Matt Wallace

"Several well-maintained layers of undisturbed dust cover everything."

Read that again.

And that's why I continue reading Wallace, even as his stories occasionally take me a little farther into Bizarro-land. As this one begins, it feels almost as if the roadway of the story has split into three different paths. Sure, there's the nominal Sin du Jour plot, as the catering kitchen prepares for the inauguration of Enzo Consoné, the president-elect of the supernatural governing body (theme: show more 'all-pork'). Another follows Darren, who is acting particularly distant. Still another path takes us along with Bronko on some of his self-appointed rounds as he shows Lena the ropes.

"Lena usually enjoys the train, the motion and the time to herself, even if that last part is often interrupted by some rando who doesn’t understand headphones and a book are popular international symbols for “leave me the fuck alone.”


Because of that Greedy Pigs feels more like a bridge piece. Writing my review after having finished the series, I can see how all the foreshadowing here was supposed to pay off, and to a large extent does. But it feels a little more like it's in service to an idealized wrap-up, with character arcs and potential reader satisfaction rather than integrated story service. End-of-series general thoughts: particularly in terms of both Chef Bronko and Dorsky, this feels a little too redemptive. I would agree with a reviewer who noted Dorsky's turn toward the empathetic seems a little too unlikely, given history at Sin du Jour (why would recent events impact his emotional growth any more than the prior years?). Bronko showing Lena some of the hidden responsibilities he has felt incongruous as I was reading although it makes more sense in book 7. I'm not complaining, mostly because Wallace again shows some fabulous writing chops. A number of my highlights come from this section, such as the moment Lena reads the room:

Lena isn’t sure what she feels in the next moment. It’s as if the barometric pressure in the air abruptly shifts, and something like electricity touches the surface of her skin, raising microscopic hairs. It’s as if the actual environment in the room has turned against her.

But because Bronko doesn't fully explain all of the things he is showing, nor his own history, this does feel a bit more disjointed as one is reading. Of course, by end of series, some of it makes a lot more sense (again leading to my Reader Warning that this is not a 'pick-and-choose-installment' kind of series). However, the writing still delivers top-notch character insights:

"Bronko grunts as some sort of basic acknowledgment that a fact has been stated in his presence."

and

“It means there’s a lotta implied context in your tone I don’t rightly agree with, and I’ll thank you to let that be the final word on the subject.”


I mean, that's some fine writing when it comes to character moments. Did we need anyone else to remark on it? Did we need a character to think it at the reader? Did we need adverbs and speech descriptors, and, gods forbid, smirking?

No. We didn't. It may be bizarro, but Wallace is a far far better writer than average. It does go Off the Rails when we get to the Inauguration (my early installment complaints about a particular pop star now seem almost quaint), but it still managed to make me laugh:

"'Even me?' Pacific asks, toking on a joint he somehow ninja-sparked without anyone noticing. Bronko reaches up and quickly closes his entire fist around the hand-rolled misdemeanor, crushing it."


Three and a half Michelin stars, rounding down because there just wasn't enough food, and it really did become quite wacky. show less

Wallace is doing an interesting thing with his urban fantasy series centered on the adventures of a catering firm the works with the supernatural. As he states on his website:

"Each book has a standalone plot, in this case centered around a single event the company is catering, but it carries over a lot of the stories and character arcs from the last book. It’s like an old-fashioned serial. There are cliffhangers, there are monsters of the week, and there’s a fast-paced world you check show more in with every few months to get the next part of the Big Story." (source page)

The books are a blend of culinary escapades, physical action and general silliness, wrapped around a curious emotional core and sprinkled with pop culture references, and honestly, they're like chocolate-covered popcorn: a little salty, a little sweet, and really, really hard to stop.

In this installment, Bronko, the famed former tv chef, is experiencing hellish torments, but reasons why remain unexplained. Meanwhile, his crew is obligated to two catering engagements on opposite sides of the country--the Half-and-Half convention in New York (although as Jett reminds us, that's ablest and is disrespectful to centaurs and minotaurs) and a big-budget movie premiere in Los Angeles. The newest employees, best friends and roommates Lena and Darren, remain at odds over her sexing the sous chef. It's complicated to work together when you aren't speaking to each other. Since procurement is done, Bronko gives the Stocking & Receiving Department the week off. However, as we all know, the minute you get a week's vacation, things are going to go to hell. Or rather, Hell will come to you.

