SLASHBACK by Rob Thurman

Cal Leandros Book #8

Penguin ROC Fantasy Books, March 2013

E-Book

Obtained via:  publisher

ISBN 0451465024, ISBN13:  978-1-451465023

Urban Fantasy

The latest Cal Leandros book from author Rob Thurman, SLASHBACK, is out on the shelves and Thurman fans could not be happier.

Cal and Niko Leandros make a living taking on supernatural monsters.  Cal is half monster himself.  The brothers are grown up now, but when they were children, they were almost victims of a human serial killer who, unbeknownst to them, was acting as an apprentice to a much scarier monster, the legendary Spring-heeled Jack.  Jack hasn’t forgotten the Leandros brothers or what they took from him.  Now he is back and Cal and Niko are going to pay.

This reader has read all the Cal Leandros books and is a huge fan.  So when SLASHBACK showed up in my mailbox, there may have been some initial whooping and hollering.  Thankfully, the story lived up to expectations and then some.  Cal and Niko are just so lovable.  Okay, maybe that isn’t quite the right word, but tighter brothers would be hard to find.

Ever since Cal found out he was half monster, he and his brother Niko have been trying to learn what exactly that means while doing their best to look after each other and stay one step ahead of the other monsters.  In SLASHBACK, Cal has come to accept some of the “gifts” that come with being half monster, gating (tearing a whole in the universe to move from place to place) being the most useful of those skills presently.  But if not for Niko keeping Cal’s moral compass pointing north, Cal might give in to his monster half and that would not be good for anyone, human or monster.

SLASHBACK switches back and forth between present day and a period in the brothers’ past when they were just beginning to realize the monsters Cal saw were real.  This story provided some background into the characters that this reader has been eagerly awaiting since picking up the first story in this urban fantasy series.  The villain in the story is unlike any that have come before him and appears to be impossible to kill.  Of course we know if there is a way, Cal and Niko are going to find it.  The world building is once again spot on and the dialogue quick and spicy.  The storyline moves at a rapid pace and the fight scenes are both gory and get the blood flowing. 

If you are a fan of urban fantasy and have not yet read any of the Cal Leandros books, SLASHBACK is just as good a place as any to start as the book is able to stand on its own just fine.  Of course, jumping in with book eight will only result in going back and reading the first seven books, so be warned.  The Cal Leandros books are addictive; one just better than the next and SLASHBACK is no perhaps the best so far.

Reviewed by T. Barringer

tammyLRM@gmail.com

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."

 

BASILISK by Rob Thurman

Publisher: ROC
Date Published: August 2, 2011
ISBN 978-0-451-46414-9
Science Fiction/Urban Fantasy
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Lynne
Obtained via publisher


Lukas Korsak was taken at a child and dubbed “Michael” by the Institute he was to spend the next ten years of his life in. Transformed by an evil man, Jericho, into a Chimera, a new advanced race, Michael was made into an assassin that could kill with a single touch.

Stefan, Michael’s older brother and former Mafia member, eventually rescues Michael from the Institute and the two go into hiding, using assumed identities in order to try and live normal lives.


Unfortunately, an evil government agent, Raynor, is after them. Knowing what Michael is capable of he is intent on returning him to the Institute. So he, too, under a false name, tracks the brothers down, forcing Stefan and Michael to flee from the normal lives they have started. This time, however, Michael chooses not to kill as he has been created to do. Instead, it is now his intention to return to the Institute and rescue the other children, the Chimeras, and “cure” them.

BASILISK by Rob Thurman is phenomenal. A page turner, with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Although I haven’t read the first book in the Korsak Brothers series, CHIMERA, I enjoyed this sequel just the same. There were perhaps a few areas where the reader might be confused, not having read the first book, but it was easy to piece things together by book’s end since Ms. Thurman ties everything up quite nicely.

Ms. Thurman’s writing style is extremely creative, and her voice unique. Her dialogues are original and sometimes snappy. I found myself laughing more than once at some of her lines. And the characters are superb. Despite Michael being a genius and a killer that even Hitler would admire, it is easy to care for him and Stefan as they struggle to keep their family together. Their love for one another as brothers brings a heartwarming element to BASILISK that one may not expect in such a tale. With Stefan having a history of violence himself and a good friend, Saul, who agrees to do anything for him if paid enough, it is interesting to see how these three men interact.

The fact that children are involved as vicious, unfeeling killers lends an interesting take to this urban fantasy as well.On the one hand, the reader may grow empathetic to their original plight, at being kidnapped from their families; on the other, you may be rooting for them to be taken out of the picture because of the brutal devastation they leave in their wakes.

I loved the fact that Michael had a pet ferret named Godzilla that he brought with him everywhere. It brought a smile to my face whenever he came into the picture. Nice touch.

I thoroughly enjoyed BASILISK. It is very entertaining, with plenty of action to hold you spellbound. With the Korsak brothers driving the story from beginning to end, you can be certain you will not be disappointed.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.