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Verity Fassbinder #2
Corpselight
Life in Brisbane is never simple for those who walk between the worlds.
Verity's all about protecting her city, but right now that's mostly running surveillance and handling the less exciting cases for the Weyrd Council – after all, it's hard to chase the bad guys through the streets of Brisbane when you're really, really pregnant.
An insurance investigation sounds pretty harmless, even if it is for 'Unusual Happenstance'. That's not usually a clause Normals use – it covers all-purpose hauntings, angry genii loci, ectoplasmic home invasion, demonic possession, that sort of thing – but Susan Beckett's claimed three times in three months. Her house keeps getting inundated with mud, but she's still insisting she doesn't need or want help . . . until the dry-land drownings begin.
V's first lead takes her to Chinatown, where she is confronted by kitsune assassins. But when she suddenly goes into labour, it's clear the fox spirits are not going to be helpful . . .
Corpselight is the sequel to Vigil and the second book in the Verity Fassbinder series by award-winning author Angela Slatter.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2017
18 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Angela Slatter
190 books823 followersAngela Slatter is the author of the urban fantasy novels Vigil (2016) and Corpselight (2017), as well as eight short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and A Feast of Sorrows: Stories. She has won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar, and six Aurealis Awards.
Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories.
She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth.
Her novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (from Tor.com), and Ripper (in the Stephen Jones anthology Horrorology, from Jo Fletcher Books) were released in October 2015.
The third novel in the Verity Fassbinder series, Restoration, will be released in 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books (Hachette International). She is represented by Ian Drury of the literary agency Sheil Land for her long fiction, by Lucy Fawcett of Sheil Land for film rights, and by Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services for illustrated storybooks.
Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories.
She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth.
Her novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (from Tor.com), and Ripper (in the Stephen Jones anthology Horrorology, from Jo Fletcher Books) were released in October 2015.
The third novel in the Verity Fassbinder series, Restoration, will be released in 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books (Hachette International). She is represented by Ian Drury of the literary agency Sheil Land for her long fiction, by Lucy Fawcett of Sheil Land for film rights, and by Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services for illustrated storybooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 19, 2017
Such a brilliant urban fantasy set in the heart of Brisbane! Corpselight has a heavy theme of family and motherhood, of recognising the evil that people are capable of but also understanding that not everyone is perfect. I loved all the secrets and the reveals between Verity and her friends, but also how she learns to put her pride aside.
This series is so entertaining and dry, sarcastic and dark and I loved it. Full review to come!
This series is so entertaining and dry, sarcastic and dark and I loved it. Full review to come!
June 17, 2017
Straight up 5* no messing. Brilliant. Read the entire thing in a huge gulp. SO addictive, beautifully done, Vigil was great but this was greater. Erm better? Whatever. Superb. Witty, dark, increasingly fascinating characters and a GORGEOUS set up ending to make you desperate for the next one.
Full review nearer to e-book publication in July. Thanks to Jo Fletcher books and Angela Slatter for the early bound proof. Made my Saturday.
Full review nearer to e-book publication in July. Thanks to Jo Fletcher books and Angela Slatter for the early bound proof. Made my Saturday.
January 4, 2024
4.75!!
This was delightfully sarcastic, intriguing, mysterious and funny. I'll have a review up for the blog tour on July 27 so I'll link it here when I post it! :)
https://becklebooks.wordpress.com/201...
This was delightfully sarcastic, intriguing, mysterious and funny. I'll have a review up for the blog tour on July 27 so I'll link it here when I post it! :)
https://becklebooks.wordpress.com/201...
July 9, 2017
I read Vigil last year and really enjoyed it. I thought it was an awesome urban fantasy book set in Australia. So I was looking forward to reading the next book.
Verity deals with a lot of otherwordly stuff every single day, but she's now dealing with a new challenge: pregnancy. She's expecting her first child and because she's temporarily lost her strength, can't really perform her usual PI duties.
She's doing odd, less dangerous jobs. But when she starts looking into what first appears to be a very strange series of insurance claims, Verity finds herself getting caught up in something a lot deeper. As if being pregnant isn't hard enough, soon she finds herself the target of a pack of kitsune. Girls who lead her to someone very unexpected, but also might shatter the normal life she's trying to live...
Well. That was quite the ride through Brisneyland and beyond. I didn't expect so much to be revealed, and definitely didn't see the root of the very messed up main storyline coming. There were some very cool surprises and quite a few secrets revealed, but it's obvious that there's still plenty left to unravel.
I also liked the fact that insurance cover for the Weyrd stuff average humans know nothing about is explored. Very interesting concept.
Corpselight is another energetic and intriguing addition to this very entertaining urban fantasy series. The world of the Weyrd is full of strange and interesting characters. It also opens even wider in this book, and leaves the reader wondering what will happen next to Verity, her family and friends. Especially after that ending!
No matter what, it looks like Verity will always end up in the middle of all the trouble.
Verity deals with a lot of otherwordly stuff every single day, but she's now dealing with a new challenge: pregnancy. She's expecting her first child and because she's temporarily lost her strength, can't really perform her usual PI duties.
She's doing odd, less dangerous jobs. But when she starts looking into what first appears to be a very strange series of insurance claims, Verity finds herself getting caught up in something a lot deeper. As if being pregnant isn't hard enough, soon she finds herself the target of a pack of kitsune. Girls who lead her to someone very unexpected, but also might shatter the normal life she's trying to live...
Well. That was quite the ride through Brisneyland and beyond. I didn't expect so much to be revealed, and definitely didn't see the root of the very messed up main storyline coming. There were some very cool surprises and quite a few secrets revealed, but it's obvious that there's still plenty left to unravel.
I also liked the fact that insurance cover for the Weyrd stuff average humans know nothing about is explored. Very interesting concept.
Corpselight is another energetic and intriguing addition to this very entertaining urban fantasy series. The world of the Weyrd is full of strange and interesting characters. It also opens even wider in this book, and leaves the reader wondering what will happen next to Verity, her family and friends. Especially after that ending!
No matter what, it looks like Verity will always end up in the middle of all the trouble.
December 27, 2018
Jumped in straight after reading Vigil, the first book of the series. It‘s good, although I liked the first book better. It was fresher somehow, lighter, funnier. Livelier. This one here is more plotted, structured, but also a little less fun. I liked the plot, though.
Brisbane is not quite as center stage and we do not meet as many new Weyrd. I liked the addition of Olivia. Are the characterizations a little flat? I am not sure. The snark is good though and I laughed quite a bit.
The last chapter is a pretty elaborate set-up for the next (and final?) part of this series. I wasn‘t sure in the middle and latter part of this novel, if I would want to pick up the next installment. I am now, I want to know how Verity‘s story ends and if she will get a HEA.
Brisbane is not quite as center stage and we do not meet as many new Weyrd. I liked the addition of Olivia. Are the characterizations a little flat? I am not sure. The snark is good though and I laughed quite a bit.
The last chapter is a pretty elaborate set-up for the next (and final?) part of this series. I wasn‘t sure in the middle and latter part of this novel, if I would want to pick up the next installment. I am now, I want to know how Verity‘s story ends and if she will get a HEA.
August 18, 2018
Book 2 of the Verity Fassbinder urban fantasy series set in modern-day Brisbane. Verity becomes a mum! But as she regains her Weyrd strength, her investigation of what begins as an insurance job when foul mud fills a lawyer's home, turns into something more sinister and random people drown on dry-land. Her worries are divided between fox-girl assassins and an elusive female warrior who seems to be protecting her (but is she really and why?), and expressing enough milk for her newborn. While she can transport herself magically between Brisbane and Byron Bay, and Brisbane and the Underworld, she faces the universal dilemma of working mums: wanting to be in two places at once and feeling like she cannot succeed at one job without failing her other.
September 13, 2017
Good follow up to the 1st book Vigil. Verity is pregnant at the beginning and must invetsigate a series of mud floods in a ladys house. The story all unravels from here, with familiar characters from book 1 as well as interesting new characters. At times the plot had a little too much going on. It definitely has an old school urban fantasy feel with contemporary elements. Bridges the 2 types together very well. Just enough humour which all good urban fantasy contains. Didnt enjoy it as much as the 1st but rhe cliffhanger ending has convinced me to pick up the next.
July 22, 2018
I dove into the reread ready for the third book to come out, and I still heart this book so much.
There is something so very strange about reading a book set in places that you actually visit 😲
And I LOVE it! The MC visits places that I’ve visited. She’s walking through the Jacaranda on Southbank mentioning the first restaurant that I took my mother too after a long hospitalisation, mentioning a cinema that I’ve been too, streets that I’ve walked down.
