Chris Underwood (1)

I take that back, about the other series. This is my new potato chip series (starting book three as I write this). Lost Falls is one of those out-of-the-way places that has some history with the Strange and the Unaware. Mythology here is rather traditional; the supernatural tries it's best to stay on the down-low because we all know nothing good can come with revealing magical beings).

We follow Osric Turner, a cunning man. It's an older term for someone who uses folk-type magic for the show more benefit of the community. In this case, the community are the people that want to stay hidden. Underwood brings in all the ugly players that everyone else loves to hate. You know, the ones the boys from Supernatural spent their first two seasons hunting. This book brings in the goblin community living in one of the nearby abandoned mines, a thieving hobgoblin, and the hag that supplies much of the community with their glamours.

Osric and his elderly mentor, Early, are removing an unknown from his sister's basement when he gets a plea to find a missing baby rattle. The plot moves quickly with a combination of obstructive and discoverative elements (yeah, I know, Spellcheck. It should be a word, and anyways, I like the symmetry). Osric, also known as Ozzy, finds himself confronting trauma from his own past as the situation escalates.

The writing is above average, particularly for a first published book. I found it flowed well. It's told in first person from Ozzy's perspective. Ozzy's a complex character with a variety of relationships, so we get to meet a nice group of people without being overwhelmed by a large cast of characters (don't you just hate it when you are expected to care about guild or Pack politics in a first book?). Underwood does a good job of humanizing (if that's a good thing) the beasties and uglies that go bump in the night. Ozzy himself has some faults that will clearly be part of a--cough, cough--learning curve.

While not unpredictable, it was entertaining enough that I stayed up late to finish--just one more chapter doesn't work with this plotting. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy urban fantasy and bestiaries.

Rounding up for the fast and furious fun. show less

Consider it a good sign that I finished book three before I reviewed book two, that’s what I’m saying. Sure, there’s a few problems, but that’s because at this point, I’m going to judge Underwood against the major leagues. (Will now abandon sports analogies as they will be doomed to fail). In this story, a vampire is found dead, apparently murdered by a gravely wounded ogre. It is about to set off long-standing antagonism between the two communities.

The mystery is not as show more straightforward as it seems, particularly clouded with local politics and confounded with appropriate red herrings and complex relationships. On the other hand, it continues the pattern of ‘takes-a-licking-and-keeps-on-ticking’ method of Ozzy’s interactions. Granted, this is intermittent, also being propelled forward with actual problem-solving interactions. Like early Dresden, he feels more scrappy/survivalistic than overpowered, although there’s hints here that there might be something extra going on.

“Not a smell. Almost, but not quite. It’s something else.” He narrowed his eyes and peered at me. “You’re…brighter, somehow. It’s as if you’re wrapped in silver and gold.”

The characterization is up to par, (darn it!) with complexity in some of the villains and in a marginalized species. I wasn’t a fan of Ozzy continuing to be seduced by the Dealer, but I understand it, and it’s a fun and complex way to move things forward, with a lot of potential for ambiguity. Nor am I a fan of his emotional unintelligence, but apparently, he’s trying. Lillian gets a chance to hold Ozzy accountable, which is rather nice. I will note that their relationship takes a major step forward here, and it feels awkward. Maybe it’s a guy point-of-view thing.

Having read three back-to-back, I felt like Underwood may be a bit of a pants writer (at last! This one definitely isn't from sports). The populations of the Strange seem large, and appear to rely largely upon glamours to conceal their identities from the Unaware. Yet, Lost Falls is weird enough to attract tourists and have a radio show devoted to the strange. Underwood tries to use the threat of ‘humans coming after us with pitchforks and torches’ at one point, and it’s hard to believe that would be a threat. It’s repeated in a couple different fashions as justification for why everyone in the community should be invested in preventing a war between the ogres and vampires, and was similarly used in book one for the goblins, and book two for the witch-hunters and ghouls. Yet the only concealment mechanisms we’re given is glamours and hiding with these larger population groups. On a similar note, I think Lillian’s existential challenges from book 2 are largely ignored here. Thus the pantser thought.

But these complaints are the sort of thing that only comes together when I’m binging, which is my own fault. This is a nice return to the fun in UF. I’d recommend the series if you really wanted to like early Dresden but found it too slow. show less

I read this book on Kindle a couple of years ago. I failed to rate or review it then, but I must have enjoyed it as I have bought and read all the subsequent Lost Falls books.

The main character, Ozzie, is a Cunning Man or white witch:

“We were the ones you came to when your crops failed or your prized cooking pan went missing. We were there to track down your son after he wandered into the woods alone. We broke curses and protected against witchcraft. We provided magical assistance for the show more common folk, all at a reasonable price. And though we weren’t always trusted, we were always in demand.”

Ozzie is an finely drawn character with a troubled past that slowly comes to light as the story progresses. He and his mentor, Early, see themselves as the protectors of their community of Lost Falls - both of the visible human and of the hidden non-human populations - and that role of protector often puts them in the line of fire, whether from gun, curse, or some sort of magical strike.

The non-human entities are many and varied: hags, hobgoblins, vampires, goblins, ghouls, changelings, a roggenwolf, to name a few, and it is interesting to see how none of these - even those where the most evil has arisen - is portrayed as wholly bad.

The audiobook version, which I have just finished, has a good reader in Gary Bennett. His voice suits the character of Ozzie extremely well, and is pleasant to listen to. Most of the other characters are easy to distinguish, and I particularly enjoyed the voice he gave to the Dealer.

This is a novel that pulls together a complex series of seemingly unrelated incidents and characters, blending them into a startling finale and a satisfying conclusion. It is a good start to a series that continues to improve and enthrall.

The main reason I have not given a five star rating is the plethora of f-bombs, which I find irritating - particularly when I am listening to a book. I have recently re-read the other books in this series and don’t recall an excess of swearing in those, so I think the author must have been more creative in his language as his skills developed. show less

Ozzie, the cunning man, tries to keep the peace and secrecy of Lost Falls and the supernaturals that live among the humans, when a decapitated vampire and a mortally injured ogre are found close together. He faces dangers and opponents that seem impossible for him to survive whilst he tries to find the truth that might avoid open warfare.

It is well written with complex and convincing characters, and unguessable twists.

Highly recommended. I am sure that it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but show more you’ll get even more out of the series if the books are read in order as the characters and relationships are, as in real life, being influenced by past events. show less