Daniel Hood is a talented writer who adeptly blends the mystery and fantasy genres together. I'll admit to accidentally discovering Dan's writing, which was more than a pleasant surprise. His A Familiar Dragon omnibus made my top 10 list in 2002.

I've been lucky enough to trade a few messages back and forth with Dan (he is after all a published author, and that makes him something of a celebrity), and he's a gracious and accessible artist. After five books his Liam Rhenford series has run its course, which is too bad. Fortunately for those who have enjoyed his work he has other irons in the fire; hopefully it won't be too long before his next book - which you can put me on a waiting list to buy (plug for his publisher).

Dan's official site

A Familiar Dragon
Fanuilh (©1994)
Wizard's Heir (©1995)
Beggar's Banquet (©1997)

This is one of those omnibus collections I bought as a lark. It sat on my shelf for a couple of years, and it finally made it to the "read me" pile. I knew nothing of Daniel Hood, and even less about this series. I love it when I have a clean slate. These books fall loosely into the "mystery" category, and to be honest I don't think I've really read many books like these ones.

Liam Rhenford is a man of mystery (no pun intended) who when the local wizard is killed, through no fault of his own, finds himself in circumstances beyond his control. The wizard's familiar Fanuilh takes Liam under his wing, and before you can pronounce Fanuilh properly Liam is up to his boots trying to solve the whodunit. Along the way we meet up with the local colour, and watch as Coeccias (the local law guy) and Liam become the fast friends and solve the crime and drink a few beers to celebrate.

The second book isn't as predictable as the first, and this one is a catch the robber tale. What makes the story so much fun is the interplay between the characters, and the little snippets of Liam's past that keep popping up. Not to give too much away about this one other than to say it's a pretty solid piece that kept me guessing for a while. The additional local characters were a lot of fun, and the religious aspects to the city were fun.

The last book is a nod to Agatha. A dinner party - a sealed house - murder and robbery, oh my! Once again we catch up with Liam as he plugs into the mystery. This one unfolds like a vintage Columbo episode with a few twists Peter Falk hasn't seen before.

All in all, this was a pleasant surprise. I understand there're a couple more books out there in the series, but from what I could glean from the author's site, the series hasn't sold as well as expected, and is being dropped. What a shame - this really is better than average and has gotten better as it progressed - which isn't always the case.

Reviewed April 24, 2002

Scales of Justice (©1998)

I had been checking out the local bookstores without much success and after some hard negotiating with the author's management team I was able to secure a copy of Scales of Justice (in return for my first born, and a case of Canadian beer). It must have been equally frustrating for both Dan and Ace to have a winner of a series on the go, and not have the readership required to float the boat.

This is very good stuff, and Scales of Justice is another solid addition to the series. Dan changes gears on this one, and takes Liam out of his comfortable Batman and Robin relation ship with Coeccias and concentrates on exploring the relationship with Fanuilh his dragon familiar. This was a bit of a risk as I for one really enjoyed the relationship between Liam and the local constabulary. It took most of the book to really adjust to the change. It really was the right thing to do, as this is what gives the series its spark.

The mystery theme continues as Liam joins the circuit court as an investigator. Of course as fate would have it, he is soon embroiled in controversy and is scheduled to swing at dawn. Some of the plot twists are a little telegraphed, but the pay off is still rewarding. I'd love to know who Dan based Widow Saffian's character on. She's impossibly frustrating at times when Liam is trying to defend himself. I almost wanted to reach into the page and shake the old biddy.

I know this is out of print, but it is worth checking out. Yes it has fantasy roots, but it's strength is in the story telling.

Many thanks to Dan for helping me get a copy. I guess I'm five years late in offering my glowing endorsement, who knows maybe you'll get a nice omnibus one day.

Reviewed June 2003

King's Cure (©2000)

King’s Cure is the best of the bunch, and for a series to progressively improve is no mean feat. Enjoy this one folks cause it was the end of the line. Which is very sad, and just shows what a crapshoot it is out there. Hopefully the SFBC (Science Fiction Book Club for the benefit of my mom) will put out an omnibus of the last two books to complement the previous edition, which was until recently in print. Hint hint to the powers that be, should they read this.

Once again Liam shows us why he’s the poster boy for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If it wasn’t for bad luck the poor bastard wouldn't have no luck at all. Our illustrious hero is dispatched by the Duke to the capital with a mysterious (all together now, “Oooooh!”) package, and soon finds himself embroiled in controversy as he finds himself accused of MURDER (stay with me, “Aaaaaah!”).

What is this mysterious King’s Cure? How will our hero nail the babes, deliver the potion, and save the day? I’m not mocking, I’m just having fun - he doesn't get to nail any babes. What I like about Dan’s writing is his ability to deliver the narrative in such a way that it reads as first person, but doesn’t have the limitations of the solo voice.

The story telling is tighter on this one, and there aren’t any unnecessary tangents going on. It’s a straight-ahead adventure story and does a solid job of moving itself along. The ending wasn’t what I was hoping for – no spoilers here, so you’ll have to read it yourself. It's just the way life goes for our hero.

I’m looking forward to what this talented young author has up his sleeve for the future.

June 9, 2003