Wm. Mark Simmons

The Greeks are coming. Or at least their ancient monsters are. Half-vampire++ Chris Cséjthe wakes up from being killed x3 and finds himself rushing across the country++ to save the multiverse from something. He's not sure what that something is, but the theme this round seems to be Greek, with a range of nasties from the ancient Greek mythos swarming after him (in addition to the vamps, weres, and snarky witches that usually make his life miserable). And let's not forget Interpol, the IRS, show more and even Archangel Mike stopping by for a chat.

The basic plot is nothing unusual: the monsters from the outer darkness (the Greeks and their minions) aim to dissolve the whole multiverse and the good guys (Chris and his posse – Mama Samm, Carmella Le Fanu and a few old favorites, with some additions, especially a young witch named Stryfe) aim to stop them, driving across the country while skipping across alternate universes every time Chris falls asleep.

This is my first Halflife Chronicle book, but there was no problem getting up to speed. The rather ordinary story is enlivened by Chris's deep erudition that runs far into ancient languages, culture, mythology, and classic rock.

If you like urban fantasy, this one is well written and entertaining, so much so that when I read on the cover that it is the finale of the series I felt a pang of disappointment. But there are enough loose ends in this story to give me hope that there is another book or two in our future.

I received a review copy of "A Witch In Time" by Wm. Mark Simmonds from Baen through SFRevu. This review and others can be read online in the May 2021 issue. show less

The second book in the Halflife Chronicles series, an urban fantasy featuring the partially vampire hero/antihero Chris Csejthe, is a fastpaced read, but not as good as the first book -One Foot in the Grave.
Too much background info is dropped on the reader without being properly integrated in the story, thereby stalling the action and disrupting the flow of the narrative.
The self-ironic attitude of Chris makes him seem more of an antihero than a hero, but he unfallingly comes to the rescue show more of every damsel in distres, while making humorous remarks. His newly acquired expertise in everything religious and undead related is a bit over the top, but required to provide the reader with the necessary background to follow the story.
The weakest part of the book, compared with the last one, is the ampunt of philosophical discourse Chris engages in, often in the most ridiculous situations as if having heavy dialogue while being pursued and shot at somehow makes it more palatable and in line with the lighter tone of the rest of the book. The amount of coincidences that carry the story forward makes the story less credible.
Chris is living in a small town in Louisiana under an assumed name, playing at being a PI. A visit to a local voudon psychic on behalf of a client leads him on a quest to stop the end of the world being caused by a biblical demon masquarading as a vampire and a far foremother of Chris.
A number of dead people decides that Chris is Baron Samedi and seeks him out to get avenged and released. This leads him to a local biomedical facility where unsavoury experiments to decimate the human race are conducted, backed by shadowy governmental employees and the leader of the New York Vampire domain. show less

Christopher Csejthe who survived a fatal accident that killed his wife and child a year ago, is fighting an unidentifiable disease. When he becomes a murdertarget for the 'bad' guys and is kidnapped by the 'good' guys, he has to figure out what is wrong with him, and where he fits in in this new world of vampires and werewolves. As a Jack Reacher of the undead, he fights to secure his own freedom, and to protect the weak.

I love this series entirely too much, as much for the horrible aspersions upon the language as for any other reason.