It's really hard post-hoc reviewing books that begin long-running series you've already read. It's too easy to overlook things that gave pause on first read, or were unclear, because you know where it's going. On the other hand, it's sometimes hard to see the really clever flourishes in the world-building, the exact things that pulled you in the first time, because this world and it's inhabitants are already old friends.

In any case, the Hollows books are rip-roaring urban fantasy with a pretty great female protagonist. There's romance, but these are not PNR (although there's the odd sexytimes scene, maybe 4-5 times in the entire first ten books, unless I'm misremembering). I mention this because I'm so over reading poorly written "PNR" that's just an excuse for horribad erotica, and I know I'm not alone there.

As mentioned, long but completed series, I'm just gonna suggest you pick up the first book and see if you like it.

But if you're interested in more thoughts, read on. Consider yourselves warned, this might get long. Even for one of my reviews.

Currently free on Kindle 2016-01-19

Surprisingly good, this was a fast read. It's a little hard to describe - the cover is terrible and the blurb doesn't really do the story justice.

In short, famed illusionist Hestia is invited to appear on a smash hit tv talk show, having engineered and reimagined her entire life around just this opportunity: A chance to visit revenge on the hostess of the show, who has been a bully and nemesis for nearly 30 years, since early teenagerdom, when she wasn't Hestia, but a chubby schoolgirl named Rose Grubb, long before even the first of her many self-reinventions.

It's wry and quirky, and rather British, and I found several parts of it quite funny.

It's a little bit Witches of Eastwick, and a little bit an examination of the way bullying can haunt people far beyond the time of it's occurrence, and a little bit revenge fantasy. It's about obsession, good and bad, and where it can get you... or not. It's a bit supernatural urban fantasy, and a bit of a love story but not at all a romance.

Fair warning for some same-sex content (and some very British attitudes to sex, which seems to amount to you can be outrageous as you like as long as you don't get in the tabloids).

Markhat is a Finder, charged with the post-war task of tracking down sons and fathers gone suddenly missing when an outbreak of peace left the army abandoned where they stood. But now it’s ten years on after the war, and about all he’s finding is trouble..

 

Short review: This is novella length, and either #1 or #2 in the series depending who's numbering you go with. I liked it either way, and found myself managing to understand the world just fine. 

It reads a little like dropping Felix Castor into a Victorian era city, after a war against trolls. It's a place where Vampires exist, but the only ones who are allowed are the rich ones who don't eat too many people. Trolls pull dray carts through the city, and Goblins make the clocks, and yet Markhat can't quite bring himself to believe in an actual revenant. So he sets out to find out who is really terrorising his employer, and why. 

I liked this character, he has a light veneer of snark, covering up a very tired and world-weary soul, he's seen far too much, and he's a little damaged by it all, but he's a good man. And he loves dogs, and dogs love him, enough to provide a little ghostly help in a time of need. I can't help but like a man who understands dogs better than people, and knows it.

This was a good introduction. I'll certainly be reading more of this series. 

ETA: I wrote Felix Carey heh. I meant Felix Castor, written by Mike Carey. I guess y'all knew that.