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WORK TITLE: Apocalypse Alley
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.donallmon.com/
CITY:
STATE: KS
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
EDUCATION:University of Kansas, M.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, novelist, and IT specialist. Works in IT support.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Don Allmon has lived in many places in the United States, including New York and San Francisco, California. He earned a master’s degree in English literature, writing his thesis on twelfth-century Breton werewolf stories. He works in IT support and writes at night. His writings stem from his interests in comic books, folk tales, pulp and noir fiction, horror, spaghetti western, and wuxia (“martial hero” stories). Allmon’s literary influences range form Robert E. Howard and Stephen King to Elmore Leonard and William Gibson.
The Glamour Thieves
Allmon’s debut novel, The Glamour Thieves, is the first book in the cyberpunk/fantasy/romance “Blue Unicorn” trilogy, which is set in an alternate reality where the United States is inhabited not only by humans but also by orcs, elves, and wizards. Writing for the New York Review of Books website, Toni V. Sweeney noted that the “plot is a well-worn one” but nevertheless called the novel “a fast, funny, and rip-roaring adventure.”
The novel’s protagonist, JT, is a green orc with tusks who lives in Arizona and loves fast cars and the latest technology. JT used to be in the business of stealing data, but he decided to go legitimate after a job that resulted in his getting captured by wizards, who proceeded to torment him. He is now living under a new identity and running a boutique robotics shop that caters to high end clientele. Although JT is happy to spend time alone with his toys, he is serving as mentor to an orc teen he has adopted and who is much like JT was when he was young.
Then an elf named Austin shows up. JT and Austin were once good friends who met due to their mutual fondness for Austin’s sister, Roan. Unfortunately, Roan was killed for her work as a hacker who had a knack for combining magic with technology. It seems that Austin has a scheme that he wants JT to help him carry out. JT is hesitant. Even though he once lusted after Austin, the magical elf is a compulsive liar who cannot be depended on for anything. Although Austin has taken advantage of JT before, readers learn as the story progresses that Austin has reasons for the way he is, namely that he had to learn how to survive at a young, young age. Another reason JT does not want to accompany Austin is an upcoming board meeting with bankers that can make JT and his business totally legitimate.
Austin convinces JT to help by telling him the caper includes saving JT’s old friend and almost lover, a hacker named Buzz Howdy. It turns out that Buzz has stolen the Blue Unicorn, a virtual intelligence that the powerful underworld Electric Dragon Triad wants. It seems that the Blue Unicorn can make simulated stimuli seem unbelievably real, perhaps more real than reality. Each individual can be uniquely affected as a lush world is vividly created related to a person’s memories, daydreams, and even real dreams, including nightmares.
JT, however, remains wary as Austin’s appearance has brought back old memories JT would rather forget. It turns out that JT soon regrets joining Austin, as Austin’s plan goes awry. “With sharp wit and an eye for detail, Allmon builds a fascinating, complex world,” wrote a Publishers Weekly Online contributor. A contributor to the Joyful Jay website remarked: “The plotting is tight, the pace is rapid, and the action scenes are very well-written” and also noted in the same review: “The blending of magic and technology isn’t a new one, but the world this book takes place in is … new.”
Apocalypse Alley
The next book in the “Blue Unicorn” trilogy, Apocalypse Alley, finds Noah “Comet” Wu coming back from war-torn East Asia, where he was on assignment as part of the nefarious Duke’s Reindeer Squad. The squad is made up of men and women who do whatever Duke wants when he needs to deal with people who get in his way, including murder. It turns out Comet essentially died on a mission, but Duke’s affection for Comet led him to spend whatever was needed to bring Duke back. In the process, Comet became a genetically engineered super soldier.
Back home Comet immediately sets out to visit his good friend JT, only to find that JT is missing and his home has been virtually destroyed. Comet figures that JT’s old colleague and friend Buzz is likely to know where to find him. Buzz is reluctant to help, so Comet takes him prisoner as they set out on a road trip to track JT down. Although the two start off with an intense dislike for each other, their respective skills, Comet’s as a soldier and Buzz’s as a tech whiz, help them through a number of scrapes with wizards, cyborgs, and zombies. Eventually, a romance begins to develop between them.
“Smart, brisk pacing immerses readers in the terrifying landscape of the future,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. A Joyful Jay website contributor called Apocalypse Alley “a fun take on the sword and sorcery meets cyberpunk tropes.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, January 29, 2018, review of Apocalypse Alley, p. 176.
ONLINE
Binge On Books , http://bingeonbooks.com/ (August 30, 2017), “Fantasy Review: The Glamour Thieves by Don Allmon”; (February 22, 2018 ), “Buddy Review: Alex and Edwin talk Apocalypse Alley by Don Allmon.”
Don Allmon Website, http://www.donallmon.com (July 6, 2018).
Joyfully Jay, http://joyfullyjay.com/ (August 29, 2017), review of The Glamour Thieves; (February 27, 2018), review of Apocalypse Alley.
Metaphors and Moonlight, https://blog.kristenburns.com/ (February 16, 2018), review of Apocalypse Alley.
New York Journal of Books, https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (May 23, 2018), Toni V. Sweeney, review of The Glamour Thieves.
Publishers Weekly Online, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (July 10, 2017), review of The Glamour Thieves.