While it is a fun, fast-moving story, the narrative is a bit choppy. Initial scenes alternate between Bronko's torment, the dastardly Hollywood producers, Lena's surly perspective and various events with members of the Stocking team. I'm not sure the sections with the movie producers were strictly needed, although it added to the tension. While it did give Wallace a chance to farcically describe the Hollywood system, it was a little overt:

"Apparently less than ten percent of all writers and directors are women."
"We can't get it any lower than that," Producer Two complains. "A few are bound to slip through now and then. It's not a foolproof system."

I enjoyed the dryly sarcastic tone, offering such insights as "Behind him, Cindy performs a physiological miracle by rolling her eyes without her eyes ever moving in their sockets" and "In fact, in Hell it will become known as the single most horrific death ever to occur on Earth. That's like winning the Oscar for best picture down there."

Unlike some pulpy urban fantasy books (looking at you, [b:Geekomancy|13609386|Geekomancy (Ree Reyes, #1)|Michael R. Underwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1334886014l/13609386._SY75_.jpg|19206590]), I thought Wallace maintained congruence between events and tone, not losing sight that death and dismemberment are horrible experiences. That said, there's also a bizarro element to the series, particularly when Hell sends holiday 'false idols' after the team.

I've read the first in the series but missed the second, Lustlocked (now rectified), and my word of advice for would-be readers is that this is truly a serial in the old-fashioned sense. Unlike my recent reading experience of the frequently repetitive Mercy Thompson series, Wallace doesn't waste space on back story; often there will be no more than a sentence or two of explanation. There's definitely emotional and social changes as our two leads, Lena and Darren, start to individuate from each other and find their roles in the company. Starting at this book will prove confusing on both the character and world-building fronts, much like picking up on the third or fourth episode of a sci-fi tv series.

While I don't think the Sin du Jour series is meant to be taken entirely seriously, there's a core emotional weight to them that is intriguing, particularly in this one based on pride. I've discovered is that Wallace has achieved his goal--these are perfect pieces for when I want to sit down and devour something fun.

My review for Envy of Angels here

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advance reader copy show less

Otherwise known as The One Where It Gets Grim, although I also think of it as The One Where It Starts to Go Off the Rails (I had to rethink my titles after finishing the last installment).

I'm not opposed to off the rails, particularly when Wallace has spent so much time building the world. It was just... surprising, although in retrospect, maybe it shouldn't have been. Maybe I keep trying to reframe his world as a 'normal' modern world with the hidden world of the supernatural, when he's show more actually just postulating that a lot of the strange things that happen in real life are the result of supernatural strangeness (I mean, it makes a sort of sense. Is there any other reason for the glamour of certain figures? Or the addictiveness of fast-food chicken?) But this one levels up, presenting a new angle on... Guantanamo Bay. Smartly, Wallace doesn't play this for laughs as much as horror. I appreciated that; all political views aside, there's something about an unlimited detainment center that deserves antipathy, not laughs.

The plot is tighter than others, and the split narratives of the teams comes together faster (amazing how that works, isn't it?). The joking interactions of the catering crew have slipped into something more focused as they realize they're finally out of the frying pan... only to land in the fire. I thought the tone and narrative shifts were well done, though perhaps unexpected. In considering the books as an overall story, though, it works perfectly. A solid installment in the series.

Three and a half stars, rounding up because of the skill, even though it may not be my cup of tea. show less

The third book's the charm. Or, actually, it's pure hell.

Not for us, mind you, it's all for the characters. And what a hell of a ride it is.

I mean, seriously, after the last book, which I thought was pretty good and definitely funny and fun, I didn't quite expect a full and completely kick-butt tale of Hollywood human sacrifice, pools of chocolate, exquisite tacos from a truck, or awesomely choreographed fight-scenes.

I'm pretty sure that Tim Burton was not consulted for the Truly Strange show more bits, but I would be quite remiss if I didn't tell Mr. Tim Burton that he probably ought to read this book, tip his hat in serious pride for the spirit of this book, understand that this might be a good deal better than a lot of the more recent stuff he's come up with, and come back to Matt Wallace and tell him that [b:Pride's Spell|28595871|Pride's Spell (Sin du Jour, #3)|Matt Wallace|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1454685885s/28595871.jpg|48765760] is now being made by him. I mean, fair's fair. This book is awesome.

I didn't even know, at least, not really, that all these wonderful chefs where so versatile with weapons! Or that evil cartoon bunnies could quite send such shivers down my spine.

So was it more a funny book, an action book, or a horror?

Well, heck if I know. All I know is that all three worked wonders in this one and I think this author has just earned a huge fan. :)

Thanks goes to Netgalley for the arc! show less