Part of me gets so super excited imagining the world or Weyrd just around the corner, part of me is weyrded (😂) out.
Still. Verity is such a fantastic MC. I love her so much. I love her snark, and her fashion sense, and her ability to be vulnerable and to be strong. I love that she makes hard decisions and questions them. She’s such a full, vital, layered character that I would really, really like to know.
I loved that there was a juxtaposition of V as a mother, and as a daughter. I loved the healthy lgbt relationships that are not even “picked out” in that way that some authors do. The “ooh, look, I totally have a token character”. I love the Norns. Seriously love them.
There are some things that are mentioned in this book that could come with trigger warnings, and Angela treats them with clear-eyed respect, and, so importantly, doesn’t let it become the only thing about a character. Or turn them into saintly victims.
And that ending? Oh, Holy Hannah! I am counting down the days until Restoration. DYING TO KNOW!
I mean, Angela is very happy to talk to fans in social media, and has offered me a blanket apology for any trauma suffered, but I am so excited that I can’t wait!!!
4.5 magical mystery women out of 5
There is something so very strange about reading a book set in places that you actually visit 😲
And I LOVE it! The MC visits places that I’ve visited. She’s walking through the Jacaranda on Southbank mentioning the first restaurant that I took my mother too after a long hospitalisation, mentioning a cinema that I’ve been too, streets that I’ve walked down.
Part of me gets so super excited imagining the world or Weyrd just around the corner, part of me is weyrded (😂) out.
Still. Verity is such a fantastic MC. I love her so much. I love her snark, and her fashion sense, and her ability to be vulnerable and to be strong. I love that she makes hard decisions and questions them. She’s such a full, vital, layered character that I would really, really like to know.
I loved that there was a juxtaposition of V as a mother, and as a daughter. I loved the healthy lgbt relationships that are not even “picked out” in that way that some authors do. The “ooh, look, I totally have a token character”. I love the Norns. Seriously love them.
There are some things that are mentioned in this book that could come with trigger warnings, and Angela treats them with clear-eyed respect, and, so importantly, doesn’t let it become the only thing about a character. Or turn them into saintly victims.
And that ending? Oh, Holy Hannah! I am counting down the days until Restoration. DYING TO KNOW!
I mean, Angela is very happy to talk to fans in social media, and has offered me a blanket apology for any trauma suffered, but I am so excited that I can’t wait!!!
4.5 magical mystery women out of 5
August 24, 2018
“Now, do you know what happened to me today? I was almost drowned on dry land. Do you know what happened to me last week? I was attacked by assassins while I was not quite nine months’ pregnant. And last year? I got beaten up by an angel, sucker-punched by an old witch who tried to roast me and almost eaten by a golem made of garbage. The year before that, I got nearly eaten by a berserker. So maybe you might want to do your research before you start accusing me of – well, whatever it is you think I’m guilty of – and you might like to consider if you really do want this job!”
Verity Fassbinder is back and Weryd crime waits for nothing – not even pregnancy and childbirth! The hormones are raging, the threats are advancing, there’s a new council and archivist to work in with, family members are popping up out of nowhere, bodies are piling up, there’s corpselights dancing in the yard, and the Boatman wants his special knife back. It’s all happening, usually all at once, and just like the first time around, I absolutely love it! Oh, and then there’s David, who is the very definition of perfection. I’m so glad he turned out to be a good guy. Verity is as cutting as ever and with her new family to protect, she’s fiercer than before too. Some interesting dynamics appear between Verity and her cohorts, trust is fractured in some quarters and strengthened in others. I enjoyed how Angela tugged on the threads of Verity’s relationships, stretching her a bit more than in Vigil, testing the boundaries of what she was inclined to tolerate from those around her.
Verity herself is much changed. She’s in a committed relationship with David and is a new mother. There were some fantastic internal reflections on her new role within the context of her crazy, and terrifically dangerous, life:
“And I felt like the worst mother in the world, not just because I wasn’t there now, but because there was a really good chance that this wasn’t going to be just a blip on the radar of my daughter’s life. David would always be there for her, he could be counted on, but I would always be trying to deal with the latest crisis, or cleaning up a mess not of my own making, or trailing along in the wake of something terrible and trying to work out why it’d happened, who’d done it, who needed to be punished and how it could possibly be kept secret. That was going to be our life forever…or until I fucked up, until I died – or I wasn’t there for David or Maisie and they died.”
I loved how Angela worked this angle of motherhood, the guilt and worry that is so common place, into Verity’s story. Verity might fight the supernatural as her day job, but in all else, her experiences are entirely human.
Corpselight ends on a bit more uncertain ground than Vigil did, which kind of makes me glad I didn’t read this a year ago! Angela has set the scene for something big just over the horizon, and I for one, can’t wait to find out what it is in Restoration.
Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Corpselight for review.
Verity Fassbinder is back and Weryd crime waits for nothing – not even pregnancy and childbirth! The hormones are raging, the threats are advancing, there’s a new council and archivist to work in with, family members are popping up out of nowhere, bodies are piling up, there’s corpselights dancing in the yard, and the Boatman wants his special knife back. It’s all happening, usually all at once, and just like the first time around, I absolutely love it! Oh, and then there’s David, who is the very definition of perfection. I’m so glad he turned out to be a good guy. Verity is as cutting as ever and with her new family to protect, she’s fiercer than before too. Some interesting dynamics appear between Verity and her cohorts, trust is fractured in some quarters and strengthened in others. I enjoyed how Angela tugged on the threads of Verity’s relationships, stretching her a bit more than in Vigil, testing the boundaries of what she was inclined to tolerate from those around her.
Verity herself is much changed. She’s in a committed relationship with David and is a new mother. There were some fantastic internal reflections on her new role within the context of her crazy, and terrifically dangerous, life:
“And I felt like the worst mother in the world, not just because I wasn’t there now, but because there was a really good chance that this wasn’t going to be just a blip on the radar of my daughter’s life. David would always be there for her, he could be counted on, but I would always be trying to deal with the latest crisis, or cleaning up a mess not of my own making, or trailing along in the wake of something terrible and trying to work out why it’d happened, who’d done it, who needed to be punished and how it could possibly be kept secret. That was going to be our life forever…or until I fucked up, until I died – or I wasn’t there for David or Maisie and they died.”
I loved how Angela worked this angle of motherhood, the guilt and worry that is so common place, into Verity’s story. Verity might fight the supernatural as her day job, but in all else, her experiences are entirely human.
Corpselight ends on a bit more uncertain ground than Vigil did, which kind of makes me glad I didn’t read this a year ago! Angela has set the scene for something big just over the horizon, and I for one, can’t wait to find out what it is in Restoration.
Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Corpselight for review.
July 1, 2017
I had forgotten she was preggo! Oh my poor brain, I mean they must have found out at the end. But yes she is pregnant and she does have a really dangerous job. Not all is well is Brisneyland.
Let us first start with the fact that it takes place in Brisbane, that does feel refreshing since I read so many US based UF books. And it does have this other feel to it too, I just can't put my finger on it.
This one has a few twists in it and the ending...well yes it is a sort of cliffhanger. All is well, for a while and then things will, oh you will see when you read it. It did make me want to read the next book to find out.
Verity might not show her kick-ass side all the time like other heroines, but that does not mean that she does not kick some ass. She is smart, resourceful and knows how to get the job down. She does her investigations even if it takes weeks. I like her. I like that she already has her man and that she is happy.
Her investigations in this one gives us kitsunes, mud and a few revelations that I did not see coming at all. I like the world created her and all the different beings she brings to life. But I must say that I had not heard of one at all, a Swedish creature. One would think I would know, but nope. So I learned something new about the dark hidden paranormal world.
A good series with lots to offer. I look forward to more,.
Let us first start with the fact that it takes place in Brisbane, that does feel refreshing since I read so many US based UF books. And it does have this other feel to it too, I just can't put my finger on it.
This one has a few twists in it and the ending...well yes it is a sort of cliffhanger. All is well, for a while and then things will, oh you will see when you read it. It did make me want to read the next book to find out.
Verity might not show her kick-ass side all the time like other heroines, but that does not mean that she does not kick some ass. She is smart, resourceful and knows how to get the job down. She does her investigations even if it takes weeks. I like her. I like that she already has her man and that she is happy.
Her investigations in this one gives us kitsunes, mud and a few revelations that I did not see coming at all. I like the world created her and all the different beings she brings to life. But I must say that I had not heard of one at all, a Swedish creature. One would think I would know, but nope. So I learned something new about the dark hidden paranormal world.
A good series with lots to offer. I look forward to more,.
