3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Supernatural detective with a lot of baggage, June 17, 2010
This review is from: Hiram Grange and the Chosen One: The Scandalous Misadventures of Hiram Grange (Book #4) (Paperback)
"There are nasty things in our world--monsters, if you will--that come from a horrible place: the Abyss, the Black, Kadath, Gehenna, Sheol, Hell...there are hundreds of names. It's my job to kill them. Send them back. Along the way, I try to protect as many innocents as I can...Too often, I fail."
--Hiram Grange
Imagine a combination of James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Phineas Poe and Repairman Jack, and you have a good idea of the supernatural thriller that is Hiram Grange and The Chosen One. Book four in the series, this title is penned by author Kevin Lucia. Charms and siguls, summoned succubi and tentacled creatures, this book takes you on a wild ride through various parts of Ireland, the future of the planet at stake, of course.
I've been a longtime reader of noir, neo-noir, thrillers and mysteries, so this book is not a stretch for me at all. If you've heard of F. Paul Wilson and his dual series, The Adversary Cycle and Repairman Jack, then you might understand where I'm coming from. Lucia does a very similar thing--he utilizes the tension of classic horror, the fast paced action of thrillers, and the unexpected creatures from the supernatural to explore a genre that can only be described as speculative. And like Wilson, he does an excellent job of taking those standard characters (detectives, women in distress, bookish female bosses) and making them his own: by giving our protagonist Hiram Grange a long series of addictions, weaknesses, and dark memories; by giving the femme fatale special powers; by taking the classic Bond boss "M" and making her more contemporary. There is a sense of mythology, of symbols, charms, spells and eternal beings that are shrouded in mystery and illusion.
Hiram alone is worth the read. He dabbles in all manor of drink, including absinthe, and has a history of mescaline, opium and pills. He is funny, in a self-deprecating manor, and also, without trying, is a sad, and pathetic rube, at times, thrust into these horrible situations. He has an altar to Jodie Foster, did I mention that? But we root for Hiram, because he battles the dark, and in the end, that's all we want, our hero to battle evil, and to prevail.
One other thing to mention is the design of the book. Put out by Shroud Publications, they sprinkle art throughout the book, which is a nice bit of extra character. There are icons and symbols that break up the prose--guns, bullets, coins, etc.--as well as chapter headers, the cover of course, and the occasional bit of full page illustration. Also, each part is titled with a background of dripping ink and watermarks. It's just something different that I found added a bit of color to the already vivid and extravagant story.
Lucia does a great job of setting up the story, jumping back and forth between Hiram Grange and various other minor characters, and keeping the story moving forward. It's a page turner, for sure, and not afraid of a bit of gore. If you're looking for a fast, fun read with action, mystery, tentacled creatures and the supernatural, be sure to check out Lucia's dramatic and hypnotic storytelling in Hiram Grange and the Chosen One. Oh, did I mention the faeries? And the Veil? NO? Well, I guess you'll have to pick up a copy then.
Be sure to check out the entire The Scandalous Misadventures of Hiram Grange series, as well as Shroud Magazine:
Hiram Grange and the Village of the Damned by Jake Burrows
Hiram Grange and the Twelve Little Hitlers by Scott Christian Carr
Hiram Grange and the Digital Eucharist by Robert Daries
Hiram Grange and the Chosen One by Kevin Lucia
Hiram Grange and the Nymphs of Krakow by Richard Wright
[...]
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing like a barrage of maggots from the Abyss to ruin your week, October 6, 2010
This review is from: Hiram Grange and the Chosen One: The Scandalous Misadventures of Hiram Grange (Book #4) (Paperback)
So you've got Hiram Grange -- a guy who is apparently always getting into trouble with his superiors for "overkill" response to monstrous incursions from the "Abyss". Then you've got some dark ritual cretin handing out medallions that have the unfortunate effect of bringing out the ghastly (and the wriggling worms) almost instantaneously from the wearer. And then you've got the faerie Queen Mab, apparently a gal who yields great benefits in the sack, if you can just avoid ending up as a pawn in her game. Turns out, Hiram is such a pawn, but he's not just going to sit and take it. Will he rescue the girl Mab wants him to kill? Will he stop the medallion-deliverer from bringing through a host of many-tentacled obscenities for some unknown evil end?
You've gotta read this one to find out!
I had not read the previous three Hiram Grange chronicles (this one is subtitled as "Book Four") but that didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all. This is sort of a James-Bond-as-an-occult-detective style pulp fiction story, and I read it cover to cover on a plane ride this week. HIRAM GRANGE & THE CHOSEN ONE moves fast, fun and furious... I couldn't put it down! And now I'll be looking for the other entries in the series. If you've always thirsted for James Bond to have a serving of Lovecraft -- you'll eat this one up. But... do mind the maggots.
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