2014 book 56

Mur Lafferty's Ghost Train to New Orleans
The second book in Lafferty's Shambling Guides series (after The Shambling Guide to New York City) is a pretty fun followup (though I do wish the editor/proofreader would allow contractions and cut down on exclamation points a little bit. Some of the dialogue feels unnatural. And I DEFINITELY wish Lafferty hadn't chosen to have the spirit of New Orleans and its denizens talk in dialect). I do really like the world-building here--Zoe's talents are explored in greater detail, and there are some great new characters (particularly a Norse healing goddess and a 1940s-era ghost). There's kind of a lot going on, plot-wise--mysterious dudes on trains, ghosts, murderous coworkers, half-zombie boyfriends, demon dogs, golems, genocide, etc--but it all comes together in the end. These books have a great sense of humor and a ton of geek references, which obviously makes everything better, too. B/B+.


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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.