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dtaylorbooks's review
5.0
How did we end up here?
See, what happens when someone loves a book very much and there are more books just like it, that person will continue reading those similar books either until the series ends or until they’re just not interesting anymore. Thankfully the latter doesn’t apply here. I really don’t think that’s possible with Stein and Candle. I really don’t.
Okay, book. You've got 50 pages. Go!
Is it really much of a surprise that I was sucked into COLD WARS the same as I was AMERICAN NIGHTMARES? It’s Dick Tracy meets Supernatural and while I’m really not a fan of the Dick there’s just something about Panush’s writing that really brings me in and holds on until the book’s over. Like in its predecessor ,COLD WARS is more like a loosely strung together anthology where each story could stand on its own but, you know, it kind of helps to read everything so you know the backstory of the little past snippets that keep being dropped. Between the old timey voice that you would expect to hear in some old school radio story (that tough guy with the unidentifiable albeit probably New York accent) with the super kitsch that drips from the words (the Hawaiian print shirts, OMG Candle in a Hawaiian print shirt? I need a photo of that) and the never-ending smorgasbord of weird that Stein and Candle come in contact with I am never bored and I always have a good time reading Panush’s stuff.
What worked . . .
Check my last paragraph for more details. It’s just an all around fun read and I’m constantly amazed at the diversity of supernatural that Panush dredges up for his stories. Not to mention his ability to set a scene perfectly. I’m convinced he’s really from the 40s and 50s and just discovered the element of time travel. He captured the time period, the noir and any place he set the story in so well that I had a full-fledged 3D head movie going on when I read.
And I LOVED how in the middle of all this crazy, wacky, ridiculous mess that Stein and Candle get into he throws in a story about their past that’s anything but and it really grounds out their relationship. These two might as well be father and son for all they’ve gone through together and the extent to which they’re protective of each other is really heartening. I’ve hardly come across a better duo and I mean that.
What didn't work . . .
Um . . . there were noticeably more typos in this copy and I am almost positive that mine’s a finished product. So that was a little distracting, especially when words were missing. And, you know, I’m okay with it being longer. There’s not enough Stein and Candle as it stands now.
And in the end . . .
COLD WARS is absolutely an era piece and Panush did a bang up job of bringing it all in. There isn’t anything about this book I don’t like. What can I say? It hit me right. I have book three on stand by.
See, what happens when someone loves a book very much and there are more books just like it, that person will continue reading those similar books either until the series ends or until they’re just not interesting anymore. Thankfully the latter doesn’t apply here. I really don’t think that’s possible with Stein and Candle. I really don’t.
Okay, book. You've got 50 pages. Go!
Is it really much of a surprise that I was sucked into COLD WARS the same as I was AMERICAN NIGHTMARES? It’s Dick Tracy meets Supernatural and while I’m really not a fan of the Dick there’s just something about Panush’s writing that really brings me in and holds on until the book’s over. Like in its predecessor ,COLD WARS is more like a loosely strung together anthology where each story could stand on its own but, you know, it kind of helps to read everything so you know the backstory of the little past snippets that keep being dropped. Between the old timey voice that you would expect to hear in some old school radio story (that tough guy with the unidentifiable albeit probably New York accent) with the super kitsch that drips from the words (the Hawaiian print shirts, OMG Candle in a Hawaiian print shirt? I need a photo of that) and the never-ending smorgasbord of weird that Stein and Candle come in contact with I am never bored and I always have a good time reading Panush’s stuff.
What worked . . .
Check my last paragraph for more details. It’s just an all around fun read and I’m constantly amazed at the diversity of supernatural that Panush dredges up for his stories. Not to mention his ability to set a scene perfectly. I’m convinced he’s really from the 40s and 50s and just discovered the element of time travel. He captured the time period, the noir and any place he set the story in so well that I had a full-fledged 3D head movie going on when I read.
And I LOVED how in the middle of all this crazy, wacky, ridiculous mess that Stein and Candle get into he throws in a story about their past that’s anything but and it really grounds out their relationship. These two might as well be father and son for all they’ve gone through together and the extent to which they’re protective of each other is really heartening. I’ve hardly come across a better duo and I mean that.
What didn't work . . .
Um . . . there were noticeably more typos in this copy and I am almost positive that mine’s a finished product. So that was a little distracting, especially when words were missing. And, you know, I’m okay with it being longer. There’s not enough Stein and Candle as it stands now.
And in the end . . .
COLD WARS is absolutely an era piece and Panush did a bang up job of bringing it all in. There isn’t anything about this book I don’t like. What can I say? It hit me right. I have book three on stand by.
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