I find Lumsden’s urban fantasy series one of the best out there, and I will never get tired of saying it. So obviously I was very excited to see a companion novella.

What to Expect

Expect something a little different that the usual Alex Southerland novel. This one is doesn’t involve him, but one of the best side characters – Crawford the were-rat. It also spans several point-of-views, as opposed to Southerland’s first-person story.

What I liked

I love Lumsden’s deft touch in describing the unsavoury characters that make the underbelly of society. The transition from first-person to multiple POVs was expertly done, and each character has an immediately recognisable distinct voice.

I also love Lumsden original world-building, and the novella exposes more of the history and geopolitics of this complex world.

What to be aware of

This is dark-fantasy, with harsh themes. Petty criminals are never nice people, and there’s a lot of misogyny and violence. (Never mistake an author for his characters, though – this is just the aspect of criminal society that Lumsden describes here). Still, it may be a rough read for some.

Felix’s Review

Felix enjoyed this new take. He’s familiar with the concepts of shapeshifters and were-creatures through antiquity’s numerous works on metamorphoses, but Lumsden unique take on the subject was particularly appealing to him. He’s used to dealing with rough characters and getting drawn as a pawn into the games of the mighty, so that was also a point of sympathy for him.

Summary

A highly recommended read. This is a companion novella, so a bit outside of the usual occult detective series. If you haven’t read Lumsden’s other works start there, but if you enjoyed them you will certainly get a kick out of this one.

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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He’s the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.

Come meet Felix and his world on the free short stories and novels!