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What if Prince Charming is not only devastatingly handsome and as charming as his name, but also a con-man, liar and fraud? That’s what the first book in this series explores, together with the princesses he’d duped (Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel etc.) who were hot on his trail and out for payback. In the follow-up book Charming himself is caught up in another twisted fairy tale as he ends up in the stately home of an ensorcelled beast along with two other hapless victims, Hans and Will. The beast is as much a prisoner as they are, and only solving the riddle can save her. Charming might even have feelings for her, but he has a date with Mephistopheles, and time is running out. Our princesses need to free him. They come across two potential enemies, or maybe powerful allies, in the Bear Witch and Red Cap (analogues of Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood). More delightful grown-up fairy tale nonsense from the assured pen of Jade Linwood. And though this has a satisfying ending there’s obviously another book to come. Looking forward to it.
Caveat, this was originally published as Babylon Steel. I loved it then and I love it now.. I have to go and re-read Ms Sebold's other books: Shanghai Sparrow and Dangerous Gifts (another Babylon Steel novel).
Babylon Steel is a high-class brothel keeper in Scalentine, a place with many portals to other planes and a mixed population of humans and other races, furred, scaled and magical.. She's a tough cookie, revelling in sex and always ready for a fight. She's gathered about her a family of sorts: her cook, her guards and her prostitutes, plus there's a police chief she can rely on for a good game of chess. She prides herself on running the best brothel in town, but she's not having a good week. Her taxes are way overdue and she's not sure she can pay the bill. The Vessels of Purity, a strict religious order (of men) are protesting against brothels.
When the mysterious (and very attractive) Darask Fain offers her a job finding a missing girl, Babylon decides to take it, but there are complications. Neither Fain nor the missing girl are quite what they seem, but neither is Babylon, and Babylon's secret past is about to catch up with her. Babylon's past and present are told in alternating chapters, beautifully timed so that they both come together at exactly the right moment. Babylon has a thing about young girls being taken advantage of and what she'll do to help goes beyond money.
This book has a great cast of characters and there's never a dull moment. Babylon has the knack of making friends and her contacts across the city are introduced both as characters and as part of the world-building. From lizard men and four-breasted hermaphrodites to Police Chief Bitternut who's a were… but a were what… this is fascinating glimpse into the world of Scalentine as Twomoon approaches - a massive conjunction that echoes across all the planes of existence.
Madis is a thief. He brother is also a thief, but considers himself, as a gang leader, to be above Madis. He offers her a challenge: steal a magical belt from around the waist of a bride, on her wedding night, in an island fortress. If she succeeds she gets to keep 50% of the profit, and qualifies to join his (superior) gang. She accepts and recruits a team, each with their own special skills. Of course the job doesn't go as planned. Madis copes with a lack of information, a development she didn't expect, and a twist, which she did expect.
