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    Nightlife
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    Nightlife
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    Nightlife
    Audiobook11 hours

    Nightlife

    Written by Rob Thurman

    Narrated by Patrick Lawlor

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In New York, there's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side. Of course, most humans are oblivious to this, but Cal Leandros is only half-human. His father's dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares-and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal.

    He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him...for he is
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 28, 2010
    ISBN9781101457849
    Unavailable
    Nightlife
    Author

    Rob Thurman

    Rob Thurman is the author of the Cal Leandros series, the Trickster series, and the Korsak Brothers novels, and more. Find out more at RobThurman.net. 

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    Reviews for Nightlife

    3.5/5

    483 ratings47 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Ever since Cal was small he and his half-brother Niko have been seeing monsters. They named them Grendels and knew they were after Cal even if they didn't know why. They should have suspected because their mother wasn't just being cruel when she told Cal she named him Caliban because he was a monster, she was telling the truth. When Cal is fourteen, Dad comes calling, right on the day when Cal and Niko were going to leave forever. His mother is killed, Niko is injured, and Cal is taken away. Ever-loyal Niko stays and waits, hoping Cal will somehow return. Two days later he does, except it's been two years for Cal. We catch up with them five years later. They've been running all that time. Niko gave up college and now works as a bodyguard and Cal helps him out when he's not tending bar. They still see grendels, though they haven't seen one in a while. Until now, that is.

      The character of Niko scared me at first because he seemed too perfect. He has long hair that he braids down his back. He can fight in many styles. He is proficient with a sword. He's all human, unlike Cal, but he's a nearly unstoppable warrior. He's stoic. He speaks like your typical high-fantasy elf. I was sure I would hate him. Except underneath all that Niko is a real three-dimensional person, not the cardboard cutout I feared he'd be. He's terrified something will happen to his brother (again) and he's doing the best he can to survive. He loves his brother and that's obvious: they tease, they spar, they slap each other upside the head. They're very believable brothers.

      Cal is a teenager. He's 19 but between the lost years when he was taken and the upheavals in his life he isn't anywhere near adult, nor is he in any way a child. He's immature when it comes to other people and very mature when it comes to monsters in the dark. I like him. I like him a lot. He's close only to Niko, he hasn't had the time, inclination, or ability to let anonye else get close. This comes to the fore in this book when he meets Georgina, a psychic with a crush on him, and car salesman Rob Fellows.

      Rather predictably, I fell hard for Rob Fellows. Robin Goodfellow, actually. An immortal being (a puck) who is older than humans and knows what Cal is. Through him the grendels get a name: The Auphe. They're utterly evil, feared by everyone who knows of them, and Cal is the son of one. At first Robin is scared, then he's intrigued. Then I fell in love with him. He's a drunk, an asshole, a womanizer, and he's obviously got a background but there's no swimming in Lake Manpain for him. Oh, and he has a crush on Niko. Cal can't help liking him even though there's no way he wants to let another person into his life.

      The Auphe are back and they want Cal. Since trying to train him failed years ago when they took him now they're going to use the Darkling to possess his body and use him to end the world as we know it. Far too much of the book is told from the POV of the Darkling for my taste, but that's understandable because the book is from Cal's POV and switching to anyone else would have made the story not as good. It's important we know what happened to Cal while the Darkling was in control.

