Geekomancy (Ree Reyes series Book 1) Kindle Edition
by
Ree Reyes is a struggling screenwriter that is biding her time by working as a barista at Café Xombie. It's not a bad gig, and she loves the people, but life could be a little more exciting. Be careful what you wish for, because when Eastwood comes into her life, nothing will be the same. She manages to witness him fighting other world baddies in the alley outside the shop and is sucked into a world of all kinds of supernatural oddities. After overcoming her initial disbelief, Ree is asked to help him in his inquiries into recent teen suicides. Full on, geeky mayhem ensues.
I have to admit, while the author was setting up his magic system, and we were getting to know Ree, the near constant pop culture and "geek" references were distracting to me. They come hard, fast, and often. However, as I got into the flow of the book, and let myself go with said flow, I really had a quite a bit of fun with this one. The brand of magic (genre magic) used here is tons of fun. His characters can pick up magic abilities by watching moves or shows on whatever subject they need to use magic in conjunction with. Also, reading can do the same thing. For example, when Ree needs help with sleuthing, she watches Sherlock Holmes. With genre emulation, the more emotional attachment you have to the material, the more you get out of it. As Ree follows Eastwood, she meets all sorts of interesting folks, including some Geekomancers that give them a run for their money, Drake Winters, a displaced steampunk super hero, Furrymancers, and gnomes (probably not like you're picturing.) She also discovers that Eastwood might not be quite what he seems.
Can Ree stop the suicides? Will she manage to keep her job at Café Xombi amidst all the mayhem? Will she ever write that screenplay? You're in for a treat with this one, and I found myself especially enjoying it amidst all of the "darker" reads that I've been eating up lately, not to mention that the author validates my love for the 2005 movie Sahara and Steve Zahn. Evidently, I'm not the only one that liked it (I just knew I wasn't.) I hope you have as much fun with this one as I did, and I'll look forward to seeing what the author has up his geektastic sleeves next!
Review
"Geekomancy is a glorious blender of genres, like a sweet candy shell filled with pop culture and high heroism. Absolutely stellar." - Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Discount Armageddon
“Magic in geekery, mysticism in celebrities, the Ree Reyes series by Mike Underwood is a celebration of everything that makes being a geek cool. Can't wait to read what he has in store next.” (Stephen Blackmoore, author of Dead Things)
If Buffy hooked up with Doctor Who while on board the Serenity, this book would be their lovechild. In other words, GEEKOMANCY is full of epic win.
- Marie Lu, author of the Legend trilogy
If you took wish-fulfillment, ground it into a powder, and shot twice the recommended dosage into your eye socket, the result would look a lot like GEEKOMANCY. I want to live in this world, where all the books and shows and movies and games I love are a source of power, not only in psychological terms, -- which they already are -- but practical, villain-pounding ones.
- Marie Brennan, award winning author of the Onyx Court series.
Modern, sleek, and whip-smart, GEEKOMANCY is a wonderful blend of geek and pop culture -- you'll find yourself grinning knowingly at least every other page. And Ree is the perfect protagonist to navigate Geekomancy's world -- geek enough to hold her own, yet human enough for me to be deeply invested in her struggles. I can't wait to read the next one!
- Cassie Alexander, author of NIGHTSHIFTED
Underwood's Geek Fu is strong-and he's not afraid to use it. GEEKOMANCY is fun, fresh and full of geek culture references that will have you LOLing to the very last page. This book is one hundred percent pure awesomesauce and totally FTW.
- Mari Mancusi, award winning author of The Blood Coven Vampire series
About the Author
Michael R. Underwood is the author of Geekomancy, Celebromancy, Attack the Geek, Shield and Crocus, and The Younger Gods. By day, he’s the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books. Mike grew up devouring stories in all forms, from comics to video games, tabletop RPGs, movies, and books. He has a BA in Creative Mythology and East Asian Studies, and an MA in Folklore Studies. Mike has been a bookseller, a barista, a game store cashwrap monkey, and an independent publishers’ representative.
Mike lives in Baltimore with his fiancée, an ever-growing library, and a super-team of dinosaur figurines and stuffed animals. He is also a co-host on the Hugo-nominated Skiffy and Fanty Show. In his rapidly vanishing free time, Mike studies historical martial arts and makes homeS
Mike lives in Baltimore with his fiancée, an ever-growing library, and a super-team of dinosaur figurines and stuffed animals. He is also a co-host on the Hugo-nominated Skiffy and Fanty Show. In his rapidly vanishing free time, Mike studies historical martial arts and makes homeS
Ree Reyes is a struggling screenwriter that is biding her time by working as a barista at Café Xombie. It's not a bad gig, and she loves the people, but life could be a little more exciting. Be careful what you wish for, because when Eastwood comes into her life, nothing will be the same. She manages to witness him fighting other world baddies in the alley outside the shop and is sucked into a world of all kinds of supernatural oddities. After overcoming her initial disbelief, Ree is asked to help him in his inquiries into recent teen suicides. Full on, geeky mayhem ensues.
I have to admit, while the author was setting up his magic system, and we were getting to know Ree, the near constant pop culture and "geek" references were distracting to me. They come hard, fast, and often. However, as I got into the flow of the book, and let myself go with said flow, I really had a quite a bit of fun with this one. The brand of magic (genre magic) used here is tons of fun. His characters can pick up magic abilities by watching moves or shows on whatever subject they need to use magic in conjunction with. Also, reading can do the same thing. For example, when Ree needs help with sleuthing, she watches Sherlock Holmes. With genre emulation, the more emotional attachment you have to the material, the more you get out of it. As Ree follows Eastwood, she meets all sorts of interesting folks, including some Geekomancers that give them a run for their money, Drake Winters, a displaced steampunk super hero, Furrymancers, and gnomes (probably not like you're picturing.) She also discovers that Eastwood might not be quite what he seems.
Can Ree stop the suicides? Will she manage to keep her job at Café Xombi amidst all the mayhem? Will she ever write that screenplay? You're in for a treat with this one, and I found myself especially enjoying it amidst all of the "darker" reads that I've been eating up lately, not to mention that the author validates my love for the 2005 movie Sahara and Steve Zahn. Evidently, I'm not the only one that liked it (I just knew I wasn't.) I hope you have as much fun with this one as I did, and I'll look forward to seeing what the author has up his geektastic sleeves next!
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