#pride's spell

[tordotcom]

It's Matt Wallace's birthday today. But, it seems like he has a present for you instead! The first three books in his Sin du Jour series in one convenient bundle:

http://publishing.tor.com/sindujourthefirstcourse-mattwa…/…/

#BonAppétit and #happybirthday 🍽️

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Underwhelmed is the wrong word to describe Lena’s experience at her first Hollywood party. Bored as monkey-fuck is the phrase that comes more naturally to mind. There are the celebrities, of course. That had some initial cache. Occupying the same physical space as people she’d seen so prominently featured on movie and television screens, in magazines, and who always seemed so fascinating on talk-shows because the show’s host is usually adept at reacting to whatever they say as if it’s the most relevant, entertaining, urgent thing they’ve ever heard. It takes fifteen minutes for the amusement of that to wear away for Lena. Then she realises there’s nothing meaningful or particularly interesting about seeing a celebrity in person. Or even meeting one briefly. They’re not even particularly attractive to look at, she decides. They’re just… more polished than people who don’t make their living being photographed. That’s what makes them look different. It’s not that they’re scads more attractive, they’re just all so damn polished, and put together, and exercised, and outfitted by teams of professionals who know how disguise a regular human being in celebrity camouflage. They’re just grossly over-groomed people.

Lena (Sin du Jour: Pride’s Spell by Matt Wallace)

[kammartinez]

My #review of Pride's Spell by Matt Wallace. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ of 5 ⭐️s. 

I sincerely think that Wallace is writing one of the best urban fantasy series currently in publication, not least because every single one of the Sin du Jour novellas has made me laugh out loud at least once (but oftentimes more than once). That continues in Pride's Spell, where Wallace cheerfully excoriates Hollywood's inability to become as progressive as the rest of the world wants it to be in a way that will have readers snickering. The climax and ending are also the best I've read in the series so far :).

[torpublishinggroup]

When serving food to monsters and demons, the secret ingredient is humor.

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Sin du Jour: Pride’s Spell

Once again I am blown away by the brilliance of Sin du Jour! I really, really loved Pride’s Spell. There were a few issues I had with it - namely the fact Darren still hasn’t had much character development despite him being an excellent character who I love like a child - but aside from that, it was still REALLY FREAKING GOOD. A lot scarier than previous ones, I thought, and the peril at the end was off the charts, but it was just as whacky and ridiculous as the other two novellas.

Also I’m really glad that they’ve signed him on to write the full 7 of these, because they’re just hilarious little nuggets of joy. Like Night Vale/Dresden Files/Leverage/Master Chef rolled into one big ball of insanity. <3

Highlights of Pride’s Spell include: One of the zombified Warner Brothers snorting the ashes of a thousand tv/film bloggers through an antique rolled up $1,000 bill, Channing Tatum getting an ice-cream pudding built inside his mouth and being escorted out of the movie premiere after-party due to over eating, and Ritter smashing the Easter Bunny with a sledgehammer while stark naked - I’m a huge fan of the fact that Ritter appears naked in every novella thus far (I can’t imagine it’s unintentional anymore :P). PLUS seeing the homes/hang outs of all the members of the Stocking & Receiving staff was SO MUCH FUN - Cindy’s especially.

And this story set up for a bunch of cool stuff later on - obviously the Romantic Drama with Dorsky/Lena/Ritter (and maybe a bit of Darren/Lena/Ritter too? Hopefully? I ship Darren/Ritter a lot, so sue me...), and WHAT’S UP WITH LITTLE DOVE?!?!?!

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[Cindy] smiles when she sees Ritter's name on her smartphone's screen. He's probably drunk. He'll often drunk dial her to explain some fight scene in whatever movie he's watching, and why it works or doesn't. The boy has a charm despite himself, she always thinks. Cindy answers the call. "Cin, the Easter Bunny just tried to whack me," Ritter informs her without preamble.

Cindy and Ritter (Sin du Jour: Pride’s Spell by Matt Wallace)

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Dorsky is priceless. God I love him.

[torpublishinggroup]

Read an excerpt from Matt Wallace's latest Sin du Jour novella, Pride's Spell.