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A review by jpjackson
Bones and Bourbon by Dorian Graves
5.0
4.5 Stars
This is one tasty tale. Very dark, smeared with blood, riddled with violence and a portrayal of the Fae exactly as they should be; sinister and deadly - occasionally kind, but usually with an asking price. Of note - if you're a unicorn fan - buyer beware. These one horned wonders are deadly beasts, and our main characters dispose of them with deadly accuracy.
So what's it all about?
The story sways back and forth between two brothers, Jarrod and Retz. Both are Fae born, being half human and half Huldra.
STOP.
Wait...
What?
What the hell is a Huldra? Here, read this: http://spangenhelm.com/huldra-folklore-lady-forest/
Exactly. Extra credit points to Graves. Whenever I pick up a book promising tales of Fae creatures we are usually treated to the normal fare: Elves, Faeries, Gnomes, and Trolls - the creatures we have come to be familiar with. We are also quite often treated to werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and witches. And there's nothing wrong with that - but that's not this book. This is all new kids. This takes Fae creatures from vastly different cultures than ours and plants them squarely into our world. My ignorance of such beings gave this novel a surprising amount of 'newness'.
Ever heard of Furaribi? Well, I hadn't either! Turns out, they are Japanese in origin. Have a look: http://yokai.wikia.com/wiki/Furaribi
I was completely smitten with this aspect of the book. Finally, something completely different. And so clever! As Hulderkind these two brothers have genetic traits that mark them as not being human, but also not entirely Fae either. For instance, Jarrod - well, he's got brute strength, a tail, and heals remarkably fast, but he retained all of his inner organs - oh, and he's Transgender too. His brother, on the other hand, Retz is hollow, like his mother - although he does have a skeleton - but doesn't have the tail. He is even more remarkable in that he plays host to another creature. That's right, Retz is possessed. And what makes it even more interesting, is that Nalem, the King of Bones, can take over Retz's body and that's where the whole tale starts.
Retz wakes up after his possessor releases him, only to find himself driving a car, with a Unicorn head (that's still alive) bouncing around in the passenger seat. Never mind the Unicorn is trying to kill him. That's beside the point.
The whole book is like this. Steeped with twisted creatures, attempting to do the impossible tasks - like taking down a lamia and her menagerie of Fae captives - all while trying to satisfy the brother's father, Alexander, who sometime in the past, gave up his humanity and became Fae - a plant-based creature.
The novel is written with gorgeous visuals, bizarre twists, and at times is as gruesome as the original Grimm's Fairy Tales. Imagine a train created out of flesh and blood, lacking a brain, and regularly spraying blood from a split vein? After all, it's creator is Nalem's sister, Vairi, who is Bloody Mary.
If you're on the prowl for different, check this out! And it looks like Graves is making a cluster out of this as Bones and Bourbon is book number one in the Deadly Drinks series.
Well done!
This is one tasty tale. Very dark, smeared with blood, riddled with violence and a portrayal of the Fae exactly as they should be; sinister and deadly - occasionally kind, but usually with an asking price. Of note - if you're a unicorn fan - buyer beware. These one horned wonders are deadly beasts, and our main characters dispose of them with deadly accuracy.
So what's it all about?
The story sways back and forth between two brothers, Jarrod and Retz. Both are Fae born, being half human and half Huldra.
STOP.
Wait...
What?
What the hell is a Huldra? Here, read this: http://spangenhelm.com/huldra-folklore-lady-forest/
Exactly. Extra credit points to Graves. Whenever I pick up a book promising tales of Fae creatures we are usually treated to the normal fare: Elves, Faeries, Gnomes, and Trolls - the creatures we have come to be familiar with. We are also quite often treated to werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and witches. And there's nothing wrong with that - but that's not this book. This is all new kids. This takes Fae creatures from vastly different cultures than ours and plants them squarely into our world. My ignorance of such beings gave this novel a surprising amount of 'newness'.
Ever heard of Furaribi? Well, I hadn't either! Turns out, they are Japanese in origin. Have a look: http://yokai.wikia.com/wiki/Furaribi
I was completely smitten with this aspect of the book. Finally, something completely different. And so clever! As Hulderkind these two brothers have genetic traits that mark them as not being human, but also not entirely Fae either. For instance, Jarrod - well, he's got brute strength, a tail, and heals remarkably fast, but he retained all of his inner organs - oh, and he's Transgender too. His brother, on the other hand, Retz is hollow, like his mother - although he does have a skeleton - but doesn't have the tail. He is even more remarkable in that he plays host to another creature. That's right, Retz is possessed. And what makes it even more interesting, is that Nalem, the King of Bones, can take over Retz's body and that's where the whole tale starts.
Retz wakes up after his possessor releases him, only to find himself driving a car, with a Unicorn head (that's still alive) bouncing around in the passenger seat. Never mind the Unicorn is trying to kill him. That's beside the point.
The whole book is like this. Steeped with twisted creatures, attempting to do the impossible tasks - like taking down a lamia and her menagerie of Fae captives - all while trying to satisfy the brother's father, Alexander, who sometime in the past, gave up his humanity and became Fae - a plant-based creature.
The novel is written with gorgeous visuals, bizarre twists, and at times is as gruesome as the original Grimm's Fairy Tales. Imagine a train created out of flesh and blood, lacking a brain, and regularly spraying blood from a split vein? After all, it's creator is Nalem's sister, Vairi, who is Bloody Mary.
If you're on the prowl for different, check this out! And it looks like Graves is making a cluster out of this as Bones and Bourbon is book number one in the Deadly Drinks series.
Well done!