Smoke And Ashes [Mass Market Paperback]

This book is the third in the series starring Henry Fitzroy's old sidekick Tony. Let me note that while the book is enjoyable as a standalone, you will get far more out of it if you have read the first two in this series, since there are quite a few references to the Shadowlord of the first book, Smoke and Shadows, and the haunted house of the second book, Smoke and Mirrors. You will get even more out of this series if you've read Huff's earlier series about Henry Fitzroy, romance writer, [...] son of King Henry VIII, and vampire. (If you check my profile, you can find reviews of all five books in that series.) Constable Jack Elson, for example, is an even more interesting character if you can also recall Mike Celluci, Vicki's fellow cop, and also the werewolf cop from "Blood Trail."

Since other reviewers have summarized the plot, I won't go into that. (Besides, those of you who read Huff know that many of her books have variations on the same plot: a hole opens up between hell and our earth, and our protagonists have to close it. This is not a complaint; I am continually amazed at how interesting she manages to make that same plot over and over.) Instead, let me tell you a few of the things I specifically enjoyed about this book:
* Huff's wonderful sense of humor. Examples: Tony turns on the TV and sees "some guy eating a bug on either the Learning Channel or FOOD - he didn't stay long enought to see if it came with a lecture on habitat or a raspberry vinaigrette" and the use of cherry cough syrup as a warding spell.
* The references to many classic science fiction and fantasy stories and books - not just well known ones such as LOTR, but also to stories that only literate and experienced SF fans are likely to have read; this isn't just catering to the reader who is currently reading urban vampire fantasy because it's "in" - although there's nothing wrong with that; welcome, new fantasy readers, and we hope you stay and enjoy the rest of the genre!
*The references also to many classic TV shows and movies, both SF and non-SF, everything from the coyote and the anvil to "Where castle?" to car chases.
*The characters who are neither all-bad nor all-good, but show signs that even though they are relatively "bit parts" right now, they have complex enough personalities that they might become more. Kevin Groves, the obnoxious tabloid reporter, for example, has a few good qualities, and shows some signs that in an emergency, he might be capable of doing good things. And Chester Bane, well, I have the feeling there's a LOT we don't know about Chester, and some of it will turn out to be supernatural sooner or later.

I do have a few small quibbles with the book: the Demon Lords' names don't sound right for demons to me. (Demons have first and last names? Really?) And Huff uses the phrase "red-gold eyebrows" too often, which is especially confusing since sometimes she is referring to Mason Reed, and sometimes to Henry. But those are pretty small change.

I will say that those of you who are squeamish about sex - although I doubt there are too many of such people reading urban vampire fantasies to begin with - would find some things to be squeamish about here. There is sex - gay, straight, and mixed. It's all necessary to the plot, appropriate in context, tastefully done, and not overdone - but it's there. So if that sort of thing bothers you... there is also a lot of use of four-letter words, again appropriate in context and not overdone, but if those bother you... They didn't bother me at all, because they went with the plot and characters so well, and let me tell you, I have a pretty short threshhold for unnecessary sex scenes and unnecessary vulgarity, so this must be well done, since I liked it. But you probably wouldn't want to give this book to a 12-year-old to read. I'd say 16 and up, at least, older if you really have hangups about your teenagers being exposed to anything at all graphic.

In summary: great continuation of the series, best enjoyed if you read all the others in order first; terrific characters, with lots of potential for more.

Tony Foster is now a TAD on the set of Canada's only syndicated vampire detective show, "The Darkest Night." Despite a hard life during his youth on the streets, he's working hard to make the director's chair.

The only problem is--real life supernatural events keep interfering. In this third book of the "Smoke" series, a Demonic Convergence threatens to loose the demons from hell and end the world as we know it.

This time--Tony's powers as a wizard are no secret. His boss, Chester Bane, actually gives him time off to stop the Convergence--not that he's got a choice, since it seems the focus spot for the demons to come in is "Darkest Night's" sound-stage. Also, the demon fighting team has a few more players: Amy, the odd but fearless secretary, Mountie Jack who's been following the oddness surrounding Tony for a long time, and even Lee--the 'human sidekick' of the TV show's vampire, Raymond Dark (Mason).

We also get a romance interest. Lee, who Tony previously believed was straight, is definitely putting his flirt on. Henry Fitzroy, a vampire and Tony's old love interest, is back and well, never gave up on him and Tony being together.

There are some slow spots at the end, but overall, this book is funny and fast-paced. The series is picking up and I certainly hope there are more of them.

This is my favorite of the series. Hands down.

I love Tony. And Lee. (Yum.) And this book has both of them in the action. Unlike the previous two "Smoke" books, where Tony only told the fewest people he needed to about the supernatural, SMOKE AND ASHES has most of the TV studio knowing about the problem, and quite a few helping to stop it. This makes an odd amount of sense... if any one group of people is going to accept the strange, it's going to be theatre people of one kind or another. And I have to say, it's very nice having someone know about the problems from the start.

The threat of demonic invasion makes a great adventure story, and fills up the pages quite nicely. But also nestled in there are enough relationship issues to make a book on their own. Tony and Henry. Tony and Lee. Not to mention Tony's friendships with Amy, Zev, and the cop Jack Ellison (who has been in and out investigating the deaths in the previous two Smoke books.)

I also like the way Tony has to develop his powers, with part instinct, part guess, part instruction, and part panic. It seems very realistic, at least to someone who hasn't ever tried to stave off a demonic invasion before. Tony finally comes into his own at the end, and in a very satisfactory way.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 19 reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars