In Too Many Curses, Nessy the Kobold serves Margle the Horrendous, a wizard who prides himself on never killing an enemy. Instead, his cursed and defeated enemies populate his twisted castle--a castle that begins to take on a life of its own when Margle suddenly dies.
must have a fascination for monsters, since the closest he has come to a human protagonist in any of his books is the cursed, cannibalistic heroine of The Nameless Witch. Still, Nessy the Kobold, while a servant, proves in the end to be more in charge of her domain than her former master ever was.
Martinez stands apart in fantasy and science fiction publishing for writing stand-alone stories, rather than trilogies or series. While he has not discounted the possibility of returning to the beloved characters of Gil's All Fright Diner, especially if (as he said in an interview in October 2007, he is given a "dump truck full of money"), Martinez seems more driven to top himself with each new outing.
For Martinez fans, Too Many Curses will feel closest in tone to his second novel, In the Company of Ogres, with its large cast of fun and decidedly unusual heroes. These include an angry fruit bat, (most of) a wizard in a jar, and the monster under your bed. If you had to open The Door At The End Of The Hall, a portal which even Margle the Horrendous fears, who else would you want at your side?
See Also:
The Official A. Lee Martinez Website
A Review of The Automatic Detective
Fincher Options The Automatic Detective
| Categories: Reviews, SciFi & Fantasy |
Martinez (The Automatic Detective) staffs this whimsical fantasy with his trademark weird beings and sets it in the mysterious castle of powerful, cruel wizard Margle the Horrendous. Marg...