In his night job, Don Allmon writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. In his day job, he’s an IT drone. He holds an MA in English literature from the University of Kansas where he wrote his thesis on medieval werewolf stories. He’s a lifelong D&D fan and spends too much money on miniatures and board games. He has lived all over from New York to San Francisco, but currently lives on the prairies of Kansas. His debut novel, THE GLAMOUR THIEVES, is the first in a cyberpunk/fantasy/romance trilogy
In his night job, Don Allmon writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. In his day job, he’s an IT drone. He holds a master of arts in English literature from the University of Kansas and wrote his thesis on the influence of royal hunting culture on medieval werewolf stories. He’s a fan of role-playing games, both video and tabletop. He has lived all over from New York to San Francisco, but currently lives on the prairies of Kansas with many animals.
Connect with Don:
Website: www.donallmon.com
Twitter: @dallmon
Pinterest
I have lived everywhere from New York to San Francisco, but currently live on the prairies of Kansas. I recently completed a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Kansas where I managed to convince my thesis committee to let me write about twelfth-century Breton werewolf stories. By day I do IT support; by night I write fiction. I'm a fan of comic books, folk tales, pulp, noir, horror, wuxia, and spaghetti westerns. My literary influences are an equally mixed bag: Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, William Gibson, and Robert E. Howard, among many others.
Apocalypse Alley
Publishers Weekly. 265.5 (Jan. 29, 2018): p176.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Apocalypse Alley
Don Allmon. Riptide, $16.99 trade paper (182p) ISBN 978-1-62649-666-8
Allmon's second fantastical romantic adventure (after The Glamour Thieves) is a rollicking story set in a magical and technologically advanced near future. Human soldier Comet died once, but was reborn thanks to genetic and cybernetic modifications. Fiercely loyal to his mentor and i friends, he always comes home from war to Arizona and his best friend, JT. This time, however, JT isn't there, and his home and business are trashed. The only person who might know what happened and why is the slightly loopy hacker known as Buzz Howdy. Comet takes Buzz prisoner and embarks on an epic road trip to locate JT, pitting his strength and Buzz's intellect against wicked wizards, deranged druids, cantankerous cyborgs, and the terrifying trio who lead the hacker collective 3djinn, which claims Buzz as a member. The tense circumstances force the unlikely duo to admit their mutual romantic feelings, although that comes perhaps more quickly than the story requires. Smart, brisk pacing immerses readers in the terrifying landscape of the future, but the slight cliff-hanger ending leaves the impression of too many dangling threads, and the heroes are the only developed characters. There's enough here to keep series fans going, but new readers may not be won over. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Apocalypse Alley." Publishers Weekly, 29 Jan. 2018, p. 176. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526116550/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6df4b128. Accessed 23 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A526116550
The Glamour Thieves
Donald Allmon. Riptide, $16.99 trade paper (177p) ISBN 978-1-62649-616-3
A cyberpunk sensibility, intense action, and flagrant sensuality make a potent mix in Allmon’s swoonworthy debut erotic romance, with sexual encounters that echo the heat of its fantastical near-future Arizona setting. JT is an orc with a serious love for fast cars and cutting-edge technology. He’s usually quite happy to ignore other people and spend time with his toys. Then Austin, a magic-using elf, sweeps back into his life with the force of a hurricane. Suddenly JT’s checkered past comes back to hit him where it hurts the most—in the heart. JT and Austin were first brought together by their affection for Austin’s sister, Roan, a hacker who mixed magic with technology and was killed for it. JT reluctantly agrees to do one last job with Austin, protecting another old friend, Buzz, but it brings back bitter memories of Roan and others he’s loved and lost. Proving they can’t outrun JT’s bad luck or rough history, the pair’s supposedly simple job goes horribly and hilariously awry, testing the bonds of friendship, the hearts of lovers—both JT and Austin have several, though the connection between the two of them is the most intense—and the honor among thieves. With sharp wit and an eye for detail, Allmon builds a fascinating, complex world where anything can happen. An epilogue hints at both romantic happiness and future adventures for JT and Austin, and readers will fervently hope for much more to come. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Sept.)
DETAILS
Reviewed on: 07/10/2017
Aug
29
2017
1 Comment
Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Two years ago — after a run gone bad in which JT lost half his gang and ended up captured and tormented by wizards — JT retired from the data theft business and bought for himself a normal life. A new identity, new papers, and a future as a mechanic. He has his own business, his dignity, and even an adopted daughter; it’s everything he ever needed.
What he didn’t need was Austen to come back into his life. Mad, maniacal, magical, and manic Austen who JT loved and lusted after. Austen who lied about everything and was as faithful as a leaf in the wind. Austen, the elf, who comes to JT for one last job. JT would say no, wants to say no, if it weren’t for the nature of this ‘one last job.’ To save Buzz, a friend — a crush, an almost lover — and one of the few friends he and Austen have left.
Buzz doesn’t just need a rescue, he needs a swift kick in the pants. What sort of idiot steals from one of the most powerful underworld triads in the world? He’s still the same red-haired, wide-eyed innocent JT fell in lust with, but between running for their lives and Austen, JT hardly knows what he wants. He knows Austen is bad news; Austen can’t love him, won’t love him. JT is human and fragile and scared of loving an orc. And the Blue Unicorn, the AI fragment Buzz found and stole, turns out to be so much more important than JT thought.
