The Last Coin

Like most of Blaylock's contemporary fantasies, this book left me with the odd but pleasurable sensation that the author was either a scant few inches from discovering the secrets of the Universe, or he was a complete idiot. Although I've met Mr. Blaylock on two or three occasions, I still can't make up my mind. In either case, this book is one of my very favorites. Only Blaylock would pit a delightfully quirky would-be Innkeeper like Andrew Vanbergen against the demonic Pennyman when the fate of the world hung in the balance. The plot, including its absurd references to the current street address of Judas Iscariot, is so wildly improbable that I have to suspect that it's true. This book is a must-read for anyone who's ever wondered if miracles and toaster ovens can co-exist in the same kitchen. Oh, and if you happen to run into Mr. Blaylock... ask him about the pig. Jeff Edwards, Author of "Torpedo: A Surface Warfare Thriller"

This has to be some of the most fun I've had reading a fantasy novel in a long time. Like his peer Tim Powers, Blaylock is more concerned with taking bizarre events and contrasting them with his equally bizarre yet oddly lovable cast, with everything taking place against a backdrop of complete normality. He lacks some of the lyrical prowess of Powers (who is highly recommended for anyone who likes Blaylock) but easily makes up for it with memorable characters, Andrew had to be one of the more strikingly defined people to come out of fiction in the last ten years and he'll make you laugh at him and root for me all at the same time, perhaps because we can all identify with him just a little. And Pennyman is a totally ruthless villain, completely charming but with a black heart indeed. The book centers mostly around the bumbling dance between Pennyman and Andrew, who isn't quite sure until nearly the end just what he's going up against or what the stakes really are, but the supporting cast is equally brilliant and all loopy in a fun way. This is a great introduction to the nutty world of Blaylock and almost certain enjoyment for anyone tired of the fantasy worlds of elves and multi-volume world shattering quests.

I rank this book and Blaylock's THE DIGGING LEVIATHAN as his best creations. Both are filled with extraordinarily quirky characters and superb writing. These books show just how much of a craftsman Blaylock is, also revealing the extent of his literary imagination. If American fantasy ever grows out of its Romantic sword-and-sorcery obsessiveness, then James Blaylock's novels might be the forerunners of a new American fabular fiction. No one else--not Orson Scott Card, not Dean Koontz, sorry folks--is doing what James Blaylock is doing.

I read this novel along with Winter Tides and All the Bells on Earth, and this novel far surpasses the others. Blaylock's sense of humor is at its best here, making this one of the most unique novels I've read.

Several years ago, I sat down and tried to read this book. At the time, it just didn't click for me (maybe it was my mood--who knows?). When I finally came back to it last week (after exposure to a couple of other Blaylock novels), I was immediately caught-up in the magic.Quirky, at times almost insane, characters band together to battle an evil man who is intent on hording the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas to betray Christ. When the coins are all together in one place, the person who owns them will wield untold power. In the midst of trying to start a bed and breakfast inn, the hero, Andrew Vanbergen, realizes that he has come into ownership of the last coin of the title and engages in a battle of wits with the mysterious Pennyman, who owns the other 29.James P. Blaylock, along with his friend Tim Powers, is a master of this sort of thing, drawing together a wide array of seemingly-unconnected incidents and historical allusions into a conspiracy that makes a lot of sense. Coupled with quirky characters and humourous incidents, this is a marvelous, memorable novel.