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Product Description
Quill & Quire
Henry Whelp doesn’t want to take after his father, a convicted murderer, but things aren’t looking good. Serving out a juvenile sentence at the St. Remus Home for Wayward Youth for an act of vandalism that nearly killed someone, Henry seems to be proving correct all those folks who assumed “like father, like son.”
When Henry’s psychiatrist is found dead, secrets begin to emerge, including the fact that the doctor was also treating Henry’s father and had withheld from Henry letters in which his father claims that the murders he was convicted of were part of a larger conspiracy – one that threatens the city itself.
Those murders? An old woman in a cottage and her young granddaughter, who was fond of her red hood. Yes, Henry’s father is the Big Bad Wolf, and the murder of Little Red Riding Hood is but one small element of Zorgamazoo author Robert Paul Weston’s impressive new novel.
There was a time, before the events of Dust City, when the fairies lived in Eden, a floating community high above, descending to Earth with their fairydust to create destinies (as fairies have always done). But the fairies disappeared, and now the only fairydust to be had is the weak commercial variety, mined from the surrounding countryside by corporations like Nimbus Thaumaturgical.
So how can the nixies make such powerful black market dust? And how does this all connect to the murder of Red Riding Hood and her grandmother?
Weston has created a tightly paced mystery, a coming of age story, and a vivid fantasy, all set against the backdrop of a world in which fairy tales are real. The book succeeds on nearly every level. The characters, whether they’re wolves, dwarves, goblins, or (in rare cases) human, are well-drawn and convincing. The overall mystery is compelling and firmly rooted in the world itself.
The only caveat is that Weston, with his deliberate, winking inclusion of fairy tale characters (like Detective White, a police officer whose toughness is rooted in her early years with seven coal miners), runs the risk of negative comparisons to writers like Bill Willingham. Whereas Willingham accounts for such characters, Weston just drops them in. That’s not a terminal issue, however, and on the whole, Dust City is a winner.
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.Review
“Weston has created a tightly paced mystery, a coming of age story, and a vivid fantasy, all set against the backdrop of a world in which fairy tales are real. The book succeeds on nearly every level. The characters, whether they’re wolves, dwarves, goblins, or (in rare cases) human, are well-drawn and convincing. The overall mystery is compelling and firmly rooted in the world itself. […] Dust City is a winner.” - Quill and Quire
“All in all, a fresh, dark look at a promising, and unique world. I wouldn't mind reading more in this vein; especially if Weston is the one writing the re-imaginings. A realistic and raw look at life after the fairies are gone. I'd definitely recommend this one to fans of urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and fantasy in general. Sink your teeth into Dust City.” - Lost for Words
“I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was hooked right from the beginning. I have always enjoyed the darker fairytales of the Brothers Grimm (I love Edgar Allan Poe too, so what does that say about my mind, eh?) so I was fascinated by the underlying grittiness that existed in this book. The ending was satisfactory, but was my no means conclusive, which gives me hope that a sequel may be in the works. I really hope so as I would love to read more about Henry, Fiona, and the other wonderful characters in this amazing novel.” - Curling Up by the Fire --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
“All in all, a fresh, dark look at a promising, and unique world. I wouldn't mind reading more in this vein; especially if Weston is the one writing the re-imaginings. A realistic and raw look at life after the fairies are gone. I'd definitely recommend this one to fans of urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and fantasy in general. Sink your teeth into Dust City.” - Lost for Words
“I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was hooked right from the beginning. I have always enjoyed the darker fairytales of the Brothers Grimm (I love Edgar Allan Poe too, so what does that say about my mind, eh?) so I was fascinated by the underlying grittiness that existed in this book. The ending was satisfactory, but was my no means conclusive, which gives me hope that a sequel may be in the works. I really hope so as I would love to read more about Henry, Fiona, and the other wonderful characters in this amazing novel.” - Curling Up by the Fire --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gritty Urban Fantasy,
By
This review is from: Dust City (Hardcover)