Wizards and necromancers, elves and orcs, technology and magic, all the things that shouldn’t go together… and yet, sometimes they do. Sometimes it’s worth risking getting hurt again, taking a chance on the impossible: a chance on Austen, a chance on love.
I started this book disliking Austen. He lies — blatantly, often, even always! — and ended it feeling bad for him. I was on JT’s side for part of it, then Austen’s, then back and forth again. These are not simple characters, there’s no black and white for either of them. I love morally grey characters and worlds, and Austen was so grey he makes rocks look white.
Austen is an elf with a gift for magic, archery, and physical perfection. At first glance, he’s a charlatan and a user, someone willing to take endless advantage of JT, always pushing for more, always looking for an angle. But as you read the book and his back story is revealed, you can’t help but begin to understand why he’s the way he is. At a young age, he and his sister — sister by virtue of being an elf, rather than a biological sibling — left their homestead and went to the city. In Austen’s words — Austen, who would rather use twenty words than two — they ‘survived.’ Two words hint at so much pain, so much damage. He’s a bit of a sadist, a bit of a masochist, and as amoral as a cat. He does it to survive; Austen will always survive.
JT is an orc. Tusks, green skin, greater build and height, and with a heart as guarded as Fort Knox. He was in love with Austen for much of their time together, when it was he, Austen’s sister, and one other who ran heists for quick cash and adventure. But it was always one-sided, and JT finally had to say enough. Enough of breaking his heart for Austen, enough of eating his own heart.
The flashbacks regarding JT and Austen are always from JT’s point of view, giving us his version of the story. But, over time my opinion of JT changed. Yes, he did what he needed to do for himself, but he hurt Austen terribly in the process. Neither of them are past that pain and betrayal, and that’s the cloak over every interaction they take in this book.
This is book one in a series and I have hopes it continues with Austen and JT’s relationship. By the end of this book they’ve made… well, not peace, exactly. After a very hot scene on the hood of a car they’ve tentatively agreed to try again, sort of. For now, at least. Austen wants JT back, but does he want JT back, or the obedient friend-with-benefits JT used to be? And what does JT want out of Austen? Knowing the elf as he does, is he ready to take what Austen can give him? Does he think there’s more that can be had?
For what it’s worth, I think they both need a bit more healing before they can say the “L” word, either of them, but I imagine they’ll get there in their own rather scatter-shot way. I buy them as a couple, I buy them as people, and I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.
The world building is wonderful. The blending of magic and technology isn’t a new one, but the world this book takes place in is a new one. A handful of decades ago orcs and elves (and unicorns) came into the world. Why and how we don’t know, but we do know that they were treated horribly. Did magic come in with them, or had it already been there? Are there more races than just these two?
The plotting is tight, the pace is rapid, and the action scenes are very well-written. I don’t mind unanswered questions when I have faith that the author is in control of the story and has already teased book two, which I hope comes out soon!
The Glamour Thieves
Author(s):
Don Allmon
Release Date:
August 27, 2017
Publisher/Imprint:
Riptide Publishing
Pages:
177
Buy on Amazon
Reviewed by:
Toni V. Sweeney
“a fast, funny, and rip-roaring adventure of a few days in the life of an orc who’d like to forget his former association with a certain elf, and the elf who’s fighting against awakening old memories, but not very much . . .”
In an alternate reality where the U.S. is peopled by humans, orcs, wizards, and elves, JT the orc has made a new life for himself. He’s now living in Arizona, doing what he likes to do: building cars instead of stealing them. He also fiddles around with other things electronic.
Then Austin Shea, elven conman, reappears in his life. Austin is like all elves, gorgeous, and knows it, and not at all the magical being JT wants to see. Ever. Well, maybe. He and Austin have a history and he doesn’t want history repeating itself. “The cutting-room floor of JT’s mind was littered with memories in Austin-shaped pieces.”
This time, as usual, Austin has a plan and JT is certain it isn’t going to do him any good.
“‘I need to borrow a few drones.’
‘No. What for?’
‘For a good cause.’
‘How much money turns something into a ‘good cause?’”
JT’s drones are something else. They are part of him and he’s part of them.
“It had taken years of training, a hundred thousand dollars of software and a dangerous amount of black market neuropsychoactive drugs to make JT’s brain into something that could process multi-ocular vision for sustained periods of time without suffering a breakdown.”
Austin wants both the drones and JT, and not necessarily in that order.
JT’s in a quandary. He has a board meeting coming up, appointments with bankers, his one big chance to go legit. Before he knows it, he’s agreed to help Austin. “And that was that: apologies and lies all told, they were back where they started. They pulled out of the compound, San Francisco bound.”
Eventually, the truth comes out. Austin’s friend Buzz has stolen something from the Electric Dragon Triad, a data block called the Blue Unicorn. Buzz and JT also have a bit of history, but it’s one they’d like to bring into the present. Buzz had been contacted by the Triad because they had a ghost in their network, a fragment resulting when an AI gets broken.
“’I was this far away from the most important discovery since the Awakening: how to break down the barrier between magic and technology. It was right in front of me and all I needed to do was work with some bad people for a while.’”
So Buzz steals the fragmented data block. “It’s an honest-to-goddess glamour somehow coded into a broken-off piece of some AI. The glamour takes simulated stimuli and makes it more than real. It speaks to each individual and stirs up old memories and daydreams and nightmares and makes the world vivid, lush, and seductive.”
The Triad wants it back, of course, and Buzz and Austin are as determined they aren’t going to get it. What are they going to do with the Blue Unicorn?
“‘You have a buyer?’
‘Are you kidding. We’re aren’t selling her. We’re going to set her free.’”
And then they’re up to their necks in double-dealing wizards, the followers of Owen Ren Leng, the Chinese Necromancer heading the Triad, assorted ninja zombies, JT’s resurrected attraction to Austin, his newly-discovered interested in Buzz, and hovering above it all, the Blue Unicorn, created from the memories and glamour of Austin’s sister Roan.
Who knows how it’s all going to end up?
This is a fast, funny, and rip-roaring adventure of a few days in the life of an orc who’d like to forget his former association with a certain elf, and the elf who’s fighting against awakening old memories, but not very much. Austin’s glamour may play a big part in his and JT’s relationship but their individual personalities make up the majority of their problems.
Nevertheless, the reader will be cheering for them all the way.
The plot is a well-worn one, old teammates with ambiguous feelings for each other getting together for one last exploit, but author Allmon’s handling makes it something extraordinary. The characters are definitely non-stereotypical, and each one is given enough background to show his niche in this particular tale.
At times, the writing is near poetic in its descriptions. Even at its most earthy and graphic, there’s still a beautiful flow of words and rhythms. The dialogue, especially that between JT and Austin, is filled with rapid-fire ripostes, suggestive and revealing of their feelings toward each other, as well as their resentment.
As for the ending . . . it isn’t really a finish at all, but a segue into the next novel, and the way the setup is handled will make readers wait impatiently for its arrival. The Glamour Thieves does more than steal the Blue Unicorn. It also captures the readers’ interests for the long haul.
Toni V. Sweeney is the author of The Adventures of Sinbad and The Kan Ingan Archives series and also writes under the pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone.
Feb
26
2018
1 Comment
Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Comet is a member of Duke’s Reindeer Squad, one of some twelve men and women who kill, capture, blackmail, and bully anyone who gets in Duke’s way. Upon returning home from a lengthy assignment, Comet swings by to visit an old friend, JT, only to find him missing and his home destroyed. The only clue Comet has to who might be responsible is a disreputable hacker called Buzz Howdy.
Buzz is a member of 3djinn, a … data liberation consortium made of powerful hackers. They keep themselves safe by living in the “High Castle,” their bodies protected while their minds are free to roam the world through virtual space. Only, Buzz isn’t ready to put his body away just yet, which leaves him vulnerable to people like Duke and Comet, or worse, to people like Valentine who will not only destroy his fragile physical form, but destroy his mind. His best hope to help JT — who happens to be an old friend of his, too — and his friend Austin is to partner with Comet.
Comet doesn’t trust the man he’s dubbed “Shaggy” in his thoughts any more than Buzz trusts Duke’s pet killer, but JT and Austin need their help. If only he could keep Comet from handcuffing him at every opportunity. If only they had a moment to do more than kiss. If only there weren’t radioactive spiders, ghouls, killer drones, and a dragon mage chasing after them. Welcome to Apocalypse Alley. Hope you survive the trip!
This is the second book in Don Allmon’s Blue Unicorn series, but it can be read as a standalone. Reading the first book, The Glamour Thieves, helps however, since it lays out more of the world building. To swiftly summarize, some years ago — for no discernible reason — magic entered the world again, turning random people into monsters, orcs, elves, and a unicorn or two. Add to that the way science and magic combine, which allowed people like Buzz to have implants that give him to access the virtual world and let him hack guns and cars and security systems in seconds with only his mind, it’s led to a dystopian world that’s part science fiction and a good dose of fantasy.
Comet, whose real name is Noah, is one of Duke’s favorites. When he was nearly killed in a mission, Duke spared no expense to have him put back together… with a few interesting modifications. Adrenaline, for Comet, is an aphrodisiac. After a fight it’s normal for him to come down from the killer high by fucking whoever might be closest, or whoever Duke wants him to. It makes him very aware of Buzz, who not only isn’t hard on the eyes, but tends to get himself into trouble pretty regularly. While it’s mostly chemical, it’s also alarmingly personal as Buzz isn’t just someone sucking up to Comet to get to Duke. In fact, Buzz would rather be far away from Duke. Buzz’s helplessness, his sincerity, even his cluelessness make Comet feel something more than just his a chemical reaction. It’s almost friendship, and the more time they spend together — and the more Buzz saves his life — it starts turning into something else.
Buzz tends to favor simulated sex. It’s safer, for one thing and, for another, he can control it. As a master hacker, he can program anything he wants, scratching any itch. He can pitch, catch, or do both at the same time, no partner required. Unfortunately, it’s also predictable and a bit lonely. It’s one of the reasons he’s avoided joining his friends in the High Castle. He wants to live his real life for just a little longer. Comet offers him something BangBang and the other hackers can’t. He offers a real connection, a physical bond that won’t be perfect. In fact, it’s the very imperfections that make it … well, perfect.
