I love Doug Lumsden’s works, so am always excited by a new release.

What to Expect

This is the third installment in the Shade the Collector series (the second series in the alt-history world Lumsden has built). That said, the novels are pretty easy to pick up and get stuck in to. You can start here, or read from the start of this excellent series.

Expect another case where Shade is poked by the various mythological spirits in their machinations, and buoyed by his curiosity (sometimes against his better judgement) he tried to “recover” artefacts that will advance power games far beyond him. He loses an auction for an important artefact, and before he has a chance to think about how he might relieve the buyer of it later, said buyer smashes it with a hammer. Things get more complicated from there, what with ancient wizards, ghosts, and lucky rabbit feet.

What I liked

I loved seeing more of Shade’s shady past, what it was like for a teenager dealing with becoming a shifter and (almost) losing his self-identity. Beyond that, we get the excellent world-building and storytelling that make Lumsden’s writing so engaging, wrapped in noir aesthetics.

What to be aware of

as above, this is the third novel in the second series. There are recurring characters and references to past events. I don’t think that would prevent you from enjoying the novel if you jumped in here first, but if you like to read in order and see things build up than you have a (very enjoyable) backlog to read.

Felix’s and Jack’s Reviews

Both Felix and Jack enjoyed the novel, as they had the series up to this point. While Felix takes a compatible approach to Shade’s when it comes to the law (read: ignore it when it suits him), Jack, being a policeman, groused at the tropes of corrupt and inefficient police. That said, as an adventure story of someone dealing with forces beyond the normal, he found it entertaining (and occasionally laughing at Shade for making things hard for himself).

Summary

A great addition to the series, recommended to all who love alt-history urban-fantasy.

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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck are those Felix and Jack fellows? Glad you asked! Felix is the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome, and Jack is the police detective running the Unusual Crimes Squad, dealing in occult crimes in modern-day Australia.

Come meet Felix and Jack on the free short stories and novels!