Olson, Melissa F.
WORK TITLE: Outbreak
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 6/3/1983
WEBSITE: http://melissafolson.com/
CITY: Madison
STATE: WI
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | no2013007679 |
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| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/no2013007679 |
| HEADING: | Olson, Melissa F. |
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| 040 | __ |a ICrlF |b eng |c ICrlF |e rda |d DLC |
| 053 | _0 |a PS3615.L75255 |
| 100 | 1_ |a Olson, Melissa F. |
| 370 | __ |a Chippewa Falls, Wis. |e Madison, Wis. |
| 372 | __ |a Writing |
| 374 | __ |a Author |a Journalist |
| 375 | __ |a female |
| 377 | __ |a eng |
| 670 | __ |a Olson, Melissa F. Dead spots, c2012 : |b t.p. (Melissa F. Olson) |
| 670 | __ |a Goodreads website, Jan 17, 2012 |b (Melissa Olson was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin) |
| 670 | __ |a Author’s website, Jan 17, 2012 |b (moved to Madison, WI ; studied film and literature at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles ; master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee ; journalist) |
| 953 | __ |b xk04 |
PERSONAL
Born June 3, 1983, in Chippewa Falls, WI; married; children: two.
EDUCATION:University of Southern California, graduated; University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, master’s degree.
ADDRESS
- Home - Madison, WI.
CAREER
Writer and speaker.
WRITINGS
- The Big Keep: A Lena Dane Mystery, Westmarch Publishing 2014
- "SCARLETT BERNARD" SERIES
- Dead Spots, 47North (Las Vegas, NV), 2012
- Trail of Dead, 47North (Las Vegas, NV), 2013
- Hunter's Trail, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2014
- "OLD WORLD" SERIES
- Bloodsick: An Old World Tale, Westmarch Publishing 2014
- Boundary Crossed, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2015
- Boundary Lines, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2015
- Boundary Born, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2016
- Companion Pieces: Stories from the Old World and beyond , Amazon Digital Services LLC 2018
- "NIGHTSHADES" SERIES
- Nightshades, Tor.com 2016
- Switchback, Tor.com 2017
- Outbreak, Tor.com 2018
- "DISRUPTED MAGIC" SERIES
- Midnight Curse, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2017
- Blood Gamble, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2017
- Shadow Hunt: Disrupted Magic, 47North (Seattle, WA), 2018
Contributor to publications and websites, including the La Crosse Tribune, International Journal of Comic Art, Tor.com, Litreactor.com, and WomenonWriting.com.
SIDELIGHTS
Melissa F. Olson is a writer and speaker. She holds degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She writes books in the fantasy genre.
Dead Spots
Dead Spots is the first novel in Olson’s “Scarlett Bernard” series. In it, she introduces the series’s eponymous protagonist. Scarlett has the ability to stop magic from working within a ten-foot radius, making her what is called a null. She uses her skills as a crime scene investigator in Los Angeles. Scarlett works with her partner, Jesse Cruz, on a case involving murdered vampires.
“Dead Spots is not among the better books. Its just another run of the mill paranormal book,” remarked a critic on the A Fictional Universe website. In a more favorable assessment in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Charles De Lint asserted: “The initial concept was great, but what’s more important is that Olson follows through. Her gift for characterization and her edge-of-the-chair plotting is the real payoff. She doesn’t hit a bad note from start to finish.”
Trail of Dead and Hunter's Trail
In Trail of Dead, Scarlett and Jesse work on a case involving Scarlett’s former mentor, Olivia, who has now become a vampire. Writing again in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, De Lint suggested: “Although Trail of Dead utilizes the usual background trope of witches, werewolves, and vampires—as did Dead Spots, the first book in the series—it still felt fresh to me because of the introduction of the concept of a null.”
Hunter’s Trail finds Scarlett dealing with an upheaval in the Los Angeles werewolf scene. She works with her former lover, Eli, who was once a werewolf himself. De Lint, the reviewer in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, commented: “The three-novel story arc comes to a very satisfying conclusion with Hunter’s Trail. I especially liked how Scarlett comes into her own, even standing up to her vampire and werewolf bosses to renegotiate their relationship.”
Nightshades
In an interview with a contributor to the Lounge Books website, Olson explained what inspired the opening scene of her 2016 novel, Nightshades, the first book in a series of the same title. She stated: “when I was a kid I lived across the street from a cornfield, and once in a while I’d have to go in there to retrieve a ball or the dog. Cornfields, even in broad daylight, are scary. Once the corn grows over your head, it’s so easy to become lost and disoriented. It’s like being in the middle of a fog: you can only see a couple of feet around you, and anything –or anyone—could be hiding just a few feet away.” Olson continued: “Years and years later, when I started writing Nightshades, I felt like one of the challenges was to make vampires scary again (they so often get bogged down in romance-type stories that they’ve lost some of the fear factor). So I decided to open the book with vampires chasing their victim through a cornfield.”
In the book, an FBI agent named Alex McKenna is named the leader of the bureau’s Chicago location, which includes a group focused on paranormal investigations. He recruits a vampire, or shade, to join the team and help crack a dangerous case. The shade, Lindy Ferdinand, has been working as a translator in Cincinnati and keeping her identity a secret. Lindy agrees to work with Alex and his team. She discovers she is personally connected to someone involved in the case. Meanwhile, a romance develops between Lindy and Alex. A writer on the Vampire Book Club website suggested: “Olson’s vampire mythos is not entirely new, but it has a few twists to make it interesting.” The same writer added: “Nightshades is kind of like an episode of Criminal Minds with vampires.”
Switchback and Outbreak
Alex returns in Switchback. He was wounded in the previous novel and is now recovered and back at work. Alex brings his team to Switch Creek, IL to investigate a case involving a young male shade. The local police caught the shade drinking human blood and placed him in custody. Over night, the shade killed everyone in the police station. Now, he is on the loose. Alex and his team must find the shade before he kills again. A reviewer on the Vampire Book Club website remarked: “The ensemble cast and multiple POVs allow us to see the clues as they’re discovered. The novella length also gives the books an episodic feel. And it makes them great for binging.”
