Oh, the taste of your lips. I’m on a ride. You’re toxic, I’m slipping under with a taste of a poison paradise. Let’s solve The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump, by Harry Turtledove.
Synopsis:
He’s no hero.
David Fisher, an EPA (Environmental Perfection Agency) bureaucrat, was not the stuff of which heroes are made. At least he hoped not. All he wanted was a good life with a good wife, and a chance to do his bit for society reviewing magical impact statements (like the one that assesses the effect on local non-life resulting from the introduction of leprechauns into Southern California, for example) and ensuring that various manufacturers of magical devices did not intentionally or otherwise foul the environment with the sorcerous by-products of their trade. Indeed, it would be hard to imagine a more regular and down to earth soul than that of David Fisher of the EPA. No hero he!
Then one day David received a call from Washington to investigate a certain Toxic Spell Dump, and suddenly he is up to his neck in skullduggery and magic most foul. Some ancient deity, it seems, it attempting to reopen for business in the L.A. Basin, complete with human sacrifice (open up their hearts and let the sun shine in!) and the destruction of Western Civilization. All that stands in the way is David Fisher – and he’s no hero.
Until he has to be.
Source: Goodreads
SPOILERS BELOW
The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump is set in a world which is based on magic rather than technology: where telephones are powered by imps, commuters travel in flying carpets rather than cars, and invocations to gods and demons are used to provide public utilities. But while the basis of this world’s industry may be different, the problem of pollution remains the same: spellwork produces toxic by-products, which have to be safely contained at dump sites. Regulation and inspection of such sites falls under the purview of the EPA, which here stands for Environmental Perfection Agency; and our protagonist is a low-ranking bureaucrat who gets called up to investigate possible leakage at the Devonshire dump. But what should be a simple assignment ends up uncovering a deadly conspiracy involving illegal spell components and ancient, vengeful gods looking to wreak mass devastation.
This book’s greatest strength is its top-notch worldbuilding. It manages to really develop and explore this fantastical world, going into detail about all different aspects about how society and industry function with magic in place of technology. Admittedly, some of those details just end up being setups for puns; but the rich, vivid picture the book painted of its world kept me enthralled throughout. Add that to the several interesting, somewhat interrelated mysteries which our protagonist investigates, and the clever solutions he ends up coming up with for the problems he faces, and the result was a very strong reading experience.
The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump is an extremely strong, interesting story.
Final Rating: 4/5
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