What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales of Weird Florida #3
Beaten Path
Florida isn’t all beaches and sunshine.
There are strange and hidden places in the center of the state, places where Wild Magick runs free and dark things lurk beneath the cypress.
For Eugene Law, one of Tampa’s few active Magicians, the smart plan had always been to avoid those places altogether, and as plans go, it had been a good one. That was until he closed a deal with the enigmatic 69 Mallory Lane to save his family.
A single dirty deed in a backwater bar for the House tips the scales and sets Gene on a collision course with Demon Hunters, Darklings, and the best in Animated Demin. In short order, Tampa’s ex-Magician finds himself deep in the heart of the Green Swamp where bad decisions reign supreme.
For a broken Magician, sometimes the only way forward is to go back and take the beaten path.
There are strange and hidden places in the center of the state, places where Wild Magick runs free and dark things lurk beneath the cypress.
For Eugene Law, one of Tampa’s few active Magicians, the smart plan had always been to avoid those places altogether, and as plans go, it had been a good one. That was until he closed a deal with the enigmatic 69 Mallory Lane to save his family.
A single dirty deed in a backwater bar for the House tips the scales and sets Gene on a collision course with Demon Hunters, Darklings, and the best in Animated Demin. In short order, Tampa’s ex-Magician finds himself deep in the heart of the Green Swamp where bad decisions reign supreme.
For a broken Magician, sometimes the only way forward is to go back and take the beaten path.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2020
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 13, 2021
OK, fair warning: there are perhaps a few, nay probably a lot of spoil-y bits in my review. So in fairness to yourself, you should stop reading here and go get a nice tea or something. Better yet, get a copy of this series and start reading it, because I can tell you: I'm having an absolute blast!
"Beaten Path" will forever go down in the patheon of urban fantasy memories that I keep in my soft squishy head bits as the story where just about everything magic(k)al hit the proverbial fan. I could probably fill a full review of 500 words with just all the different creepies, crawlies and just plain coocoo stuff we run across into this story that brings us back to the here (or really there) and now of Eugene Law's on-going adventures. Seriously, if you've read - for example - Rick Gualtieri's original "Bill of the Dead" series, you'll find the same sort of other-worldly plethora (I always count) like we saw in his famous "Tales of Turd" chapter (that's not what it's called, but you'll know it when you see it). Bottom-line: what an absolute fun-o-rama! I love this stuff!
There are some great GREAT and extremely varied battle scenes scattered throughout this chapter of the ToWF series that will surely satisfy anyone that loves same. OK, it may not be quite a Larry Correia-esque shoot-'em-all-'til-they're-dead-again (nor are nuclear weapons involved) but if your idea of kicking supernatural butt or whatever qualifies as their backsides with whatever you happen to have on hand (smack 'em with the flamingo, quick! Oh sh*t, then use the toaster!), well, this one will do you quite nicely! And like the previous tomes, Shannon keeps it moving smoothly ahead despite some of the weirdest twists in a plot that I've seen in at least a fortnight or two!
We also get to learn a lot more about our resident Magicians and here I include Gene along with his apprentice Adam, who really starts to shine on his very own this time (with a bit of help from his mom, yes yes, I know!). And the added new characters - well, not new-new in all cases but still - are an absolute pleasure and without exception add so much to the on-going saga of whatever the hell is happening - or about to happen - in the nether realm known as Florida. I just love though how every bit, every transition from "this to that" is fraught with not only peril but really well-positioned reminders of all we've seen before. And you don't even need the Cliff Notes to keep up (though maybe a "creature journal" might help)!
Finally, I will also remember this story for one very mind-boggling question it has raised, at least again in my own noodle-caboodle. Again, if you don't want to read spoilers or if you want to keep the memories of your favorite childhood movies pure, stop reading here!! But it is certainly worth discussion to try and deduce the following: was Pinocchio technically a golem? Now there's a sentence fragment I thought I'd never write. Oh and yes, you will find this discussed on some of the less-reputable parts of the interweb but no, you will not find a convincing argument one way or the other. Something tells me though - call it a memory kicked into gear by a lost button - we'll eventually find out! But I still don't even have the slightest inkling what The House is. Whoo boy, that's gonna hit eventually, too...
Maintain the faith humble ones and keep readin'!
"Beaten Path" will forever go down in the patheon of urban fantasy memories that I keep in my soft squishy head bits as the story where just about everything magic(k)al hit the proverbial fan. I could probably fill a full review of 500 words with just all the different creepies, crawlies and just plain coocoo stuff we run across into this story that brings us back to the here (or really there) and now of Eugene Law's on-going adventures. Seriously, if you've read - for example - Rick Gualtieri's original "Bill of the Dead" series, you'll find the same sort of other-worldly plethora (I always count) like we saw in his famous "Tales of Turd" chapter (that's not what it's called, but you'll know it when you see it). Bottom-line: what an absolute fun-o-rama! I love this stuff!
