Customer Reviews

Moonshine (Cal Leandros, Book 2)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rob Thurman introduced us to the brothers Niko and Cal (Caliban) last year. Cal finally met his father and learned just what his true heritage was. Unfortunately, Cal was possessed by evil and nearly lost everything he held dear.

"Moonshine" nearly takes up where "Nightlife" left off. Niko and Cal are a little better situated now. They have a real apartment in New York City and both young men are enrolled in college courses.

But, they've got to do something to keep the money coming in, so they're acting as private investigators and exterminators in partnership with the vampire Promise and of course, Robin Goodfellow, the infamous Puck. Their first job is ridding a carnival of bodachs--which are Scottish evil spirits who've dressed up as clowns.

Next, they've got to run with the wolves. Literally. The "Kin" is the appelation Thurman gives to the Werewolf Mafia. When they are contacted by one mob boss to spy on another to determine whether they really are in allegiance, the $50,000 offered for a few hours' work seems to good to pass up.

They should have, though. As a result of that first night, the psychic Georgina is captured and events are set into motion that pit the whole team against serious odds with very little time to get Georgina back.

Rob Thurman writes engaging, real, and interesting characters. She imbeds hooks sharp as cats' claws into the reader and keeps them reading--and guessing--all the way through.

You don't have to read "Nightlife" to enjoy "Moonshine," but I think you will definitely want to. Thurman's writing was good for her initial offering, but has only improved with the second book.

Can't wait for the third!

Rob Thurman proves to be not just a flash-in-the-pan author with a strong follow up to "Nightlife".

After the events of the last book and years on the run, Cal and Niko are seemingly free to settle and start to build lives that include friends and even romance. But opening up to others was never Cal's strength and having friends just means more people are at risk from the monster he believes himself to be. When one of these friends is kidnapped to force his cooperation, it makes Cal's worst fear a reality and he will have to learn to accept help from those around him to get them back.

As entertaining and facinating as the supporting characters are it is still Cal and Niko's book. And although their love and support is usually expressed through sarcasm, nothing can come between the brothers. Like Nightlife "Moonshine" is full of creativity and innovative antagonists. The use of language is masterful...I wish I had as much wit and could banter as well as the characters in this book. Best of all Rob Thurman proves once again it is possible to write an intelligent, compelling and exciting supernatural book without using smut to sell it.

After seeing Niko and Caliban defeat the auphe (or did they?) in Nightlife, I was curious to see what would be in store for them in Moonshine. Well, what would a half-auphe and human with near preternatural sword skills do? Become supernatural private investigators.

In this novel, they are contracted to look into some shady power plays occuring within the werewolf community, but that it only the stepping stone to more serious problems.

As with the previous novel, Thurman does a fantastic job of portraying two brothers that care deeply for one another. Their every action demonstrate how strong their bond is and that they would do anything for each other. What I love about this series is the characters, how richly they are drawn and how Thurman peels back more layers of their complexity with each book.

I found Moonshine a wonderful read. The writing was filled with the same gripping imagery as Nightlife and the plot was even better. This is an absolute must read for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.

A little over a year ago, it occurred to me that every book I picked up in the Newly Released section of my local bookstore was really just a clone of every other: same plot line, same characters, same oh-so-sticky dilemma from which the heroine (And who can honestly say they are not just the tiniest bit tired of reading nothing but female first person?) must extract herself time and time again. It got to the point where I was avoiding the bookstore, I was so bored. Then I picked up Nightlife--and couldn't put it down. Cal, Niko, and Robin have *substance*; they are uniquely believable, human (at least as far as their hopes and failings are concerned), and damned funny.

Nightlife was an amazing read--I was so hooked that I was reading it while waiting at stoplights--and Moonshine is every bit as enjoyable as its predecessor. It has a plot all its own, new, terrifying villains, and yet keeps everything that made Nightlife so addictive: the relationship between two brothers who have nothing in the world but each other, the hilarious conversational interplay, the amazing action, and Robin, the smooth-talking Puck with the attention span of a gnat and a collection of designer duds that a Hollywood starlet would envy.

Ms. Thurman is one of the best new writers to hit the fantasy scene in years. If you're a rabid fan of urban fantasy, go and get copies of Nightlife and Moonshine NOW. You won't be disappointed.

The second book in the Caliban series sees the brothers in more hot water. When someone kidnaps Cal's would-be girlfriend Georgina the brothers and their friends (Niko's girlfriend Promise, the puck Robin Goodfellow, and werewolf Flay), must search for her ... What they find is a diabolical plot by a hidden enemy. Can the brother's find Georgina before it is too late?

I very much enjoyed Moonshine. I find the brother's very entertaining and I really enjoy Robin (who I think is my favorite character). While I enjoy the male characters I find the female ones a bit lacking in depth. Promise is nice but seems a bit of a cipher. I must confess I don't like George at all... I get Mary Sue vibes from her. Frankly I was a bit glad to see less of her in this book. ... I also don't really want to see both brothers hook up permanently. That gets boring. I'd much rather see the boys kick villainous butt and hunt the Auphe.

This was a great book, entertaining for those who like supernatural/paranormal urban fantasy.

