The Nimble Man

Bad guys, beware - The good guys (and girls) have gathered in Boston, and they will defeat you swiftly and nimbly. The Menagerie is made up of legendary characters, each with his or her own powers and mystical, mythical origins. Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski have taken various characters well-known from literature and mythology and made them their own. Eve is not only what readers assume she is, but also a vampire. She is a ferocious female who takes no prisoners - and happens to have a keen fashion sense. Ceridwen is elemental and strong, but vastly different from Eve in her speech and in her approach to situations. Doyle, the leader, is intelligent and powerful but also has human traits and flaws, making him more believable and likable than the foreman of other series. The Nimble Man is a great introduction. It blends many genres together, sure to please fans of fantasy, action, science fiction, and mystery alike. The writing is rich in description, placing the reader right in the middle of the action sequences. The third person narrative permits the reader to get into the heads of these widely different characters, ranging from the immortal shapeshifter Clay to the confused changeling teenager Danny, from the specter of Dr. Graves to the shadowy hobgoblin (and chauffeur) Squire. The Nimble Man starts The Menagerie series off with a bang. Fans of X-Men and The League of Extraordinary Gentleman will certainly love this team. Highly recommended.

A fun, guilty pleasure read. An engaging story, hopefully the first of many. The characters are the best part, from an intriguingly named "Eve" who may be the real thing, to "Doctor Graves", an obvious homage to Doc Savage. The authors have done a fine job combining elements of horror and magic with a good old fashioned action/adventure story. Highly recommended!

Chris Golden has become a 'presence' on the horror scene. He has been a prolific writer of stories for the Buffy and Angel series, as well as having many successful efforts of his own. Tom Sniegoski is best known for his comic books work, where he has frequently collaborated with Golden. Now they have joined together to write the first volume a new series, The Menagerie: The Nimble Man. The basic premise isn't particularly original - wizard and friends join up to save the world books have been around since Lord of The Rings. But the group that make up what is to become The Menagerie are unique in every way. Something one should expect from authors who have the temerity to make Arthur Conan Doyle the magic worker. Then there's Eve, whose second husband made her a vampire (after she proved that gardening wasn't her strong point. Then there is Clay, the world's oldest shape changer, Len Graves, adventurer and ghost, Squire, the hobgoblin chauffer, Ceridwin, a princess of Faerie and Doyle's one time lover. And last, but not least, is Danny, a demon in the offing with a worried mother. All of these unite when Doyle's attempts to prevent Lorenzo Sanguedolce (Sweetblood) from being extracted from a living tomb backfire, and a deranged Queen of the Fay sets about trying to end the world. What makes the book is the reality the writers bring to the characters. These aren't cut-and-paste heroes speaking overblown prose, but people who, if you didn't know who they were would seem like ordinary folks with both good points and issues. Or as ordinary as a 16 year old with horns is ever likely to be. As much as I like him, Chris Golden is an erratic writer, who often falls short of his full potential. Teaming with Sniegoski seems to have done the trick, though, and The Nimble Man is that great rarity, an intelligent action story rich in both character and context. I was much delighted, and am looking forward to the next volume.

The Nimble Man, Book # 1 of The Menagerie, was a great choice for me to read. From the first page to the last, the action and adventure never let up. If you liked the League of Extrodinary Gentlemen comic or movie, then you will certainly enjoy this colorful novel. Led by the sorceror Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Menagerie team battles awesome forces of darkness quite unique from anything I've read before. From vampires to elementals to hobgoblins to shapeshifters, THE NIMBLE MAN has that and so much more to offer for hours of reading enjoyment. Fresh and ever-growing characters abound in this debut 1st novel, partly written from the author who wrote the famous and great Shadow Saga. These two writers seem to blend beautifully together, and I for one, will be looking forward to purchasing the next installment. Hollywood, please make this into a movie!

The Agents of the Menagerie fight to protect the world when a supernatural crisis occurs . The group includes Eve the mother of vampires, Clay the shapeshifter older than time, Squire the hobgoblin, Prince Ceridwen of Fey, and changeling teen Danny. Strange phenomena are happening as the dark rises under the power of the one calling them. Malevolent creatures roam free as a red mist surround the city cutting off communication with the outside. The Menagerie led by enigmatic Mr. Doyle tries to locate the most powerful mage that ever lived Lorenzo Sangveloce before the enemy can gain access to unlimited arcane supremacy. The apostate fey Morrigan wants to bring THE NIMBLE MAN into the world so that they can jointly rule over humanity and faery. The battle between good and evil has begun. Fans of Tanya Huff, Jim Butcher, and Mercedes Lackey will love this dark fantasy that is the first installment in a new series in which authors Christopher Golden & Thomas E. Sniegoski have surefire hit. Several revelations occur throughout the exciting story line so that the audience never has a chance to become complacent about the key characters especially the Menagerie or what will happen next. There is much to be learned about the individuals on the quest to save the world so stay tuned for more thrills forthcoming by two superb fantasists. Harriet Klausner