occasionally, herself.
Marley is certainly a chaos magnet of the highest order. A lot of things go wrong in her orbit, sometimes because of something she did, and often because of something someone wants to do to her – with extreme malice.
Although its not ever explained, I’m pretty sure based on context in the story that Marley Jacob’s name is no accident. If it rings a bell that you can’t quite close in on, reverse the order. Jacob Marley was Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly partner in A Christmas Carol. (I hope that in some later book we get more info, so I can find out if my guesses are anywhere near the mark.)
The title of the book, as long as it is, is also a description of the key elements of the story. All those things are involved, but it’s the last, that unfortunate remark, that sends everything careening on its way. Or at least that brings some of what is skulking in the dark out into the light.
It’s up to Marley, and her nephew and new right hand man Albert, to figure out how one unfortunate remark to her other nephew, the late and not in the least lamented Aloysius, could have kicked off so much chaos and mayhem in her city. Before it kills them all.
Escape Rating A+: For me, this book was absolutely un-putdown-able. (That needs to be a word)
Whatever the stereotype of older women may be in your head, Marley is guaranteed not to fit into it – and that’s a terrific thing. She’s very clear that once upon a time, she waged war. She used to be that kick ass magical gunslinger, and she has REGRETS. Waging peace in her one small corner of the world is just as hard, but she believes it is better in the long run for everyone – and backs up that belief with a lot of wisdom as well as the occasional spell.
But she doesn’t do violence. Her new assistant Albert was a soldier in Afghanistan, and one of their constant struggles is his desire to protect and defend Marley, with weaponry if necessary, only to discover that she has already figured a way out and that his attempts to grab a gun have only gotten in her way and made things worse.
At the same time, Marley is giving Albert a lesson about magic and its uses in the world, as well as an introduction to everything in Seattle that goes bump in the night. Albert also gets a surprising lesson into the old saying that goes, “Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.” Albert wants to meet a werewolf.
Marley’s version of waging peace involves keeping her city safe. At the very beginning of the story, she makes it clear to the late Aloysius that part of what she’s keeping the city (or at least its female population) safe from is him. When he asks her for a love potion, and she explains to him very carefully that what he is asking for is really a rape potion, I wanted to stand up and cheer.
She also makes Aloysius finally see himself as others see him – a smarmy and self-absorbed user. Also a complete slacker and bully who is disliked if not hated by everyone he puts the touch on. Seeing the light gets Aloysius’ lights turned off permanently. But even though he was an arsehole, he was still family. Marley moves heaven and earth (sometimes close to literally) to find out what the jerk was involved in that got him killed.
Finding out that there’s a dragon at the bottom of it all is a fantastic surprise.
If you love urban fantasy, or even like it, this is an awesome book. Please read it so we get more.
Reviewer’s note: I lived in Seattle until very recently, so a lot of the places in this book are VERY familiar. It’s not just that I’ve been stuck waiting for the Ballard Bridge more than a few times. There’s a scene where Marley and Albert go to the grocery store on W. Dravus in Magnolia, and walk towards Magnolia Hill over the railroad tracks. The store is a QFC, and I’ve been there and walked that same stretch. I still miss the Red Mill Burgers across the street. Very deja vu.
October 21, 2017
It was an easy read and a good way to kill a quiet Friday evening.
April 29, 2017
It's never a good idea to write a genre novel that sneers at its own genre.
Sure, as every other review has mentioned, the protag is a 60 year old woman who defends humans from monsters and monsters from humans. Cool. Unfortunately, she spends all her time looking down her nose at literally everyone else in the book. She meanders around doing meaningless things that she doesn't understand because she relies on coincidence magic (which incidentally makes for a really shitty, disconnected plot), and not explaining anything to anyone and then being disappointed in them for not knowing what's going on or how to react to it, and is incredibly snide to anyone whose methods differ from hers.
For example: she keeps vampires in a nursing home and provides them with human blood from blood drives, in order to keep them from killing anyone. She insists that vampires are less morally wrong for killing people than humans are, because the poor dears are cursed. She is horrified at the thought of vampire hunters killing vampires.
