Dead Easy

Halflife Chronicles #4

by Wm. Mark Simmons

The portents are lining up for the biggest supernatural showdown of all time and—as if the Big Easy didn't have enough problems with another hurricane on the way—New Orleans is due to be the epicenter. Or, more precisely, the storm is vectoring in on half-vampire (but fresh-blood-eschewing) Chris Cséjthe and his rag-tag coterie of outcast monsters. It seems Cséjthe's epic mating with a werewolf lover has produced a child who holds the destiny of several worlds in the balance. And everyone who is anyone—vampire lord, were-pack leader, and the odd sea monster god and immortal elven princess—wants to twist this fabled progeny to his or her own power-hungry purposes.

The latest thrill-packed, wisecracking entry in the popular Halflife Chronicles by witty (and nitty-gritty) goth master, Wm. Mark Simmons!

Contains mature themes.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Dark Fantasy

14 pages, Audio CD

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

William (Wm.) Mark Simmons was born in 1953 and spent his formative years in Independence, Missouri, the hometown of President Harry S. Truman and fantasy author Jim Butcher.

He has had a varied career as an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, musician, and entertainer.

His first novel, In the Net of Dreams, was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award and made Locus Magazine’s “Best List” in 1991. To date he has published seven novels and one novella in the United States with translations in Russia and the Czech Republic. His unique blend of humor and plots that unfold "like an origami sculpture designed by M.C. Escher" have won him the title of “master of twisted humorous fantasy and horror.”

Mark currently resides in the town of Hutchinson, Kansas, not far from the world famous Cosmosphere Space Museum. For the last 13 years of his 40-plus years as a broadcaster and a journalist, he was the Music Director for Radio Kansas and heard as the network’s morning Classical host throughout nearly half of the Sunflower State up until his retirement in 2018. His eighth novel, "A Witch in Time," was released in April of 2019. He currently serves as Game Warden for the nature preserve that is his back yard, wrangles cats, and is working on two new novels in his now copious free time.

(source: http://www.sff.net/people/wm.mark.sim...)

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was an ending. Oo

Nothing like wiping the slate clean and never really returning.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lesser entry in the Halflife Chronicles - I'd have given it 4 stars if that wasn't rude, and I don't think I could actually justify more than 4.5. It's still better than most urban horror, though.

[Charl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, worked in the Elder Gods, well done and not full of typos and "grammos" like so many books nowadays.

[Julien L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 - I always like the the lead up to the endings, but the last few chapters or so in each book in this series are always kind of a slog to get through.

[Lianne Burwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this was book four of a series when I picked it up at the library, but I gave it a try anyway. It didn't really require reading the other books (you certainly get told everything you need to know in the narrative). Man infected by the vampire virus, separated from his pregnant werewolf wife who is targeted by other werewolves because of her pregnancy, working with a voodoo priestess, an Aztec demon, and a fae who wants to get a hold of his child, faces off against Cthulu with the help of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus.

Basically, it's a kitchen-sink novel that's a little too in love of its pulpy style. Definitely not interested in the rest of the series.

[Cissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mostly fun read that crashes Simmon's universe with Lovecraft. Fun! The resonances with Katrina were well-handled, I thought, and interesting.

I alsohave a great admiration for Simmon's technique here. Many series have the problem of what I call "encrustation": every new volume adds pals and allies and new powers, to the point that several novels into the series, it's ridiculous. In this novel Simmons ruthlessly removed a lot of the encrustation that had been accumulating- something many authors don't do. Good for him! It leaves us with a lot more options in the future.

[Crystal Puckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last installment of the Halflife Chronicles is intriguing and a fun read, but don't start this one until you've read the others, or you'll have a really tough time figuring out what is going on! I am looking forward to the next one!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simmons' take on adding the Cthulhu mythos to his Halflife setting. A little darker and a whole lot odder than the previous installments, though "quirky" describes all of them pretty well.

[Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, crappy and very disappnting end.

[Juho Salo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserves either one or four stars. I decided that any book where the world is saved from Cthulhu with softly asked questions regarding personal happiness, deserve four.

[colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

read 08.11.07
great series.