Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn Series: Coast Road #2
Published by Mariner Books on July 17, 2018
Genres: Science Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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A century after environmental and economic collapse, the people of the Coast Road have rebuilt their own sort of civilization, striving not to make the mistakes their ancestors did. They strictly ration and manage resources, including the ability to have children. Enid of Haven is an investigator, who with her new partner, Teeg, is called on to mediate a dispute over an old building in a far-flung settlement at the edge of Coast Road territory.
The investigators’ decision seems straightforward — and then the body of a young woman turns up in the nearby marshland. Almost more shocking than that, she’s not from the Coast Road, but from one of the outsider camps belonging to the nomads and wild folk who live outside the Coast Road communities. Now one of them is dead, and Enid wants to find out who killed her, even as Teeg argues that the murder isn’t their problem. In a dystopian future of isolated communities, can our moral sense survive the worst hard times?
Carrie Vaughn has created such a distinct and different world in the Coast Road series. (or is it the Bannerless Saga series now?) The setting is a post-apocalyptic world where the main character, Enid, is an investigator. This is the primary form of law enforcement which works in teams on everything from minor disputes about resources to murders.
I love the depth of the world-building and diverse, well-defined characters. The author has done a stellar job with these aspects. Because Enid travels to where the cases are, there are new landscapes and many new characters in each book. We actually get very little overall about her home and her own household. I’m a little sad about that but we also get new and interesting things with each story.
Enid is quite capable and calm in the face of many troubles which seem insurmountable. She has a new investigator to mentor in The Wild Dead, Teeg. I wanted to punch him. Often. Enid did her best to teach him and work with him. She was also compassionate about the people involved with various crimes, empathetic with their perspectives, even when she had to enforce rules they didn’t like. Enid is so solid and likable, a better person than most people.
I can’t wait for more cases and hopefully a bit more about Enid’s life outside of the cases. She thinks of her house and its people often but it would be great to get a chapter or few pages before or after the case with more interaction and dialogue between her and her family. It’s not necessary, of course, but I’d like to learn even more about Enid.
About Carrie Vaughn
Carrie Vaughn is best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. The fourteenth installment, Kitty Saves the World, was released in 2015. Her forthcoming novels include a near-Earth space opera, Martians Abroad, from Tor Books, and a post-apocalyptic murder mystery, Bannerless, from John Joseph Adams Books. She’s written several other contemporary fantasy and young adult novels, as well as upwards of 80 short stories. She’s a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R. R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop.
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 New Release Challenge
- COYER BSBB
I think I only tried one of her books (a UF one – Kitty something) but I should try more.
Yes I found her through the Kitty series and I read them all, really liked them. But this series is more sci-fi and it is very awesome. I highly recommend it for being unique and fascinating. It was also easy to read. But definitely read Bannerless first; this will make more sense if you do.