First of all, how nice for her that she has endless amounts of money to keep vampires in style. Most people don't have that option, and it's shitty of Marley to act like people aren't justified using the only means they have to stop further murders. And as we saw, vampires will absolutely not stop murdering people if they have any choice. The moment Marley's undefended nephew walks into the vampire nursing home, a vampire charms him and tries to drink his blood, because she insists she's tired of drinking out of plastic and wants the touch of a man on her lips. Yeah I don't know about you, but even if I had to eat hospital food forever, I wouldn't literally murder a guy for a cheeseburger. That's literally murder. For no better reason than "wah wah my food isn't tasty enough/I just really wanna rape a guy". And Marley thinks this is a-ok and in fact will happily ship vampires to new cities if they don't want to live in her nursing home and do want to murder humans for food until they get caught and killed by vampire hunters. She sees no reason at all to infringe on their ability to kill and eat human beings, as long as it doesn't happen in her city. Come the fuck on, Marley, these vampires are trash and the human blood you keep collecting really ought to go towards saving actual human lives. But heck, I guess human lives are worthless compared to making a point about pacifism and keeping your hands clean.
Here's how much Marley loves her woobie little bloodsuckers: at one point, her assistant is terrified of getting the death penalty for something she didn't do, and begs Marley to frame someone if she can't find the killer in time - and suggests that Marley frame a vampire, saying even though they didn't commit this crime, they have at least committed plenty of other murders, so it's not unjust to execute them for murder. Marley is horrified at the thought and scolds her assistant for daring to try to get a person killed, how dare she be such a monster, Marley would absolutely ruin her using her money and magic. At no point does Marley ever reassure her or suggest that she will use her money and magic to save her assistant from death or even spring her from jail. Shit, she doesn't even comfort her assistant's terrified parents, who don't know where she is and worry she has burned to death. Marley just rants about how her assistant didn't invite her to a party full of delightful bitchy university faculty, leaving her nephew to tell them where her assistant is and what happened and offer condolences. Wow, you can smell the regard for human life coming off her.
Regarding pacifism, actually - Marley is almost never in any danger in this book. The spell she uses the most is a magic double spell, so almost every time she gets shot or kidnapped or whatever, she's not actually there and can't be harmed. The one time she is genuinely fucked, her kidnappers offer her a choice between watching her nephew get tortured to death (and her nephew is a soldier who's totally willing to die for the cause by the way) and unlocking something that will lead to the deaths of thousands of people, the destruction of part of the city, and the exposure of the supernatural world. Despite this being a great test of pacifism and/or her ability to do magic in a pinch, Marley immediately decides to give up the secret and let thousands of people die. Spoiler: thousands of people die. Good job, Marley. Way to value human lives. Way to stick to your principles when it costs you.
I can just barely handle a smug, close-mouthed Holmes type, but it depends on them having sympathetic characters in the cast, and a Watson who follows them with wonder and admiration. Nobody likes Marley, and Marley and her nephew certainly don't like anyone else. Her nephew views her with a mixture of alarm and a timid obedience, to the point where he literally thinks he is having a stroke (because she is casting magic on him without his knowledge or consent) and silently wonders if it's worth interrupting his aunt to tell her he is dying. No thanks.
Sure, as every other review has mentioned, the protag is a 60 year old woman who defends humans from monsters and monsters from humans. Cool. Unfortunately, she spends all her time looking down her nose at literally everyone else in the book. She meanders around doing meaningless things that she doesn't understand because she relies on coincidence magic (which incidentally makes for a really shitty, disconnected plot), and not explaining anything to anyone and then being disappointed in them for not knowing what's going on or how to react to it, and is incredibly snide to anyone whose methods differ from hers.
For example: she keeps vampires in a nursing home and provides them with human blood from blood drives, in order to keep them from killing anyone. She insists that vampires are less morally wrong for killing people than humans are, because the poor dears are cursed. She is horrified at the thought of vampire hunters killing vampires.
First of all, how nice for her that she has endless amounts of money to keep vampires in style. Most people don't have that option, and it's shitty of Marley to act like people aren't justified using the only means they have to stop further murders. And as we saw, vampires will absolutely not stop murdering people if they have any choice. The moment Marley's undefended nephew walks into the vampire nursing home, a vampire charms him and tries to drink his blood, because she insists she's tired of drinking out of plastic and wants the touch of a man on her lips. Yeah I don't know about you, but even if I had to eat hospital food forever, I wouldn't literally murder a guy for a cheeseburger. That's literally murder. For no better reason than "wah wah my food isn't tasty enough/I just really wanna rape a guy". And Marley thinks this is a-ok and in fact will happily ship vampires to new cities if they don't want to live in her nursing home and do want to murder humans for food until they get caught and killed by vampire hunters. She sees no reason at all to infringe on their ability to kill and eat human beings, as long as it doesn't happen in her city. Come the fuck on, Marley, these vampires are trash and the human blood you keep collecting really ought to go towards saving actual human lives. But heck, I guess human lives are worthless compared to making a point about pacifism and keeping your hands clean.
Here's how much Marley loves her woobie little bloodsuckers: at one point, her assistant is terrified of getting the death penalty for something she didn't do, and begs Marley to frame someone if she can't find the killer in time - and suggests that Marley frame a vampire, saying even though they didn't commit this crime, they have at least committed plenty of other murders, so it's not unjust to execute them for murder. Marley is horrified at the thought and scolds her assistant for daring to try to get a person killed, how dare she be such a monster, Marley would absolutely ruin her using her money and magic. At no point does Marley ever reassure her or suggest that she will use her money and magic to save her assistant from death or even spring her from jail. Shit, she doesn't even comfort her assistant's terrified parents, who don't know where she is and worry she has burned to death. Marley just rants about how her assistant didn't invite her to a party full of delightful bitchy university faculty, leaving her nephew to tell them where her assistant is and what happened and offer condolences. Wow, you can smell the regard for human life coming off her.
Regarding pacifism, actually - Marley is almost never in any danger in this book. The spell she uses the most is a magic double spell, so almost every time she gets shot or kidnapped or whatever, she's not actually there and can't be harmed. The one time she is genuinely fucked, her kidnappers offer her a choice between watching her nephew get tortured to death (and her nephew is a soldier who's totally willing to die for the cause by the way) and unlocking something that will lead to the deaths of thousands of people, the destruction of part of the city, and the exposure of the supernatural world. Despite this being a great test of pacifism and/or her ability to do magic in a pinch, Marley immediately decides to give up the secret and let thousands of people die. Spoiler: thousands of people die. Good job, Marley. Way to value human lives. Way to stick to your principles when it costs you.
I can just barely handle a smug, close-mouthed Holmes type, but it depends on them having sympathetic characters in the cast, and a Watson who follows them with wonder and admiration. Nobody likes Marley, and Marley and her nephew certainly don't like anyone else. Her nephew views her with a mixture of alarm and a timid obedience, to the point where he literally thinks he is having a stroke (because she is casting magic on him without his knowledge or consent) and silently wonders if it's worth interrupting his aunt to tell her he is dying. No thanks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2021
I would like to read a sequel.
May 16, 2015
This was an interesting departure from the traditional narrative of urban fantasy. Instead of a 20-30-something bad-ass wizard/private detective combo, the main character is Marley Jacobs (and it bothers me how long it took me to get the "Jacob Marley" reference), a 60-70-ish woman living a quiet but fulfilling life of a Seattle socialite. Despite hints that Marley was quite the bad-ass herself in her younger-days, the Marley WE get to know is less Harry Dresden and more of a mix of Miss Marple and The Doctor with hints of John Constantine. Rather than being a spell-slinging, Latin-chanting mage, Marley's magic is closer to a sort of Taoism - following synchronicity and the path of wu wei rather than trying to impose her will upon reality.
Marley's easy-going, bemused personality disguises a profound iron will and incredibly sharp mind. After all, beyond the hints of her more violent past that we get, we know that she has personally made Seattle a safe-zone for everyone who lives there. Vampires are protected in a specialized retirement home, but prevented from hunting mortals. Bridge trolls are occupied with games of Candy Crush Saga rather than attacking travelers and ghosts - both living and dead - are generally allowed to go about their business as long as they don't hurt others. Even demons tend to be more of cultural anthropologists than soldiers of Hell.
By providing an everyman focus in the form of her nephew Albert, we're able to get a fascinating glimpse of the world that Marley lives in without being beaten over the head with the rules. Instead, Connolly leaves us to figure out the rules ourselves from what we observe - much as Albert himself has to. We make the same mistaken assumptions and learn to rely more on Marley's puissance... which makes her moments of vulnerability that much more startling and meaningful.
