Ellery Queen Detective #3: The Dutch Shoe Mystery

These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you. Let’s step on The Dutch Shoe Mystery, by Ellery Queen.

Synopsis:

Queen visits an operating theater to witness a surgery, but finds a murder instead

The son of a police detective, Ellery Queen grew up in a bloody atmosphere. Since he started lending his deductive powers to the New York City homicide squad, he has seen more than his fair share of mangled corpses. Though he is accustomed to gore, the thought of seeing a living person sliced open makes him ill. So when a doctor invites him to sit in on an operation, Queen braces his stomach. As it happens, his stomach is spared, but his brain must go to work. The patient is Abigail Doorn, a millionairess in a diabetic coma. To prepare her for surgery, the hospital staff has stabilized her blood sugar level and wheeled her to the operating theater—but just before the first incision, the doctors realize she is dead, strangled while lying unconscious on her gurney. Queen came to the hospital to watch surgeons work, but now it’s his time to operate.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

Time for another classic mystery novel. In this outing, Ellery Queen investigates the murder of a wealthy philanthropist, who was strangled in a hospital just before she was to undergo surgery. Naturally, there are a plethora of suspects: the doctor who claims to have been in a meeting but refuses to identify the man who could corroborate his alibi; the cold and paranoid metallurgist who was recently written out of her will; the brother with heavy gambling debts; the religious fanatic housekeeper; and the mobster who just so happened to also be staying at the hospital at the time.

Overall, I found it to be a well-executed mystery. The actual culprit turned out to be someone I’d never suspected, but the explanation of how the crime was carried out made sense and all the necessary clues were indeed included within the narrative. Chalk this one up as a decent classic fair-play mystery.

Final Rating: 3/5

Ghost Roads #2: The Girl in the Green Silk Gown

Once and twice and thrice around, put your heart into the ground. Four and five and six tears shed, give your love unto the dead. Seven shadows on the wall, eight have come to watch your fall: one’s for the gargoyle, one’s for the grave, and the last is for the one you’ll never save. Let’s dress The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, by Seanan McGuire.

Synopsis:

The second book in the Ghost Roads series returns to the highways of America, where hitchhiking ghost Rose Marshall continues her battle with her killer–the immortal Bobby Cross.

For Rose Marshall, death has long since become the only life she really knows. She’s been sweet sixteen for more than sixty years, hitchhiking her way along the highways and byways of America, sometimes seen as an avenging angel, sometimes seen as a killer in her own right, but always Rose, the Phantom Prom Date, the Girl in the Green Silk Gown.

The man who killed her is still out there, thanks to a crossroads bargain that won’t let him die, and he’s looking for the one who got away. When Bobby Cross comes back into the picture, there’s going to be hell to pay—possibly literally.

Rose has worked for decades to make a place for herself in the twilight. Can she defend it, when Bobby Cross comes to take her down? Can she find a way to navigate the worlds of the living and the dead, and make it home before her hitchhiker’s luck runs out?

There’s only one way to know for sure.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

So, it’s been a few years, but Seanan McGuire has finally come out with the sequel to Sparrow Hill Road. Whereas the previous book was a short story collection, this one tells a single, continuous narrative. Soul-eating serial killer Bobby Cross’s latest plan to get at Rose involves resurrecting her, stripping her of her ghostly powers and allies. In order to reclaim her proper spectral state, Rose teams up with longtime enemy Laura Moorhead to seek aid from the goddess Persephone. Road trip!

Reading this book, I was really struck by the quality of Seanan McGuire’s writing; in particular, the detail she put into Rose struggling with being alive again after 60 years as a spirit. In particular, I found myself comparing it to a book I read a while ago – Ice Kingdom, by Tiana Warner. If you read my review of that book, you might recall that protagonist Meela got magically transformed into a mermaid to save her life. Now, you might think that a change as large as that would require significant adjustment – particularly given the changes to her anatomy below the waist. Would, I wondered, the book go into detail about Meela needing to be educated on how mermaids perform certain necessary biological functions? No, as it happened – Meela just instantly adjusted to life as a mermaid offscreen, and any awkwardness that may have accompanied the transition went unremarked upon. I felt vaguely disappointed by this missed storytelling opportunity, but decided not to mention it in my review; it seemed, well, a bit skeevy to focus on bathroom details if the book itself was leaving that stuff tastefully offscreen. I only bring it up now because this book does explore the biology problems Rose suffers after becoming unexpectedly corporeal after so long as a ghost, and does it well; and the realism and character moments it added to the narrative made me recall my old opinion on Ice Kingdom and reaffirmed my conviction in it: sometimes addressing the messy details can make a story better.