      It's a good read. The characters are tipped on their heads enough that I didn't get that same-old same-old feeling you can sometimes get. Seen one elf/vampire/werewolf you've seen them all, you know? The brothers felt real to me, Robin was awesome, and I enjoyed all the secondary characters populating this world. Fun.
    • 5/5
      Bought this book Saturday, started it Sunday night, finished the following Monday. Yeah, it was good. Yeah, it was fast-paced. And yeah, I was completely hooked. Thurman's debut is not without it's flaws, but the raw voice of the narrator(s) and the emotional tension of the book pulls you forward. It's an urban fantasy that's actually dark fantasy, that's actually horror, and if you're a fan of any of these genres, it's definitely worth the read.The full review, WHICH DOES INCLUDE SPOILERS, is in my LJ if you're interested. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.REVIEW: Rob Thurman's NIGHTLIFEHappy Reading! :)
    • 5/5
      I've waited far too long to meet the Leandros brothers, and man, what a ride. Teenager Cal Leandors is half-human, half-monster. Mom was an uncaring gypsy swindler/hooker and daddy was a special brand of evil elf called Auphe -- nightmarish creatures whose hobbies include slaughter, torture and world-domination (not necessarily in that order). Niko, Cal's older brother, a lethal blond do-it-yourself Ninja, is Cal's only family and his sole protector. Together the brothers flee across the U.S., running away from the Auphe, which, quite creatively, the brothers term "Grendels". The Auphe want Cal, and want him bad... Why? And have the monsters finally caught up with the Leandros brothers in their current New York hideout? In a plot full of clever twists and turns, through Cal's sarcastic/dark voice, Ms. Thurman artfully lets the story unfold. I think Nightlife is a brilliant, highly original urban fantasy. What makes it extra-special is the tough-love-kick-each-other's-ass relationship between Cal and Niko, as well as Thurman's original take on monsters/mythology. Only caveat: To enjoy the ride, you gotta love Cal's voice. Cal is a strong narrator, and he doesn't pull his punches. So if you think Cal is irritating, you will probably end up throwing your book (or iPad/iPod Touch/Kindle/Sony Reader/Nook -- take your pick, LOL) against a wall. As for me? I LOVED Call. I kept laughing out loud reading his snarky comments. Love, love, LOVE the style. I give it 5 outta 5 for kick-ass style and originality, and I'm willing to ignore minor plot issues.
    • 3/5
      It was ok. The 2nd half was better than the first. I felt some of the banter was forced and that some of the "I am monster" message got old. I will probably give the 2nd book a chance and see where it goes. Butcher, Green, Briggs, F. Paul Wilson all do it better.
    • 4/5
      Dark, gritty, action-packed urban fantasy.
    • 4/5
      Original new entry into the urban fantasy genre. This is straight out action with no romance clogging the drain.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting, took me a little while to get into but then it drew me in and I had difficulties putting it down. Alot of action and the love of brothers tells this tale of Grendels (aka Auphe), A vampire, A human and a puck as well as a few others in there. Niko and Cal really fight for each other as a family. Great story can't wait to read the next installment.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book.The book was not particularly well written, especially in the beginning, but it did improve as the book went on. Besides, it's a first novel so she deserves some slack.I really liked the voice of the book. Cal and Niko are both really fun characters and I look forward to reading more about them.I liked the relationship between Cal and Niko, the depth of their feelings for each other and how they demonstrated that affection both felt very real.I also like the world they've set up and Robin Goodfellow is wonderful!
    • 3/5
      Good tempo in terms of action and plot. Feels just a bit juvenile with some teenage-angst going on with Caleban.
    • 4/5
      Good plot, characters were ok. Interesting story twists. But the story had a lot of detail that perhaps took away from the plot. I listened to the audio book and that may have made a difference rather than reading it myself (there were times I wasn't sure what was speech and what was thoughts). Would still recommend.
    • 4/5
      I read this book on the recommendation of my daughter, and really enjoyed it. For some reason, though, I found it quite stressful, and actually took a long break from it around the middle! Not because I wasn't enjoying it--I was just too worried about the main character. Haha, I'm a wimp, I admit it. There's a fine line for me between a book I can't stop reading and a book I have to stop reading for a little while. :) If you like paranormal/adventure you should like these characters and their troubles. There's lots of depth in both the storyline/plot and the characters, and it's well-written in both style and pacing. I'll definitely pick up this author again, and the further books about these characters.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting, took me a little while to get into but then it drew me in and I had difficulties putting it down. Alot of action and the love of brothers tells this tale of Grendels (aka Auphe), A vampire, A human and a puck as well as a few others in there. Niko and Cal really fight for each other as a family. Great story can't wait to read the next installment.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed it. I liked the main hero, Cal and all the characters. The world created by the author was interesting as well as the plot. And the humour was great! I laughed aloud few times.
    • 4/5
      This one has two half brothers trying to stay one step ahead of the younger brother's father. Turns out that he is half elf. Of course in this universe, elves are not the usual stereotype that we have become accustomed to. And I like that. I also like what he did to trolls and vampires as well. Of course things catch up to Cal, the half elf and his fully human brother Niko has to rescue him with the help of a newly found allay. And I will say nothing on their new friend since reading about him was fun.
    • 4/5
      Nightlife wasn't what I expected. Given the blurb and cover (a mopey, darkhaired guy, dimly lit city), I thought I was in for a hardboiled detection/urban fantasy romp with the standard snarky, secretly idealistic, slightly tarnished white knight who ventures down the mean streets to try to bring a little justice back into the world, etc, etc. Instead, I was thrown into a world that I would describe (tautologically, I know) as "dark noir." I tend to stay out of dark noir, where the world is not so much shades of grey as totally lightless, where the protagonist commits atrocities that make it impossible to separate hero from villain, where the humour is black, the tone is nihilistic, and any idealism is strangled in its infancy. Nightlife puts a unique twist on dark noir. This world isn't actually nihilistic a la Cain or Kadrey's Sandman Slim, and there certainly is a very parfait (if not particularly gentil) knight on the scene, but Caliban Leandros, narrator, is literally part monster, the scion of an alcohol-sodden prostitute and a supernatural fiend.