I’m not normally a big fan of insta-love stories. They tend to rely heavily on cliches, and while this story does the same, it does them in a very charming and sympathetic way. For Comet and Buzz, you can see why they rushed at each other like starving men at a feast. Comet’s bodily autonomy has been taken from him by Duke. So many of his sexual partners have been because Duke wanted to watch or because he was driven by the chemical needs of his new and improved body. Buzz is something new, something Duke hasn’t touched. In fact, every time they come close — when endorphins are flooding his programmed system — they’re interrupted. When they finally do come together, it’s calmer, and sweeter, and more fun.
Buzz is lonely and isolated and being pressured to give up his own freedom. So much of his life has been lived in his head that the very idea of the mess Comet’s thrown him into is a novelty. It’s fast, exciting, and dangerous and Comet — who saves him from danger, who scares him as much as he attracts him — wants him. Wants Buzz. How can you turn that down? They go from unrequited lust to requited love in zero to sixty. It’s cute, it’s fun, and it makes perfect sense in their world.
The plot — the finding and rescuing of JT, the crazy dragon mage, the cybernetic bounty hunter with her drones — is a bit messy, but it’s messy for the characters, too. They’re coming in to part two of a story along with us and having to pick up the pieces as they find them, guessing and hoping blind luck will take them where they need to go. The writing is good, the pacing tends to be a bit rushed… but even for Comet and Buzz they’re running as fast as they can.
I very much enjoyed the first book and like this one. Not as much, perhaps, but I still liked it. I loved the idea of syncing up and chatting through mental PMs as telepathy, how the cyberspace of this world was described with chat rooms, virtual meeting places, and hackers as mages. It’s very much a fun take on the sword and sorcery meets cyberpunk tropes. If you’re into science fantasy books, give this one a try. And check out book one, while you’re at it.
Fantasy Review: The Glamour Thieves by Don Allmon
August 30, 2017 by Judith
The Glamour Thieves by Don Allmon
Published by: Riptide Publishing
Format: eARC
Genre: Queer SF/Fantasy
Order at: Publisher | Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Reviewed by: Edwin
What to Expect: A fast-paced, well-written SF/Fantasy heist story, packed with action and sex.
Check out Don Allmon’s guest post “One Handed Writing” to learn all about what drove him to write The Glamour Thieves. Hint: it’s not what you think it is.
Plot: JT is an orc on the way up. He’s got his own boutique robotics shop, high-end clientele, and deep-pocketed investors. He’s even mentoring an orc teen who reminds him a bit too much of himself back in the day.
Then Austin shows up, and the elf’s got the same hard body and silver tongue as he did two years ago when they used to be friends and might have been more. He’s also got a stolen car to bribe JT to saying yes to one last scheme: stealing the virtual intelligence called Blue Unicorn.
Soon JT’s up to his tusks in trouble, and it ain’t just zombies and Chinese triads threatening to tear his new life apart. Austin wants a second chance with JT—this time as more than just a friend—and even the Blue Unicorn is trying to play matchmaker.
Review: Shadowrun, for those who don’t know, is an RPG world developed in the late 1980s which combines cyberpunk with fantasy. Orcs with lasers, pixies with cybernetic implants, and the like. It’s an enormously fun concept that, outside of Shadowrun itself and Warhammer 40k, has been puzzlingly neglected (the last series outside of those two shared worlds I can remember doing this sort of thing well is Justina Robson’s excellent Quantum Gravity). I’m pleased to report that newcomer Don Allmon has done an outrageously good job of deploying those elements in The Glamour Thieves.
The two leads are JT, an orc car thief turned mechanic, and Austin, and elvish con man/thief. It is very clear from the first page that the two have History with a capital H, but the exact nature of that history is not something we find out until much later in the book, and even then only partially. It’s an interesting storytelling technique: the heist plot which drives the action and the romantic thread which drives the character tension between JT and Austin are both very much tied in that backstory, and neither is ever fully contextualised. This worked to make the madcap rush of the plot seem even more like a headlong dive into the unknown. I found this very effective, but can see others would be irritated by the lack of clear direction in the plot (I should add that I’m sure Allmon has control of his plot at all times, but the reader does not always have access to the same information). This stylistic adventure is allied with a flashy if deliberately rough prose style that I suspect will quickly become instantly identifiable with Allmon.
We quickly go from JT and Austin meeting again for the first time in 2 years to JT being pushed into helping Austin with a heist. They end up roping in a red headed hacker, Buzz, and a Wizard, Victor. The heist, of course, goes badly, with heavily armed Triads, necromancers, and advanced AIs all coming to the party. The action scenes make great use of the worldbuilding, with Austin using his elvish glamour to warp enemies’ emotions, JT using his cybernetic connections to command an army of drones (and, uh, a pickup truck), Buzz hacking man and machine alike, and Victor using the magic powers inherent in his frankly terrifying metal eyeballs. These scenes are creative, but most importantly, they’re also fun.