Despite not being the action hero that most urban fantasy protagonists are, Marley is a compelling figure. The way she seemingly drifts through the story like a slightly dotty grandmother draws us in and makes her power that much more significant and interesting. Albert - as a wounded and recovering Afghan War veteran - provides a mix of vulnerability and wonder; he's closer to the traditional hero of these stories and he's left with little to do until he adapts to his new circumstances. In many ways, he represents the reader: responding in ways that we've been trained in other fantasy stories only to realize that his instincts here are often going to lead to even MORE trouble. It's by letting go of his expectations and going with the flow that he (and we) get the most from the story.
In case it's not obvious, I enjoyed the HELL out of this, and I hope Connolly comes back to this world again.
Marley's easy-going, bemused personality disguises a profound iron will and incredibly sharp mind. After all, beyond the hints of her more violent past that we get, we know that she has personally made Seattle a safe-zone for everyone who lives there. Vampires are protected in a specialized retirement home, but prevented from hunting mortals. Bridge trolls are occupied with games of Candy Crush Saga rather than attacking travelers and ghosts - both living and dead - are generally allowed to go about their business as long as they don't hurt others. Even demons tend to be more of cultural anthropologists than soldiers of Hell.
By providing an everyman focus in the form of her nephew Albert, we're able to get a fascinating glimpse of the world that Marley lives in without being beaten over the head with the rules. Instead, Connolly leaves us to figure out the rules ourselves from what we observe - much as Albert himself has to. We make the same mistaken assumptions and learn to rely more on Marley's puissance... which makes her moments of vulnerability that much more startling and meaningful.
Despite not being the action hero that most urban fantasy protagonists are, Marley is a compelling figure. The way she seemingly drifts through the story like a slightly dotty grandmother draws us in and makes her power that much more significant and interesting. Albert - as a wounded and recovering Afghan War veteran - provides a mix of vulnerability and wonder; he's closer to the traditional hero of these stories and he's left with little to do until he adapts to his new circumstances. In many ways, he represents the reader: responding in ways that we've been trained in other fantasy stories only to realize that his instincts here are often going to lead to even MORE trouble. It's by letting go of his expectations and going with the flow that he (and we) get the most from the story.
In case it's not obvious, I enjoyed the HELL out of this, and I hope Connolly comes back to this world again.
December 4, 2017
[An old review I'm just now adding to GR.]
I bought this because I loved the idea of an urban fantasy starring a 60+ year old pacifist. At the start of this book, the eccentric and rich Marley Jacobs is holding a fundraiser at her house. Aloysius, her sleazy nephew, stops by and tries to convince her to give him a love potion so he can win back Jenny, his ex-girlfriend and Marley's current assistant. Marley has always found Aloysius to be tiresome, and now she's finally had enough. She forces him to see himself for who he really is. It seems like a change for the better, except she never sees him alive again.
Although she didn't particularly like Aloysius, Marley still wants to find out who killed him and why. For one thing, Jenny is being blamed for his murder, and Marley is convinced she didn't do it. For another, Marley is worried that her last words to Aloysius might have played a part in his death. With Albert, her nephew and Aloysius's half-brother, acting as her new assistant, she plans to figure out the truth and stop any more killings from happening in her city.
I'll start with the good. I'm really glad that a character like Marley exists. I can think of very few older female fantasy protagonists. Connolly only hinted at Marley's younger days, but I imagined her as being something like Buffy Summers, traditionally kick-butt and tough. Then things went really, really wrong, she was forced to rethink her entire way of life, and over the years she morphed into the Marley of this book. While her pacifism was sometimes frustrating, I admired her determination to never purposely hurt anyone. She didn't even bend this rule – there was no “by killing this one person, I can save thousands of lives” moment, even though there were certainly opportunities for it, and she wouldn't even let Albert kill or hurt anyone in her stead.
While Marley was nice, Marley and Albert together were even better. They had some fabulous dialogue. I loved watching Albert try to adjust to the idea that, even though he was an ex-soldier (his military career ended when his trigger finger was shot off), Marley honestly didn't want him to be her bodyguard or her muscle. She hired him primarily as her driver, her conversational companion, and her door opener, and that was it. The very first thing he had to learn, as Marley's assistant, was how to stand back, trust her, and let her do her thing. Although his fight-or-flight response was still in Afghanistan mode, he gradually got better at this.