January 5, 2020
4.5
Like the first in the series, this is a big cut above the usual urban fantasy. And it's set in Brisbane! Warning, though: it ends in the middle of a story arc - not precisely a cliffhanger, but it's definitely unfinished and you'll want the third book soon (as I do).
Like the first in the series, this is a big cut above the usual urban fantasy. And it's set in Brisbane! Warning, though: it ends in the middle of a story arc - not precisely a cliffhanger, but it's definitely unfinished and you'll want the third book soon (as I do).
July 16, 2017
As I've mentioned before, I love a good urban fantasy and Angela Slatter's Verity Fassbinder series is turning out to be one of my favourites. Corpselight does some unusual things with the genre.
For a start, it's refreshing to see a pregnant protagonist. And I don't mean just pregnant, I mean almost-ready-to-drop pregnant. This raises the stakes in some interesting ways. Verity has scaled back her activities as an investigator for the Council, but events conspire to draw her in. She's forced to weigh her duty to the Weyrd community against her daughter's safety.
The theme of motherhood plays out in several strands of the book. In particular, it is concerned with neglectful mothers and examines where this can be fairly benign all the way through to where it facilitates abuse. Readers should be warned the story is quite dark in places, involving off-screen family abuse and on-screen suicide.
The book is not without humour, however. Fassbinder's Law of Handbags made me chuckle, and I cackled out loud at numerous points of the story. I also appreciate a book that takes its cake seriously... though marshmallow and caramel sounds a bit sweet for me.
One of my criticisms of Vigil was its depiction of Verity's love interest, David. I was pleased to see him get a little more screen time in Corpselight. He's still a relatively shallow character--but this is by design. It reverses the gender dynamics often present in male-led urban fantasy and noir. David is the supportive spouse, there to love and enable Verity. While this was also true of Vigil, his added screen time gives weight to the affection he and Verity share.
The story kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I'd figured out the direction it was going, it proved me wrong. The ending, in particular, shook things up and I'll be interested to see how events play out in the sequel.
Overall, I found Corpselight to be a thoughtful example of urban fantasy and an excellent continuation of the series.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review contains spoilers for previous volumes/books.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
For a start, it's refreshing to see a pregnant protagonist. And I don't mean just pregnant, I mean almost-ready-to-drop pregnant. This raises the stakes in some interesting ways. Verity has scaled back her activities as an investigator for the Council, but events conspire to draw her in. She's forced to weigh her duty to the Weyrd community against her daughter's safety.
The theme of motherhood plays out in several strands of the book. In particular, it is concerned with neglectful mothers and examines where this can be fairly benign all the way through to where it facilitates abuse. Readers should be warned the story is quite dark in places, involving off-screen family abuse and on-screen suicide.
The book is not without humour, however. Fassbinder's Law of Handbags made me chuckle, and I cackled out loud at numerous points of the story. I also appreciate a book that takes its cake seriously... though marshmallow and caramel sounds a bit sweet for me.
One of my criticisms of Vigil was its depiction of Verity's love interest, David. I was pleased to see him get a little more screen time in Corpselight. He's still a relatively shallow character--but this is by design. It reverses the gender dynamics often present in male-led urban fantasy and noir. David is the supportive spouse, there to love and enable Verity. While this was also true of Vigil, his added screen time gives weight to the affection he and Verity share.
The story kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I'd figured out the direction it was going, it proved me wrong. The ending, in particular, shook things up and I'll be interested to see how events play out in the sequel.
Overall, I found Corpselight to be a thoughtful example of urban fantasy and an excellent continuation of the series.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review contains spoilers for previous volumes/books.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
December 31, 2016
Read in beta. Already great and will probably be even better in the final version!
Read
October 22, 2017Verity Fassbinder is back in Corpselight and ready to protect the ones she loves no matter the cost.
I came away from Vigil (book one in the Verity Fassbinder series) feeling content but a little bit disappointed that the book didn't punch me emotional as I expected it to. Well I can say full heartedly that not only did Angela Slatter comes back with a kick arse book to match her hard as nails heroine Verity Fassbinder, but she completely delivered on the emotional smack down and the fast paced action thriller style writing that we all know and love her for.
Corpselight is a fast paced, fantasy based, action adventure crime thriller that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seats. Once again it's mythology based, dark and twisted and features all our favourites from the the first book (Vigil) and some soon to be new favourites!
This is a book I could not put down. I started it one lazy Sunday morning and did not stop reading until I'd finished the book that night. It was that captivating and mesmerising that I couldn't help but throw myself into the world of Briseyland (Slatter's re-imagined Brisbane) and all the craziness that goes on there.
I'm not going to rehash the plot in this review, as I truly believe this a book that is best experienced. What I will say however was that this book.... it was everything. The characters felt like family and oh-so real that I simply wanted to cover them up in cotton wool and protect them from everything that went on. I was internally screaming at some of the decisions made and their emotional journeys moved me. I was literally on the edge of my seat reading hoping like hell they would get their happy-ever-after that they oh-so-deserved.
For those who had read my review of Vigil, you'd know that while I really enjoyed that book I felt like the characters were inaccessible on an emotional level. While I laughed at their larger-than-life attitudes and humour, I didn't connect with them the way I wished I had. Well, I can tell you, I 100 % connected with the characters in this book. Verity is still a hard task master who knows when and how to get a job done no matter the consequence and yet this time around she was also vulnerable and more human. She opened up to the reader and I defy anyone not to sympathise with her with the shit storm that is thrown her way time and time again in Corpselight.
Unlike Vigil, Corpselight centres around Verity and those near and dear to her. The crimes deeply impact her band of merry misfits and as such the book is so much more powerful and punchy because of the direct connection. There is no where for Verity to hide on the page, no armour for her show pony behind. The world she inhibits is laid bare before her and the consequences are astronomical. Because of all of this I felt Verity was much more clear as a character. She is more vulnerable and has so much more depth, which in turn makes her both more human and not, all at once. I loved it.
David plays a more pivotal role in this narrative as well. While I wasn't impressed with the one-dimensional love interest in book one, David truly redeems himself in book two. I'm no longer as suspicious of his motives, and I'm impressed with how David turned into a truly unexpected sidekick who constantly surprises. With Bella and Verity's past romantic history and all the illusions of what they meant to each other in Vigil, I was desperate for those two to end up together again. But after seeing what Slatter had in stall for David and Verity in Corpselight and the shit storm they had to survive, I'm equally happy with the current outcome and terrified for the third book in the series.
We get lot's more of Zvezdomir 'Bela' Tepes and Ziggi, as well as the Norn Sisters, all of who play a pivotal role in Verity's life and the narrative so far.
Once again Corpselight is very Aussie in tone and character. That's not to deter international readers, as the story is still very universal and easily accessible; but until I read this series I didn't quite realise how much I missed, and lacked for that matter, a sense of Australia in my fantasy. This series is truly one of a kind.
All in all I can not fault this book at all. For the entire 400 pages I was totally and utterly glued to the pages and mesmerised for the story. Slatter's writing is not only flawless, but it packed one hell of an emotional punch this time that I physically broke out in Goosebumps as I raced my way to the books conclusion. I can not wait to see what happens next in the third instalment of the Verity Fassbinder series.
This review was originally posted at The Never Ending Bookshelf on the 25th July 2017 and can be found here: http://wp.me/p3yY1u-1hF
I came away from Vigil (book one in the Verity Fassbinder series) feeling content but a little bit disappointed that the book didn't punch me emotional as I expected it to. Well I can say full heartedly that not only did Angela Slatter comes back with a kick arse book to match her hard as nails heroine Verity Fassbinder, but she completely delivered on the emotional smack down and the fast paced action thriller style writing that we all know and love her for.
Corpselight is a fast paced, fantasy based, action adventure crime thriller that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seats. Once again it's mythology based, dark and twisted and features all our favourites from the the first book (Vigil) and some soon to be new favourites!
This is a book I could not put down. I started it one lazy Sunday morning and did not stop reading until I'd finished the book that night. It was that captivating and mesmerising that I couldn't help but throw myself into the world of Briseyland (Slatter's re-imagined Brisbane) and all the craziness that goes on there.
I'm not going to rehash the plot in this review, as I truly believe this a book that is best experienced. What I will say however was that this book.... it was everything. The characters felt like family and oh-so real that I simply wanted to cover them up in cotton wool and protect them from everything that went on. I was internally screaming at some of the decisions made and their emotional journeys moved me. I was literally on the edge of my seat reading hoping like hell they would get their happy-ever-after that they oh-so-deserved.
