NIGHTMARE CITY ISBN: 9781698565439 apparently published copyright and written by P. S. Newman.
This Book 1 of the Nightmare City Series, introduces Eden Maybrey, a shade hunter. Shades are the living manifestation of persons conjured up by individuals during a period of sleep. They range in size from small viscous to huge viscous truck sized and occasionally larger animals, as well as human-like individuals. It is believed all are destructive, some being able to electrocute an individual by touch, others coated in flame and/or able to discharge balls of flame from themselves like projectiles from a gun and produce death and destruction in numerous other ways. Much of the city is in ruins and the inhabitants in constant fear for their lives. Thus, the remaining portions of the city are heavily fortified and an entire department of shade hunters has been established and functions 24/7. Occasionally, a helpful rather than destructive, variant appears. However, because so much destructive activity has been exhibited by so many, the law has decreed that all must be eliminated on sight. Serious consequences result from disobeying this law or in any way attempting to shield or not report such aberrations. Because of the increasing number of lives often heroically saved by these ‘good shades’ a clandestine operation has been initiated by a group banded together as the Society for Higher Acceptance and Integration of Dreams (SHAID). It has been initiated, and originally funded by a pair of wealthy owners of a pharmacological manufacturing company, David and Sean, the first of whom is about to marry Cecelia, the city’s most relied upon homicide detective. The reader further discovers that, unknown to other than Cecelia, her 17-year-old sister Bella, David and Sean and a very few Directors of SHAID, Eden also is a shade who was dreamed into existence by Bella. From this point the plot expands to include another prominent shade hunter who literally despises the aberrations and is assigned to partner with Eden; a ‘good’ shade produced from Eden’s dreams; a shade sword that can think and speak; and several additional characters who produce a quite involved series of activities.
Discussion: To divulge additional material from this book would be a distinct disservice to the prospective reader. It is pure dark paranormal fantasy moving at an accelerated pace through an entangled plot that is quite unique. It offers a ‘new wrinkle’ that should appeal to, and be most enjoyed by, devotees of the genre.
5* Fast paced, pure dark paranormal fantasy with a ‘new wrinkle’.