Now for the bad. I hate to say this, but the story plodded a bit. The things that kept me reading were Marley and Albert's conversations and the occasional glimpses of how supernatural stuff worked in this world. I loved the part with the ghost, even though I wasn't fond of Marley's very broad definition of “ghost.” I also enjoyed the vampires, troll, and dragon (even though it was a little like something out of a Godzilla movie). The problem was that, after a while, I kept losing the thread of what Marley and Albert were trying to do. They'd visit one person, supernatural or otherwise, find out a little more about Aloysius's sleazy life, and then move on to the next person. There was no way to tell what was related to Aloysius's death and what wasn't, and Marley either played things close to her chest or didn't have much more of an idea about what she was doing than Albert did.
That leads me to Marley. I'm not sure what Connolly was trying to do with her. On the one hand, she clearly had tons of supernatural and magical knowledge, was acquainted with some amazing beings, and was so vastly wealthy that even her home burning down was more of an annoyance than anything. On the other hand, I was never sure whether her actions were prompted by her years of knowledge and experience, or whether she was just doing stuff because it felt right at the time. She'd do things like booby trap her own home or damage some random car, not because she had any evidence that her actions might be helpful, but because she just had a “feeling.” It got to the point where, in my mind, I read Marley's “feelings” as “authorial laziness,” and I hated them because I felt they robbed Marley of much of her potential awesomeness.
Then there were the other things that just didn't work. For example, there was the “moment” between Jenny and Albert that felt weirdly sudden (they'd literally just met, and Jenny was still twitchy over the possibility of accidentally running into Aloysius) and that never actually went anywhere. Then there was Scribe. Scribe was a terrible idea, and yet another pointless thing that could have been dropped from the story without hurting anything. I had the nagging suspicion that Scribe existed mostly to explain away any and all of the book's POV oddities.
The thing that really got me was the ending, in particular the last few sentences. It was like Connolly couldn't decide whether to end the book on a light note or a tragic one, so he decided to do both. I'm sure it was intended to be funny, but it just left me feeling angry. All I could think about was what would have to happen next. Either Marley would have to exist like that forever, or she'd have to wait for Albert to rescue her. Both options upset me, for different reasons.
I really, really liked certain aspects of this book, which was why it was so disappointing when others fell completely flat. I can still recommend this as being pleasantly outside the urban fantasy norm, but it could have been so much more amazing than it was. I'm still debating whether I want to try any of Connolly's other books.
Additional Comments:
I don't think there were more than a dozen typos, but they were all pretty distracting – usually missing words, or words that should have been taken out but weren't. In one instance, early on in the book, Marley was called “Marley Jacob” rather than “Marley Jacobs.” Also, I winced when Marley “plucked out a few locks” (200) of someone's hair. No. You can pluck a strand of hair, but you'll probably have to cut a lock of hair off, unless you plan on yanking out some of the person's scalp as well.
Rating Note:
I gave this 2.5 stars on LibraryThing and Booklikes. Since GR doesn't allow half stars, I rounded down to 2 stars because the bad aspects of this book were that disappointing. Even now, a couple years later, I'm still angry about the ending.
(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
I bought this because I loved the idea of an urban fantasy starring a 60+ year old pacifist. At the start of this book, the eccentric and rich Marley Jacobs is holding a fundraiser at her house. Aloysius, her sleazy nephew, stops by and tries to convince her to give him a love potion so he can win back Jenny, his ex-girlfriend and Marley's current assistant. Marley has always found Aloysius to be tiresome, and now she's finally had enough. She forces him to see himself for who he really is. It seems like a change for the better, except she never sees him alive again.
Although she didn't particularly like Aloysius, Marley still wants to find out who killed him and why. For one thing, Jenny is being blamed for his murder, and Marley is convinced she didn't do it. For another, Marley is worried that her last words to Aloysius might have played a part in his death. With Albert, her nephew and Aloysius's half-brother, acting as her new assistant, she plans to figure out the truth and stop any more killings from happening in her city.
I'll start with the good. I'm really glad that a character like Marley exists. I can think of very few older female fantasy protagonists. Connolly only hinted at Marley's younger days, but I imagined her as being something like Buffy Summers, traditionally kick-butt and tough. Then things went really, really wrong, she was forced to rethink her entire way of life, and over the years she morphed into the Marley of this book. While her pacifism was sometimes frustrating, I admired her determination to never purposely hurt anyone. She didn't even bend this rule – there was no “by killing this one person, I can save thousands of lives” moment, even though there were certainly opportunities for it, and she wouldn't even let Albert kill or hurt anyone in her stead.
While Marley was nice, Marley and Albert together were even better. They had some fabulous dialogue. I loved watching Albert try to adjust to the idea that, even though he was an ex-soldier (his military career ended when his trigger finger was shot off), Marley honestly didn't want him to be her bodyguard or her muscle. She hired him primarily as her driver, her conversational companion, and her door opener, and that was it. The very first thing he had to learn, as Marley's assistant, was how to stand back, trust her, and let her do her thing. Although his fight-or-flight response was still in Afghanistan mode, he gradually got better at this.
Now for the bad. I hate to say this, but the story plodded a bit. The things that kept me reading were Marley and Albert's conversations and the occasional glimpses of how supernatural stuff worked in this world. I loved the part with the ghost, even though I wasn't fond of Marley's very broad definition of “ghost.” I also enjoyed the vampires, troll, and dragon (even though it was a little like something out of a Godzilla movie). The problem was that, after a while, I kept losing the thread of what Marley and Albert were trying to do. They'd visit one person, supernatural or otherwise, find out a little more about Aloysius's sleazy life, and then move on to the next person. There was no way to tell what was related to Aloysius's death and what wasn't, and Marley either played things close to her chest or didn't have much more of an idea about what she was doing than Albert did.
That leads me to Marley. I'm not sure what Connolly was trying to do with her. On the one hand, she clearly had tons of supernatural and magical knowledge, was acquainted with some amazing beings, and was so vastly wealthy that even her home burning down was more of an annoyance than anything. On the other hand, I was never sure whether her actions were prompted by her years of knowledge and experience, or whether she was just doing stuff because it felt right at the time. She'd do things like booby trap her own home or damage some random car, not because she had any evidence that her actions might be helpful, but because she just had a “feeling.” It got to the point where, in my mind, I read Marley's “feelings” as “authorial laziness,” and I hated them because I felt they robbed Marley of much of her potential awesomeness.
Then there were the other things that just didn't work. For example, there was the “moment” between Jenny and Albert that felt weirdly sudden (they'd literally just met, and Jenny was still twitchy over the possibility of accidentally running into Aloysius) and that never actually went anywhere. Then there was Scribe. Scribe was a terrible idea, and yet another pointless thing that could have been dropped from the story without hurting anything. I had the nagging suspicion that Scribe existed mostly to explain away any and all of the book's POV oddities.
The thing that really got me was the ending, in particular the last few sentences. It was like Connolly couldn't decide whether to end the book on a light note or a tragic one, so he decided to do both. I'm sure it was intended to be funny, but it just left me feeling angry. All I could think about was what would have to happen next. Either Marley would have to exist like that forever, or she'd have to wait for Albert to rescue her. Both options upset me, for different reasons.
I really, really liked certain aspects of this book, which was why it was so disappointing when others fell completely flat. I can still recommend this as being pleasantly outside the urban fantasy norm, but it could have been so much more amazing than it was. I'm still debating whether I want to try any of Connolly's other books.
Additional Comments:
I don't think there were more than a dozen typos, but they were all pretty distracting – usually missing words, or words that should have been taken out but weren't. In one instance, early on in the book, Marley was called “Marley Jacob” rather than “Marley Jacobs.” Also, I winced when Marley “plucked out a few locks” (200) of someone's hair. No. You can pluck a strand of hair, but you'll probably have to cut a lock of hair off, unless you plan on yanking out some of the person's scalp as well.
Rating Note:
I gave this 2.5 stars on LibraryThing and Booklikes. Since GR doesn't allow half stars, I rounded down to 2 stars because the bad aspects of this book were that disappointing. Even now, a couple years later, I'm still angry about the ending.