For those who had read my review of Vigil, you'd know that while I really enjoyed that book I felt like the characters were inaccessible on an emotional level. While I laughed at their larger-than-life attitudes and humour, I didn't connect with them the way I wished I had. Well, I can tell you, I 100 % connected with the characters in this book. Verity is still a hard task master who knows when and how to get a job done no matter the consequence and yet this time around she was also vulnerable and more human. She opened up to the reader and I defy anyone not to sympathise with her with the shit storm that is thrown her way time and time again in Corpselight.
Unlike Vigil, Corpselight centres around Verity and those near and dear to her. The crimes deeply impact her band of merry misfits and as such the book is so much more powerful and punchy because of the direct connection. There is no where for Verity to hide on the page, no armour for her show pony behind. The world she inhibits is laid bare before her and the consequences are astronomical. Because of all of this I felt Verity was much more clear as a character. She is more vulnerable and has so much more depth, which in turn makes her both more human and not, all at once. I loved it.
David plays a more pivotal role in this narrative as well. While I wasn't impressed with the one-dimensional love interest in book one, David truly redeems himself in book two. I'm no longer as suspicious of his motives, and I'm impressed with how David turned into a truly unexpected sidekick who constantly surprises. With Bella and Verity's past romantic history and all the illusions of what they meant to each other in Vigil, I was desperate for those two to end up together again. But after seeing what Slatter had in stall for David and Verity in Corpselight and the shit storm they had to survive, I'm equally happy with the current outcome and terrified for the third book in the series.
We get lot's more of Zvezdomir 'Bela' Tepes and Ziggi, as well as the Norn Sisters, all of who play a pivotal role in Verity's life and the narrative so far.
Once again Corpselight is very Aussie in tone and character. That's not to deter international readers, as the story is still very universal and easily accessible; but until I read this series I didn't quite realise how much I missed, and lacked for that matter, a sense of Australia in my fantasy. This series is truly one of a kind.
All in all I can not fault this book at all. For the entire 400 pages I was totally and utterly glued to the pages and mesmerised for the story. Slatter's writing is not only flawless, but it packed one hell of an emotional punch this time that I physically broke out in Goosebumps as I raced my way to the books conclusion. I can not wait to see what happens next in the third instalment of the Verity Fassbinder series.
This review was originally posted at The Never Ending Bookshelf on the 25th July 2017 and can be found here: http://wp.me/p3yY1u-1hF
June 29, 2017
'Corpselight' is the second book in the Verity Fassbinder trilogy, and the sequel to 'Vigil.'
The first thing I want to know about sequels is 'Should I read the first book before I start this?'. In this case, the answer is 'Yes, definitely'. Whilst there is some recapping of our hero's history, it's not in depth. There is so much character development and continuation of previous plot lines that it would be a pity to have not read 'Vigil' before starting 'Corpselight'.
Fassbinder is one of a select group of people who are aware of the presence of supernatural beings in Brisbane, they are tasked with keeping the peace to protect both the human and the non-human (Weyrd) population. Her role is a very particular one, as a half blood, she lives in the human world, and that of the Weyrd, and has very useful connections in both. She’s basically a gumshoe detective with extra powers. She’s got a dark back story, a long to-do list, and super strength. Well, she HAD super strength back in Vigil territory. In this second book, she starts the story heavily pregnant, and her only supernatural power is a very sensitive sense of smell. Her sense of humour and instinctive aggression haven't changed though.
This sequel follows the same structure as the first book, with Verity charged with solving several crimes against or by the Weyrd, and trying to do her job whilst protecting those that she loves. In this book, at first those are her boyfriend, then her newborn baby, then she acquires even more family members to worry about. The theme of motherhood is very strong, and is entwined with the underlying series theme of murdered children and the culpability of their killers.
We get a lot more of Verity's back story in 'Corpselight', and most of it is revealed to us at the same time that it's revealed to Verity. Those revelations have direct and interesting consequences for most of the characters in the book.
'Corpselight' definitely has the feel of a middle book, and I look forward to being hurled into the third book and the conclusion of this enjoyable series.
Thank you to the team at Jo Fletcher Books for the review copy.
Vigil is available in July 2017, from Jo Fletcher Books.
Angela Slatter (www.angelaslatter.com)
Jo Fletcher Books (www.jofletcherbooks.com)
The first thing I want to know about sequels is 'Should I read the first book before I start this?'. In this case, the answer is 'Yes, definitely'. Whilst there is some recapping of our hero's history, it's not in depth. There is so much character development and continuation of previous plot lines that it would be a pity to have not read 'Vigil' before starting 'Corpselight'.
Fassbinder is one of a select group of people who are aware of the presence of supernatural beings in Brisbane, they are tasked with keeping the peace to protect both the human and the non-human (Weyrd) population. Her role is a very particular one, as a half blood, she lives in the human world, and that of the Weyrd, and has very useful connections in both. She’s basically a gumshoe detective with extra powers. She’s got a dark back story, a long to-do list, and super strength. Well, she HAD super strength back in Vigil territory. In this second book, she starts the story heavily pregnant, and her only supernatural power is a very sensitive sense of smell. Her sense of humour and instinctive aggression haven't changed though.
This sequel follows the same structure as the first book, with Verity charged with solving several crimes against or by the Weyrd, and trying to do her job whilst protecting those that she loves. In this book, at first those are her boyfriend, then her newborn baby, then she acquires even more family members to worry about. The theme of motherhood is very strong, and is entwined with the underlying series theme of murdered children and the culpability of their killers.
We get a lot more of Verity's back story in 'Corpselight', and most of it is revealed to us at the same time that it's revealed to Verity. Those revelations have direct and interesting consequences for most of the characters in the book.
'Corpselight' definitely has the feel of a middle book, and I look forward to being hurled into the third book and the conclusion of this enjoyable series.
Thank you to the team at Jo Fletcher Books for the review copy.
Vigil is available in July 2017, from Jo Fletcher Books.
Angela Slatter (www.angelaslatter.com)
Jo Fletcher Books (www.jofletcherbooks.com)
July 20, 2017
Corpse Light (Verity Fassbinder Book 2)
Author: Angela Slatter
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Page count: 400pp
Release date: 13th July 2017
Online: @AngelaSlatter, @MeadOlivia, @JoFletcherBooks,
Reviewer: Theresa Derwin
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corpselight-...
This long anticipated sequel to Angela Slatter's sole debut novel Vigil, starts answering those lingering questions from the first book, from the off.
The primary one being; is Verity pregnant?
Serious kudos for Slatter for introducing the plethora of issues that come into play once a strong kick-ass heroine is expecting a baby.
Yes, Verity has lost her super-strength (her inheritance from Weyrd father Grigori) and yes she's tired, on enforced rest and riddled with hormones, but that doesn't stop her from kicking ass.
Arse-kicking comes in many forms and the most obvious aspects of Verity's qualities are her intelligence, her fire, her compassion and her ability to see and understand beyond the obvious. There's a reason she's the 'go-to' person when it comes to liasons with the Weyrd community.
That, my friends, still makes her a kick-ass heroine.
However, Slatter would've been nuts to miss the opportunity to play around with the 'Pregnancy stuff'.
She has great fun writing other characters who poke fun at her condition, whilst sharing with the reader the unexpected difficulties women face whilst pregnant; fro, getting in and out of chairs, to tiredness, emotions, cranky moments and not being able to drink coffee.
That, in my mind, is sacrilege.
It makes for some hilarious gags along the way.
In the midst of her rest period though, Verity is getting kind of bored doing nothing, so when the chance to do some investigation crops up, she dives in.
A spirit or Weyrd creature is taking slinging mud to a whole new level in the house of lawyer Susan Beckett. The entity is creating the equivalent of 'la boue'; a vile mixture of blood, mud and sewage seen in the streets of France in the 1700s. But Susan Beckett is claiming for the third time in a row from the 'Unnatural Happenstance' proviso of her insurance yet she won't let the company send in their exorcism style clean up crew; just the actual poo cleaning crew. So, what is she hiding?
She's also not the first legal person in danger in the novel and it makes me wonder; 'is the only good lawyer a Dead lawyer'!
Although officially on pregnancy leave, Verity is tasked with finding out the cause of the poo-flinging and exactly what their client is hiding.
Then, to top it off, drowned bodies are turning up nowhere near water, in places like cafes. And Verity is called on again, for her advice.
This book is a sheer delight, and whether you've read the first one or not, there's enough exposition that you can enjoy the Sisters Norn in Little Venice, Bela (current boss and ex-boyfriend and the love/hate/detest relationship between him and current beau David), Ziggi (Weyrd taxi driver/protector and surrogate uncle) and a whole host of exotic 'other' characters from diverse cultures.
