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skyelerbear's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
1 star only because I was curious to see what happened and actually finished the book. I picked it up from the library because dragons + Chicago sounded like the perfect premise for a Midwest fantasy lover! I found the book to be very disappointing.
1. There is TOO MUCH LORE. I love lore! I read Brandon Sanderson, GoT, Thrawn — lore is usually my favorite part of a book series. But having feiry lore and Christian saints and 1920s Chicago and dragons and a reincarnation thing that’s never really explained is way too much. It’s overwhelming and confusing. You don’t really get a chance to really understand any of the different lores/theologies because there’s simply too much happening.I’m also confused - is God real and the Catholic Church true in this canon? What are saints? Do they have any holy powers (St Michael)? Georgius did not seem to have blessings from God, just from Her Dark Lady and the dragon.
2. Women are represented terribly. Really awfully. There are only two characters in this book: the damsel in distress and the evil seductress. Madonna and the white, almost literally. Cleolinda’s whole character is to come back to life and die to make the main character sad. A woman’s whole life and story and personality is just for Nick. Wtf. And Titania is literally written to “be attractive to every man”. Her sexuality and body is discussed so much more than any of the other male characters. It’s really disappointing to read fiction like this, where women exist just to contrast and serve men. And then those are the only characters. Why weren’t any of the side characters women? The bird wyld creature could have been a woman by just changing the pronouns, it wouldn’t have impacted the story at all. I have to imagine these stories are written this way because the authors don’t really find women to be important characters in real life. I get that it’s “historical” fantasy but if you can have shapeshifters, you can have more women than Madonna and the whore.
The one redeeming quality for me was the care and detail that went into researching Chicago and it’s history. Clearly the author loves the Windy City and I really reveled in his descriptions of the buildings and politics of the time.
1. There is TOO MUCH LORE. I love lore! I read Brandon Sanderson, GoT, Thrawn — lore is usually my favorite part of a book series. But having feiry lore and Christian saints and 1920s Chicago and dragons and a reincarnation thing that’s never really explained is way too much. It’s overwhelming and confusing. You don’t really get a chance to really understand any of the different lores/theologies because there’s simply too much happening.
2. Women are represented terribly. Really awfully.
The one redeeming quality for me was the care and detail that went into researching Chicago and it’s history. Clearly the author loves the Windy City and I really reveled in his descriptions of the buildings and politics of the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexual violence and Domestic abuse
scribbler67's review
2.0
I loved the premise of this book: St. George as guardian of the gateway between this world and the Feirie realm, which happens to be located in Chicago during the Roaring 20s. Very cool. Unfortunately the big idea
dhlunique's review
3.0
Got a little loose near the end or it would have been 4 stars. Fun story with good characters, setting, and plot.
troilee's review
4.0
I'm reading these books because I'm going to be doing a review on Book 3 for a website I contribute to. So I'm plowing through books 1 and 2 :)
I love the 1920s Chicago time/location! This is what actually drew me to the series. I've always been fascinated by the 20s and the entire role of the mob in social and cultural fabrics of the time. it's really clear that the author put a lot of research into this time period. Sometimes it was a little too clear (ie - the author was dropping details that weren't necessarily important -- particularly about cars ;) ). But those were not problematic at all, for me. Just noticeable.
The other thing I really liked about this book is the portrayal of Feyrie. Original folklore about the fey show them as ... well, narcissistic sociopaths at best. Psychopathic at worst. And I really feel that these books kept to those traditional ideas about the fey.
I also found the "retelling" of the St. George tale, the twist on it, really engaging. Not gonna spoil it, but it's revealed within the first 75 or so pages.
The only thing I found occasionally problematic was the relationship between Nick and Claryce. It felt very angsty on his side and it felt like she latched on to him WAY before there was anything to warrant it. There is some previous connection to him (again, no spoilers), but that as the reason for the fast connection isn't on the page until much much later. Too late, to me. So that bit didn't ring particularly true for me. It wasn't enough to make me put the book down, not anywhere near that. Just a niggling.
So, overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to Book 2! :)
I love the 1920s Chicago time/location! This is what actually drew me to the series. I've always been fascinated by the 20s and the entire role of the mob in social and cultural fabrics of the time. it's really clear that the author put a lot of research into this time period. Sometimes it was a little too clear (ie - the author was dropping details that weren't necessarily important -- particularly about cars ;) ). But those were not problematic at all, for me. Just noticeable.
