Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: Live and Let Drood

By Sandy Amazeen Jul 9, 2012, 3:14 GMT

The Secret Histories Novels combine "witty banter, tough guy standoffs, visceral fight scenes, bad guy atrocities, surprise revelations, and high stakes?* in supernatural adventures that can only come from the imagination of New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green. The name is Bond, Shaman Bond. Better known as Drood, Eddie Drood Yes, I\'m one of those Droods-the family who\'ve been keeping the forces of evil contained in the shadows for ...more

Eddie "Shaman Bond" Drood saved the world, went on vacation in the South of France with his beloved Molly Metcalf the witch, only to come home to find Drood Hall a burned out ruin. Since there is no whisper of smoke, the incident occurred days ago leaving him to wonder what happened to his family who seemingly are all dead and how this could have happened given all the protection in place around the hall. Eddie knows he must honor his Shamon Bond as the last Drood but with the family hall destroyed, the golden armor that protected him is gone. Left with no alternative, Eddie makes a potentially deadly deal with an indestructible, homicidal armor that has been bound to a maze since it ate its maker. That is the first of several bargains made as Eddie and Molly discover the urber-vile Crow Lee is responsible for the attack that forced Drood Hall and all its inhabitants to shift to an alternate, equally deadly alternate earth.

Cunning plots and evil doers abound in this methodically paced Secret Histories Novel that pushes Eddie and Molly to their limits and beyond. Once vanquished foes reappear as our heroes attempt to find Drood Hall and restore it to its proper place, an effort that could well change the direction of the series. One gets a sense of Eddie and Molly’s characters could have gained new depth as they increasingly come to rely on each other in crisis but instead, they continue with set behavior patterns. Even though the overall storyline and relationships don’t change much, this enjoyable addition to the series will leave fans wondering what’s next.