And; word is out that the Boatman is still after Verity to get his knife back. Yeah, that Boatman.
As for the Council of Five, who govern supernaturals in Australia, they have been 'retired' or moved on due to the corruption found by Verity in the last book. Perhaps the surprising addition to the new council is Theo, the youngest Norn sister and a wild card.
Rhonda McIntyre police liaison to the 'Weyrd' community is the one who calls on Verity for help again, in this book.
In Vigil, she had been saved by an angel after Verity had pulled a few strings but it doesn't make her any less grumpy, so she delights in calling her friend 'fatso' now she is heavy with child. The banter between Rhonda and Verity is an example of sublime writing.
The title of the novel refers to a couple of corpselights hovering in Verity's backyard, aka 'Will 'O' 'the' Wisp' or foxfire. At the beginning we're not entirely sure how all of these mystery pieces slot together, but don't worry, all will be revealed.
This is urban fantasy at its best and I truly hope Verity and all of her supporting cast get to grow and develop and that the series gets the longevity of characters such as Toby Daye by Seanan Maguire.
Slatter knows how to build tension, weave plot strands, write interesting and fun characters with sparking dialogue and add enough dark that the squeamish may let out the odd "urgh".
This is pretty much superlative and I predict awards next year for Slatter.
Bloody well done!
Author: Angela Slatter
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Page count: 400pp
Release date: 13th July 2017
Online: @AngelaSlatter, @MeadOlivia, @JoFletcherBooks,
Reviewer: Theresa Derwin
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corpselight-...
This long anticipated sequel to Angela Slatter's sole debut novel Vigil, starts answering those lingering questions from the first book, from the off.
The primary one being; is Verity pregnant?
Serious kudos for Slatter for introducing the plethora of issues that come into play once a strong kick-ass heroine is expecting a baby.
Yes, Verity has lost her super-strength (her inheritance from Weyrd father Grigori) and yes she's tired, on enforced rest and riddled with hormones, but that doesn't stop her from kicking ass.
Arse-kicking comes in many forms and the most obvious aspects of Verity's qualities are her intelligence, her fire, her compassion and her ability to see and understand beyond the obvious. There's a reason she's the 'go-to' person when it comes to liasons with the Weyrd community.
That, my friends, still makes her a kick-ass heroine.
However, Slatter would've been nuts to miss the opportunity to play around with the 'Pregnancy stuff'.
She has great fun writing other characters who poke fun at her condition, whilst sharing with the reader the unexpected difficulties women face whilst pregnant; fro, getting in and out of chairs, to tiredness, emotions, cranky moments and not being able to drink coffee.
That, in my mind, is sacrilege.
It makes for some hilarious gags along the way.
In the midst of her rest period though, Verity is getting kind of bored doing nothing, so when the chance to do some investigation crops up, she dives in.
A spirit or Weyrd creature is taking slinging mud to a whole new level in the house of lawyer Susan Beckett. The entity is creating the equivalent of 'la boue'; a vile mixture of blood, mud and sewage seen in the streets of France in the 1700s. But Susan Beckett is claiming for the third time in a row from the 'Unnatural Happenstance' proviso of her insurance yet she won't let the company send in their exorcism style clean up crew; just the actual poo cleaning crew. So, what is she hiding?
She's also not the first legal person in danger in the novel and it makes me wonder; 'is the only good lawyer a Dead lawyer'!
Although officially on pregnancy leave, Verity is tasked with finding out the cause of the poo-flinging and exactly what their client is hiding.
Then, to top it off, drowned bodies are turning up nowhere near water, in places like cafes. And Verity is called on again, for her advice.
This book is a sheer delight, and whether you've read the first one or not, there's enough exposition that you can enjoy the Sisters Norn in Little Venice, Bela (current boss and ex-boyfriend and the love/hate/detest relationship between him and current beau David), Ziggi (Weyrd taxi driver/protector and surrogate uncle) and a whole host of exotic 'other' characters from diverse cultures.
And; word is out that the Boatman is still after Verity to get his knife back. Yeah, that Boatman.
As for the Council of Five, who govern supernaturals in Australia, they have been 'retired' or moved on due to the corruption found by Verity in the last book. Perhaps the surprising addition to the new council is Theo, the youngest Norn sister and a wild card.
Rhonda McIntyre police liaison to the 'Weyrd' community is the one who calls on Verity for help again, in this book.
In Vigil, she had been saved by an angel after Verity had pulled a few strings but it doesn't make her any less grumpy, so she delights in calling her friend 'fatso' now she is heavy with child. The banter between Rhonda and Verity is an example of sublime writing.
The title of the novel refers to a couple of corpselights hovering in Verity's backyard, aka 'Will 'O' 'the' Wisp' or foxfire. At the beginning we're not entirely sure how all of these mystery pieces slot together, but don't worry, all will be revealed.
This is urban fantasy at its best and I truly hope Verity and all of her supporting cast get to grow and develop and that the series gets the longevity of characters such as Toby Daye by Seanan Maguire.
Slatter knows how to build tension, weave plot strands, write interesting and fun characters with sparking dialogue and add enough dark that the squeamish may let out the odd "urgh".
This is pretty much superlative and I predict awards next year for Slatter.
Bloody well done!
July 2, 2017
Verity Fassbinder's adventures in the Weyrd and human world of Brisbane continue in Corpselight, the follow-up to 'Vigil'. I loved the first book: the blend of murder mystery, dark urban fantasy, and a wild, Weyrd mix of mythological and fairytale creatures - all done with a sense of humour and superbly crafted prose. Corpselight is even better: Verity is pulled deep into a strange and dangerous mystery, and the connections to her own life and family (past and present) are tied into the plot as well.
It's a fast-paced and highly original tale, with a terrific cast of characters that range from angels, sirens, "kinderfressers", shape-shifters, and a whole lot more. The story had me hooked from the get-go and I read the final third of the book in a mad frenzy so I could find out how it would all play out in the end.
Verity Fassbinder is yet another wonderful Slatter-creation. Slatter is an excellent writer, and one of her many strengths is her knack for creating protagonists that are real and complex, flawed but relatable (even when they wield magical powers) - characters you miss once the story is over.
It's a fast-paced and highly original tale, with a terrific cast of characters that range from angels, sirens, "kinderfressers", shape-shifters, and a whole lot more. The story had me hooked from the get-go and I read the final third of the book in a mad frenzy so I could find out how it would all play out in the end.
Verity Fassbinder is yet another wonderful Slatter-creation. Slatter is an excellent writer, and one of her many strengths is her knack for creating protagonists that are real and complex, flawed but relatable (even when they wield magical powers) - characters you miss once the story is over.
August 13, 2017
Corpselight is the 2nd in Angela Slatter's urban fantasy trilogy and carries on neatly from Vigil. I enjoyed the deepening relationships and reveal of backstory for a couple of the secondary characters and am looking forward to reading more of them in the third book. Ziggi is definitely my favourite. Again, this book combines witty dialogue and sharp humour with beautifully-realised urban settings and character development. Slatter has a lovely gift for intertwining three or more subplots and villains and bringing them all together in the end in this paranormal detective story. *slight spoiler alert* My only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that I was a little disappointed that Verity didn't get to do any serious kicking of arse to take down her villains in this book. She got rescued a few too many times for me. I do like my heroines to save the day in high action style. Having said that, Verity is getting better at teamwork so it will be interesting to see how she handles isolation in Restoration. (book purchased from Brisbane bookstore)
August 8, 2017
… great fun urban fantasy with a kick-ass female lead …
Verity Fassbinder is half Weyrd and half norm – a status which makes her well placed to police the blurred lines between the normal and the shadowy in the city of Brisbane. When an insurance company gets troubled by an “Unusual Happenstance, Verity is called in and the threads of the situation unfurl to coil around her friends and her family, and ultimately Verity herself.
Angela writes with great style and economy. The story line is fast and furious with lots of fabulous characters and relationship twists but, most of all, I’ve waited all year to spend time with Verity again. She is loud mouthed, full of heart and this time, she’s very, very pregnant.
Recommended.
Angela Slatter is an award-winning author of short story collections for which she has won the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award and five Aurealis Awards. Vigil, the first Verity Fassbinder book, was her first solo novel. Angela lives in Brisbane, Australia.
Cover design moment: The illustration of a Kitsune (fox) assassin is by Rory Kee, who is name credited on the back and appears to work for Quercus quite a bit – though unfortunately I can’t find a website for her.
