Ari Marmell

Among the recent run of Arkham Horror novels, Ari Marmell's Litany of Dreams is in some respects the most conventionally Lovecraftian. It features protagonists based out of Miskatonic University who encounter a preternatural horror that has taken over an insular community in the Massachusetts back country of the Hockomock Swamp. So far, so Cthulhu.

On the other hand, the principal protagonist is gay, the chief secondary protagonist is a formidable indigene of arctic Greenland (an "Inuit" show more according to the character's insistence), and other secondary protagonists are women, so in that respect the story tracks better with the 21st-century diversity of hero-investigators in the Fantasy Flight Arkham Files games than it does with the old pulp Yog-Sothothery. I don't think it quite passes the Bechdel Test, however.

The only Arkham Files game character who features in a significant way in this book is Daisy Walker, librarian at the Orne Library of Miskatonic University, and many aspects of the story are pleasantly bookish. The plot centers around the transliteration of an ancient inscription, and there are occasional references to the pleasure reading of various characters, noting such authors as Bram Stoker and Agatha Christie.

Unsurprisingly for a book written during the 2020 novel coronavirus pandemic, it features fears about a recurrence of epidemic influenza in 1923 Arkham. There is also more than a little "zombie apocalypse" flavor to the story. The references to the Silver Twilight Lodge in Arkham are minimal, and instead there is an even higher order of occult conspiracy invoked.

An elaborate epilogue introduced various possible sequel opportunities, making me wonder if Marmell, an author of several series, was deliberately angling in that direction. show less

I absolutely loved the concept behind this book. A ruthless conqueror redeemed by the power of love? Be still my heart. The author did an incredible job of balancing Corvis’ devotion to his family with the inner warlord that will always be a part of him. I really liked Corvis despite (or maybe because of) his moral ambiguity, but I also loved the secondary characters. Khanda was a particular favorite, as was Davro. Each secondary character had a distinct personality, and I really loved show more getting to know all of them in turn. I even liked the twist at the end when Audriss’ real identity was revealed. I—along with Corvis—though I was so smart and had it all figured out long before then, but I enjoyed being proven wrong. The action was fast-paced, the writing witty and descriptive without getting bogged down in its own brilliance, and the overall feel of the book was very much a fantasy one. I’m delighted to know there’s a sequel to this fabulous book. show less

I really enjoyed this urban fantasy about a fae detective in Chicago in 1932. It is told in the first person by Mick Oberon who walked away from faerie for reasons he doesn't share with us and who is surviving in Chicago as a private investigator. The mobs are very busy in Chicago and Mick isn't completely excited to work for a mob wife. However, he needs money to save the building where he lives and the mob has the money.

Mick is hired by Bianca Ottati to find his daughter. Bianca has come show more to believe that the child she knows as her daughter Adalina is actually a changeling; she wants Mick to track down the daughter that was exchanged for her. Mick has to return to faerie to try to track down the missing girl.

The story has all sorts of twist and turns. Mick is beaten up, shot, and otherwise damaged in many ways. Good thing the fae are tougher than the standard human. I loved Mick's voice as he talked about his life and the case. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Chicago gangs and the fae.

I will be reading Mick's next adventure as soon as it is published. show less

Hot Lead, Cold Iron
(Mick Oberon #1)
by Ari Marmell
Narration by a variety of actors

This is a terrific series! A fae, 1930s PI in Chicago, who tries to keep the fact that he is not human under wraps. The whole book is narrated by our hero, Mick, as if he is telling the story and its with the slang and verbiage of 1930s. The other voices come in at the appropriate times as if it's a play. Excellent!
It's fast paced, snarky, fun, and with great characters! This one is about a gal whose hubby is show more mob related. She thinks her daughter is a changeling. Her mother-in-law knows some old world magic and figured out the daughter's acting funny and came to that conclusion.
So Mick is on the case. After 16 years, how's he going to find the real girl? What to do with the changeling? Who changed the babies and why? A fun and exciting story with a great ending! show less