Outbreak finds Alex and Lindy pitted agains formidable foes. Lindy’s brother, who has been in hiding, reappears and begins threatening the human world. Meanwhile, a group of shades, who have been incarcerated, breaks free. Lindy and Alex must fight to keep Lindy’s brother and the other shades from destroying the world. “This would be a satisfying end to the series,” suggested a critic on the Vampire Book Club website. A Publishers Weekly reviewer asserted: “There is no doubt that Olson has created memorable characters and an immersive world.”
Midnight Curse and Shadow Hunt
Midnight Curse is the first volume in the “Disrupted Magic” series, which also features Scarlett, the null. In this book, she asks Jesse to help her save a friend who has been framed for a crime. Meanwhile, she keeps her dog, Shadow near her to help keep herself safe from murderous vampires. A writer on the All Things Urban Fantasy website asserted: “Supernatural politics, intense actions and high emotion blend perfectly to make one of the best urban fantasy books … in a long time.”
Scarlett flees Los Angeles, leaving Jesse and Shadow vulnerable in Shadow Hunt. Jason Wren, contributor to the Medium website, commented: “Olson is very good at overlaying units of delayed fulfillment throughout the story to continue pulling the reader along for the narrative. However, the plot seems to bog down in all of the interpersonal drama that transpires. The author appears much more concerned with character interactions than establishing a three dimensional antagonist or a genuine threat.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May-June, 2013, Charles De Lint, review of Dead Spots, p. 33; January-February, 2014, Charles De Lint, review of Trail of Dead, p. 36; May-June, 2015, review of Hunter’s Trail, p. 58.
Publishers Weekly, April 30, 2018, review of Outbreak, p. 44.
ONLINE
A Fictional Universe, http://www.afictionaluniverse.com/ (August 14, 2018), review of Dead Spots.
All Things Urban Fantasy, http://allthingsuf.com/ (February 9, 2017), review of Midnight Curse.
Lounge Books, http://www.lounge-books.com/ (September 6, 2018), author interview.
Medium, https://medium.com/ (August 14, 2018), Jason Wren, review of Shadow Hunt.
Melissa F. Olson website, http://melissafolson.com/ (September 6, 2018).
Vampire Book Club, http://vampirebookclub.net/ (July 20, 2016), review of Nightshades; (June 4, 2018), review of Switchback; (July 22, 2018), review of Outbreak.
- Dead Spots 47North (Las Vegas, NV), 2012
- Trail of Dead 47North (Las Vegas, NV), 2013
- Hunter's Trail 47North (Seattle, WA), 2014
- Boundary Crossed 47North (Seattle, WA), 2015
- Boundary Lines 47North (Seattle, WA), 2015
- Boundary Born 47North (Seattle, WA), 2016
- Midnight Curse 47North (Seattle, WA), 2017
- Blood Gamble 47North (Seattle, WA), 2017
- Companion Pieces: Stories from the Old World and beyond - 2018 Amazon Digital Services LLC , https://smile.amazon.com/Companion-Pieces-Stories-World-beyond-ebook/dp/B07FP5JZML/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-1&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- Shadow Hunt (Disrupted Magic) - 2018 47North, https://smile.amazon.com/Shadow-Disrupted-Magic-Melissa-Olson/dp/1503949109/ref=sr_1_2_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-2&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- Bloodsick: An Old World Tale - 2014 Westmarch Publishing, https://smile.amazon.com/Bloodsick-World-Melissa-F-Olson-ebook/dp/B00RH1H7OC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-6&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- Switchback: A Nightshades Novel - 2017 Tor.com, https://smile.amazon.com/Switchback-Nightshades-Melissa-F-Olson/dp/0765398281/ref=sr_1_7_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-7&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- Outbreak: A Nightshades Novel - 2018 Tor.com, https://smile.amazon.com/Outbreak-Nightshades-Melissa-F-Olson/dp/1250176301/ref=sr_1_8_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-8&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- Nightshades: A Paranormal Thriller - 2016 Tor.com, https://smile.amazon.com/Nightshades-Paranormal-Thriller-Melissa-Olson/dp/0765388502/ref=sr_1_12_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-12&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- The Big Keep: A Lena Dane Mystery - 2014 Westmarch Publishing , https://smile.amazon.com/Big-Keep-Lena-Dane-Mystery/dp/193999621X/ref=sr_1_15_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1534217680&sr=8-15&keywords=Olson%2C+Melissa+F.
- Melissa F. Olson - http://melissafolson.com/about/
Considering Melissa for an event? Click here for her author resume.
BiographyMelissa Olson studied film and literature at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After a brief stint in the Hollywood studio system, Melissa moved to Madison, WI, where she eventually acquired a master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee, a husband, a mortgage, two kids, two comically oversized dogs, and two chinchillas, not at all in that order. She loves Madison, but still dreams of the food in LA. (Literally. There are dreams.)
As of 2018, Melissa has published nine novels in her Old World series for 47North, three novellas for Tor.com, and a standalone mystery. Her journalism and academic work has been published in The International Journal of Comic Art, The La Crosse Tribune, U-Wire, Women on Writing.com, the compilation Images of the Modern Vampire, Litreactor.com, and Tor.com. She spends most of her non-writing professional time traveling around to conventions and conferences, where she speaks about issues related to genre, feminism, writing, and parenting.
Email: MelissaFOlson@gmail.com
- Lounge Books - http://www.lounge-books.com/award-winners-we-lov/horror-lounge-author-melissa-olson
QUOTED: "when I was a kid I lived across the street from a cornfield, and once in a while I’d have to go in there to retrieve a ball or the dog. Cornfields, even in broad daylight, are scary. Once the corn grows over your head, it’s so easy to become lost and disoriented. It’s like being in the middle of a fog: you can only see a couple of feet around you, and anything –or anyone—could be hiding just a few feet away."