There are some great GREAT and extremely varied battle scenes scattered throughout this chapter of the ToWF series that will surely satisfy anyone that loves same. OK, it may not be quite a Larry Correia-esque shoot-'em-all-'til-they're-dead-again (nor are nuclear weapons involved) but if your idea of kicking supernatural butt or whatever qualifies as their backsides with whatever you happen to have on hand (smack 'em with the flamingo, quick! Oh sh*t, then use the toaster!), well, this one will do you quite nicely! And like the previous tomes, Shannon keeps it moving smoothly ahead despite some of the weirdest twists in a plot that I've seen in at least a fortnight or two!
We also get to learn a lot more about our resident Magicians and here I include Gene along with his apprentice Adam, who really starts to shine on his very own this time (with a bit of help from his mom, yes yes, I know!). And the added new characters - well, not new-new in all cases but still - are an absolute pleasure and without exception add so much to the on-going saga of whatever the hell is happening - or about to happen - in the nether realm known as Florida. I just love though how every bit, every transition from "this to that" is fraught with not only peril but really well-positioned reminders of all we've seen before. And you don't even need the Cliff Notes to keep up (though maybe a "creature journal" might help)!
Finally, I will also remember this story for one very mind-boggling question it has raised, at least again in my own noodle-caboodle. Again, if you don't want to read spoilers or if you want to keep the memories of your favorite childhood movies pure, stop reading here!! But it is certainly worth discussion to try and deduce the following: was Pinocchio technically a golem? Now there's a sentence fragment I thought I'd never write. Oh and yes, you will find this discussed on some of the less-reputable parts of the interweb but no, you will not find a convincing argument one way or the other. Something tells me though - call it a memory kicked into gear by a lost button - we'll eventually find out! But I still don't even have the slightest inkling what The House is. Whoo boy, that's gonna hit eventually, too...
Maintain the faith humble ones and keep readin'!
July 5, 2023
Is There Magic in Your Denim or are you just Happy to See Me?
My favorite Weird Florida story so far. It felt like every few chapters, I found my new favorite part of the book.
From 'Hola! Me llamo Gene', to the Flock, to the magic pants, this one was a banger from start to finish.
We get a bit of not nice, self-serving Gene here, but they're still redemption to be found. Watching Gene take on his Darkling without his magic shows how masterful and inventive Martin is as an author.
All of the concepts in these stories are something new, and they work so well together and feel appropriate. I could read 4 dozen books about this world and not be bored!
My favorite Weird Florida story so far. It felt like every few chapters, I found my new favorite part of the book.
From 'Hola! Me llamo Gene', to the Flock, to the magic pants, this one was a banger from start to finish.
We get a bit of not nice, self-serving Gene here, but they're still redemption to be found. Watching Gene take on his Darkling without his magic shows how masterful and inventive Martin is as an author.
All of the concepts in these stories are something new, and they work so well together and feel appropriate. I could read 4 dozen books about this world and not be bored!
November 17, 2021
How is this series not more popular?!
It's bonkers! Frozen margaritas flying around while Gene wears magical pants and wrestles reanimated panther corpses on a pile of yard flamingos? How are these books not more popular? I love every minute of reading these, I was not bored for one moment. Humor reigns supreme, as always with Martin Shannon, but there are also so many heartfelt and emotionally interesting moments. Action packed but I can also follow what's happening effortlessly. Read this one and all the others, they make reading truly enjoyable!
It's bonkers! Frozen margaritas flying around while Gene wears magical pants and wrestles reanimated panther corpses on a pile of yard flamingos? How are these books not more popular? I love every minute of reading these, I was not bored for one moment. Humor reigns supreme, as always with Martin Shannon, but there are also so many heartfelt and emotionally interesting moments. Action packed but I can also follow what's happening effortlessly. Read this one and all the others, they make reading truly enjoyable!
July 19, 2022
Because we flashed back to college in book 2 and now we are back to family man Gene I had absolutely no recollection of what was going on. The books are fun but this out of order jumping about was a poor choice for readers.
September 5, 2022
In this third Tales of Weird Florida novel, things have gotten very bad for Eugene Law, who is now an ex-magician. Everything in his life is either gone or broken. Where to start fixing this mess?
This Weird Florida novel is insanely magnificent, just like the previous two novels.
It is an exciting story, filled to the brim with action, adventure, and infinite amounts of bad decisions.
Mostly Gene’s.
It’s tense, because you want to find out if Cathy’s okay.
But it’s also hilarious, because ‘Beaten Path’ gives us a couple of highly entertaining secondary characters. I adored them.
Highly, highly recommended !
I enjoyed it beyond compare.
Martin Shannon’s tales are always a wonderful gift to my imagination.
This Weird Florida novel is insanely magnificent, just like the previous two novels.
It is an exciting story, filled to the brim with action, adventure, and infinite amounts of bad decisions.
Mostly Gene’s.
It’s tense, because you want to find out if Cathy’s okay.
But it’s also hilarious, because ‘Beaten Path’ gives us a couple of highly entertaining secondary characters. I adored them.
Highly, highly recommended !
I enjoyed it beyond compare.
Martin Shannon’s tales are always a wonderful gift to my imagination.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews