Sequel to Hambly's Windrose Series. Exiled wizard Antryg Windrose and his partner, computer programmer Joanna Sheraton, discover that a trans-dimensional monster is hiding somewhere in the vicinity of Los Angeles. They track it down to the now-deserted luxury “ranch” of a deceased 1970s glam-rock star known as The Daemon (real name Harold Nedwick), only to discover that the creature has been there much longer than anyone suspected, hidden in the maze at the center of the property – and that it is about to spawn.
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
It's a Joanna and Antryg story, and that was enough for me to scoop it up without a second thought. (It's sold only via the author's website, I believe. A bit expensive for a short story, but JOANNA AND ANTRYG, EEEEEEE!)
And it is indeed a story in the same vein as The Silicon Mage, including technology appropriate to the time period. (Which very nearly makes it historical fiction in these days of smartphones and the World Wide Web! ...even though I would adore seeing Antryg examine an iPhone or play a little World of Warcraft. But anyway!)
It being a short story, anything else would be a spoiler. If you're a fan of this pair, you want the story. If you're not, oh-well.
This is an excellent 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 short 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.
This is definitely a short story (around 15,000 words), but it was great to see Antryg and Joanna again. The Silent Tower and The Silicon Mage make up one of my favorite series by Hambly, and I'm glad to find that she's written Further Adventures for so many of her books. On to Corridor!
While I always love Antryg and Joanna, this novelette is a bit derivative. If you are a fan of the Silent Tower series, it is a fun lark. If you love good swashbuckling fantasy with complex characters and humor, but don’t yet know Barbara Hambly, read the Silent Tower series first.
What would you do if something offered you your dream?
This is really great to continue the life of Antryg in our world. That and how he is getting on without magic. But can he keep doing what a wizard does to protect his love and others without his powers?
I quite like the idea of Hambly's characters having "further adventures". This was a good one... and I couldn't help but feel that it could have been the start of a great novel.
Hambly gave the best line to a minor character, but it's indicative of the tight story telling and focus of this Windrose short story. Much better, in fact, than the full-length Windrose novels, though it won't make as much sense if you haven't read them.
Set in our universe, rather than Antryg's this short story has sufficient complexity and humor to carry the reader deeply into Other.