"Years and years later, when I started writing Nightshades, I felt like one of the challenges was to make vampires scary again (they so often get bogged down in romance-type stories that they’ve lost some of the fear factor). So I decide to open the book with vampires chasing their victim through a cornfield."Meet author Melissa F. Olson @melissafolson #HorrorLounge
LB - Image - Horror Lounge - Melissa Olson.jpgTell us about your latest book
Switchback is the second book in a trilogy that started with Nightshades. The first book was about what happens when the FBI has to take on vampires. In book 2, the team has to investigate a vampire-related mass murder in one of the rich suburbs of Chicago.
First memory of reading horror
Switchback: A Nightshades Novel
By Melissa F. Olson
I read a few of the Goosebumps/Christopher Pike type books when I was in elementary school, but none of those made much of an impression. My first real, grownup horror novel was probably Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton. My parents were really careful about what they let us watch, but they rarely thought to police my reading material. The imagery in that book blew me away, especially the scenes where the team goes from house to house, and everyone is dead in gruesome new ways.
I think I was in fifth grade at the time.For readers new to horror which 3 books would you recommend they start with?
The Haunting of Hill House, Dracula, and Silence of the Lambs. One’s a ghost story, one’s a monster hunt, and one’s a terrifying psychological thriller. Between those three, anyone new to horror should be able to find something that grabs them.Do you have a favourite horror sub-genre, and why?
In film, I’m partial to a good creature feature: Deep Blue Sea, Lake Placid, Skull Island. In literature, though, I tend to be all over the place. Some of my favorite horror reads from the last few years include A Head Full of Ghosts, which is psychological, Meddling Kids, which is a horror/humor/pop culture mashup, Chuck Wendig’s Invasive, a Crichton-style scifi book about killer ants, and Anno Dracula, which is a reimagining of Dracula if the count had actually beaten Jonathan Harker.Most terrifying book you’ve ever read.
I’ve got to give this to House of Leaves, mostly because –without spoiling anything—the nature of the ending still unnerves me, fifteen years later.Your favourite Stephen King book.
I’m not a huge King fan, for the simple reason that I don’t love how his books tend to treat female characters. I will say The Shining made quite an impression. I read it in college, and I have never been more grateful to have a roommate nearby.New horror authors you’d recommend.
I just started Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. My friend Kate Maruyama (author of Harrowgate; so no stranger to horror herself!) recommended it so enthusiastically that I moved it to the top of my enormous (and mostly digital) To-Read pile.Who do you consider the King and Queen of horror fiction?
Shirley Jackson for queen! I was actually really late to the Shirley Jackson party, but now I’m in awe of her books and stories. During my brief stint teaching literature, I assigned the class both Haunting of Hill House and “The Lottery.” It was the only time all semester I was glad the class started at 8 am, because it meant I couldn’t creep myself out walking to the parking lot afterwards.
For king, well, I know everyone says Stephen (I mean…it’s right there…) but I’m gonna say Alan Moore. I have a list of authors and actors who have unnerved me so much that if I spotted them in a dark alley in real life, I’d scream and run the other way. (But for real, I think I would.) You can bet Moore is on that list.Your favourite horror film (adapted from a book) & why?
My brain shorted out trying to choose just one, out of all the great classics, so instead I’ll pick a movie that I think is sadly underrated: Odd Thomas. I haven’t actually read the Dean Koontz novels, but Mummy director Stephen Sommers crafted a funny, heartbreaking, and engaging little flick starring the late Anton Yelchin. It’s on Netflix, and you should give it some love.Horror book that you’d like to see adapted to film & why?
There are so many! The Last Werewolf, Fevre Dream, Anno Dracula—actually, I’d love to see a really good adaptation of the original Dracula. There have been dozens of Dracula movies, of course, but they’re all either dated, ridiculous, or both. I think the world could use a light-on-the-CGI Dracula that follows the book and doesn’t involve Keanu Reeves. (Actually, wouldn’t Keanu Reeves make an awesome Renfield? “Bugs! Whoa!”) I hope Universal’s Dark Universe project actually gets organized and does right by the Count.Best horror TV?
Right now, it’s easily The Exorcist. Going back a few years, Penny Dreadful, and a few years before that, I really enjoyed the hell of out of a slasher show called Harper’s Island. I think that one came out about five years too early to get the appreciation it deserved.Did you write in other genres or straight to horror?
I started in urban fantasy, and that’s really my comfort zone. The Nightshades books probably veer into horror by virtue of body count and tone, but it’s a fun horror.Horror doesn’t seem to be as well respected as other genres of fiction. Why do you think that is?
I’m not sure I agree. The entire publishing industry has diversified so much, not just in terms of how books are published, but in how they are reviewed. In addition to major national news outlets, we now have access to thorough, critical reviews on YouTube, podcasts, web magazines, blogs, and review sites like Goodreads and Amazon. Sure, you have to sift through some junk to get to the thoughtful discourse, but it’s everywhere. We have more access to literary criticism than ever before. And plenty of that is focused specifically on horror.
So if you say horror isn’t well-respected, I have to ask, well-respected by whom? Because there just isn’t a single model of reviewer, or reader, or publisher. Not anymore.Do you think horror is ready for a renaissance?
That’s a really complex question. I think horror, like most genres, is constantly reinventing itself, reviving itself (insert your zombie joke here). It’s very cyclical.
I will say, though, that I would like to see it reinvent in a bit of a different direction. Right now everyone is obsessed with Stephen King and his film adaptations, again, and frankly I’d rather shift toward other kinds of stories, the ones that don’t involve a group of misfit boys bonding over a shared scary experience. There are so many great stories written by women, people of color, and people with disabilities, and I’d like to see horror readership widen the scope more to include them. If you want to call that a renaissance, I’m all for it.Tips for new writers of horror fiction.
Use what you’re afraid of. I’m sure you’ve some variation of that before, but I find it especially helpful when it comes to setting. For example, when I was a kid I lived across the street from a cornfield, and once in a while I’d have to go in there to retrieve a ball or the dog. Cornfields, even in broad daylight, are scary. Once the corn grows over your head, it’s so easy to become lost and disoriented. It’s like being in the middle of a fog: you can only see a couple of feet around you, and anything –or anyone—could be hiding just a few feet away.
Years and years later, when I started writing Nightshades, I felt like one of the challenges was to make vampires scary again (they so often get bogged down in romance-type stories that they’ve lost some of the fear factor). So I decide to open the book with vampires chasing their victim through a cornfield.
Writing horror is about trying to evoke feelings of fear, and you can give yourself an advantage by setting your story someplace that scares you. I’m still really proud of that cornfield sequence –and still you couldn’t pay me to go into a field at night.Do you believe in evil?
I suppose I believe in evil deeds, but not evil people. Human beings are incredibly complex creatures shaped by dozens of different sources, both internal and external. Labeling a person as “evil” is so simplistic as that it feels dangerous (“Oh, he’s just evil” should not be the end of a conversation about why someone committed murder). It’s way too pat and easy to describe such a complicated organism.What scares you?
Oh, all the usual stuff: my kids getting sick, my loved ones dying, the current president of the United States. Also eels. And sharks. And leeches. Basically, I don’t go in the water.3 most scary words in English language?
You. Missed. Deadline.Do you celebrate Halloween?
Absolutely. Now that I have kids I get to do the whole bit: costumes, trick or treating, decorations. Getting to do kid Halloween is one of the main reasons to have children. I was smart about it, too: during my first kid’s first Halloween, I instituted what’s now known as the Peanut Butter Cup Tax. You want me to get you a costume and take you trick-or-treating? Fine, but candy WILL be taxed.Where can readers find you?
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Website
QUOTED: "There is no doubt that Olson has created memorable characters and an immersive world."
Outbreak
Publishers Weekly.
265.18 (Apr. 30, 2018): p44. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Outbreak
Melissa F. Olson.Tor.com, $4.99 e-book (240p) ISBN 978-1-250-17629-5
The last chapter of Olson's Nightshades urban fantasy series brings the adventures of paranormal investigative agent Alex McKenna to a thrilling conclusion. Alex and his vampire lover, Lindy, are shaken when a host of captive vampires break free from their maximum-security prison and Lindy's brother emerges from hiding, bent on breaking the human world through fear and terror. Alex and Lindy team up with some unlikely allies to stop this scourge. Underneath the action lies relatable drama of sundered families and questioning one's identity. The shade and human worlds become divided and supposedly unalienable rights are threatened in a tongue-in-cheek critique of our turbulent political era. Though at times the plot strays toward the familiar, there is no doubt that Olson has created memorable characters and an immersive world. Olson's fans will be delighted with this final book in the trilogy. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Outbreak." Publishers Weekly, 30 Apr. 2018, p. 44. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537852261/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=2085395f. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537852261
QUOTED: "Although Trail of Dead utilizes the usual background trope of witches, werewolves, and vampires—as did Dead Spots, the first book in the series—it still felt fresh to me because of the introduction of the concept of a null."
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Trail of Dead
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
126.1-2 (January-February 2014): p36+. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2014 Spilogale, Inc.
http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Full Text:
Trail of Dead, by Melissa F. Olson, 47 North, 2013, $14.95.
Spirit and Dust, by Rosemary Clement-Moore, Delacorte Press, 2013, $17.99.
Although Trail of Dead utilizes the usual background trope of witches, werewolves, and vampires --as did Dead Spots, the first book in the series--it still felt fresh to me because of the introduction of the concept of a null--a character whose proximity renders magic ... well, null. Werewolves become human, vampires are alive again, and witches' spells don't work.
One of the two main viewpoint characters, Scarlett Bernard, is that null. In the first hook she teamed up with LAPD Detective Jesse Cruz to solve a murder case on the orders of her own boss, the head vampire of LA. The two are thrown together again with a case that relates to Scarlett's past, in particular the woman Olivia, who trained her. Olivia, once a null, is now a vampire, and she has all sorts of nefarious plans in mind as she follows her goal to rule the supernatural community in LA.
I enjoyed Trail of Dead while reading it--and I still like how Olson works Scarlett's ability as a null into the plot--but I have to admit that a couple of months later as I write this I can't think of any memorable element except for that bit about the null.
This doesn't by any means make it a bad book. If that had been the case, I would have stopped reading it long before the end. It's just a result of there being too many of this sort of book around. Soon after you're done reading one, they all tend to gather in one's memory and blur into a mishmash of similarity.
Pretty much the same thing happened to me with Rosemary Clement-Moore's Spirit and Dust. The setup is different.
The way it seems to work in urban fantasy these days, if your character isn't a vampire, witch, or werewolf, or in a relationship with one of them, then she can talk to the dead. Daisy Goodnight falls into the latter category.
She's the cousin of Amy and Phin Goodnight from Texas Gothic, which I haven't read, and didn't need to read for this story since the connections don't appear to be deep between the two books.
Daisy's still a teenager, and the book opens with the FBI coming to take her out of school to help
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them with a murder/kidnapping case. It's something she's done before, but this time she can't get a handle on the dead spirit.
The kidnap victim, she discovers, is the daughter of a mobster who--while she's at the crime scene--has one of his men kidnap her in turn. Even though she assures the mobster that she's doing everything she can to help find his daughter, he still has a witch put a spell on her so that she can only search for his daughter. Then he sends her off with Carson, one of his men, to do just that.
From there the book turns into a kind of scavenger hunt/chase as a bickering Daisy and Carson try to stay ahead of the police and the kidnappers to acquire various artifacts needed to rescue the kidnapped daughter.
I don't mean to denigrate either of these authors or their books, because I know how much hard work goes into writing a novel. But the way books--by their subject matter--blur into one another really seems to be a trend these days. Or at least it hits me that way.
I liken it to a TV show that I happened upon while flipping stations. It passed the time and did its job of entertaining me, but I'm not necessarily compelled to tune in next week.
de Lint, Charles
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Trail of Dead." The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Jan.-Feb. 2014, p. 36+. Book
Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A367546206/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=b6297b16. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A367546206
QUOTED: "The initial concept was great, but what's more important is that Olson follows through. Her gift for characterization and her edge-of-the-chair plotting is the real payoff. She doesn't hit a bad note from start to finish."
