3 out of 4 stars
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Urban fantasy involves fantasy elements set in today’s world. It’s a popular genre of writing, but sometimes coming up with something fresh for readers is a challenge. It often feels like we’ve seen almost every version of vampire myth or demon hunting lore authors can dream up. That being said, Spyder Bones by Oliver Phipps manages to excavate something new from the monster mythology mine.
Spyder Bones focuses on a former soldier in the Vietnam War named Aaron, who goes by the nickname “Spyder” for his uncanny ability to crawl through small spaces. His main concerns are music and his girlfriend, and he seems to have little focus in his life. After an incident that leaves him fighting for his life in a coma, Aaron is confronted with the truth that he is a mystic warrior. With this knowledge, Aaron is faced with his destiny of fighting dark forces that have infiltrated this world. Charged with this new information, Aaron sets off to battle vampires, fallen angels, and the like. Weaving his way through the underbelly of society, Aaron fights to save people entangled with evil.
I ended up giving Spyder Bones 3 out of 4 stars. I was most impressed with the new spins the author gave on some of the “rules” of urban fantasy. For example, vampires are present, but their weaknesses and what they actually feed on have been given a new twist. The author has gone to a lot of trouble to make a believable and fresh take on the urban fantasy genre. The action is fast-paced, and the situations are dangerous enough to always keep up the tension. Some urban fantasy spends so much time setting up the plot that it becomes tedious. This novel kick-starts right away and never lets up. Those who are fans of urban fantasy should really like this book. I was very impressed by the author’s inventiveness with his fantasy elements.
My main complaint with the novel is that the ending seems very rushed and not to fit the rest of the book. There are some grammar errors in the book, but nothing too distracting. It was the ending that really made me have to mark the book down a star. It almost felt like the author just wanted to wrap the book up in a hurry and get finished. There had been so much detail in the other parts of the book, the ending just felt very out of place.
All things considered, Spyder Bones was a surprisingly creative read. I enjoyed the new take on fantasy tropes, and with a little more elaboration on the ending, I would have easily given this book four stars instead of three.
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Spyder Bones
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