The other thing I really liked about this book is the portrayal of Feyrie. Original folklore about the fey show them as ... well, narcissistic sociopaths at best. Psychopathic at worst. And I really feel that these books kept to those traditional ideas about the fey.
I also found the "retelling" of the St. George tale, the twist on it, really engaging. Not gonna spoil it, but it's revealed within the first 75 or so pages.
The only thing I found occasionally problematic was the relationship between Nick and Claryce. It felt very angsty on his side and it felt like she latched on to him WAY before there was anything to warrant it. There is some previous connection to him (again, no spoilers), but that as the reason for the fast connection isn't on the page until much much later. Too late, to me. So that bit didn't ring particularly true for me. It wasn't enough to make me put the book down, not anywhere near that. Just a niggling.
So, overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to Book 2! :)
leslie_turner0121's review
4.0
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway that I won. Part of the deal was that once I finished reading it, I would review it. I'm not going to give a summary of the book since anyone who wants one can read it in the book info.
The story line was excellent. I really enjoyed reading about the conflict Nick Medea went through trying to keep the Feirie world and the mortal world separate. I liked the struggle between him and the dragon's spirit residing inside him. I liked the relationship between him and Claryce as well as him and the exiled Feirie creatures. The story line alone would have rendered this a 5 star. There were a few things, however, that lowered my opinion of the book to a 4 star (and really it should be a 3 star but I really did enjoy the story line!).
There were several things I didn't like with this book, mainly the editing. I don't know if I got an edition pre-edit but it was in desperate need of a good editor! It took me twice as long to read this book than it should have because the sentence structures were so poorly written I had to read them multiple times just to understand what the author was actually saying. There were many instances where "than" was used when it should have been "then." I'm not an English major but I am an avid reader and this was very bad. It took away from the story because I got so confused. If I paid for this book in its current state I would have been furious.
The other thing that I didn't like was the whole thing with Michael.
I really loved the characters in this book. Each (with the Michael exception) were very well created and well rounded. You wanted to root for the heroes because they became real through the writing. The villains were so bad that you wanted them to lose. You despised them. Kudos for the characters! I was upset when the book ended because I wanted to know more about them and spend more time with these new friends the author created for me!
The setting was also amazing. 1920's Chicago. Can't get much better than that, but he did! He also threw in Feirie! Two of my favorite things into one book. It was terrific. I've never been to Chicago but the descriptions and writing made me feel like I was there with Nick Medea, Fetch, and Claryce running from (or towards) Oberon.
Overall, this was a great story. I will recommend this story to anyone who likes fantasy genre. I really hope that there will be more in the Nick Medea saga. I can't wait to see what he's up to next!
The story line was excellent. I really enjoyed reading about the conflict Nick Medea went through trying to keep the Feirie world and the mortal world separate. I liked the struggle between him and the dragon's spirit residing inside him. I liked the relationship between him and Claryce as well as him and the exiled Feirie creatures. The story line alone would have rendered this a 5 star. There were a few things, however, that lowered my opinion of the book to a 4 star (and really it should be a 3 star but I really did enjoy the story line!).
There were several things I didn't like with this book, mainly the editing. I don't know if I got an edition pre-edit but it was in desperate need of a good editor! It took me twice as long to read this book than it should have because the sentence structures were so poorly written I had to read them multiple times just to understand what the author was actually saying. There were many instances where "than" was used when it should have been "then." I'm not an English major but I am an avid reader and this was very bad. It took away from the story because I got so confused. If I paid for this book in its current state I would have been furious.
The other thing that I didn't like was the whole thing with Michael.
Spoiler
I feel that it was building up to something that never came to fruition. I would have liked a bit more history between St. George and St. Michael as well as a conclusion other than a black bird that may have been Michael sort of assisting or to have him removed from the story altogether. I don't feel like he was an important enough player in the story to even have been mentioned. The only reason I can see him having been brought up is for there to be a sequel involving him more.I really loved the characters in this book. Each (with the Michael exception) were very well created and well rounded. You wanted to root for the heroes because they became real through the writing. The villains were so bad that you wanted them to lose. You despised them. Kudos for the characters! I was upset when the book ended because I wanted to know more about them and spend more time with these new friends the author created for me!