…Well, that ended up being a long diversion. Getting back on topic, I felt that this was a lot stronger entry in the series than the first one because it tells a single continuous story, rather than unconnected anecdotes. I also think the grudging team-up of Rose and Laura works very well, with their interactions serving as a real highlight of the book.

The Girl in the Green Silk Gown is a great book, and I really enjoyed it.

Final Rating: 4/5

Ghost Roads #1: Sparrow Hill Road

Let me tell you about Rose Marshall, the sweetest girl that you’d ever see. They always say that the good die young, well, she died back in fifty-three, kept her prom night date with the cemetery. Let’s race down Sparrow Hill Road, by Seanan McGuire.

Synopsis:

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross—a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn’t ask Rose what she thought of the idea.

It’s been more than sixty years since that night, and she’s still sixteen, and she’s still running.

They have names for her all over the country: the Girl in the Diner. The Phantom Prom Date. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Mostly she just goes by “Rose,” a hitchhiking ghost girl with her thumb out and her eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to outrace a man who never sleeps, never stops, and never gives up on the idea of claiming what’s his. She’s the angel of the overpass, she’s the darling of the truck stops, and she’s going to figure out a way to win her freedom. After all, it’s not like it can kill her.

You can’t kill what’s already dead.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

It was quite a while ago that I first read Sparrow Hill Road. At the time, I didn’t realize that it was intended to be part of a series, and was left feeling a little disappointed by the lack of closure in the ending. However, since the sequel has finally come out, I figured I’d go back and give this one a re-read to see if my opinion’s changed at all.

The book follows Rose Marshall, a hitchhiking ghost, as she serves as a psychopomp for other spirits who die on the road while trying to avoid Bobby Cross, the supernatural killer who originally murdered her. The book does not consist of a single narrative, but rather is a collection of short stories set at different points over the sixty years that Rose has been a ghost.

In my opinion, that lack of a central narrative arc hurts the book. While many of the adventures are individually interesting, they feel muddled by their presentation: out of chronological order, unrelated episodes sometimes interwoven with one another. It’s hard for the narrative to pick up any sort of momentum when it keeps jittering back and forth through time and doesn’t seem to have a cohesive central plot thread.

So, ultimately, my opinion of Sparrow Hill Road remains the same: interesting character, interesting setting, but a weak presentation makes for a book that is overall merely average.

Final Rating: 3/5

Stalking Jack the Ripper #3: Escaping From Houdini

This is who I am: escapist, paradise seeker. Farewell, now time to fly: out of sight, out of time, away from all lies. Let’s run from Escaping From Houdini, by Kerri Maniscalco.

Synopsis:

In this third installment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer. .

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

When I read the previous book in this series, I noted that it was surprisingly better than expected, and wondered if that trend wound continue. Alas, it turns out that it did not: this is the weakest one yet.

The plot finds Rose and Thomas, plus some assorted tag-along family members, taking a ship to America. For entertainment, the ship has retained a crew of circus performers, headed by the mysterious masked ringmaster Mephistopheles, and including, yes, Harry Houdini. However, each night that the performers put on their show, someone ends up getting gruesomely murdered: stabbed, poisoned, burned, drowned, eaten by lions, you name it. For some reason, this does not dissuade the performers from putting on the show night after night, nor the passengers from attending it. I mean, the first two murders during shows might have been coincidences, but the third definitely makes a pattern; and yet people are still lining up to potentially become the next unlucky victim. Come on, folks: it’s not that good of a circus. I mean, yeah, it’s got Houdini; but this is 1889, the very beginning of his career. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to see him perform later under less lethal circumstances.

My biggest problem with the book, however, can be summed up in three words: Love Triangle Bullshit. Yes, through a series of unlikely contrivances and poor character decisions, the book manages to set up a love triangle between Rose, Thomas, and Mephistopheles. It shouldn’t be hard to guess how it turns out, given that Thomas is a recurring main character and Mephistopheles is only in this one book; but that just makes it all the more painful to have to read through all the typical misunderstandings and miscommunications. Is someone going to raise suspicions by clumsily and unnecessarily lying? Is someone going to open a door at an inopportune moment? Is someone going to say “it’s not what it looks like”? Are incorrect conclusions going to be leaped to? Will I throw this book at a wall in disgust? The answers won’t surprise you.