Points, too, for a good cast of side characters. Buzz and Victor are intriguing, and I really hope we see more from JT’s apprentice, Dante, who seems like she has some interesting stories of her own to tell. Even the villains mentioned above are developed enough to be more than cardboard cutout antagonists. Allmon also has a real talent for outright filthy sex scenes. Sweat and jizz and biting and glamour and sex involving cybernetic cars. It’s smut but it’s not just smut: in their own rough hewn way, the sex scenes in the Glamour Thieves are evocative, and reveal quite a lot about the characters of those with their clothes off. I should also note that both JT and Austin have sex with other people multiple times in the book before they turn to each other. This isn’t a romance, at least not yet, though I understand Austin and JT’s story is going to continue in Book 3 of the Blue Unicorn series (Book 2 is Buzz’s book), and I cannot wait to see where they end up. Highly recommended.
What you might not like/doesn’t work for you: If you’re looking for a romance, you won’t find it here. If you need to have all the information to enjoy what’s going on, the somewhat in media res approach might annoy you.
What you will love: Explosive prose, dirty orc sex, kinetic action scenes: basically the most fun, most gay Shadowrun campaign ever run, in novel form.
Buddy Review: Alex and Edwin talk Apocalypse Alley by Don Allmon
February 22, 2018 by Judith
Apocalypse Alley by Don Allmon
Published by: Riptide
Format: eARC
Genre: Fantasy
Release date: February 26, 2018
Order at: Publisher
Reviewed by: Alex & Edwin
What to Expect: Death Race 2000 meets Mad Max in The Matrix. Featuring a hacker, a supersoldier with side servings of the Daddiest orc in history and a terrifying cyborg assassin.
Plot:
Home from a six-month assignment to war-torn East Asia, genetically engineered supersoldier Noah “Comet” Wu just wants to kick back, share a beer, and talk shit with his best friend, JT. But JT’s home has been shot up like a war zone, and his friend has gone missing.
Comet’s only lead is a smart-mouthed criminal he finds amid the mess. His name’s Buzz Howdy. He’s a con man and a hacker and deserves to be in jail. Or in handcuffs, at least. The only thing the two have in common is JT. Unless you count the steamy glances they’re sneaking at one another. They have those in common too. But that just makes Comet all the more wary.
Despite their mutual distrust, they’ll have to work together to rescue JT before a cyborg assassin gets to him first. Racing down a miserable stretch of road called Apocalypse Alley, they must dodge radioactive spiders, a killer Buick, and rampaging cannibals. They also try to dodge each other. That last bit doesn’t work out so well.
Review:
A sign of how much we both enjoyed the book is that we rushed to the nearest messenger program after finishing it to discuss it. What follows is an edited transcript of that conversation. The reactions are real. The long discursive digressions about the nature of reality are real. The verdict is final. Some emojis may have been removed. This is buddy review.
Edwin: So we both really loved the first book of this series, The Glamour Thieves, right?
Alex: Yup. Loved. Unequivocally.
Edwin: In fact, it was one of my favourite books of last year. Apocalypse Alley is obvious the same sort of aesthetic, but the whole thing is played for laughs a bit more. And I think it’s really effective. Like a day-glo 80s that never existed. If book 1 was Mad Max, this one was Beyond Thunderdome; just lacking a Tina Turner cameo! More than this, I think the style of worldbuilding was incredible. So, not all great art is photorealistic, right? A sketch of a few strokes can be as evocative as hyperrealistic landscapes or portraits. This is the sketch school of worldbuilding. The gestures Allmon makes, the whole aesthetic of the thing, tell you how the world feels so completely without ever being given a lot of details about the world.
Alex: Missing a Tina Turner cameo? Wait, are you…ooooh…aaaand now I’m picturing her as the book two baddie, Valentine. But back to your point. Yes. Allmon is really very clever in the way he writes as if to assume you’re in on the joke. And in the building up of it. Not only is it clever but it’s a very trusting way to write.I think it means a lot about who he is as an author that he assumes he has credible, clever readers. Which he has, obviously.
Edwin: At the same time, I think this may mean the book *really* doesn’t work for some people? If you don’t vibe with the sense of humour, the retro-futurism, and the style of worldbuilding, I think this could be quite inaccessible.
Alex: Inaccessible? Dunno. To your point–responses I’ve received from my waxing lyrical on the topic of sexy orcs, is evidence the subject matter isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Then again, the folks I know who have sipped this particular tea have been surprised by their own enjoyment of it. Take me, for example…I’m not the SFF reader you are (though I do enjoy it). I’ve never played an RPG online or otherwise. I don’t play video games. I’m not “in the know” about these things but this is fun!. More than that, between the fast pace, the character building, the humor, and the tension of a world that is both gritty and lush, I find this series both accessible and welcoming. When I say this, I mean, for beyond this book. It might sound weird but I’ve always found the gamers pretty intimidating. Maybe it’s the queer aspect of this work but after reading this series, I’m left feeling like my barriers to a world previously inaccessible to me (RPG’s, sims, video games) have been lowered.
Edwin: Do you think that fast pace can be a problem, though? We just jump right in where the previous book ended, with Comet arriving at JT’s car yard and finding it trashed, and Dante missing. There’s no easing you in.
Alex: Funny you should say that because there was no easing into The Glamour Thieves. I usually like to be led gently through a new world, introduced to characters in some gentle, civilized manner. That did not happen here. This shouldn’t work but it does. From start to finish, it is all action. There is no time for reflection. There is little bother with exposition. It is a Disneyland ride. No…back-to-back rides with no time to catch your breath. But because these novels are fairly short, it really works. Just don’t think about the fact that so much happens in so little time and that Buzz is neither an orc, an elf, or even an enhanced human; he’s a hacker in a regular human body. On that point, my suspension of disbelief did get stretched but, to be honest, I hardly minded. And speaking of the orc-human-elf continuum, I found the ongoing narrative about identity–and crafted identity–fascinating.