The setting was also amazing. 1920's Chicago. Can't get much better than that, but he did! He also threw in Feirie! Two of my favorite things into one book. It was terrific. I've never been to Chicago but the descriptions and writing made me feel like I was there with Nick Medea, Fetch, and Claryce running from (or towards) Oberon.
Overall, this was a great story. I will recommend this story to anyone who likes fantasy genre. I really hope that there will be more in the Nick Medea saga. I can't wait to see what he's up to next!
mags_2's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
assaphmehr's review
5.0
Let’s keep it short, shall we? If you like the combination of historical-urban-fantasy, stop reading this review and start reading the book.
Still not convinced? Let me share some more details then.
What to Expect
Black City Saint is the first novel in the series from Richard Knaak. Set against the back-drop of Prohibition-era Chicago, Nick Medea is a private detective of sorts, dealing with paranormal cases.
Not that it’s as straightforward as that. Nick has a checkered past, and some unusual companions. He’s also tasked (cursed?) with a larger-than-life role in this universe, which is built up and explained as the novel progresses.
What I liked
The attention to detail. If you know me, you know my love of little historical trivia that goes into world-building. Black City is rife with such details, to the point that even though the date is not specified you can get a pretty exact estimate based on what is happening in the bootlegger wars in the background. There are also plenty of other little tidbits – such as arts, architecture, sports, politics, slang – that makes you love the realism and richness of the setting.
The pacing is wonderful. The plot slowly builds up over the course of the novel, continually picking up pace through twists and reveals, till you just can’t let go. Between the bootlegger wars of Capone, Bugs Moran, et al, purloined Christian hagiography, and Feirie Court politics there is plenty of material to provide unexpected developments.
What to be aware of
This is a noir mystery, set in the classical era for such stories. It’s written in first-person POV with the protagonist narrating events. Don’t expect the touchy-feely characters in contact with their inner child. Men were men, and women wore skirts. (Not that the women in the story lack spunk – but the story and characters fits the era and genre.)
The foremost topic are the Feirie creatures – this isn’t the place to learn about the gang wars of the Outfit, nor about Christian mythology. Those play an important role, but not the main one.
Summary
Unsurprisingly, I love the combination of history, mystery, and fantasy. The 1920’s were a fascinating era, and Mr Knaak makes full use of that background. From the Art Deco elevator doors on the cover, to the slang of the low-lifes, the world in Black City Saint is alive.
Amongst the ranks of historical-fantasy-detectives (or any two out of the three – you know I’ll read anything from Ruth Downie’s Medicus Roman Mysteries to Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files), Nick Medea and Richard Knaak deserve a place of honour. This is fast becoming one of my favourite series.
So what are you waiting for? yourself a favour, and get a copy Black City Saint now. You won’t regret it. Me, I’m just going to keep on reading with Black City Demon.
---
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445823325p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500704|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457914086s/29500704.jpg|46845657]: a story of Togas, Dagger, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Urban Fantasy, and Detective mysteries.
Still not convinced? Let me share some more details then.
What to Expect
Black City Saint is the first novel in the series from Richard Knaak. Set against the back-drop of Prohibition-era Chicago, Nick Medea is a private detective of sorts, dealing with paranormal cases.
Not that it’s as straightforward as that. Nick has a checkered past, and some unusual companions. He’s also tasked (cursed?) with a larger-than-life role in this universe, which is built up and explained as the novel progresses.
What I liked
The attention to detail. If you know me, you know my love of little historical trivia that goes into world-building. Black City is rife with such details, to the point that even though the date is not specified you can get a pretty exact estimate based on what is happening in the bootlegger wars in the background. There are also plenty of other little tidbits – such as arts, architecture, sports, politics, slang – that makes you love the realism and richness of the setting.
The pacing is wonderful. The plot slowly builds up over the course of the novel, continually picking up pace through twists and reveals, till you just can’t let go. Between the bootlegger wars of Capone, Bugs Moran, et al, purloined Christian hagiography, and Feirie Court politics there is plenty of material to provide unexpected developments.
