A Scarcity Of Sea Monsters: Sweet Gentle Tale From The Deep

A Scarcity Of Lake Monsters by Laurell K Hamilton

Overall Rating : Sweet Gentle Tale From The Deep

Okay after reading two really bad books in a row, I’m not sure whether I can gamble on another five hundred novel just yet. I need a breather after that god awful Clive Cussler torture contraption called Atlantis Found. So I’m taking a break and am heading back to world of short stories. And I’m going to one of favorite authors Laurell K Hamilton. This one is called “A Scarcity Of Lake Monsters” and can be found in the Strange Candy collection.

So what is it about? Well it’s a day in the life of Forest Ranger at the Enchanted Forest National Park, of which the forest title itself gives away the fact that the park has creatures such as satyr’s and leprechauns‘ live in it. But this story is involved deeply in the couple’s relationship with the Lake Monster named Irving, that they seem end to love as part of their family like a pet. But as the day goes on, something terrible happens, because people don’t understand the creature. Drama circles the incident. I’m not saying any more than that or I would be spoiling things if I hadn’t done so already.

So the good? Well even though this is ridicules everyone I it seems so real. Mike, Jordan, Susan and even Irving seem like real characters. And the relationships between all of them made the readers feel like they were right there. Plus this is one of the most innocent pieces I seen by Laurell in a long time. I wish she would turn this into a book giving us all something new rather than her never ending Gentry and Blake series. Also as usual, detail is fantastic as well.

So the bad? I can’t say much. Maybe more action would be nice. But that already stated was not the goal of the story here. I wish it could continue but it is only a short story after all.

Overall this is something entirely new and written that shows a kind light hearted world. It is worth looking into.

Four smoothies out of 4

Overall Rating : Sweet gentle Tale From Deep Water

The Edge Of The Sea: A Place Where the Mermen are psychotic

The Edge of the Sea by Laurell K. Hamilton

Laurell K. Hamilton is a good writer and I’m convinced of that. Even now she is good. She’s just in a rut of writing stuff that’s X- rated at the moment rather than actually writing a story. Edge of The Sea is a short story she recently wrote that hits much closer to home for anyone who read her earlier stuff. It can be found in the Strange Candy Collection.
The story starts with Adria, who find that her room mate Rachel is missing in middle of the night. It is a beach front house so when she can’t find her, she decides to search the beach. Then she finds that her friend is raped and killed by odd pale man, who in discovery dashes into the sea. His feet turned to fish tale as he ran or I should say swim away. Even though Adria denies it at first, she realizes he’s merman. And he is the one that the news is calling the “Beach rapist” committing killings of young women. And as the killings continues, Adria is determined not be his victim. And if possible, she will get revenge if she can.
This is a short story that appears to take place in an Anita Blake world. Because they briefly mention other monsters such as vampires and monsters to this in one, as in one of Anita’s books they did mention there were mer people. But of course in those books they just never went to the coast to encounter these mer folk. But still, this is the same e world taken to a character that lives there.
So the good? It is an expansion of the Anita Blake world we never seen. Plus I like the mermaid idea. I find that it’s a great concept a lot of authors don’t touch. It’s fairly original. And detail is so well done. From the sound of ocean, to smell of the air, to Adria’s fear and lastly how gorgeous this merman is. She is so full of detail. It’s some thing I loved about Laurell’s work in the past. She can describe everything perfectly. (Especially the men, but I’m not going there in this review) And one last thing. There is a rape scene and I have to say this to Hamilton. Thank you for not some how morphing it into a descriptive sex scene like you do in all our newer books. Those are getting old.
The bad? Well it kind of feels like an Anita story without Anita. Adria didn’t have much character to her at all, but done what Anita would have in the end. So I guess if you read Hamilton’s other works, it’s predictable.
So overall. It’s a tragic loss of a friend and crime spree of a rapist who is a merman. Weird, but still fine. I mean it’s not memorable or anything. But it’s fun.

Overall Rating: I Nice Step Into Fantasy Where the Mermen are psychotic

3 smoothies out of four