Monster is a novel about a man named Monster, who...err...hunts monsters. Okay, "hunts monsters" isn't quite politically correct -- what he actually does is offer Cryptobiological Containment and Rescue Services -- but when there's a yeti eating all of your ice cream, who has time to be picky?
What if magic were real, but only people with the right evolutionary quirk in their brains could perceive and remember it? Would wizards still be apprenticing for years to cast spells from dusty old tomes, or would they instead complete a community college course and practice their magic on the quick-and-dirty, inscribing runes on post-it notes?
Judy is an incog, short for incognizant...basically, she's a Muggle. But, unlike the unwashed masses of 's books, ' incogs quickly forget or rationalize away any magic they are exposed to. Which means trouble for Judy, because the fate of the entire universe may just rest on why creatures keep singling her out to take notice.
Martinez has mastered the art of writing a fun book without trying too hard to be funny, a delicate and difficult line to walk. This book showcases the author at his most inventive, from weird monsters (Gaborchend and the Az-i-wu-gum-ki-mukh-ti -- a.k.a. Inuit Walrus Dogs) to quirky characters (Chester the Paper Gnome; Liz, the girlfriend from Hell--literally) to our titular hero, who changes color and magical power every time he loses consciousness.
See Also:
An Interview With A.Lee Martinez
The Automatic Detective by A.Lee Martinez
Too Many Curses By A.Lee Martinez
Fincher Options The Automatic Detective
| Categories: Reviews, Staff Pick, SciFi & Fantasy |
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