Corpse Light by Angela Slatter was published by Jo Fletcher Books, an imprint of Quercus, on 13th July 2017. This is the second in Angela’s Verity Fassbinder series. Restoration, the third, is hopefully out next year.
Verity Fassbinder is half Weyrd and half norm – a status which makes her well placed to police the blurred lines between the normal and the shadowy in the city of Brisbane. When an insurance company gets troubled by an “Unusual Happenstance, Verity is called in and the threads of the situation unfurl to coil around her friends and her family, and ultimately Verity herself.
Angela writes with great style and economy. The story line is fast and furious with lots of fabulous characters and relationship twists but, most of all, I’ve waited all year to spend time with Verity again. She is loud mouthed, full of heart and this time, she’s very, very pregnant.
Recommended.
Angela Slatter is an award-winning author of short story collections for which she has won the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award and five Aurealis Awards. Vigil, the first Verity Fassbinder book, was her first solo novel. Angela lives in Brisbane, Australia.
Cover design moment: The illustration of a Kitsune (fox) assassin is by Rory Kee, who is name credited on the back and appears to work for Quercus quite a bit – though unfortunately I can’t find a website for her.
Corpse Light by Angela Slatter was published by Jo Fletcher Books, an imprint of Quercus, on 13th July 2017. This is the second in Angela’s Verity Fassbinder series. Restoration, the third, is hopefully out next year.
August 10, 2020
Review to come
August 4, 2017
Another great outing for Angela Slatter's new character, Verity Fassbender. As a fellow citizen of Brisbane, where the two novels are set, I am loving the new fantasy series, with a likeable character and thrilling storylines set in a place I know like the back of my hand. I hope the next book arrives fast. Corpselight is a fast read, with a gripping storyline and characters I am growing to enjoy. More please.
August 4, 2017
Review
Book one in this series was an utter delight and surprise, Something i hadn’t looked for or expected that fell into my lap and was an instant hit, a debut that you feel no fear in recommending to all, crossing genres as “just a great read”, with wonderful characters.
Full Review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
Book one in this series was an utter delight and surprise, Something i hadn’t looked for or expected that fell into my lap and was an instant hit, a debut that you feel no fear in recommending to all, crossing genres as “just a great read”, with wonderful characters.
Full Review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
May 4, 2019
I really enjoyed Vigil, the first book in the Verity Fassbinder series, so had high expectations of the second in the series. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as I'd hoped. Part of the reason was probably the time that's passed since I read Vigil (the result of a far too long 'to read' list). It took me a while to remember how the characters fit together and who was who, which detracted from my appreciation of the story. A bit more exposition might have been helpful.
One of the things I liked most about Vigil was how it trod a line between reality and fantasy. Corpselight didn't do this as successfully in my opinion. The fantasy elements were still strong, but Verity's experiences of late pregnancy, childbirth and parenting a newborn didn't quite ring true for me.
Regardless, it was still ingeniously plotted, with seemingly disparate elements coming together neatly at the end, and well written, with building suspense and a careful measure of humour.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
One of the things I liked most about Vigil was how it trod a line between reality and fantasy. Corpselight didn't do this as successfully in my opinion. The fantasy elements were still strong, but Verity's experiences of late pregnancy, childbirth and parenting a newborn didn't quite ring true for me.
Regardless, it was still ingeniously plotted, with seemingly disparate elements coming together neatly at the end, and well written, with building suspense and a careful measure of humour.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
December 2, 2017
An excellent fast-paced follow-up to Vigil, with plenty of Verity's wit and sarcasm. As a mum of three, it's refreshing to read about a female protagonist who has a baby and keeps her kickass day job, even if she is half-Weyrd with superstrength unlike the rest of us!
Looking forward to reading Book Three: Restoration!
Looking forward to reading Book Three: Restoration!
October 2, 2017
Seriously sassy urban-fantasy-meets-noir-detective tale set in the Weyrd and wonderful underworld of Brisneyland (I swear I'll never see my home town in a normal light again!) Vigil was great. Corpselight was greater. Restoration coming in 2018. Bring. It. On.
October 8, 2017
Loved it!
August 16, 2018
I loved Angela Slatter's first Verity Fassbinder novel
Vigil
. I adored its heroine, the setting and the world. But for some reason I didn’t get round to reading book two in the series, Corpselight, when it came out last year and I never got around to it. But with the third book, Restoration, having just been released, when I was asked to be part of the blog tour, I decided that it would be the perfect time to catch up. And I’ve been kicking myself ever since, because why did I deprive myself of such a fabulous read for a year?
Corpselight picks up Verity’s story about eight or nine months after the end of Vigil. And we quickly find out that life is quite different for our intrepid heroine. Not only has she moved in with her boyfriend David, who she met in the previous book, she is also heavily pregnant. The pregnancy isn’t a plot device, but it is part of the story, just as in Vigil her romance with David was largely present in the background of the narrative. Slatter shows how Verity has to deal with the changes to her body that come with growing a human inside of you, but also with the attendant shift in perspective that comes with the responsibility for a tiny human. Verity’s horror at coming face to face with a breast pump was hilarious, perhaps because it was so familiar. The way Slatter incorporated Verity’s pregnancy and — after the baby is born — her being a new working mum, into the story was fantastic and surprisingly realistic, if you forget that Verity’s job entails solving Weyrd crime and taking down the bad guys. Swap out the monsters for library books and I could very much relate. It is rare to see working mums like this in fantasy, so I really appreciated it here.
Many of my favourite characters from the first book made a reappearance. Verity’s driver Ziggi is there of course, as is her boss Bela. David, obviously, but also the Norns, the café-running, gossip-collecting sisters from Little Venice, and Verity’s police liaison Rhonda McIntyre. Mel and Lizzie are off on a cruise to recuperate from the last adventure, so they are missing, but the rest of Verity’s chosen family is all here. I really liked how all of these characters were developed, gaining depth and more background, especially Ziggi and McIntyre. We also meet several amazing new people, such as Sister Bridget, a former exorcist nun, turned nurse and Joyce, the last kitsune sister. I really enjoyed these additions to the gang and hope we will see more of them in future books. There is another character who we are introduced to here, but as that is a major reveal in the novel, I won’t spoil it here, but suffice it to say, they are bad ass and amazing.
Corpselight’s action is mainly driven by the cases Verity is working. Starting off with the insurance investigation and then the dry-land drownings, she acquires several side cases, such as those mysterious kitsune who keep attacking her and the search for a jewel that was stolen from a local naga. While at first glance, these all seem unrelated, Slatter weaves them together without it seeming forced. Verity also discovers more about her family and her background during her investigations and we make some surprising discoveries. The book is fact-paced, with a lot of action — not all of it battles and fighting — Verity keeps busy doing some good, old-fashioned sleuthing. She does a lot of talking, gathering information, and even stake outs, all while making sure to express enough milk to feed baby Maisie when she is out on the job.
Where Vigil’s ending was clean, Corpselight clearly leaves the story set up for the next instalment. While the cases are solved, Verity is given a new assignment and one that will put her and everyone she loves in danger. It isn’t a cliffhanger ending, but it is one that left me glad that I had the next book Restoration in hand to immediately continue reading. So perhaps it was unknowing wisdom that led me to not read Corpselight this past year, because this way I didn’t have to wait to discover what happened next. Slatter’s Brisneyland and Verity Fassbinder make for addictive reading, so make sure you have all of them on hand and enjoy.
Corpselight picks up Verity’s story about eight or nine months after the end of Vigil. And we quickly find out that life is quite different for our intrepid heroine. Not only has she moved in with her boyfriend David, who she met in the previous book, she is also heavily pregnant. The pregnancy isn’t a plot device, but it is part of the story, just as in Vigil her romance with David was largely present in the background of the narrative. Slatter shows how Verity has to deal with the changes to her body that come with growing a human inside of you, but also with the attendant shift in perspective that comes with the responsibility for a tiny human. Verity’s horror at coming face to face with a breast pump was hilarious, perhaps because it was so familiar. The way Slatter incorporated Verity’s pregnancy and — after the baby is born — her being a new working mum, into the story was fantastic and surprisingly realistic, if you forget that Verity’s job entails solving Weyrd crime and taking down the bad guys. Swap out the monsters for library books and I could very much relate. It is rare to see working mums like this in fantasy, so I really appreciated it here.