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Dead Spots
Charles De Lint
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 124.5-6 (May-June 2013): p33+. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2013 Spilogale, Inc.
http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Full Text:
Dead Spots , by Melissa F. Olson, 47 North, 2012, $14.95.
Now, speaking of my little list of things that are guaranteed to get me to try a book, Melissa Olson's debut offers a great example of the novel concept: In what's now become pretty much a traditional fantasy landscape of vampires, werewolves, and witches living hidden alongside of humans, Olson's principal viewpoint character Scarlett Bernard is a "null." Which means no magic works within ten feet of her.
Witches can't cast spells. Werewolves revert to their human shape. Vampires are alive, rather than undead.
Once they're out of a null's circle of influence, everything goes back to normal (or "paranormal," all things considered).
This is useful in her line of work since all three groups use her to clean up crime scenes when one of their own gets a little (or sometimes a lot) out of hand. By the time Scarlett is done, there's no trace that anything supernatural ever happened.
It's all well and good until Scarlett shows up late at a particularly gruesome murder scene: three vampires have been torn to pieces and the evidence points to the involvement of another null, since the vampires died as humans. The problem is nulls are particularly rare, with only five or six known to exist in the world. So what's a secret second one doing in L.A.?
But these are worries for the supernatural community. In the real world the LAPD has a very bloody and public crime to solve. First on the scene is Jesse Cruz, a young detective who catches a glimpse of Scarlett just before a wolf runs by and turns into a human because of Scarlett's proximity. Cruz's surprise at the transformation allows Scarlett to make her escape, but he tracks her down and demands answers she can't give without the permission of Dash, the head of L.A.'s vampires.
Dash allows them to work together with the caveat that Cruz keep his mouth shut. Cruz agrees, but it makes it hard for him to work the case from the LAPD's point of view since Cruz looks like he's slacking when he's actually investigating supernatural elements that he can't talk about. Things get more difficult when suspicion falls on Scarlett because she's the only null in L.A.
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With a death sentence hanging over their heads and no support from their respective communities, it's up to the two of them to figure things out before time runs out.
The initial concept was great, but what's more important is that Olson follows through. Her gift for characterization and her edge-of-the-chair plotting is the real payoff. She doesn't hit a bad note from start to finish.
De Lint, Charles
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
De Lint, Charles. "Dead Spots." The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May-June 2013,
p. 33+. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A329179790 /GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=70f815a6. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A329179790
QUOTED: "The three-novel story arc comes to a very satisfying conclusion with Hunter's Trail. I especially liked how Scarlett comes into her own, even standing up to her vampire and werewolf bosses to renegotiate their relationship."
5 of 7 8/13/18, 10:30 PM
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Hunter's Trail
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 128.5-6 (May-June 2015): p58+. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2015 Spilogale, Inc.
http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Full Text:
Hunter's Trail, by Melissa F. Olson, 47North, 2014, $14.95.
Hunter's Trail brings to a conclusion the three-novel story arc that started with Dead Spots. Just to bring you up to date, the viewpoint characters in the three books focus on Scarlett Bernard and Jesse Cruz.
Scarlett is a "null," which means that magic doesn't work in a certain radius around her. Witches' spells fizzle out, werewolves and vampires become human again. It's a lovely concept that hasn't gotten old over the three-book run. Scarlett also has a day job as a "cleaner," removing any evidence of a supernaturally related crime, up to and including dead bodies. This puts her in direct conflict with Jesse, who's a homicide detective, co-opted into helping her out--and thereby breaking the law--by Scarlett's bosses.
In book two [Trail of the Dead), Scarlett discovers that she can use her null ability to permanently "cure" a supernatural being when she saves Eli, a werewolf and her booty-call buddy. Eli is now permanently human, and it seems like a happy ending of sorts at the end of that book. But we soon discover in Hunter's Trail that Eli's conversion creates a power vacuum in the L.A. pack because Eli was the second in command to his Alpha, Will.
Scarlett's been keeping this new ability under wraps but there are those who--with Eli's sudden absence from the pack hierarchy--suspect what she's done and are demanding she help them in the same way. Things get even more complicated when you add in an unknown rogue who's killing pack members, dumping the bodies on the Alpha's front porch, and a French hit team with a monstrous supernatural creature specifically trained to take down werewolves.
The three-novel story arc comes to a very satisfying conclusion with Hunter's Trail. I especially liked how Scarlett comes into her own, even standing up to her vampire and werewolf bosses to renegotiate their relationship. We're left with a few unanswered questions, but Olson showed that her characters had lives before these books started, so we can assume that--somewhere--they will have lives after.
And also, unlike the Michelle Gagnon trilogy discussed above, each book in Olson's series is as strong as the one before it.
I've read that Olson plans to write more books in what she calls her Old World series, the setting being the connective thread with different characters taking center stage. I have to admit that this
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is the way I like a series, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with hers. de Lint, Charles
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hunter's Trail." The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May-June 2015, p. 58+. Book
Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A412685846/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=942f3cdb. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A412685846
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- Vampire Book Club
http://vampirebookclub.net/review-nightshades-by-melissa-f-olson/
Word count: 510QUOTED: "Olson’s vampire mythos is not entirely new, but it has a few twists to make it interesting."
"Nightshades is kind of like an episode of Criminal Minds with vampires."Posted by Margaret on Jul 20, 2016 in Reviews, Urban Fantasy | 2 comments
logoNightshades by Melissa F. Olson // VBC ReviewNightshades
Melissa F. Olson
Published: Jul. 19, 2016 (Tor.com)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest reviewReviewed by: Margaret
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Two years ago a vampire, or shade as they prefer to be called, named Ambrose wound up in the custody of the FBI. His capture confirmed the existence of shades to the world and prompted the formation of the Bureau for Paranormal Investigations or BPI, the FBI division dedicated to policing the supernatural. The Chicago BPI office was tracking a shade suspected of kidnapping several teens when all but one of the agents were slaughtered.
Alex McKenna becomes the new head of the Chicago pod and, with help from his best friend and second in command, assembles a new team to continue the investigation. To gain some insight into the shades he asks Lindy Ferdinand to join the team. She’s a shade who’s been mainstreaming, working as a translator for a brokerage firm in Cincinnati. Not only does she have inside knowledge of shades, but it turns out she has a personal connection to the one behind the abductions.
The partnership between Alex and Lindy is interesting because the society in general, and the FBI in particular, distrusts the shades. They know very little about them, having only recently confirmed their existence and having no one but Ambrose to answer questions about them. And he’s not particularly helpful. Despite that, Alex is relatively trusting and even protective of Lindy. She, meanwhile, is torn between wanting to stop the abductions and endangering her people by revealing too much. I would really like to see how their relationship develops, especially given events at the end of the story.
Olson’s vampire mythos is not entirely new, but it has a few twists to make it interesting. For example, it’s the shades’ saliva rather than their blood that heals and transforms humans. There are a few elements of the history and the timeline that I would have liked to see explained more, like when and what the Eradication was. The story is also set in the near future, though I’m not sure exactly when.
Nightshades is kind of like an episode of Criminal Minds with vampires. I’m loving it and I really hope that it will be the prequel for a series about the BPI. I also have a few of Olson’s books in my Kindle library that I haven’t read and will now be moving closer to the top of the TBR list.
Sexual content: kissing
- Vampire Book Club
http://vampirebookclub.net/review-outbreak-by-melissa-f-olson-nightshades-3/
Word count: 429QUOTED: "This would be a satisfying end to the series."
Posted by Margaret on Jun 22, 2018 in Reviews, Urban Fantasy | 0 comments
logoOutbreak by Melissa F. Olson // VBCOutbreak (Nightshades #3)
Melissa F Olson
Published: June 5, 2018 (Tor)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest reviewReviewed by: Margaret
Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars
Note: While review will be spoiler free, it does make reference to previous books in the series. If you haven’t started yet, check out VBC’s review of Nightshades.
Outbreak overlaps with the end of the previous Nightshades book Switchback, and revisits the same events from a different point of view. Lindy and the Chicago BPI pod are being blamed for the shade jailbreak, which is covered in more detail. The whole team is suspended and a SWAT team is sent to bring Lindy in. But Alex and Lindy escape and go on the run, planning to take down the real villain, Hector, on their own.
I love Alex and Lindy together and was happy to get more of them in this book. That means we don’t see quite as much of the other team members’ POVs though. But I loved what I saw of Noelle, the FBI tech nerd who builds the team’s anti-vampire weapons. She’s the grown up, gay, Asian Shuri I didn’t know I needed! A certain bad girl behaved exactly like I thought she would, but I liked her anyway.
I also loved that we finally learn about Lindy’s past, as well as the history of the shades going back to the plague. This installment also shows us everything these shades can do with lots of behind the scenes machinations and an action-packed final battle. I really enjoyed this one!
The story arc that began with Nightshades is pretty much wrapped up in Outbreak, so this would be a satisfying end to the series. I hope it’s not though. I would love to see Alex and Lindy and the rest of this team take on more cases. The paranormal police procedural was what hooked me on urban fantasy years ago, and I feel like I don’t see enough of them lately. Melissa F. Olson’s series has definitely filled that void for me. And it does it in bite-sized novellas perfect for a quick fix or a serial binge.
Sexual content: kissing
- Vampire Book Club
http://vampirebookclub.net/review-switchback-by-melissa-f-olson-nightshades-2/
Word count: 456QUOTED: "The ensemble cast and multiple POVs allow us to see the clues as they’re discovered. The novella length also gives the books an episodic feel. And it makes them great for binging."
Posted by Margaret on Jun 4, 2018 in Reviews, Urban Fantasy | 0 comments
logoSwitchback by Melissa F. Olson // VBC reviewSwitchback (Nightshades #2)
Melissa F. Olson
Published: Oct. 24, 2017 (Tor)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest reviewReviewed by: Margaret
Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars
Note: While review will be spoiler free, it does make reference to previous books. If you haven’t started this series yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, Nightshades.
Switchback picks up about a month after the end of Nightshades. Special Agent Alex McKenna is just returning to work at the Chicago office for the Bureau for Paranormal Investigations after recovering from the injuries he suffered at the end of that book. On his first day back, his team gets called to the small town of Switch Creek, Illinois, where a young man was arrested for drinking blood the previous evening. In the morning, the office manager arrived to find a massacre had occurred at the police station overnight.
I enjoyed getting to know the BPI team some more in this second book. Olson goes in to some of the characters’ backstories and develops the relationships between members of this relatively new team. Plus, the whole paranormal FBI thing is perfect old school urban fantasy and totally my catnip.
I thought the mystery was just okay though. That could just be because I was more interested in the characters than in the plot. It could be that the novella length doesn’t leave room for as much story development as I have would have liked. The connections to characters in the first book also don’t come up until the end, which made this feel like a transitional book more than a standalone.
In my review, I said Nightshades was like “Criminal Minds with vampires.” And the series continues to feel like it should be a TV show. (Hey Netflix, can you make this show for me please?) The ensemble cast and multiple POVs allow us to see the clues as they’re discovered. The novella length also gives the books an episodic feel. And it makes them great for binging! In a way I’m glad I didn’t read Switchback when it first released because I get to go right in to book three, Outbreak, which comes out tomorrow.
Sexual content: Fade-to-black sex
- A Fictional Universe
http://www.afictionaluniverse.com/blog/review-dead-spots-scarlett-bernard-1-by-melissa-f-olson/
Word count: 1384QUOTED: "Dead Spots is not among the better books. Its just another run of the mill paranormal book."
Review: Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard, #1) by Melissa F. Olson
Kim @ A Fictional Universe
Dead-Spots-Scarlett-Bernard-1-by-Melissa-F.-Olson.jpg
★★★★★★★★★★6 Stars!Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and any supernatural spells or demonic forces are instantly defused—vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can’t get out so much as a “hocus pocus.” This special skill makes her a null and very valuable to Los Angeles’s three most powerful magical communities, who utilize her ability to scrub crime scenes clean of all traces of the paranormal to keep humanity, and the LAPD, in the dark.
But one night Scarlett’s late arrival to a grisly murder scene reveals her agenda and ends with LAPD’s Jesse Cruz tracking her down to strike a deal: he’ll keep quiet about the undead underworld if she helps solve the case. Their pact doesn’t sit well with Dash, the city’s chief bloodsucker, who fears his whole vampire empire is at stake. And when clues start to point to Scarlett, it’ll take more than her unique powers to catch the real killer and clear her name.Contents [show]
IntroductionI did not have any expectations starting on this book. I just stumbled upon it surfing Audible for new books to read with my ears. I was a little curious about the Null ability, but the rest sounded like the run of the mill paranormal fantasy book.
LikesI like the way the origin of magic and how it works are described. It`s also interesting to read about the Null power and how it affect the supernatural world.
DislikesI usually don`t like the love triangle, and this one is no exception. Luckily it was not to heavy in this book, but it looks like it could be a problem in later books. I also hated the cliffhanger. Luckily there are already a book number two out, but it dos note bode well for future books. I really hate cliffhanger endings. Sometimes I wish the Authors of cliffhangers should get some first hand experience of how a Judas Cradle works.
POVDead Spots is mainly written from Scarletts point of view in a first person narrative. There are however small chapters that are written in third person view from other characters, mainly from detective Jesse`s point of view.
SettingThis book is set in Los Angles. L.A. is apparently not among the bigger supernatural cities, but it is on of the only cities where all three supernatural species coexist on an equal footing.
Character typesThe human race split into three different supernatural species. Vampires, Werewolfs, and Witches. They are basically what you expect them to be. There is also another new player in the game, the Nulls. The Nulls can remove all traces of magic within the null field that are around them. This is not only restricted to magical spells but also to magical species. Werwolfs and vampires become human when they get close to a null, but they return to their species when they get outside the null field again.
CharactersWhile reading the book you will learn about more than the mentioned characters and many of them will probably be requiring characters in the books to come. Some of them will likely also get a bigger part than they have until now.
ScarlettScarlett is a Null. She did not discover what she was until another Null approached her after her parents died in a car crash. Her only other living relative is her brother, who she is trying to keep secret from her supernatural “friends”. She works as the Cities cleaner, or janitor as she describes it. Whenever a supernatural person has an accident that needs to be cleaned up they call her. She can nullify magical spells and magical residue from failed spells with her own Null talent. She also has to clean up dead bodies when animals or people “accidentally” dies by supernatural means.
Scarlett, Jesse and Eli has the beginnings of a love triangle going on in this first book. I am not a fan of love triangle and sadly it looks like this one will, as most of them does, keep on going in the following books.
JesseJesse is a human detective at L.A.P.D. He accidentally discovers the old world (the supernatural world) when he stubles upon a crusome crime scene and get a first hand experience with a werewolf transformation. This is also where he first meats Scarlett, which he later falls for. Despite his dislike for her occupation.
EliEli is a werewolf bartender and he has had three one night stands with Scarlett, if they can still be called ONS at that point. He is also assigned to help Scarlett out with her tasks, which just builds up that stupid love triangle. Scarlett is also stupidly afraid that he is only interested in her for her ability to make him human, which is something most werewolfs like. It relaxes them.
MollyMolly is a vampire and she is Scarlett`s roommate. She originally become roommate with Scarlett because of here ability. Most vampires are afraid to get close to Scarlett since they then are easily killed and they ages as normal humans. Molly was turned as a teenager and she wants to be close to scarlet so she can age to a more fitting age.
DashiellDashiell, or Dash, is the vampire boss of all vampires in L.A. He gives out mixed signals about caring for Scarlett and being a ruthless bastard that will do anything to keep Scarlet under his control.
KirstenKirsten is the witch leader and she is really powerful.
ConclusionDead Spots is not among the better books. Its just another run of the mill paranormal book. I would not recommend this book to anyone except if you are a fan of paranormal / Urban Fantasy books. I am however going to keep reading this series, at least until I reach the currently last book that are published. But I am not sure if I will get going again if I have to wait to long for a new book to be published.
Item Reviewed
Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olson
Series: Scarlett Bernard#1
Published: Oct. 30, 2012
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Language: English
About Melissa F. Olson
Melissa F. Olson
Melissa Olson was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and studied film and literature at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After graduation, and a brief stint bouncing around the Hollywood studio system, Melissa proved too broke for LA and moved to Madison, WI, where she eventually acquired a master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee, a husband, a mortgage, a teaching gig, two kids, and two comically oversized dogs, not at all in that order. She loves Madison, but still dreams of the food in LA. (Literally. There are dreams.) Along with her Scarlett Bernard novels Dead Spots, Trail of Dead, and Hunter’s Trail she has also released a mystery novel, The Big Keep. Melissa’s work has been published in the Daily Trojan, the Chippewa Falls Herald Telegram, The International Journal of Comic Art, The La Crosse Tribune, U-Wire, Women on Writing.com, and the compilation Images of the Modern Vampire. She has also presented or been on panels at the Midwest Popular Culture/American Culture Conference, the International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts Conference, OdysseyCon, and EncountersCon in Wichita.
WebsiteTwitterFacebookGoodreadsAmazon
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Book, Review Book, Review. permalink. - All Things Urban Fantasy
http://allthingsuf.com/2017/02/5-bat-review-midnight-curse-disrupted-magic-1-melissa-f-olson.html
Word count: 728QUOTED: "Supernatural politics, intense actions and high emotion blend perfectly to make one of the best urban fantasy books ... in a long time."
5 Bat! Review: Midnight Curse (Disrupted Magic #1), by Melissa F. Olson
February 9, 2017 Kim Review 0
5 Bat! Review: Midnight Curse (Disrupted Magic #1), by Melissa F. OlsonMidnight Curse by Melissa F. Olson
Series: Disrupted Magic #1
on February 7th 2017
Genres: Occult & Supernatural, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 294
Source: NetGalley
Sexual Content: Non-explicit sex scenes, kissing.
Reviewed by: Kim
5 StarsScarlett Bernard is used to cleaning up messes. As a human who cancels out any magic around her, Scarlett’s job is to keep the supernatural world hidden—at any cost.