      As a child, Cal was spirited away by his monstrous sire into the hellish realm of the Auphe (a variant of elf, but not precisely the Santa's-little-helper variety), then apparently escaped, incoherent and almost bereft of sanity, and landed right back home. Cal's improbably self-sacrificial older brother, Nikos, promptly made made it his life's mission to protect and hide Cal from the monsters that dog their path. A few years later, Cal and Nikos are living it up in NYC--and the monsters are right on their trail. Even worse, there's something more sinister than the mere possession of Cal's body and soul at stake.

      One thing I loved about the story was the narrative twist: the hero is not the same individual as the narrator. Cal, the narrator, is often heartbreakingly helpless while Niko must perform insane stunts of combat prowess and bitter sacrifices to protect and save his brother. Committing my usual sin of comparing all UF to the Dresden Files, it's as if the partly monstrous Thomas Raith started narrating Dresden's antics. (Oh wait, I guess that already happened--"Backup." Heh.) Cal makes for a somewhat morose and angsty protagonist; if you think Dresden is a whiner, you really, really don't want to meet Cal. Nikos fits the standard hero stereotypes: impossibly handsome, suave, intelligent, and with almost supernatural fighting prowess. (He also wears a duster at one point--a definite tell for determining the UF hero.) In fact, all of the characters are sort of on the superhero model--everyone has a special talent and everyone tends to be impossibly good-looking and improbably fantastic at battle. The general setup--two brothers born of tragedy fighting the supernatural, the younger one a part-monster who is destined to help end the world, the older one determined to do anything and sacrifice anything to save him--feels scarily similar to the TV show Supernatural. In my opinion, Supernatural did a much better job in making Nikos/Dean rounded, imperfect, and ultimately likable, but Thurman creates a much more sympathetic Cal/Sam. If Nikos, a blonde and ponytailed James Bond, had been the narrator, I would have found him unbearable, but through the eyes of his hero-worshipping baby brother, he had a certain charm. I can understand Cal's slightly grudging adoration; I have an older sister, after all. At the same time, their relationship left me with the same vague sense of embarrassment I get seeing wrestlers practice grappling--just a bit too intimate. Cal's sense of self is so closely tied to his brother that in some ways, he lacks his own identity. His role as a narrator gives us a unique glimpse into his thoughts and helps, perhaps paradoxically, to create a less egocentric character than that of Sam in Supernatural. In terms of narrative voice, I do think Cal overdid the cursing; I think I saw a maximum of three contiguous profanity-free pages.

      What I had real trouble with is the narration switch in the middle into a pure "dark noir" narrator, a character gleefully and sickeningly evil. Literally over half of the book is spent in the head of this character as he scampers around the city, dealing out pain and misery and reporting his sick pleasure at the prospect of suffering to the reader. This is where I felt the book shifted into dark noir; while it maintains a clear sense of morality, narration by a sick psychopath is one of the hallmarks of this subgenre, and the reason that I avoid it. I spent the entire section bouncing between horror and disgust, and there was no detection or mystery to relieve my intellect from the ick-factor. Although I felt sick at the pain of their ordeal, I had trouble bonding with the characters, even the protagonists, because I felt trapped in the head of a sick monster. While I could abstractly recognize the skill of a writer who made me feel that horrified but kept me reading and engaged, this was not my type of book.

