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Title: Children of the Night
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Urban fantasy/mild horror
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: Romance novelist Diana Tregarde also happens to be a powerful witch trying to get by in New York in the 70s, which is hard enough. But when soulless bodies, a sexy vampire, and an old flame turn up, the Big Apple is getting even less friendly.
Thoughts: I'd originally read this book back in my heavy-Lackey, middle/high school phase. Now having lived and worked in New York for a few years (and no longer being a hormone-drenched teenager), I found myself curious about how it would stand up.
Lackey was doing urban fantasy before it really caught on--if her vampires are derivative of anyone's, they're Rice-esque. So you don't have to worry about errant sparkles, at least.
There may be some lingering affection biasing me here, but I thought this held up surprisingly well. Oh, the prose is purple and the plot angst-drenched. But for a psychic investigator whose day job is writing bodice rippers, Diana is refreshingly practical and down-to-earth. The dialogue flows with warmth and humor, the tension ratchets up nicely, the bad guys are a mix of the inhumanly creepy, the all-too-humanly evil, and the banally selfish who made some bad choices.
Is it brilliant? No, not particularly. But it's entertaining, and succeeds at its own goals well. The vampire love interest is attracted to the heroine because of her strength and intelligence, not because she smells like the best steak dinner ever. And if anyone tried to pick her up and carry her around for her own good against her will, Tregarde would kick their butt into next week.
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Urban fantasy/mild horror
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: Romance novelist Diana Tregarde also happens to be a powerful witch trying to get by in New York in the 70s, which is hard enough. But when soulless bodies, a sexy vampire, and an old flame turn up, the Big Apple is getting even less friendly.
Thoughts: I'd originally read this book back in my heavy-Lackey, middle/high school phase. Now having lived and worked in New York for a few years (and no longer being a hormone-drenched teenager), I found myself curious about how it would stand up.
Lackey was doing urban fantasy before it really caught on--if her vampires are derivative of anyone's, they're Rice-esque. So you don't have to worry about errant sparkles, at least.
There may be some lingering affection biasing me here, but I thought this held up surprisingly well. Oh, the prose is purple and the plot angst-drenched. But for a psychic investigator whose day job is writing bodice rippers, Diana is refreshingly practical and down-to-earth. The dialogue flows with warmth and humor, the tension ratchets up nicely, the bad guys are a mix of the inhumanly creepy, the all-too-humanly evil, and the banally selfish who made some bad choices.
Is it brilliant? No, not particularly. But it's entertaining, and succeeds at its own goals well. The vampire love interest is attracted to the heroine because of her strength and intelligence, not because she smells like the best steak dinner ever. And if anyone tried to pick her up and carry her around for her own good against her will, Tregarde would kick their butt into next week.