On the eve of the Vampire Trials, a two-day tribunal that allows the otherworldly community to air their grievances, Scarlett receives a blood-soaked message from Molly, her estranged former roommate. Molly, a vampire, had been living with twelve human college students…and in one terrible night, she slaughtered them all.
Scarlett believes Molly’s been set up, but no one else in the Old World agrees with her. And the true perpetrator is determined to make sure Molly goes on trial for the massacre—the penalty for which is death.
With less than two days to prove her friend’s innocence, Scarlett calls on former LAPD detective Jesse Cruz to help her dig into Molly’s past. But no one—Molly included—wants Scarlett and Jesse to bring the terrible truth to light.
MIDNIGHT CURSE is the first in the Disrupted Magic series, but is actually the 10th novel written in the Old World Chronology series by Melissa F. Olson. I didn’t realise it was part of a larger series until after I had finished it, and I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not reading the previous books; in fact, I adored how Scarlett is a more mature, experienced heroine who has tricks up her sleeve and isn’t bumbling around discovering her powers or how the world works.
Scarlett is a null, someone who can cancel the magic of other supernaturals in her vicinity. She’s part janitor, part professional liar, keeping the supernatural world hidden by cleaning up messes and breaking up supernatural fights (by making everyone in her range temporarily human). She’s a necessary part of the council or supernaturals, but it also feels like she’s also excluded because of what she is. It was refreshing to read about a heroine who is capable from the get go, who has gotten past her rocky start and dramatic upbringing. She has a backstory that you hear snippets about, but I was never confused when it was brought up, it just worked to make the character more real.
It’s difficult to pick what my favourite part of the book was: the cool variety in witchcraft types, the awesome ex-police detective Scarlett enlists to help her discover who is trying to frame her friend, the sensitive werewolf boyfriend or the giant hell-dog that was created to hunt werewolves and who Scarlett has to keep by her side at all times.
On second thought, it’s the dog for sure. She's called Shadow, she understands basic human speech, she wears a little service dog vest and can tear out a man’s throat before he has time to scream. What’s not to love?
Supernatural politics, intense actions and high emotion blend perfectly to make one of the best urban fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Pick it up here, or dig through the older books if you want, but you’ll not be sorry you discovered the Old World Chronology series.
Series Titles:Midnight Curse
Blood GambleMore Reviews:
Hart's Reader Pulse - 4/5
Ignite Your Creativity
Just Talking BooksSimilar Titles:
For more heroines who are good with knives, try the Elemental Assassins series by Jennifer Estep, and for books where people can cancel out people's magic, give Soulless by Gail Carringer a shot.
Tags: 5bats adult Kim Occult and supernatural review urban fantasy vampires werewolves witches
- Medium
https://medium.com/@wrenja73/shadow-hunt-by-melissa-f-olson-76bafa557a0f
Word count: 751QUOTED: "Olson is very good at overlaying units of delayed fulfillment throughout the story to continue pulling the reader along for the narrative. However, the plot seems to bog down in all of the interpersonal drama that transpires. The author appears much more concerned with character interactions than establishing a three dimensional antagonist or a genuine threat."
“Shadow Hunt” by Melissa F. Olson
Reader IncognitoThis book was not written for me, but so what? Picking up this story was a little like sneaking into a stranger’s party, mingling with the guests then slipping back into the night.
Shadow Hunt is the third book in the Disrupted Magic series by Melissa F. Olson. The stories are centered around the character Scarlett Bernard. Scarlett is a twenty-something magical being called a null. She possesses the ability to nullify the magical traits of beings that enter into her sphere of power, therefore rendering them mortal. Although deeply entrenched in the magical community that thrives just beneath the surface of our society, Scarlett is very much a young woman with the hopes and desires of any other human being.
There was a danger of me being totally lost from jumping into the third book of a series. I wouldn’t know the setting, individuals or their relation to one another. My fears were unfounded. Olson uses the dialogue between characters so well that it’s easy to get your bearings.
This was also my first introduction to urban fantasy, so I was interested in seeing how Olson could make it all work. For me, this proved to be the most successful aspect of the book. I think Olson has set up the rules of magic and it’s society pretty well. I would enjoy exploring its structure and myriad of magical creatures further.
Hocus FocusOlson is very good at overlaying units of delayed fulfillment throughout the story to continue pulling the reader along for the narrative. However, the plot seems to bog down in all of the interpersonal drama that transpires. The author appears much more concerned with character interactions than establishing a three dimensional antagonist or a genuine threat. I never really cared about the bad guys or really even believed in their motivations — check out one of my earlier reviews for a book that develops characters, action and plot in a fully realized manner.
Melissa F. Olson, the author of “Shadow Hunt”I’m going to argue that these weakness likely don’t matter. I suspect that the plot of Shadow Hunt is just an excuse for Olson’s readers to revisit the world and characters that they love, and they are characters one could fall in love with.
There could be the danger for these stories to linger in perpetual adolescence, with the main characters forever exchanging romantic partners and fighting the same villains. I think Olson has made several plot decisions within this volume of the narrative that will force these characters into maturity in future installments. To me, his book seems like a transitional work, and that’s good because it will allow the characters to grow along with their audience.
Listen UpFor this review I listened to the audiobook version from Brilliance Audio with Amy McFadden as the narrator. McFadden is good at portraying the snarkiness of the main protagonist and the lighthearted tone of the novel in general. However, I didn’t feel like her attempts at the various accents required and giving characters an individual voice were as equally successful.
If I had started this story in written from, I might have put it down early on when the plot began to stall, but venturing through it in audiobook form helped me to see it to the end. And I’m glad that I did.
Would I ever revisit the characters and world Olson has created for us here? I’m honestly not sure, but it was nice to mingle with her crowd for a while.
I am grateful to Brilliance Audio for lending me the audio book version of this story in exchange for an honest review.
Jason Wren is an Illustrator and writer. He reviews books and other media in the regular column Mixed Media for Centre, Alabama’s The Post. His illustrations can be seen at zuzuillustrator.com