The Menagerie by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski
Why I Love This Series - and Why You Should Read It
The Menagerie is made up of legendary characters, each with his or her own powers and mystical, mythical origins. Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski have taken various characters well-known from literature and mythology and made them their own. Eve is not only what readers assume she is, but also a vampire. She is a ferocious female who takes no prisoners - and happens to have a keen fashion sense. Ceridwen is elemental and strong, but vastly different from Eve in her speech and in her approach to situations. Doyle is intelligent and powerful but also has human traits and flaws, making him more believable and likable than the leaders of some other series. The Menagerie boasts four books to date, all of which are engrossing. I highly recommend reading them in order.
The Menagerie: The Nimble Man
The Nimble Man is a great introduction. It blends many genres together, sure to please fans of fantasy, action, science fiction, and mystery alike. The writing is rich in description, placing the reader right in the middle of the action sequences. The third person narrative permits the reader to get into the heads of these widely different characters, ranging from the immortal shapeshifter Clay to the confused changeling teenager Danny, from the specter of Dr. Graves to the shadowy hobgoblin (and chauffeur) Squire.
The Nimble Man starts The Menagerie series off with a bang. Fans of X-Men and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen will certainly love this team. Highly recommended.
The Menagerie: Tears of the Furies
Tears of the Furies, the second in the series, does not disappoint. Once again, Golden and Sniegoski have conspired to create an action-packed story that weaves classic mythology together with intrigue and suspense.
The characters introduced in the first book, The Nimble Man, are all present and accounted for. This is a strong sophomore release, because character development is key. The relationship between Doyle and Ceridwen continues to strengthen and distract them both. Danny is also in the forefront; being a teenager and a changeling, he and his mother must deal with his physical changes as well as his emotional outbursts. Readers also learn more about the past of the stalwart Dr. Leonard Graves.
The cast is intelligent as well as witty. One-liners by hobgoblin Squire never fail to amuse. His obsession for Skittles is also revealed. Eve, the fallen vampire, still dresses in designer clothes when she's going into battle.
Tears of the Furies dives head-first into Greek mythology. Not only will readers cross paths with the vindictive Furies, but with Orpheus, the Ferryman, even Cyclops. Medusa is at the core of the story. The Gorgon is a vengeful ex-beauty, and the team tracks her as she turns a multitude of people into stone. Persons from Doyle's past come into play, opening up another can of worms.
The Menagerie: Stones Unturned
A powerful, demonic force has escaped from the infernal realm - putting the human world in dire peril. It seeks an ally in Danny Ferrick, the youngest member of the Menagerie - a changeling who is already tormented by his dark, primal urges, the legacy of his demon father. Tempted into sampling the horrific but thrilling existence of a full-fledged demon, Danny is on the edge of renouncing all that makes him human. Now time is running out for the other members of Doyle's team as they struggle to save their friend from falling into darkness - and taking all of humanity with him . . .
Read the prologue and first chapter now!
The Menagerie: Crashing Paradise
The Legion of Doom is hell-bent on breaking into Eden, and they've got the perfect captive to help them: Eve, mother of all humanity -- and all vampires. Only Doyle and the Menagerie can stop them from turning a blessed garden into a paradise lost.
Bring it on! Eve is my favorite character in this series - though it's hard to choose a favorite, really - because she is a layered character with a lot of cunning.
Deena Creates a Website and Golden Takes Note
Morning all! I'm extremely pleased to announce the launch of the official website of The Menagerie, the dark fantasy series Tom Sniegoski and I write for Ace books.
The site -- designed by the wonderful Deena Warner -- includes a guide to the characters and worlds of the Menagerie, artwork by Menagerie artist Christian McGrath, and character designs and comics pages from the series' early days when we intended to do it as a comics project. That section includes the ENTIRE first issue of Temptress, Sniegoski's comic book about The Menagerie character Eve, penciled and inked by the creator of The Goon, Eric Powell.
And there's all kinds of stuff still to come. Check it out, and let us know what you think.
~ Christopher Golden
Make sure to drop by each author's website as well: www.christophergolden.com and www.sniegoski.com
Amazon.com Widgets