Scott Elliott

In this post-apocalyptic adventure, Felix Lasko sure has a complicated life. We follow him through a whole host of perils and challenges.

The prose was tidy and easy to read, though a few odd phrasings tripped me up (something like “The light shined” stuck out to me). We get the story in first person from Felix himself, and he has an entertaining turn of phrase that feels noir without being very grim. I particularly liked:

I would’ve reacted differently if I was running Boulder City, but then again, I was wearing clothes I’d borrowed from a bunch of hookers and I’d just stolen a box of caterpillars. So take my life decisions with a heap of salt.

Despite Felix’s aspirations to be a PI, he doesn’t get a lot of opportunity to be a detective. He’s too busy trying to prevent fights, disasters and people trying to kill him or worse. He has a bunch of interesting friends and enemies. He is also surprisingly knowledgeable when he needs to be, and he has “Spooks,” which I think of as superpowers that kick in during emergencies. Those two characteristics did seem a bit convenient at times when he seemed to be in inescapable situations. Still, things weren’t always that easy, and he had other chances to show off his cunning.

Overall, a fast-paced and entertaining SF wasteland adventure.… (meer)