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One man struggles to keep his humanity, his honor, and his hell-bent mission intact in Devon Monk's Cold Copper (Roc), the third installment in her Age of Steam series. With the aid of his crew, bounty hunter, and lycanthrope, Cedar Hunt is on a quest to track down all the pieces of the Holder — a deadly weapon capable of great destruction. But a glacial storm forces them to take refuge in the frontier town of Des Moines, Iowa, where creatures of myths and legends run wild through the streets and the mayor rules with an iron fist. To make things worse, Mayor Vosbrough is also mining cold copper for the cataclysmic generators beneath Des Moines. Now Cedar must navigate a town where new friends may not be what they seem, old enemies may be his only hope of survival, and the weapons and deals made by good people may decide who rules the land... and the sky.
These twenty-two short stories are measured out with a cup of normal and a pound of the fantastic. From dark fairy tales to alien skies, Monk's stories blend haunting yesterdays, forgotten todays and twisted tomorrows wherein: ...A normal little girl in a city made of gears, takes on the world to save a toy.... ...A normal ancient monster living in Seattle, must decide if love is worth trusting a hero... ...A normal patchwork woman and her two-headed boyfriend stitch their life and farm together with needle, thread, and time... ...a normal vampire in a knitting shop must face sun-drenched secrets... ...a normal snow creature's wish changes a mad man's life... ...a normal man breaks reality with a hamster... ...and yes, a normal little robot, defines how extraordinary friendship can be. Poignant, bittersweet, frightening, and funny, these stories pour out worlds that are both lovely and odd, darkly strange and tantalizingly familiar, where no matter how fantastic the setting or situation, love, freedom, and hope find a way to take root and thrive.
Review:
"Urban fantasist Monk (Magic on the Storm) has collected a delicious sampling of her short fiction, including four stories original to this volume. In 'Dusi,' the gorgon Medusa has survived into modern times, making her living selling remarkably detailed wildlife statuary and longing for love. In 'That Saturday,' a little girl steals a neighbor's supernaturally endowed lawn ornament. In 'Ducks in a Row,' a story that feels like early Bradbury (but perhaps with more teeth), a child abuse survivor gives a cheating carnival operator his comeuppance. In 'Here After Life' a man in spirit form joins four younger versions of himself outside the hospital where he is presumably dying. Featuring quirky, well-developed protagonists whose decisions have significant moral consequences, these stories also show a strong sense of place. Sometimes funny, sometimes dark, often both, they are varied in form and invariably rewarding. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
dejshaknight, January 28, 2011 (view all comments by dejshaknight)
This is such a wonderful collection of short fiction showing the great range that Devon Monk is able to write. This is the best short fiction collection I have ever read.
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vbarton24, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by vbarton24)
I just love this book such awesome stories. I have been reading Devon for some time and love all her works.
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sharonet, October 19, 2010 (view all comments by sharonet)
What a wonderful collection of stories! Surprising, dark, funny, clever, touching, heartbreaking--it's all here. Strong characters who have been tempered by life and come out tough and resilient, without losing the humanity (even when they're not quite human) that makes them caring, compassionate, and loving. "Probe" made me cry it was so beautiful. And the language in the story of Stigin Niddle ("Leeward to the Sky") is reminiscent of Ray Bradbury--and I thought no one could do Bradbury. This is a collection you'll want to go back to time and again. You'll always get something new out of it, and never get tired of it. I only hope Monk collects more of her short work together!
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"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Urban fantasist Monk (Magic on the Storm) has collected a delicious sampling of her short fiction, including four stories original to this volume. In 'Dusi,' the gorgon Medusa has survived into modern times, making her living selling remarkably detailed wildlife statuary and longing for love. In 'That Saturday,' a little girl steals a neighbor's supernaturally endowed lawn ornament. In 'Ducks in a Row,' a story that feels like early Bradbury (but perhaps with more teeth), a child abuse survivor gives a cheating carnival operator his comeuppance. In 'Here After Life' a man in spirit form joins four younger versions of himself outside the hospital where he is presumably dying. Featuring quirky, well-developed protagonists whose decisions have significant moral consequences, these stories also show a strong sense of place. Sometimes funny, sometimes dark, often both, they are varied in form and invariably rewarding. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
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