And why is this book called Escaping From Houdini, anyways? I mean, Stalking Jack the Ripper made sense, because Jack the Ripper was the villain; and Hunting Prince Dracula kinda made sense, because even though the villain didn’t actually end up being Dracula, it did take place at one of Dracula’s castles and the crimes were vampire-themed; but Houdini isn’t even really a major character in this story. …Actually, why is this whole series called Stalking Jack the Ripper, when that was only the plot of the first book? Am I going crazy here, or has this series completely stopped making sense?

Well, only one more left to go in the series. I guess we’ll see if the series recovers or continues its downward slide.

Final Rating: 2/5

Magic the Gathering #40: Morningtide

When the hope of morning starts to fade in me, I don’t dare let darkness have its way with me, and the hope of morning makes me worth the fight. I will not be giving in tonight. Let’s rage against the dying of the light with Morningtide, by Cory J. Herndon and Scott McGough.

Synopsis:

The only thing she’s ever wanted…

All her life Ashling has hunted her wild elemental, seeking a merging of beings and an awakening of power – only to be forced into it years ahead of schedule. Now the elemental haunts her, turning her life into a nightmare. She knows it wants something. But can she figure out what before it’s too late?

…is the only thing she fears.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

Okay, so the first book of the Lorwyn cycle was essentially a very long prologue, introducing us to all of the many protagonists and assembling them all in the same place. But now that we’ve finally met them all, and they’ve finally gathered together at one location, the story proper can truly begin.

So, Morningtide opens with the introduction of a new protagonist (the Sapling) and with the protagonists all splitting up and going different directions again.

Damn it, Lorwyn cycle; I’m trying to like you, so why are you making it so difficult for me?

It’s hard to say what the main plot of this book is, because it’s divided into a bunch of different separate plotlines which don’t clearly tie together. The synopsis I’ve quoted, which comes from the back of the book, focuses on one of those plotlines: Ashling’s pilgrimage to Mt. Tanufel in pursuit of her elemental – but I wouldn’t exactly call that the book’s main plotline, not when so much of it is devoted to the other characters doing other things. The fact that they’re all split up and pursuing different goals in different places makes it hard to say that there’s any “main” plotline at all. The Sapling has her own plot thread where she’s following in the wake of Ashling, accompanied by Endry of the Vendilion Clique, and the pair encounter a group of wingless faeries; and Sygg and Brigid have their own plot thread, where they’re traveling up the Wanderwine and investigating the source of a mysterious disease afflicting the merfolk; and Rhys has his own plotline where he’s being hunted as a traitor by the other elves; and Maralen is traveling with Rhys, but she doesn’t particularly care about his plotline and instead has her own where she’s jockeying for power against Oona the faerie queen. All together, it adds up to a story that seems to be going in every direction at once and lacks any central focus to tie things together. Only the quality of the writing and the strength of the individual story threads serves as a redeeming factor; and while it’s carried the cycle this far, the cracks are definitely showing.

But okay, we’re halfway through the cycle, and this book ends with the big dramatic event that all the vague ominous foreshadowing has been building up to: the Great Aurora bringing about a vast planar transformation, changing the endless cheery daytime of Lorwyn to the endless sinister night of Shadowmoor. Now we can finally get a concrete, unified direction to this cycle. I’m sure it’ll all come together like a finely oiled machine. Any time now, right…?

Final Rating: 3/5

The Aurora Cycle #1: Aurora Rising

Hell yeah, I remember aurora. Take me now, we can spin the sun around, and the stars will all come out. Then we’ll turn and come back down, turn and come back down. Let’s look upwards at Aurora Rising, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

Synopsis:

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

I’m always on the lookout for hot new sci-fi, and so upon release I immediately snapped up Aurora Rising. This book follows a squad of misfit cadets who have just graduated (barely, in some cases) to their first posting in the Legion. However, their first mission has them rescue a girl who has been in cryo-sleep for over 200 years, who demonstrates strange psychic powers and is being hunted by the government for unknown reasons. One thing leads to another, and soon they’ve gone rogue on a mission to save the galaxy from a strange floral menace.

While I enjoyed the book for the most part, I do have some concerns about it potentially degenerating into a morass of love triangle bullshit, given that pretty much every possible pairing of the protagonists was teased at one point or another – some jokingly, others seriously. One thing that really set alarm bells ringing was the Syldrathi apparently having a love-at-first-sight life-bond thing, where they instinctively imprint on the person who is destined to be their soulmate. Ewwww, creepy. That kind of imprinting is always creepy. Do I need to bring Twilight? Don’t make me bring up Twilight, book.

Anyways, I’ll be watching this series with a mix of hope and trepidation to see what direction it ends up going.

Final Rating: 3/5

The League of Regrettable Superheroes

Damn! I went ahead and used the Great Lakes Avengers song for a previous review, because I thought I’d never get a better chance, and then this drops into my lap? There’s no justice, I tell you; no justice at all. Let’s pity the fools in The League of Regrettable Superheroes, by Jon Morris.

Synopsis:

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bee! It’s a clown! It’s…a giant eyeball?

You know about Batman, Superman, and Spiderman, but have you heard of Doll Man, Doctor Hormone, or Spider Queen? In The League of Regrettable Superheroes, you’ll meet one hundred of the strangest superheroes ever to see print, complete with backstories, vintage art, and colorful commentary. So prepare yourself for such not-ready-for-prime-time heroes as Bee Man (Batman, but with bees), the Clown (circus-themed crimebuster), the Eye (a giant, floating eyeball; just accept it), and many other oddballs and oddities. Drawing on the entire history of the medium, The League of Regrettable Superheroes will appeal to die-hard comics fans, casual comics readers, and anyone who enjoys peering into the stranger corners of pop culture.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

So, I was reading a thread about superhero comics; and the thread turned, as such discussions often do, to the topic of lame, awkward, and just plain weird comic book characters. You know the type: Arm Fall Off Boy, Armless Tiger Man, and the rest. Then, someone in the thread brought up this book as a useful reference for such characters. Interested, I decided to check it out.

What I found was a fine, enjoyable book. It covers a broad range of characters from the gold, silver, and modern ages; includes heroes who have faded into obscurity, those who have remained alive as running punchlines, and those who have actually been redeemed from their silly origins to become popular (that’s the Eisner Award-winning Squirrel Girl to you, pal). It also includes sample pages from some of the comics of the featured characters, displayed in full color glory so you can see the weirdness with your own eyes.

Incidentally, this isn’t the only such book by Jon Morris. He also wrote The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains and The League of Regrettable Sidekicks, which cover the same topic but for villains and sidekicks rather than headlining heroes. Of course, I had to check those out as well; and they were just as good, though I don’t have enough different about them to give them their own reviews. Consider this a three-in-one deluxe review special.

The League of Regrettable Superheroes, The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains, and The League of Regrettable Sidekicks are fun and informative books worth a look by comics fans.

Final Rating: 3/5

Stalking Jack the Ripper #2: Hunting Prince Dracula

Looking for Dracula, but I’m not afraid; I’ve got binoculars, I’ve got my cape and my fangs. Oh, Oh! What Do I see? It’s Hunting Prince Dracula, by Kerri Maniscalco.

Synopsis:

In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco’s haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer…or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

With the Jack the Ripper case resolved, our protagonists Rose and Thomas are departing London in order to attend medical school in Romania. The class, it just so happens, is being taught in a castle once inhabited by Vlad III Dracul, who you might recognize as the historical inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. And wouldn’t you know it, but no sooner have Rose and Thomas arrived than do strange vampire-themed murders begin to take place: one body found with a stake driven through its heart, and another drained of all its blood. Looks like our dynamic duo have a new case to solve.

Hunting Prince Dracula ended up improving on its predecessor in a lot of ways. For one thing, the mystery had enough convolutions that I wasn’t able to immediately guess the culprit based on meta-knowledge, while still having enough foreshadowing to make sense once it was revealed. For another, there was no weird out-of-place actual supernatural element in an otherwise realistic story. So, I thought this book was pretty good, overall.

Who’d have thunk it: I was ready to give up on the “James Patterson Presents” imprint, but the last series I check out happens to be the best of the bunch. There’s a lesson about perseverance in there somewhere. Guess I’ll have to keep reading these and see where they go.

Final Rating: 3/5

Royals #2: Her Royal Highness

How do you love someone without getting hurt? How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt? So far in my life clouds have blocked the sun. How do you love, how do you love someone. Let’s curtsy for Her Royal Highness, by Rachel Hawkins.

Synopsis:

Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. And because Millie cannot stand the thought of confronting her ex every day, she decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better.

Millie can’t believe her luck when she’s accepted into one of the world’s most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Everything about Scotland is different: the country is misty and green; the school is gorgeous, and the students think Americans are cute.

