Book Review: Ghost Train to New Orleans

Ghost Train to New Orleans

By:  Mur Lafferty

Publish Date:  March 4, 2014

Publisher:  Orbit

Format:  Print, 317pg

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  2nd book in The Shambling Guide series; 1st Book ~ The Shambling Guide to New York City

Recommendation:  Oh heavens! Fun and troubles follow in New Orleans with the urban fantasy hidden in plain sight.

Synopsis:
Could you find a museum for a monster?
Or a jazz bar for a jabberwock?

Zoe Norris writes travel guides for the undead. And she's good at it too—her new-found ability to talk to cities seems to help. After the success of The Sbambling Guide to New York City, Zoe and her team are sent to New Orleans to write the sequel.

Work isn't all that brings Zoe to the Big Easy. The only person who can save her boyfriend from zombism is rumored to live in the city's swamps, but Zoe's out of her element in the wilderness. With her supernatural colleagues waiting to see her fail, and rumors of a new threat hunting city talkers, can Zoe stay alive long enough to finish her next book?

First Sentence:
Zoe Norris would have rather had a root canal than conduct this interview for a new writer.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

**I requested a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Zoe picks her team of writers, which includes hiring the Norse Goddess Eir, and takes the new high-speed train to New Orleans. A ghost train. Zoe's "boyfriend" has lost his Zoetist herbs, the herbs keeping him from going zombie. The Zoetist who knows the secret recipe is out of town and unreachable. New Orleans is where the Zoetist trained and his mentor, if still here, could help Arthur. Zoe finds another like her, with the same ability as her, and he always seems to run in the face of trouble. He seems to be on someones want list, very badly. Why does he run and what is going on? Zoe stumbles into more trouble in New Orleans as she learns about her powers and tries to help all her friends.

We see several of Zoe's new 'friends', more like employees, again. A few we are missing, and will be missed after Decembers happening. Zoe starts to think a few of her employees could be friends, but remembers most of the coterie would eat her for dinner. Then fondly remembers Granny Good Mae telling her NOT to trust them. Zoe struggles with this through the book, seeing a side to a few of her co-workers she may not be able to accept with being human. Arthur is having troubles adjusting to 'monsters' being so near and that Zoe works for them. This seems to be a hurdle in their relationship along with his impending death. Arthur is trying to come to terms with many things.

We remember that night in December, one month ago. Zoe is healed but she remembers what she saw her friends/co-workers do that night. Zoe also knows what she is now, a city-talker like Granny Good Mae. But there's no one around to teach her what to do to talk to the city.

Aaah, we do learn more secrets and the history of city talkers. Awesome! This opens so many doors. Answers questions and makes me curious to learn more of this deep history of coterie and city talkers. Can't wait to learn it! There is a shortage of them and cities are dying due to lack of connection to bring care to the city.

Trouble always seems to find Zoe, or is it her finding it? Either way, it makes for an amazing journey. Now the question is; who's trying to kill her now, all the way in New Orleans?

I enjoy the fun animosity between Zoe and her "undead" friends. They all have their quarks and troubles, a few of those troubles find them in New Orleans. But when you've lived as long as several of them, that happens.

Zoe brings out the smile as I read her and her comments. And the troubles they all plow through. Fun read that I will come back too. Zoe is a fun character that will not back down when there is trouble. She is the character to read when looking for enjoyable and urban fantasy troubles.

AudioBook Review: The Shambling Guide to New York City

The Shambling Guide to New York City

By:  Mur Lafferty

Publish Date:  May 29, 2013

Format:  Podiobooks & Trade size print, 338pgs

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in The Shambling Guide series

Recommendation:  Oh goodness yes! Fun twist to the city of New York and story.

Synopsis:
A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city - for the undead!

Because of the disaster that was her last job, Zoe is searching for a fresh start as a travel book editor in the tourist-centric New York City. After stumbling across a seemingly perfect position though, Zoe is blocked at every turn because of the one thing she can't take off her resume - human.

Not to be put off by anything - especially not her blood drinking boss or death goddess coworker - Zoe delves deep into the monster world. But her job turns deadly when the careful balance between human and monsters starts to crumble - with Zoe right in the middle.

First Sentence:
The bookstore was sandwiched between a dry cleaner's and a shifty-looking accounting office.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Until December 15, 2013, you can listen to this story for FREE thanks to Mur Lafferty.
Mur Lafferty's Blog  /  iTunes 

**I listened/read this story for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Zoe has moved back to her home city, New York City, after a terrible incident with her last boss and...his unbeknownst to her, wife. She has some money to live off of, but needs a job. She is a wiz at travel guides and the book store and coffee shop she stumbles into has the perfect add on it's board:

Underground Publishing

LOOKING FOR WRITERS

Underground Publishing is a new company writing travel guides for people like you. Since we're writing for people like you, we need people like you to write for us.

Pluses: Experience in writing, publishing, or editing (in this life or any other), and knowledge of New York City.

Minuses: A life span shorter than an editorial cycle. (in this case, nine months).

Zoe feels she's a perfect fit. The owner...not so much. Zoe learns of the special employees and that she might be in mortal danger from them. These beings are all through the city. Then the danger she comes upon with the city as a whole. Zoe tries to balance the attacks on her, find out who and why they are after New York City, and finish a layout for the new Travelers guide all at the same time.

Mur takes New York City and twists what we know to the supernatural lives as well. What we know as one meaning also has another to the supernatural world. We start with the implications and feelings there is something off with a few places. We are human and the supernatural do hide themselves rather well, but we the readers are looking for it and see the small flickers in their glamour. ;)

The first chapter left me wanting more. I was curious to what the world is like behind the curtains we don't know are there. I did get the feel there were some supernatural in the world. And when Zoe was talking about the publishing company; on yes, something was going on.

Zoe's personality is perfect. One that takes things in stride, and what she learns about what's been in New York City all these years, and everywhere, trips her up for a heartbeat but she goes on. She needs the job to badly and finds it all interesting at the same time. I love her thinking process on the monsters in the city. They'd been here for some time, so why was it different from last week? I love seeing Zoe interact with the "monsters" and all that is present in the world. The connections of Zoe's life to what's happening around the Coterie is not viewed as a coincidence by the Coterie. There is more to it. Then we meet Zoe's neighbor, nice young man, Arthur. But Arthur has a secret as well.

I love that we get Zoe's story and clips from her guide book at the end of each chapter. The clips give an insight to what we've already learned, places we've visited, and what's to come.

This story has a blend of everything here. Fun. Supernatural. Story that grows as we get more and more acquainted with the world. And a spark of relationships. Definitely a must buy series for me! Mur is wonderful at weaving fun into a story. She has a great cast of characters and twists things with a supernatural element along with her quick one liners that make me chuckle. Mur weaves a whole system to the supernatural world. One that keeps it secret to the human world as well.

Thank you Mur, and Orbit, for podcasting this book. I loved every minute of listening to it and HAD to get the book! I want this to show off and go back through.

This fun humored read and story is one I'll suggest to many for the fun and world. You'll be flipping the pages to learn what next is in this world and the humor that will come with it. Then, you'll find you are sucked in to a story that you didn't see coming.