(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 23, 2014
This is a marvelous book. It's set in modern day Seattle and has magic and magical creatures, but it's not an urban fantasy. To me an urban fantasy pretty much has to be told in the first person. This is third person. The tone is also pretty light, reminding me of the lighter Doctor Who episodes. Perhaps Cozy Fantasy? Whatever it is, we need more like it.
There's a bit of a Holmes/Watson thing, when former soldier Albert goes to help his aunt Marley by being her driver and door opener. You quickly find out that she's into all sorts of very weird stuff and views all the residents of Seattle as under her protection. Something bad happened in her past and she now lives by a very strict "nobody gets hurt" rule, which she applies to absolutely everyone - including the bad guys. The real fun is watching her use very unpredictable magic and a crazy ability to out-think everyone to save the day while saving the bad guys from themselves.
I really hope he can turn this into a series.
Disclaimer: I backed the kickstarter and got this as a reward (hence having it 3 months before normal release).
There's a bit of a Holmes/Watson thing, when former soldier Albert goes to help his aunt Marley by being her driver and door opener. You quickly find out that she's into all sorts of very weird stuff and views all the residents of Seattle as under her protection. Something bad happened in her past and she now lives by a very strict "nobody gets hurt" rule, which she applies to absolutely everyone - including the bad guys. The real fun is watching her use very unpredictable magic and a crazy ability to out-think everyone to save the day while saving the bad guys from themselves.
I really hope he can turn this into a series.
Disclaimer: I backed the kickstarter and got this as a reward (hence having it 3 months before normal release).
January 24, 2015
Another great novel by Mr. Connolly.
Do you have one of those authors that when you read his or her book you wonder why in the hell they are not more successful and why hasn't everyone wanted to read this?
Mr. Connolly's novels have done that for me. I stumbled upon Child of Fire a few years back, and fell in love with the Twenty Palaces series that was a bummer of being cut short. Because of that I was following his social media and when he promoted his new 'The Way' series recently I participated on the Kickstarter and this was one of the rewards.
I'd have paid for it when it came out too, but was happy to read it.
This has nothing to do with his other series, but is just an excellent peek into yet another interpretation of magical use in the modern age. I really enjoy Mr. Connolly's creations when he creates these new 'rules' for magic in his work they are not too contrived or to burdensome. just enough mysticalsim to explain them naturally as part of the conversation but not be too in your face or too hidden.
This was one of those I had to finish once I started type of novels. Great characters, a nice twist and turn through the story, plenty of side stories all coming together at the end.
Left room for more too, which I'd gladly take :)
Do you have one of those authors that when you read his or her book you wonder why in the hell they are not more successful and why hasn't everyone wanted to read this?
Mr. Connolly's novels have done that for me. I stumbled upon Child of Fire a few years back, and fell in love with the Twenty Palaces series that was a bummer of being cut short. Because of that I was following his social media and when he promoted his new 'The Way' series recently I participated on the Kickstarter and this was one of the rewards.
I'd have paid for it when it came out too, but was happy to read it.
This has nothing to do with his other series, but is just an excellent peek into yet another interpretation of magical use in the modern age. I really enjoy Mr. Connolly's creations when he creates these new 'rules' for magic in his work they are not too contrived or to burdensome. just enough mysticalsim to explain them naturally as part of the conversation but not be too in your face or too hidden.
This was one of those I had to finish once I started type of novels. Great characters, a nice twist and turn through the story, plenty of side stories all coming together at the end.
Left room for more too, which I'd gladly take :)
April 8, 2016
My Amazon review - http://www.amazon.com/review/R1V565VN...
Urban Fantasy - Rogue Fairy Godmother, April 7, 2016
This review is from: A Key, An Egg, An Unfortunate Remark (Kindle Edition)
Seattle is Aunt Marley's town. She holds parties, does random bizarre things, won't open doors, knows a lot about ghosts, runs a vampire rest home and runs vampire hunters out of town when the need arises.
At a party, her nephew Aloysius want's a small favor - a love potion - but a chance remark from Aunt Marley causes Aloysius to rethink his life, and that leads to his untimely death. Then Aunt Marley and Albert, Aloysius' half-brother, are chasing down leads with the Seattle paranormal community.