Edwin: I think part of that is down to the characterisation? We get such efficient portrayals of Comet, Buzz, and the background characters that we don’t quite notice being dropped into the narrative cold. We learn about Buzz’s past with his 3djinn hacker crowd, Comet’s history as, essentially, a mystic, who ends up a mercenary, and all their friends and associated on the fly, as the world whizzes past Comet’s bike. Again, the skill involved here is remarkable. I think even if it doesn’t quite work for you, the craft is worthy of respect.
Alex: And that’s another piece of this I find so inspiring. On the one hand, these characters are fully fleshed out. On the other hand, just about every character is a fabrication of themselves. Only Austin goes by his own name. Comet is Noah. JT is now Jason. Even Buzz, whom I suspect had a different birth name becomes Shaggy. It so closely resembles my own queer experience in choosing a name that matches my identity. It’s a powerful way to become yourself. But in this case, the identities are created by others. “Shaggy” comes from Comet. “Jason” comes from Buzz. “Buzz” may very well come from 3djinn. And in this world where each humanoid had been human less than fifty years prior, it’s an interesting question on how our identities–considered indisputable and inherent by many–are shaped by others. Ultimately, this is on the border of crack fiction but the ideas resonate with me.
Edwin: Right? This could so easily have all gone wrong, but it stays just the right side of silly. And, in fact, as well as the fun, I liked how our cast gets us to reflect on what a fundamentally dangerous & not decent world does to fundamentally decent people. All of our heroes in both Blue Unicorn books – Buzz, Comet, JT, Austin have damage, all are shown to have pretty good motivations, but their environment has made them unwilling or unable to show it except in contingent ways. We see this in the way Buzz feels able to show affection to Comet, and also in the deeply contingent relationship between Comet and Duke.
Alex: Wasn’t that also the path taken by JT and Austin? That doesn’t make any of their emotions less relevant. And when they do show up for each other, it’s unquestioning. That’s where this book starts. Comet shows up to meet his best friend Jason (JT) only to find his place shot up. No question Comet is coming after him. In parallel, there is no question Buzz is on the same path. Just to make it more complex, Duke backing them both but in a way that neither particularly feels as if doing so is their choice any longer. And, oh man…Duke. For a tough guy, his love for Comet was overwhelming. I mean, he scared me. I was intimidated, no doubt. But wow. Duke. What an antihero. At the time I was reading their backstory, I was struck by the choices he made in rebuilding Comet — and that one way he did so, which was ultimately for Comet’s pleasure.
Edwin: But. But. *Comet* didn’t see it that way. He saw Duke as playing god with his body. Which it also was.
Alex: Point taken. Still–not choices I’d expect a mob king to make.
Edwin: Can we talk a bit about Duke? He doesn’t have that much time on screen, but goddamn does he pretty much steal the show. Just exudes danger. I don’t know if I’d call him a good man, but neither is he a bad one. Loyal to his people, but demanding of them, and incredibly dangerous to those who threaten he and his. Reminds me quite a lot of Jeff Mann’s fantastic leather daddy vampire Derek Maclaine, actually (if you haven’t read Desire & Devour and Insatiable you really should). Righteous gay rage and lust personified.
Alex: Sigh. My TBR just got longer. Alas, back to Duke. [Deletes several paragraphs of our discussion in which we layout serious Duke fanfiction.] I would very much welcome his epic novel. Did you notice how his entrance coincided with a world in which digital simulation was the norm? This wove throughout this book. We get Allmon’s exploration of the benefits of digital communications. We see characters replaying a ‘scene’ that already happened–it gets repeated over and over, agonized over, reinterpreted. Isn’t this the new paradox? Information comes at lighting speed but with this advancement of technology, we have time to process and edit almost instantaneously too, which gives more time for a considered, polished response or even. There’s at least one scene that outright re-invented reality in the form of extensive edits, cosplay, or substituting an honest, emotional response to a message with self-created porn (there was a motorcycle involved and it was awesome). In person, it’s very difficult to fake a response but, in a digital world? The lure to manipulate the response to a different end proves difficult, to pass up. This happens all the time in social media. What I found so charming in this case is the way Allmon played it, these identities are fictions within fictions but there even in that, they remain authentic.
Edwin: Another aspect of this I thought was really effective was the insertion of projections onto real life seamlessly. There are a couple of scenes in the book where we don’t know at least half the people in the room are actually digital projections everyone is seeing in their neural hardware.
Alex: It’s also great how the hacktivists Buzz runs with use that malleability of reality to try to influence Buzz to act in particular ways, even though he’s one of them.
Edwin: I really like that, too. Kind of a callback to WikiLeaks: leaking isn’t just about justice and speaking truth to power, it’s telling a particular story the leaker (and possibly the original source, too) wants to be told.
Alex: Yes. But I like how that point wasn’t crammed in either. You get that notion out of the narrative without it being forced.
