Smoke and Mirrors (The Smoke Trilogy, Book 2)

by Tanya Huff | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 0756403480 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 7/15/2013
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2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, March 25, 2014
I'd read and enjoyed the "Smoke" books some time back, and was pleased to find this good-condition paperback at the Concord Public Library's ongoing book sale, for an inexpensive release copy.

While I'd found the first of the Tony Foster books, Smoke and Shadows, to be less entertaining than the "Blood" series (Blood Price et al) in which Tony and 400-year-old vampire Henry had originally appeared, it was amusing enough that I decided to give the second book a try, to see if this one's more of a story and less of a video game {grin}.

Turns out that the video-game aspect is still there, a bit, but there's more back-story and character interaction here, or at least that's how it seemed to me. This one's a haunted-house scenario; the TV show that Tony works for is shooting episodes at a creepy old mansion that's reputed to be haunted, and - of course - with Tony on the scene, the rumors turn out to be true. Eventually nearly all of the cast and crew of the show wind up trapped in the house, with vengeful ghosts vying to kill them - or is something even more sinister going on? And can Tony concentrate on using his budding and not-that-well-practiced wizard skills to get them out? [And can he stop getting distracted by the oddly provocative behavior of the series' charming co-star, Lee?]

Henry has a part to play here too, but it's definitely Tony's story, and while I thought that the cycle of hauntings went on a bit too long, I did enjoy the book. Especially some of the snarky inside jokes: "That had to be some of the loudest subtext Tony'd ever heard, and, given the volume of the subtext over the course of the night, that was saying something." [OK, maybe you had to be there! But I see that the folks at TV Tropes have a very entertaining entry on the "Smoke" books here; do check it out.]

The entire "Smoke" series:

Smoke and Shadows
Smoke and Mirrors
Smoke and Ashes

Note: while it's more entertaining to read the books in order - and more entertaining still if you've read the "Blood" series first! - this book can be enjoyed on its own.

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Aha! Book was caught before I could make release notes - excellent! I left the book near the sign for the Elm Brook Park in Hopkinton NH. Thanks to the finder for journaling; hope you enjoy it!

*** Released for the 2014 Four Elements challenge, for "smoke". ***

*** Released for the 2014 Oh the Places We Can Go challenge, for "Mirror Lake". ***

Journal Entry 3 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Found at Elm Brook Park, Contoocook, NH

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