What to be aware of
This is a noir mystery, set in the classical era for such stories. It’s written in first-person POV with the protagonist narrating events. Don’t expect the touchy-feely characters in contact with their inner child. Men were men, and women wore skirts. (Not that the women in the story lack spunk – but the story and characters fits the era and genre.)
The foremost topic are the Feirie creatures – this isn’t the place to learn about the gang wars of the Outfit, nor about Christian mythology. Those play an important role, but not the main one.
Summary
Unsurprisingly, I love the combination of history, mystery, and fantasy. The 1920’s were a fascinating era, and Mr Knaak makes full use of that background. From the Art Deco elevator doors on the cover, to the slang of the low-lifes, the world in Black City Saint is alive.
Amongst the ranks of historical-fantasy-detectives (or any two out of the three – you know I’ll read anything from Ruth Downie’s Medicus Roman Mysteries to Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files), Nick Medea and Richard Knaak deserve a place of honour. This is fast becoming one of my favourite series.
So what are you waiting for? yourself a favour, and get a copy Black City Saint now. You won’t regret it. Me, I’m just going to keep on reading with Black City Demon.
---
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445823325p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500704|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457914086s/29500704.jpg|46845657]: a story of Togas, Dagger, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Urban Fantasy, and Detective mysteries.
bookfessional's review
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
DNF at 16%.
BLACK CITY SAINT was one of my most anticipated new UFs. With a description involving Fae, dragons, and prohibition era Chicago, how could it not be?
However . . . A lot of you already know that I majored in English, more specifically literature, and even more specifically, British literature. Most of my required reading was wonderful.
Most.
But after Chaucer's TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, my least favorite work was Spenser's THE FAERIE QUEENE. It was terribly boring, and oh so very loooooong.
Guess which book BLACK CITY SAINT has as its foundation: THE FAERIE QUEENE.
Holy knights and dragons and cat-eating wolfy changelings and BLAH.
The story itself had tremendous potential, even after I figured out (no hard task, the hints were obvious) that George was indeed St. George, but 16% felt like 40 - 50%, and I'm finding that I loathe plots focused on a cursed individual forced to relive the death of his reincarnated One True Love over and over again.
Stahp.
DNF at 16%.
BLACK CITY SAINT was one of my most anticipated new UFs. With a description involving Fae, dragons, and prohibition era Chicago, how could it not be?
However . . . A lot of you already know that I majored in English, more specifically literature, and even more specifically, British literature. Most of my required reading was wonderful.
Most.
But after Chaucer's TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, my least favorite work was Spenser's THE FAERIE QUEENE. It was terribly boring, and oh so very loooooong.
Guess which book BLACK CITY SAINT has as its foundation: THE FAERIE QUEENE.
Holy knights and dragons and cat-eating wolfy changelings and BLAH.
The story itself had tremendous potential, even after I figured out (no hard task, the hints were obvious) that George was indeed St. George, but 16% felt like 40 - 50%, and I'm finding that I loathe plots focused on a cursed individual forced to relive the death of his reincarnated One True Love over and over again.
Stahp.
seak's review
4.0
I've been meaning to read Richard A. Knaak for ages, especially his Dragonrealm books. He writes a whole slew of the WarCraft books as well and I've only heard good things. He did not disappoint.
From what I know, Black City Saint is a bit outside Knaak's normal wheelhouse, opting for Urban Fantasy instead of Epic Fantasy and he proves he can handle this genre quite deftly.
We start out with your typical exorcism where Nick Medea's got to get rid of some paranormal problems from a lady's house. I was instantly drawn in when he mentions that only people with an actual magical problem, someone who's been touched by magic, could even contact Nick.
He does the deed and we quickly find out he's actually a 1600 year old gatekeeper between the realms of the real world and faerie. He received this position by slaying the dragon, but the problem came when the dragon fused with him in the process leaving Nick with a constant companion ... who is always trying to control him and pretty much destroy everything.
I thought the dragon was a really great touch, though at times it almost focuses too much on how the dragon needs to be kept in check. Nick is constantly fighting him, especially in the most difficult moments, and often gives in only to have to real him back.
As if Nick doesn't have enough problems, but the gate is open and the darkest part of Faerie, the Wyld, is making its way into the real world.
