fantasy and science fiction book reviewsIron Night by M.L. Brennan urban fantasy book reviewsIron Night  by M.L. Brennan

I really like it when an author can keep a character from growing stagnant. It’s not always obvious that it’s happening, but it’s very impressive when the author has enough vision to avoid it. In Iron Night, the second book in the GENERATION V series by M.L. Brennan, Fortitude Scott is a wonderful example of a main character that keeps growing.

Fortitude Scott has not given up on remaining as human as he can for as long as he can. After the drama and partial transformation that took place as a result of his heroic efforts to save innocent children from a terrible monster, it’s harder to do than ever before. After losing his job, getting a new room-mate and breaking up with his cheating manipulative girlfriend, the sky is the limit.

Fort is being expected to take a more active role in his mother’s family business. This brings him into intimate contact with a number of different things that go bump in the night. To make this transition easier, Fort is training more and more with his brother Chivalry. Nothing like learning to use new found strength and speed on the wrestling mat with your older brother who is not only faster and stronger, but has centuries of experience and training to back it up. Humility is good for the soul, as Fort is figuring out.

When Fort’s new room-mate is murdered and dropped back into his apartment with his body mutilated, Fort takes it personally. He asks for help from every quarter including his family to try to figure out who is responsible for the murder. With the natural challenges of his new job waiting tables and trying to grow into his enhanced vampiric powers, Fort’s efforts to track the murderer are not always as successful as he hopes. Added to this mix is the awkward relationship with his adopted father’s best friend whose background in criminal investigation makes him very helpful, but who is trying to keep his eyes closed about who Fort is and the world Fort lives in.

I really enjoyed Iron Night because the character is forced to evolve. His attempts to remain innocent and human are very easy to sympathize with and when he is forced to irrevocably cross lines from a normal human life into the world of his natural future, it’s painful for him. The relationship between Fort and shapeshifter Suzume is just a lot of fun to read about. Fort plays the awkward sweet idiot to her wise and experienced vixen which is naturally amusing. For fans of easy to read, not too complex urban fantasy, GENERATION V is a series to add to your to-read list.

Publication Date: January 7, 2014. Underemployed by day. Undead by night. Underachieving film theory graduate and vampire Fortitude Scott may be waiting tables at a snooty restaurant run by a tyrannical chef who hates him, but the other parts of his life finally seem to be stabilizing. He’s learning how to rule the Scott family territory, hanging out more with his shapeshifting friend Suzume Hollis, and has actually found a decent roommate for once. Until he finds his roommate’s dead body. The Scott family cover-up machine swings into gear, but Fort is the only person trying to figure out who (or what) actually killed his friend. His hunt for a murderer leads to a creature that scares even his sociopathic family, and puts them all in deadly peril. Keeping secrets, killing monsters, and still having to make it to work on time? Sometimes being a vampire really sucks.

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  • John Hulet

    JOHN HULET is a member of the Utah Army National Guard. John’s experiences have often left a great void that has been filled by countless hours spent between the pages of a book lost in the words and images of the authors he admires. During a 12 month tour of Iraq, he spent well over $1000 on books and found sanity in the process. John lives in Utah and works slavishly to prepare soldiers to serve their country with the honor and distinction that Sturm Brightblade or Arithon s’Ffalenn would be proud of. John retired from FanLit in March 2015 after being with us for nearly 8 years. We still hear from him every once in a while.

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