The only problem: Mille’s roommate Flora is a total princess.

She’s also an actual princess. Of Scotland.

At first, the girls can barely stand each other–Flora is both high-class and high-key–but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Even though Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, Millie knows the chances of happily ever afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn’t a fairy tale . . . or is it?

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

So, I recently read Gossamer Axe; and if you saw my review of it, you know that I enjoyed it most of the way through only to be disappointed when I had to hit it with a Dead Lesbian Penalty at the end. Feeling burned for the umpteenth time, I vowed to search out a lesbian romance with a happy ending.

I discovered Her Royal Highness after extensive research – which is to say, I checked in on the literature thread on 4chan’s /u/ board to see what new releases were being talked about, and saw this book come up. Looking it up on Goodreads, I saw that it was technically #2 in a series, but the comments assured me that it could be read on its own. Thus, I picked up Her Royal Highness…

…and was reminded why I don’t usually read contemporary romance literature. Namely, it bores me. What are the stakes? Where is the conflict? And no, minor and easily avoidable miscommunications and misunderstandings don’t count. I want romantic relationships as a bit of added spice to an epic and exciting tale; for lovers to kiss after finally slaying a mighty dragon, not after arguing over an anonymous article in a tabloid magazine.

In retrospect, I should have seen this coming. When I posted in the thread about The Pyramid Waltz, which has the mix of high fantasy adventure and romance that I like, I was excoriated by commenters condemning me for having shit taste. Clearly, the regular membership of /u/ and I are on different wavelengths.

That said, Her Royal Highness wasn’t bad in any particular way. The romance was pleasant, with believable chemistry between the leads, and the characters in general were very well written and developed. I found the whole cast to be very interesting and likeable – I just wish they had more to do. The ending also struck me as somewhat abrupt, leaving a number of plot threads hanging – most notably, I was really expecting some kind of confrontation between Flora and her mother regarding her sexuality.

So, ultimately, Her Royal Highness was a nice, sweet romance story which I more or less enjoyed, but which is overall not exactly the type of book I’m looking for.

Final Rating: 3/5

Rolling in the Deep #2: Into the Drowning Deep

Till human voices wake us and we drown, and we drown; seductive and impeccable abuse. You do it to yourself; I bet you know you do. I love you cause I do it to you too. Let’s embark Into the Drowning Deep, by Seanan McGuire writing as Mira Grant.

Synopsis:

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Source: Goodreads

SPOILERS BELOW

Set seven years after the first book in the series, this sequel follows the journey of the ship Melusine, which has been tasked with determining the truth behind the loss of the Atargatis. In the pursuit of knowledge, they once more set sail towards the dark waters where hungry mermaids wait with bloody teeth and claws.

Into the Drowning Deep is in many ways the Aliens to Rolling in the Deep’s Alien. Whereas the first book followed ignorant civilians who unknowingly stumbled upon their doom, the cast this time has some knowledge of what to expect. They’re better equipped, better prepared, and believe themselves up to the task – but are still woefully underestimating the true threat posed by their quarry. The biggest narrative difference is that there is no Ripley character, because there were no survivors of the Atargatis. Instead, we get an entirely new cast for this outing. Fortunately, due to Seanan McGuire’s skillful writing and characterization, I was quickly able to get just as invested in this new group of protagonists as I was in the old one. Also fortunately, some of them do end up surviving this time around. That, you may recall, was my biggest complaint about the previous story; how bleak and unrewarding the ending felt, with all of the characters I’d come to become invested in getting quickly and callously killed off. This time, I was actually able to feel some catharsis: seeing characters not merely face horror, but overcome it and prevail. It is that catharsis factor which so inclines me to liking happy endings, and which makes me dislike so many horror stories for having the monster inexplicably come back to life and kill the protagonist at the very last minute. The ending of Into the Drowning Deep, while not exactly happy in a “fade out while everybody laughs” way, at least has some of the characters manage to return alive. Since this includes both the lesbian characters, I don’t even have to hit this book with a Dead Lesbian Penalty.

Actually, the ending interested me in how open-ended it was. There are still plenty of unresolved plot threads, such as why the captured mermaid convinced its brethren to spare the crew members who had caught it, or what the company is planning to do now that they have successfully retrieved a live mermaid. Whereas the first book left me feeling ambivalent about whether I wanted to continue, this one definitely made me hope that the series gets further installments in the future.

Final Rating: 4/5