Edwin: If there’s an overriding theme to the book I think it’s one of how reality is entirely contingent on perception. Apocalypse Alley is largely about perception and how different actions look depending on context.That’s stated explicitly in a couple of places, but it also runs thematically throughout the book.
Alex: It definitely plays a major role in the development of Buzz and Comet’s relationship. If they weren’t forced together, if they didn’t have to deal with the grim reality of being hunted, they would not have sought each other out. When contemplating the what comes next, there is real consideration of whether they exist together in the real world or how it might work with some virtual reality. The latter isn’t outright negated but because Comet is enhanced and Buzz practically lives in an alternate reality, their future together is demonstrated by how each responds to that question: what is real?
Edwin: So…negatives? Obviously, we both really liked the book, but it isn’t perfect. I do think the pace was a bit unrelenting to the point you didn’t have time to stop and think. And if I was churlish, this is also getting really close to Shadowrun in its world-building (though I like Shadowrun, and I loved the 90s Shadowrun books, so I don’t have a huge problem with that).
Alex: I didn’t mind the pace. In fact, I liked it. That said, it wouldn’t have worked in a larger novel nor was it believable the characters could keep up that pace given the timeline. Also, Dante Riggs was a non-character. She has the feel of an anti-hero but in her baby teen state, she is neither interesting enough nor enough of a brat, to hook me. More seriously, the climactic action was rushed and disappointingly out of proportion given the badassness of evil cyborg assassin, Valentine, and her fleet of murder cars Valentine.
Edwin: Yes, the miniboss was harder than the boss! Though I believe the disappointing boss just ran off to another castle, rather than be defeated (i.e., is going to be the main antagonist for book 3). All of this is quibbling, though. Ultimately I had masses of fun with this book. I want more people to read this. It’s dirty & profane & anarchic & loving and revels in its own silliness.
Alex: Yes — all of this. Apocalypse Alley is so silly, so fun. So whimsical and clever. So dirty and grimy and so very loving. For those, like me, who aren’t gamers, aren’t into cosplay, who wouldn’t have thought the two words sexy orcs belonged together, who might read the blurb, consider the genre, and think this book might not be for you…consider picking it up anyway. This one might surprise you.
Edwin gets grumpy if his SF/F reading doesn’t feature happy queer main characters. Aside from that, he reads and writes for a living (though not fiction), so of course his hobby is reading, and now writing about what he reads. Why do anything else?
Connect with Edwin on Twitter: @gaybookgeek
Alex claims to read more than any normal, healthy adult should though the rest of the Binge on Books team would beg to differ. You can read all of his reviews here.
Connect with Alex on Twitter: @Alex_deMorra
Book Review: Apocalypse Alley (Blue Unicorn Book 2) by Don Allmon
02/16/2018 | Book Reviews, Reading, Reviews | 20 Comments
When Comet, a soldier, gets home from an assignment out of the country, he discovers that his friend JT's home has been attacked, and JT is missing. He finds Buzz among the wreckage, takes him prisoner, and the two end up traveling across the country to find their mutual friend. Being hunted down by assassins on their way is no surprise, but developing feelings for one another is.
Title: Apocalypse Alley
Author: Don Allmon
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Series: Blue Unicorn
Book Number: Book 2
Genre: Cyberpunk, Fantasy, LGBTQIA, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 201
My Book Rating:
More Info: Goodreads, Amazon, Publisher
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
I loved The Glamour Thieves, but, unfortunately, this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me the way the first one did.
For one thing, I didn’t love the new main characters. Buzz was a hacker and criminal. Comet was a soldier. They were both very rough around the edges and flawed. They seem like characters I should’ve loved, but their personalities fell flat for me. Also, one thing I loved about JT and Austin was their supernatural statuses, but these guys were human (albeit very modified to be kind of more than human, in Comet’s case). But they were very loyal to those they considered friends, so they were likeable for that reason.
Another issue I had was that the romance felt rushed and instalove-y, and I didn’t feel chemistry between them. Also, there was significantly less on-screen sex compared to Book 1 (still some though, plus lots of raunchy thoughts and remarks about it), which was fine, except that the sex that was there felt forced into the story. And just a warning, it was kind of dub-con.
I have mixed feelings about the world-building and tech stuff. On the one hand, I loved the cyberpunk, high-tech, futuristic world. It was super complex and creative. It’s just that sometimes it was so complex and creative that it lost me a bit. But I can appreciate the way the author just fully immerses you in the world rather than explaining every little thing since all that explanation would definitely slow things down. And honestly it’s not necessary to understand every detail in order to imagine your own version of things and have a general understanding of what’s happening.
As for the plot, it was super action-packed. This was a short book, but it packed quite a punch action-wise. There were fights and chases and explosions.
I guess my overall thoughts are that what I loved about the first book was JT and Austin’s POVs and all the angsty emotion and sexual tension in their history-filled romance, but this book didn’t have those things, and it ended up not working as well for me. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be perfect for other people or that other people won’t end up liking Buzz and Comet! And JT and Austin are still part of the story and will be back as POV characters in the third book from what I understand. So if you enjoyed the first book, I do recommend continuing.
Recommended For:
Fans of Book 1 in Don Allmon's Blue Unicorn series. Anyone who likes M/M, cyberpunk/urban fantasy mash-ups, uncommon supernatural creatures, and gritty, raunchy, hard-edged characters.