Oh, and did I mention this was all set in the prohibition era where rival gangs lead by the likes of Al Capone are thriving?
But Nick is not alone, he has companions, outcasts from Faerie who owe Nick their lives to assist. A lycanthrope named Fetch, a fawning almost-human exile named Kravayik, and a few more and some ghosts too.
The action really gets going when a new job comes in and the client happens to be the reincarnation of his love, Cleolinda, who happens to die horribly each and every time she is reincarnated. Nick would prefer that not happen this time.
With this eclectic cast of characters and almost-constant action, Black City Saint was an absolute blast to read from the very first page. I knew it was going to be good when I was glued to that first scene where Nick was casting out the Wyld in his first client's house and it only got better from there.
Black City Saint is the Dresden Files meets The Great Gatsby. The setting is perfect for a supernatural battle amidst bootlegging underground bars and rival gang shoot-outs. What could possibly be better than that?!
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
From what I know, Black City Saint is a bit outside Knaak's normal wheelhouse, opting for Urban Fantasy instead of Epic Fantasy and he proves he can handle this genre quite deftly.
We start out with your typical exorcism where Nick Medea's got to get rid of some paranormal problems from a lady's house. I was instantly drawn in when he mentions that only people with an actual magical problem, someone who's been touched by magic, could even contact Nick.
He does the deed and we quickly find out he's actually a 1600 year old gatekeeper between the realms of the real world and faerie. He received this position by slaying the dragon, but the problem came when the dragon fused with him in the process leaving Nick with a constant companion ... who is always trying to control him and pretty much destroy everything.
I thought the dragon was a really great touch, though at times it almost focuses too much on how the dragon needs to be kept in check. Nick is constantly fighting him, especially in the most difficult moments, and often gives in only to have to real him back.
As if Nick doesn't have enough problems, but the gate is open and the darkest part of Faerie, the Wyld, is making its way into the real world.
Oh, and did I mention this was all set in the prohibition era where rival gangs lead by the likes of Al Capone are thriving?
But Nick is not alone, he has companions, outcasts from Faerie who owe Nick their lives to assist. A lycanthrope named Fetch, a fawning almost-human exile named Kravayik, and a few more and some ghosts too.
The action really gets going when a new job comes in and the client happens to be the reincarnation of his love, Cleolinda, who happens to die horribly each and every time she is reincarnated. Nick would prefer that not happen this time.
With this eclectic cast of characters and almost-constant action, Black City Saint was an absolute blast to read from the very first page. I knew it was going to be good when I was glued to that first scene where Nick was casting out the Wyld in his first client's house and it only got better from there.
Black City Saint is the Dresden Files meets The Great Gatsby. The setting is perfect for a supernatural battle amidst bootlegging underground bars and rival gang shoot-outs. What could possibly be better than that?!
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
grmatthews's review
5.0
THIS REVIEW FIRST APPEARED ON FANTASY-FACTION.COM
I received an ARC for a fair review.
Prohibition is in full swing. The cops are scrambling around, closing down speakeasies and arresting gangsters whenever they can – those that aren’t on the take that is. And in Chicago, Al Capone is about to make his move.
To Nick Medea this is all background noise, a fact of life in the roaring ‘20s. He has a much larger role to play, a bigger job to handle. He has ghosts to hunt. The phone rings, a number that only those who really have a ghost problem can see, and another job begins. This one could kill him.
Richard A Knaak is an author of many more books than you probably realise. Not only did he create, and continue to write about, the world of Dragonrealm, but he has written books in the worlds of Warcraft, Dragonlance, Diablo and Age of Conan. By my count, and not including Black City Saint, that is 56 books.
Black City Saint is an Urban-Gangster-Fantasy, set in the 1920s. Against this background of gang warfare, Model T Fords, racism and Tommy-guns, a much larger battle is taking place and Nick is right in the middle of it all. The Lord and Lady of Feire are fighting each other for the future of our world and theirs.
There is a lot of history to come to grips with in this war and the story drops hints left, right and centre. Our main character has been around for a long time, a very long time, and has a raft of contacts, friends and enemies that he uses, protects, and kills as the story progresses.