Aunt Marley develops into an endearing character. Her nephew also develops a death, and, by the end of the book, seems ready to step into the paranormal community on his own. The plot moved along nicely and the story maintained a nice tongue in cheek tone
Urban Fantasy - Rogue Fairy Godmother, April 7, 2016
This review is from: A Key, An Egg, An Unfortunate Remark (Kindle Edition)
Seattle is Aunt Marley's town. She holds parties, does random bizarre things, won't open doors, knows a lot about ghosts, runs a vampire rest home and runs vampire hunters out of town when the need arises.
At a party, her nephew Aloysius want's a small favor - a love potion - but a chance remark from Aunt Marley causes Aloysius to rethink his life, and that leads to his untimely death. Then Aunt Marley and Albert, Aloysius' half-brother, are chasing down leads with the Seattle paranormal community.
Aunt Marley develops into an endearing character. Her nephew also develops a death, and, by the end of the book, seems ready to step into the paranormal community on his own. The plot moved along nicely and the story maintained a nice tongue in cheek tone
April 1, 2015
A really fun, quirky urban fantasy novel that felt a bit like the kind of fantasy Elizabeth Peters might have written - similar kinds of colorful characters, quirky humor and sharp, powerful older women. I really adored Marley Jacobs, the elderly heroine of this novel. Her nephews think of her as just an eccentric, Auntie-Mame-style old lady, but she's an urban fantasy heroine all grown up, enjoying her old age and the peace that she brought to her city. Of course, that peace gets seriously broken in this book, so it's time for her to step up again. I enjoyed the whole book, and I'd definitely read more in this series.
May 28, 2016
This was fun. It was a cheapie I picked up for Kindle a while back and finally got around to reading. With a character named Marley Jacobs, I wondered if the author was ever going to make a Christmas Carol reference. Finally he gave us a throw-away line.
This book feels like it's part of a series but I don't know if it is. It was a different paranormal fantasy, which is nice. Sure, there are vampires and werewolves (okay, werewolf) and a dragon, but Marley herself is something different. And she's an old lady, which is also something you don't see too often in fantasy.
This book feels like it's part of a series but I don't know if it is. It was a different paranormal fantasy, which is nice. Sure, there are vampires and werewolves (okay, werewolf) and a dragon, but Marley herself is something different. And she's an old lady, which is also something you don't see too often in fantasy.
June 15, 2023
I loved this book from the moment Marley called love potions "rape." It's full of hilarious little anti-meninist manchild tidbits. The author told me via Twitter that there will only be one Marley book, but I'm hoping his new fans can convince him to do a series. This book was like a feminist version of Harry Dresden without all the poorly written one-dimensional female characters.
May 24, 2015
There's something about this book...
On the surface, it doesn't SEEM like it should work?
But...there's a sense to it...beneath the surface?
Reminds me a lot of that under the surface reasoning of Alice in Wonderland.
It doesn't SEEM to make any sense to me, but it seems to have that internal logic going for it that totally makes everything that happens reasonable and logical.
Tis weird.
On the surface, it doesn't SEEM like it should work?
But...there's a sense to it...beneath the surface?
Reminds me a lot of that under the surface reasoning of Alice in Wonderland.
It doesn't SEEM to make any sense to me, but it seems to have that internal logic going for it that totally makes everything that happens reasonable and logical.
Tis weird.
June 2, 2015
This book started out strong--I liked the unconventional heroine and the story seemed intriguing (hence the second star). But it turned out that both of the main characters were just boring. The magic system wasn't well developed and the ""curse" that Marley was under only came into play once and it didn't add anything to the story. By the end I was just waiting for it to be over.
November 2, 2015
This book literally had me guessing to the very end who the bad guy would be. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I really LOVED it. I especially like the fact that the person kicking ass and taking names is someone's older aunt. Nice for a change. If you want to read a good paranormal mystery with an unusual protagonist. This is the book to grab. :)
March 29, 2015
Marley Jacob's holistic detective agency
This is an astonishingly fun story. There's something very odd about Marley, and we see increasingly more of it as she tries to solve the mystery of a murder. I'd love to read more of these!
This is an astonishingly fun story. There's something very odd about Marley, and we see increasingly more of it as she tries to solve the mystery of a murder. I'd love to read more of these!
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