Many of my favourite characters from the first book made a reappearance. Verity’s driver Ziggi is there of course, as is her boss Bela. David, obviously, but also the Norns, the café-running, gossip-collecting sisters from Little Venice, and Verity’s police liaison Rhonda McIntyre. Mel and Lizzie are off on a cruise to recuperate from the last adventure, so they are missing, but the rest of Verity’s chosen family is all here. I really liked how all of these characters were developed, gaining depth and more background, especially Ziggi and McIntyre. We also meet several amazing new people, such as Sister Bridget, a former exorcist nun, turned nurse and Joyce, the last kitsune sister. I really enjoyed these additions to the gang and hope we will see more of them in future books. There is another character who we are introduced to here, but as that is a major reveal in the novel, I won’t spoil it here, but suffice it to say, they are bad ass and amazing.
Corpselight’s action is mainly driven by the cases Verity is working. Starting off with the insurance investigation and then the dry-land drownings, she acquires several side cases, such as those mysterious kitsune who keep attacking her and the search for a jewel that was stolen from a local naga. While at first glance, these all seem unrelated, Slatter weaves them together without it seeming forced. Verity also discovers more about her family and her background during her investigations and we make some surprising discoveries. The book is fact-paced, with a lot of action — not all of it battles and fighting — Verity keeps busy doing some good, old-fashioned sleuthing. She does a lot of talking, gathering information, and even stake outs, all while making sure to express enough milk to feed baby Maisie when she is out on the job.
Where Vigil’s ending was clean, Corpselight clearly leaves the story set up for the next instalment. While the cases are solved, Verity is given a new assignment and one that will put her and everyone she loves in danger. It isn’t a cliffhanger ending, but it is one that left me glad that I had the next book Restoration in hand to immediately continue reading. So perhaps it was unknowing wisdom that led me to not read Corpselight this past year, because this way I didn’t have to wait to discover what happened next. Slatter’s Brisneyland and Verity Fassbinder make for addictive reading, so make sure you have all of them on hand and enjoy.
September 3, 2020
I gave 5 stars to Vigil, the first in this series, because I felt it took the "kickass supernatural PI" genre into a higher key with its focus on family and relationships (of widely varying types).
This book has many of the same strengths, but also at least one of the same weaknesses and a couple of (I think) new ones, so it didn't quite make it to 5 stars - though it still makes my 2020 Best Of shelf.
Finding myself short of good books, I decided to look for sequels to books I'd enjoyed in previous years, and was glad to find this one. There's plenty of action and plenty of heart, and it's delivered in sound prose - but with a few minor typos that I don't recall seeing in the first book. That's weakness number 1.
Weakness number 2 is, for me, the big one. It's the way in which the main character's male partner - who I characterised as a genderflipped damsel in distress in my review of the first book - is now a genderflip of the wife who has no role other than to be supportive to the hero. He doesn't pass a reverse Mako Mori test; he has no arc of his own, no agenda of his own, even. He's there to look after the baby and do emotional work on behalf of the protagonist so that she can go out and kick ass, and he embraces this fate with barely a complaint. He's a solution, never a problem (though, of course, he's also a vulnerability, at risk of refrigeration). I don't like this when the genders are the other way round, so I don't see why I should approve of it in this instance.
Noticing this completely supportive character got me noticing how all the rest of the supporting cast are also so very supporting, how it's all about the protag, to the degree that she's almost (not quite) a Spoiled Protagonist. (That's my term for someone who gets handed help she hasn't earned just because she's the protagonist. In this case, she's arguably earned it, but it does seem like she gets an awful lot of it.) I love an ensemble cast, but this is not one; it's a hero and her support team, and because it's all about her, she's the only character who ends up with much depth.
Weakness number 3, which often goes along with a spoiled protagonist, is that there are a couple of convenient coincidences; the person being investigated has two other, apparently completely random, connections to the main character, and while this helps drive the plot and raise the stakes, I am never a fan of putting coincidence where protagonist effort should be.
Once again, though, the thematic subtext of the book saves it and propels it above the run of the mill. In book 1, it was all about family: good families, bad families, close families, families at war within themselves, found families, dysfunctional families. Here, the focus zooms in a bit; it's on motherhood specifically, and again, it looks at motherhood through many different lenses, good mothers, bad mothers, mothers who neglect or abandon their kids or worse, mothers who try to make up for mistakes of the past...
There's just more depth of humanity in this series than in the average urban fantasy, and even if most of it is in the hands of the protagonist, it still lifts the book. Verity has a great line of snark and is, at one and the same time, a coarse, rude, abrasive person and also deeply compassionate and dedicated to doing the right thing. That chimes with my (limited) experience of Queenslanders, though it may dial both tendencies up a bit for cinematic purposes.
Like its heroine, this series is certainly not perfect, but well worth following, and I look forward to reading book 3.
This book has many of the same strengths, but also at least one of the same weaknesses and a couple of (I think) new ones, so it didn't quite make it to 5 stars - though it still makes my 2020 Best Of shelf.
Finding myself short of good books, I decided to look for sequels to books I'd enjoyed in previous years, and was glad to find this one. There's plenty of action and plenty of heart, and it's delivered in sound prose - but with a few minor typos that I don't recall seeing in the first book. That's weakness number 1.
Weakness number 2 is, for me, the big one. It's the way in which the main character's male partner - who I characterised as a genderflipped damsel in distress in my review of the first book - is now a genderflip of the wife who has no role other than to be supportive to the hero. He doesn't pass a reverse Mako Mori test; he has no arc of his own, no agenda of his own, even. He's there to look after the baby and do emotional work on behalf of the protagonist so that she can go out and kick ass, and he embraces this fate with barely a complaint. He's a solution, never a problem (though, of course, he's also a vulnerability, at risk of refrigeration). I don't like this when the genders are the other way round, so I don't see why I should approve of it in this instance.
Noticing this completely supportive character got me noticing how all the rest of the supporting cast are also so very supporting, how it's all about the protag, to the degree that she's almost (not quite) a Spoiled Protagonist. (That's my term for someone who gets handed help she hasn't earned just because she's the protagonist. In this case, she's arguably earned it, but it does seem like she gets an awful lot of it.) I love an ensemble cast, but this is not one; it's a hero and her support team, and because it's all about her, she's the only character who ends up with much depth.
Weakness number 3, which often goes along with a spoiled protagonist, is that there are a couple of convenient coincidences; the person being investigated has two other, apparently completely random, connections to the main character, and while this helps drive the plot and raise the stakes, I am never a fan of putting coincidence where protagonist effort should be.
Once again, though, the thematic subtext of the book saves it and propels it above the run of the mill. In book 1, it was all about family: good families, bad families, close families, families at war within themselves, found families, dysfunctional families. Here, the focus zooms in a bit; it's on motherhood specifically, and again, it looks at motherhood through many different lenses, good mothers, bad mothers, mothers who neglect or abandon their kids or worse, mothers who try to make up for mistakes of the past...
There's just more depth of humanity in this series than in the average urban fantasy, and even if most of it is in the hands of the protagonist, it still lifts the book. Verity has a great line of snark and is, at one and the same time, a coarse, rude, abrasive person and also deeply compassionate and dedicated to doing the right thing. That chimes with my (limited) experience of Queenslanders, though it may dial both tendencies up a bit for cinematic purposes.
Like its heroine, this series is certainly not perfect, but well worth following, and I look forward to reading book 3.
July 22, 2017
I received a copy of this title from Hachette Australia for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Verity Fassbinder is pregnant and on the job, investigating weird occurrences around Brisbane. When a woman complains of a pattern of muddy befoulment of her upmarket house, Verity discovers that a bit of mud is just the tip of the iceberg.
It must be noted that Brisbane, my ancestral home and current shelfing ground, is not commonly the setting for books featuring fantasy and paranormal happenings. In fact, the last one I read with Brisbane as a setting was Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw, four years ago. Despite this, Slatter has had a damn good crack at trying to create a paranormal paradise in our fair city in Corpselight, with, among other creatures, a mud-slinging Scandinavian nasty and a skulk of kitsune who have no doubt taken advantage of the quick nine hour flight from their home country.
The quick-witted tone of Verity’s narration moves the plot along apace and despite the many, many references to her pregnancy in the first few chapters (including the truly remarkable revelation that at thirty-two weeks along, she sleeps soundly all night), it’s easy to get sucked in to the initial mystery on offer – the mysterious repeat appearance of stinky, coating mud inside an upmarket Paddington house. Much like in the Peter Grant series, Verity works with various connections in the paranormal underworld as well as seemingly ordinary people who have taken advantage of Weyrd-Human relations – the ubiquitous insurance agency chief amongst them – to dig deeper and uncover the truly unexpected source of the mud-slinging. I did find that the narration was slowed a little in the early chapters by information dumps about the events of the previous book. These were necessary from my point of view, considering I hadn’t read the first book, but I wonder whether there might have been another way to accomplish the same task without slowing the narration – a cast of characters at the beginning, perhaps, or something similar.