Reason for Reading: I'm a big fan of books with fairy tale characters in a modern setting.The publisher's summary had me believing that this fantasy was going to be some sort of mystery adventure as the son of the big bad wolf tried to prove his innocence. I was not prepared for the gritty, urban fantasy world that I was about to enter! This is a dark, harsh world that imagines what would have happened if Grimm's medieval fairy tale characters had evolved into bi-pedal, speaking creatures integrated with the human population. Henry Whelp, whose father is in prison for killing a girl and her grandmother, is in detention centre for wayward youth, but mainly animalia, and especially wolves. He doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and visits his psychiatrist every week. But when the doctor is found hanging from the rafters one fine day, Henry discovers some secrets and manages to escape. Dust City is the major producer of fairydust since the fairies all took off and left and in trying to prove his father's innocence he is lead on a trail that takes him to the depths of the city's grimy underworld, and learns horrendous secrets about the missing fairies. This was a non-stop read for me. Highly entertaining and suspenseful, plot driven with lots of action. The cast is a motley crew of creatures from giants and goblins to a lovable elven grandma. Henry is the only one with a full development of background and motivators but all the characters come across enough to have feelings for (or against) them in this action driven novel. It is dark, harsh and gritty. There is violence, bullying, torture and everything else not nice, with a few uncomfortable scenes, but never beyond age appropriateness. Dust City is a book you can really get your teeth into. Mostly populated with male characters, there do come into play two (perhaps we can say three) strong females who carry important roles in the plot. I was very impressed with this novel, absolutely loved the story and it's dark, gritty tale. A must add to any urban fantasy enthusiast's bookshelf!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting,
By
This review is from: Dust City (Hardcover)
Why did I leave this sitting on my shelf unread for so long. It was enchanting, or rather, it was the characters that were enchanted. Fairy magic in the form of 'dust' is an every day commodity in Dust City. It used to be made by real fairies, but they have long since fled and now it is a manufactured product. Not as good as the original, but still magical and mostly effective.Henry Whelp has been locked away in juvie for a while now with the other wolves. Yes, wolves, foxes, goblins and all other sorts of animals have achieved sentience and live along side the hominids. It's not a perfect relationship between them, but it works for the most part. When his friend Jack, the guy with the magic beans, shows him some letters from his dad, the big bad wolf who killed the little girl and her grandmother, Henry starts to question many of the so called truths that he's been told. As I started reading this story, I'll admit that I was a bit confused. Were there really talking wolves and elves and goblins all living together. I wasn't too sure about the characters who seemed quite familiar, almost like beings out of the Grimms Brothers' Fairy Tales. (that was intentional according to author Robert Paul Weston). By about page 30, my confusion was clearing and total enjoyment setting in. I had no trouble believing that all these animal like beings were living together and in many cases cross-species friendships had flourished. Once Henry realized that he didn't have to go through this as a lone wolf and he called on his friends for help, the story really took off. This is a FUN story made all the more entertaining each time I realized a character was based on a Grimm's character. This is not a children's book as it included much mayhem and murder, though YA and adults will both find it a gripping read. Most definitely on my recommend list.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too,
By TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dust City (Hardcover)
Henry Whelp lives in a reformatory for troubled boys called the Home for Wayward Wolves. He's been there since his father was thrown in jail for killing Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. He's been mad at his father ever since, and embarrassed when people bring it up. He doesn't like people thinking he is going to twist off and go on a killing spree like his dad, but everyone thinks killing is in his blood.Henry lives in Dust City, a dark and dangerous place known for its black market dust. Dust is a mind-altering drug that has the entire population addicted. The wolves, foxes, ravens, and hominids all crave dust to make them feel better and heal their sicknesses. At one time, the dust was a good and magical thing - actual fairy dust given out by the fairies themselves in order to make people live up to their potential. Something has happened to all the fairies, though. They have disappeared without a trace, and the only way to fill the need is for the thaumaturgical companies to create synthetic dust to push on the public. Henry has always tried to stay away from dust and only accepts it when administered by medical personnel. He is afraid it will turn him into a killer like his father, but when there is a murder at the Home where he lives, Henry is forced to hunt for the truth about it, what really happened the night his father killed Little Red and her grandma, and what happened to the fairies. With the help of Fiona, a beautiful she-wolf, Henry jumps into the world of the black market, hoping he can find his way out again. DUST CITY is so creative. The mix of different fairy tale characters and story lines is amazing. Cindy Ella is the headmaster at the Home for Wayward Wolves. The policeman on Henry's case is Detective White (Snow White) and Jack (Beanstalk) is Henry's best friend. As soon as I read the first page I was hooked. These wolves aren't the typical wolves we've seen in fantasy novels lately, so if you are in the mood for something unique, give this one a try. Reviewed by: Karin Librarian
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