Dark and irreverent, like an injection of pure angst into the bloodstream, Moonshine is everything that was great about Nightlife, and more. Cal and Niko have taken up monster killing to make ends meet, but their latest job turns out to be more than they bargained for. Promise, Niko's lady vamire, and Robin, the licentious puck of legend, are along for the ride as well. There are twists, turns, suprises, love, and big guns,what more could you ask for? I'm only left wondering how I'm ever going to wait a whole year for the next one. . .

Amazon deleted my first attempt at this, so here goes a second and crappier version..

A follow up to Nightlife, Moonshine smoothly continues the story of the Leandros Brothers while opening the stage for a fresh set of characters and drama. I won't give the plot's details, because they can be found(more well written!) elsewhere.

The book's pages are line after line of sharp wit and skillful sarcasm, careof the 1st person narration of Caliban Leandros. If a venture into the often sardonic mind of a young man isn't your cup of tea, this book (as well as its predecessor) may be difficult for you to get through. However, the sentences are skillfully tailored to fit the character to whom they belong. Cal's attitude is incessant without being overbearing. These books might not be composed of pretty prose, but for good reason - anything different would take away from who the lead character is. Thurman makes it so very easy to forget that Cal isn't the real flesh and blood person behind the narration, and I love the Leandros books for that.

But even more so, I adore the characters.

In my opinion, they're the golden backbone to these stories. True, there are stereotypes to be found in the reoccuring group cast, but they only go so far as the packaging. Through subtle actions and lowkey dialogue Thurman has created characters with a lot more depth to their personality than may be noticed at the get-go. Among them, it's usually the most simple exchanges that strike me with the raw intensity of their relationships and feelings. Thurman has a great way of slapping you in the face with a character's traits, while leaving just enough unsaid to let you explore beyond the obvious. As a reader (and a total book-dork, in my case), it's fun to look beyond the stereotypes and Cal's perspective to get to the real essence of the characters.

Whew.. okay. So for the many who have better things to do than read all of that, here's the down and dirty of it:

Nightlife and Moonshine are entertaining reads. You can be a fan and soak up all of the great details, or you can sit back and enjoy a quick ride through an urban fantasy. Either way, for seven bucks, it's well worth a peek.

Thurman introduced us to the Leandros (half-)brothers in "Nightlife." Elder brother Niko is a deadly martial artist and model of self-discipline. Younger brother Cal is recklness, headstrong and cursed by fears about the inhuman monster that fathered him.

In "Moonshine", we not only revisit these characters but get to spend more time with them and their allies the immortal puck Robin Goodfellow, the psychic George and the vampire Promise. This time, the boys aren't on the run but are still struggling, this time to get their supernatural-themed business off the ground. The skills they developed keeping themselves alive lend themselves well to detecting, bodyguarding and hunting the things that go bump.

When a job brings them into contact with the werewolf underworld, though, this start to get messy and personal...

Teasers aside, this was a fun book. The first book was good, but a lot of a first book goes into figuring out who the characters are. In this one, Thurman's well drawn actors get to strut themselves through an action-packed plot. Highly recommended.

Following the events in the previous book Nightlife, Niko and Cal have settled down in New York City. In partnership with Promise, they now have their own investigative/security firm and are about to be thrust into the world of the Kin (the supernatural/werewolf mafia).

Once again the story is told by Cal, the younger half human / half 'monster' brother, who turns his cynical eye on both himself and those around him. As with Nightlife I found the story slowly draws you in without you being aware of it. After a slightly awkward start (where the events of the previous book are recapped) you're pulled back into the dark urban fantasy world of the Leandros brothers. It is still the relationship between the siblings and their friends (and enemies) that make this series such a joy to read. Rob Thurman has a great knack for making her characters come alive on the page.

I feel that Moonshine is an improvement over Nightlife ( I would recommend you read the first book before coming to this one). Cal as a character works much better when he is interacting with others, and thankfully there is no unavoidable change in protagonist behaviour in this book. We get to see much more of Cal and Niko's relationship and how they were (and still are) affected by the Auphe.

Robin Goodfellow has a much larger part in this story, which I was very happy about. His quickfire wit and sarcastic humor make the dialogue sparkle whenever he is present on the page. Hopefully he will continue to play a major role in the series. Promise and George also return, and their deepening relationships with the brothers are one of the main threads of the story. Rafferty (the healer from Nightlife) is mentioned very briefly, and I hope this intriguing snippet will be followed up in a forthcoming book.

This book perhaps more than Nightlife makes you think about what a monster is and whether it's possible to leave that behind you. Cal - half monster, Niko - prepared to do monstrous things to save his brother, Flay the werewolf (and various other nasties) - monsters on the outside, even Robin and Promise have their own monsters to deal with. Maybe we all have a monster inside of us - except George.

Moonshine is the second in a series of books; the first of which is called Nightlife. It goes without saying - if you haven't read Nightlife, Moonshine might go over your head a bit.

Moonshine picks up after the end of Nightlife.. where the main characters have a chance to settle down after years of being on the run from monsters.

My friend bought both Nightlife and Moonshine for me, insisting that I read them. I did and really ended up falling in love with Thurman's writing style. There is more metaphors in her books, then I've ever seen before. It's definitely a memorable impression.

The main character is slowly maturing, out of his snide attitude from the first book.. but there's still more sarcasm and wit then you can shake a stick at.

If you want swords and guns, unconventional vampires and elves, combine with angsty romance - Moonshine (and Nightlife) are for you!