Smorgasbord Fantasia

With Titan's Day , the second book in the Carter Archives , Dan Stout takes us back to the gritty town of Titanshade. It's an absolutely stunning sequel to his debut, Titanshade - that was one of the most refreshingly original urban fantasy noir that I read (earlier this year actually, prepping me up well for this superb follow-through on the Carter archives) - building up and adding more depth to our cynical scarred cop-hero and of course, the superbly crafted world of Titanshade. It's been six weeks to the events that transpired in Titanshade, when  Carter and his new-in-town Mollenkampi cop-buddy partner Ajax discovered a treasure-trove of Manna, underneath the drying oil fields on the outskirts of Titanshade. Carter is now a local hero, is missing two fingers and is also on desk-assignments and routinely due for medical check-ups to ascertain the after-effects of such massive exposure to the magic thingy. So, finally out on his first 'street' assignment...

Titanshade by Dan Stout has to be the most enjoyable urban fantasy book that I have read in the recent past. It is gritty noir, a police-procedural set in a masterfully created world. An absolute blast of fresh air - doesn't read like a debut at all. Dan Stout's writing is a great balance of assured masterful storytelling gorgeous world building and some compelling characters. The narrative is relentlessly paced, starting off as a murder mystery investigation set in this dark gritty town fraught with suspense and perils before heading down the lanes of twisty political intrigue - all of this headlined by a brooding cop hero named Carter, who's been dogged by misfortunes all his life and now has a penchant for the bottle but also built up a reputation for solving crimes. An excellent nose for detective work and perhaps trouble. If you think you've read this before, then think again. Be prepared, for Titanshade will blow your mind wide open and then some. Titanshad...