I’m sure that most readers won’t have any problem at all with Brisbane as a setting, but for some reason I found it enormously difficult to try and pair places mentioned that I know with the existence of fantasy elements. I’m not sure why that is. I’m sure if the setting was Melbourne or Sydney or some other Australian city I wouldn’t have had this problem, but because Brisbane seems so unlikely to me as a paranormal setting, what with being a resident, it took an awful lot of effort to suspend my disbelief. Although I will admit to a little flash of schadenfreude when I noted that the mud-afflicted house was in Paddington. Sucks to be you, richy rich!
There were some reasonably complicated reveals toward the end of the book relating to Verity’s mother and other family members, that may have been clearer to those who have read the first book, but provided for an action-packed finale. The fact that Verity gives birth halfway through the book was also an unexpected spanner in the works but provides a new lens through which Verity views the sinister events that are unfolding around her.
Overall, if you enjoy urban fantasy novels and appreciate some diversity in the paranormal creatures you encounter in your reading then you should definitely give Corpselight a go. If you aren’t a fan of jumping in at the middle of a series, start with book one instead – Vigil.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Verity Fassbinder is pregnant and on the job, investigating weird occurrences around Brisbane. When a woman complains of a pattern of muddy befoulment of her upmarket house, Verity discovers that a bit of mud is just the tip of the iceberg.
It must be noted that Brisbane, my ancestral home and current shelfing ground, is not commonly the setting for books featuring fantasy and paranormal happenings. In fact, the last one I read with Brisbane as a setting was Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw, four years ago. Despite this, Slatter has had a damn good crack at trying to create a paranormal paradise in our fair city in Corpselight, with, among other creatures, a mud-slinging Scandinavian nasty and a skulk of kitsune who have no doubt taken advantage of the quick nine hour flight from their home country.
The quick-witted tone of Verity’s narration moves the plot along apace and despite the many, many references to her pregnancy in the first few chapters (including the truly remarkable revelation that at thirty-two weeks along, she sleeps soundly all night), it’s easy to get sucked in to the initial mystery on offer – the mysterious repeat appearance of stinky, coating mud inside an upmarket Paddington house. Much like in the Peter Grant series, Verity works with various connections in the paranormal underworld as well as seemingly ordinary people who have taken advantage of Weyrd-Human relations – the ubiquitous insurance agency chief amongst them – to dig deeper and uncover the truly unexpected source of the mud-slinging. I did find that the narration was slowed a little in the early chapters by information dumps about the events of the previous book. These were necessary from my point of view, considering I hadn’t read the first book, but I wonder whether there might have been another way to accomplish the same task without slowing the narration – a cast of characters at the beginning, perhaps, or something similar.
I’m sure that most readers won’t have any problem at all with Brisbane as a setting, but for some reason I found it enormously difficult to try and pair places mentioned that I know with the existence of fantasy elements. I’m not sure why that is. I’m sure if the setting was Melbourne or Sydney or some other Australian city I wouldn’t have had this problem, but because Brisbane seems so unlikely to me as a paranormal setting, what with being a resident, it took an awful lot of effort to suspend my disbelief. Although I will admit to a little flash of schadenfreude when I noted that the mud-afflicted house was in Paddington. Sucks to be you, richy rich!
There were some reasonably complicated reveals toward the end of the book relating to Verity’s mother and other family members, that may have been clearer to those who have read the first book, but provided for an action-packed finale. The fact that Verity gives birth halfway through the book was also an unexpected spanner in the works but provides a new lens through which Verity views the sinister events that are unfolding around her.
Overall, if you enjoy urban fantasy novels and appreciate some diversity in the paranormal creatures you encounter in your reading then you should definitely give Corpselight a go. If you aren’t a fan of jumping in at the middle of a series, start with book one instead – Vigil.
July 22, 2017
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of the book.
Verity Fassbinder, introduced in Vigil, is part Weyrd (on her father;'s side - her mother was a Normal). So she can duck in and out of both Brisbane's, er, special and its mundane populations, as comfortable dealing with one of the Norns (they do a mean latte) as with a police officer. This is useful since she's employed to keep order in the Weyrd community and prevent their existence becoming too widely known.
Verity is a noteworthy character, a woman who willing to keep a godslaying knife that's the property of the Boatman (he who carries dead souls to oblivion) and to face off with a rogue angel. But she still has a home life to manage: there are complications in this book because she's now heavily pregnant and begins to give birth at a key moment. Slatter successfully combines the details of parenting a new born baby with Verity's monster-hunting career, creating some humour on the way (the detail of Verity's breast pump!) but also prompting her to reexamine her own difficult relationship with her parents. (I say "difficult" - in fact V's mother disappeared and her father was subsequently discovered to be a butcher, serving up children as meat to the more traditional of the Weyrd). Naturally, when Verity wonders, she acts... and we learn rather more about her family background than we previously knew
Which is just as well. Amidst Verity's focus on her own newly enlarged family, as well as her search for the person or being who's drowning random strangers on dry land and engulfing a nice lawyer's house in mud, that past suddenly poses very urgent questions. And it isn't just about her. Verity learns new things about her closest associates too. It's spectacularly badly timing, just when she needs to concentrate on other things, but life's like that in Verity's world.
I really enjoyed this second book in the series, possible slightly more than the first (which WAS great mind you!) The setting and characters are now firmly established, and Slatter has scope to go a bit deeper and confront V with some real challenges - challenges that can't just be settled with a knife, however epic a knife it may be. We see her under pressure, and we see her having to think on her feet.
Most of all, though, we see her cool, shrewd, never short of a pithy remark or thought ('Mummy spit for the win", 'Afternoon tea was being served - because what is a council of war without the beverage of the Empire?', 'Your heart is in a Hello Kitty box?') and we see her refuse to lower her standards or compromise. That moral core is something very special in Verity's world, I think, and it helps define her character and make her almost like the hero in a noirish thriller: walking those mean streets although she is not herself mean. (Though Slatter gives Verity stable relationships rather than the raddled life of the over-committed detective - she's a rounded character not a cliche.)
It's a most enjoyable and slightly unusual UF, with lots of scope for more (Verity on a Quest) as well as more to learn about her background and associates. A good followup to Vigil.
Verity Fassbinder, introduced in Vigil, is part Weyrd (on her father;'s side - her mother was a Normal). So she can duck in and out of both Brisbane's, er, special and its mundane populations, as comfortable dealing with one of the Norns (they do a mean latte) as with a police officer. This is useful since she's employed to keep order in the Weyrd community and prevent their existence becoming too widely known.
Verity is a noteworthy character, a woman who willing to keep a godslaying knife that's the property of the Boatman (he who carries dead souls to oblivion) and to face off with a rogue angel. But she still has a home life to manage: there are complications in this book because she's now heavily pregnant and begins to give birth at a key moment. Slatter successfully combines the details of parenting a new born baby with Verity's monster-hunting career, creating some humour on the way (the detail of Verity's breast pump!) but also prompting her to reexamine her own difficult relationship with her parents. (I say "difficult" - in fact V's mother disappeared and her father was subsequently discovered to be a butcher, serving up children as meat to the more traditional of the Weyrd). Naturally, when Verity wonders, she acts... and we learn rather more about her family background than we previously knew
Which is just as well. Amidst Verity's focus on her own newly enlarged family, as well as her search for the person or being who's drowning random strangers on dry land and engulfing a nice lawyer's house in mud, that past suddenly poses very urgent questions. And it isn't just about her. Verity learns new things about her closest associates too. It's spectacularly badly timing, just when she needs to concentrate on other things, but life's like that in Verity's world.
I really enjoyed this second book in the series, possible slightly more than the first (which WAS great mind you!) The setting and characters are now firmly established, and Slatter has scope to go a bit deeper and confront V with some real challenges - challenges that can't just be settled with a knife, however epic a knife it may be. We see her under pressure, and we see her having to think on her feet.
Most of all, though, we see her cool, shrewd, never short of a pithy remark or thought ('Mummy spit for the win", 'Afternoon tea was being served - because what is a council of war without the beverage of the Empire?', 'Your heart is in a Hello Kitty box?') and we see her refuse to lower her standards or compromise. That moral core is something very special in Verity's world, I think, and it helps define her character and make her almost like the hero in a noirish thriller: walking those mean streets although she is not herself mean. (Though Slatter gives Verity stable relationships rather than the raddled life of the over-committed detective - she's a rounded character not a cliche.)
It's a most enjoyable and slightly unusual UF, with lots of scope for more (Verity on a Quest) as well as more to learn about her background and associates. A good followup to Vigil.
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