However, Nick has principles and responsibilities. He is driven to do the right thing, to protect those too weak to look after themselves, to work with the law and within the boundaries of his own moral code. There are times when Nick’s behaviour borders on saintly, but there is a strong counter-point of darkness to his character. He is not alone in his body, nor is he at peace. At constant war with the other spirit, Nick struggles to stay in control of his actions, and though an uneasy alliance is struck it is always under tension, threatening to crack at any moment.
Nick is haunted by the past, and he has a lot of past to be haunted by. Ghosts offer him advice in the hopes of forgiveness, shape shifters alternatively protect and then try to kill him, and there is a girl to protect. Faced with many choices and a villain that seems always three steps ahead of our hero struggles to protect everyone he cares about.
Inhabiting the grubby side of 1920s Chicago, there are no flapper girls, no Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance routines, no posh clubs, no jazz bands, tuxedo’s or posh dresses. Richard A Knaak gives us the underbelly, the seedier side of the age and then combines it with an almost Lovecraftian, Cthuluistic variety of globular, tentacle festooned monsters.
You can tell that Richard A Knaak is an accomplished author because the tale grabs you and moves you along at a fair clip. Little snippets of foreshadowing are dropped into the narrative flow without causing much of ripple, but later these little pebbles splash the cold water of realisation into the reader’s face. Hints of a long, dark and deep history are scattered throughout the story, and the ensemble of characters suggest that many more books could be written and we would still have the wonderful sense that there is more to learn.
Fast paced and full of twists and turns, Black City Saint is urban fantasy with a 20s twist.
I received an ARC for a fair review.
Prohibition is in full swing. The cops are scrambling around, closing down speakeasies and arresting gangsters whenever they can – those that aren’t on the take that is. And in Chicago, Al Capone is about to make his move.
To Nick Medea this is all background noise, a fact of life in the roaring ‘20s. He has a much larger role to play, a bigger job to handle. He has ghosts to hunt. The phone rings, a number that only those who really have a ghost problem can see, and another job begins. This one could kill him.
Richard A Knaak is an author of many more books than you probably realise. Not only did he create, and continue to write about, the world of Dragonrealm, but he has written books in the worlds of Warcraft, Dragonlance, Diablo and Age of Conan. By my count, and not including Black City Saint, that is 56 books.
Black City Saint is an Urban-Gangster-Fantasy, set in the 1920s. Against this background of gang warfare, Model T Fords, racism and Tommy-guns, a much larger battle is taking place and Nick is right in the middle of it all. The Lord and Lady of Feire are fighting each other for the future of our world and theirs.
There is a lot of history to come to grips with in this war and the story drops hints left, right and centre. Our main character has been around for a long time, a very long time, and has a raft of contacts, friends and enemies that he uses, protects, and kills as the story progresses.
However, Nick has principles and responsibilities. He is driven to do the right thing, to protect those too weak to look after themselves, to work with the law and within the boundaries of his own moral code. There are times when Nick’s behaviour borders on saintly, but there is a strong counter-point of darkness to his character. He is not alone in his body, nor is he at peace. At constant war with the other spirit, Nick struggles to stay in control of his actions, and though an uneasy alliance is struck it is always under tension, threatening to crack at any moment.
Nick is haunted by the past, and he has a lot of past to be haunted by. Ghosts offer him advice in the hopes of forgiveness, shape shifters alternatively protect and then try to kill him, and there is a girl to protect. Faced with many choices and a villain that seems always three steps ahead of our hero struggles to protect everyone he cares about.
Inhabiting the grubby side of 1920s Chicago, there are no flapper girls, no Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance routines, no posh clubs, no jazz bands, tuxedo’s or posh dresses. Richard A Knaak gives us the underbelly, the seedier side of the age and then combines it with an almost Lovecraftian, Cthuluistic variety of globular, tentacle festooned monsters.
You can tell that Richard A Knaak is an accomplished author because the tale grabs you and moves you along at a fair clip. Little snippets of foreshadowing are dropped into the narrative flow without causing much of ripple, but later these little pebbles splash the cold water of realisation into the reader’s face. Hints of a long, dark and deep history are scattered throughout the story, and the ensemble of characters suggest that many more books could be written and we would still have the wonderful sense that there is more to learn.
Fast paced and full of twists and turns, Black City Saint is urban fantasy with a 20s twist.