Witty, irreverent and a hell of a lot of fun
Strange Magic
A Yancy Lazarus Novel, Pilot Episode
By James A Hunter
Shadow Alley Press
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 16 January 2015
Review
Yancy Lazarus is many things - wisecracking bluesman, wanderer, gambler, fixer. Sure he can do magic, but that doesn't mean he has an easy time staying out of trouble. Trouble normally finds him, and this time it has come en masse. Between rival gangs each believing he is responsible for the slaughter of members and their families and hyena faced Rakshasas hunting him down (not even mentioning the crazed sorcerer behind it all) Yancy is in it hip deep.
Strange Magic is witty, irreverent, and a hell of a lot of fun. It is difficult to say which is more entertaining, the action or Yancy's running commentary. Both contribute to making Strange Magic a great book. If you enjoy the Dresden Files or Simon R Green's books, you will like James A Hunter's style. Strange Magic is the first Yancy Lazarus novel and I am looking forward to reading the next.
5/5
I received a copy of Strange Magic from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
Yancy Lazarus is having a bad day: there’s a bullet lodged in his butt cheek, his face looks like the site of a demolition derby, and he’s been saran-wrapped to a banquet table. He never should have answered the phone. Stupid bleeding heart—helping others in his circles is a good way to get dead.
Just ask the gang members ripped to pieces by some kind of demonic nightmare in LA. As a favor to a friend, Yancy agrees to take a little looksee into the massacre and boo
Yancy is a bluesman, a rambler, a gambler, but not much more. Sure, he can do a little magic—maybe even more than just a little magic—but he knows enough to keep his head down and stay clear of freaky-deaky hoodoo like this business in LA. Somehow though, he’s been set up to take a real bad fall—the kind of very permanent fall that leaves a guy with a toe tag. Unless, of course, he can find out who is responsible for the gangland murders, make peace in the midst of the gang feud, and take out said dark mage before he hexes Yancy into an early retirement. Easy right? Stupid. Bleeding. Heart
