Ghost Train to New Orleans (The Shambling Guides) (2014)

3.5/5 stars. The Shambling Guide to NYC was a great hit with the coterie, so Zoe and some of her writers are taking the ghost train to New Orleans to write a travel guide for that city. My complaint from the first book in this series was that the travel sections often came before the action, spoiling it, and that's fixed in this book, with the travel sections now coming after and supporting the action.

Though the first book threatened all of New York City, Zoe included, this book seemed more threatening to her on a personal level. One of her writers would happily kill her, she gets shot on the train, and some mysterious guy hints that she could be in huge danger just based upon who she is.

There is a mysterious African god Zoe meets in Jackson Square and I encourage those of you who don't recognize him right away to google him. I think it'll enhance your reading to know who and what he is, and it won't take anything away from the story.

Zoe learned a lot of coterie and human-coterie history in this book and I'm fascinated to see where it goes. Yes, obvs, I am hoping for more in this series.

(Provided by publisher) ( )

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I had originally meant to start the Ghost Train To New Orleans when it was initially released but it ended up falling on the back-burner of my TBR. Because of that I was a little rusty about the knowledge of characters and events of the previous novel, but once I picked up the book everything came back to me.

The second book starts off with Zoe reeling from the loss of friends from the battle in New York. Though is she more knowledgeable about the coterie (supernatural) world she still has a lot learn. The novel takes its readers to New Orleans home of delicious seafood, creole culture, Mardi Gras, and notable locations all from the view of the spirit world. Zoe and her crew continuously work on the travel guide while she tries to enjoy the city and stay out of danger.

I like that the second book is set in a new city full of new characters, good and bad. It added extra zest to the plot and while New York was full of coterie, Zoe comes face to face with many new creatures all while dealing with her own personal issues. It’s revealed early on in the book that she is in fact a city-talker and has to keep this secret under wraps since her kind are extinct.

Zoe bonds more and becomes closer to characters such as Gwen (my favorite) and learns that even though she feels alone she still has someone to talk to. Zoe also goes through a major character development in this books. Arthur’s impending zombie-dom and her job puts a strain on their relationship and she comes so close to danger after mysterious and deadly events happen on her trip. I admired her bravery to stand up for herself and navigate through obstacles.

I love urban fantasy and what makes these books so fun it that it meshes the supernatural with travel. I’ve always wanted to travel to New Orleans and I felt I could experience a bit of what the city had to offer. My favorite scenes were the ones that took places on the ghost train. They were action packed and the concept was really cool!

These books were published some years apart and there’s been no news of whether the series will continue or not. I hope it will since it’s such an immersive urban fantasy series! ( )

Ghost Train to New Orleans is the sequel to The Shambling Guide to New York City and it was just as fun as the first book. Zoë and her colleagues head to New Orleans to write their second Shambling Guide and from the moment they board the ghost train, everything changes for Zoë. Luckily, everything is happening is a gorgeous, supernatural New Orleans where there are parties and beignets and plenty of things to hide from. I wish there were more books in the series because she mentions heading to London next!

http://webereading.com/2017/08/a-big-stack-of-books-fantasy-and-sci-fi.html ( )

http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2015-10.html#lafferty ( )

Not 100% pleased with where citytalkers went, but not bad! ( )