      The world that Thurman creates is everything I could ask of good urban fantasy pulp. Thurman uses the absurd to balance the almost unrelenting pain in most of the novel: there's a vampire who traded in blood for iron supplements, Robin Goodfellow practices his smarms and charms as a used car salesman, and a psychic medium holds her practice in an ice cream parlour. At the same time, the city hides disgusting bog creatures, the predatory Auphe, and one of the most horrific characterizations of a troll I have ever encountered. Not only does she use mood whiplash from comedy to horror to great effect, but Thurman also understands the most important principle of evoking horror: that true terror lies not in catalogues of gore-ridden monstrosities but in allusions and brief glimpses. She gives just enough details of the atrocities to make me wince, then merely hints at the rest, leaving my imagination to paint in the remainder in the gaudy shades of pain and terror. Overall, while it may not be a great fit for readers who tend towards only slightly hardboiled fiction, this is a fantastic read for someone who likes their noir seriously dark and gritty.
    • 3/5
      An obnoxiously world-weary, wise-cracking narrator nearly put me off this in the first couple pages, but a beautiful sunny day and a comfortable deck chair made me a more tolerant reader than usual and I persevered long enough to become inured to the irritating Cal and sufficiently engaged in the story to stick with it. Along from her annoying protagonist, Thurman introduces an interesting and appealing cast of secondary characters who will, I assume, pop up again as the series continues. Cal's brother is absurdly perfect, but the brothers' warm relationship is appealingly drawn. In the early parts of the book Thurman's writing is often wearyingly adolescent – not a flip of Cal's or his brother's luxuriant ponytails, or a flex of their muscles goes unmentioned (the author's bio tells us “yes he is really a she,” which I thought, given the lingering attentions on our heroes' physiques, hardly needed confirmation) – but she eventually settles down, and a little before the half-way mark she gets her story barreling along quite nicely. Entertaining enough, and I expect I'll give the second in the series a try.
    • 3/5
      Hehe, I bet Niko's character was inspired by Nikko of Shibumi and that Dmitry of the Vampire Academy was made using Niko's character and Cal's fate. Trevanian is turning in his grave. ;)I would have liked if I could have liked Niko, rather than whiny Cal but if he was so unreal...At least there's no romance, but it's not enough for me to read the sequels.
    • 3/5
      So much action! There really wasn't any time to just breathe during this book; fighting and angsting and running and monsters--oh my! It was a good book, although I think I might have enjoyed it a smidgen more if I were a 15-year-old boy. From what I can tell, that's about the target audience. Not that it wasn't also at the level an adult can enjoy, it just seems like more of "a boy thing", as my Mom would say.
    • 4/5
      I had an eerie sense of deja vu all the way through this book, I think I may have read NIGHTLIFE at some point in my murky reading past. Still enjoyed it immensely, though a bit anxious due to the eventual fates of many of the characters introduced (wondering why they are or are not present at book 8).
    • 3/5
      it's funny how some things with very good pieces just don't add up to a very good whole. 'nightlife' is a refreshing alternative for those that are sick of their UF being more about the sexytimes and less about things that go bump in the night - it's very dark, occasionally shading into out-and-out horror territory, and nobody feels the need to stop running from the monsters for a quick roll in the hay. the teen protagonist actually sounds like a teenager, not an adult trying to remember how he rolled way back when. there are real consequences, and there are no guarantees that everyone will make it out unscathed. if that sounds fantastic to you, well, perhaps you should give this one a shot.

      i really wanted to like this book for all of the above, for it being a bit different from the routine (i really love UF, but i'm really getting sick of the mediocre retreads), but ultimately, eh, we'll have to settle for merely liking it. that authentic teen voice gets right whiny after a while (GAH it's good to be an adult!), all the truly creepy bits feel cribbed right out of a Mi?ville novel, and the main character's brother is more shiningly perfect than clark kent. it's also sprinkled with obvious clues that this is a first novel - there were several references to past events that sounded like recollections rather than introductions, and had me flipping back through looking for torn-out pages. an utterly minor subplot that emerged in the last couple of chapters was a far more engaging idea than the main plot had been...and might be enough to get me to read the sequel(s) to see if that ever gets worked out.
    • 4/5
      Cal Leandros is half-human, half something else. Something else that kidnapped him, dragged him through a portal and stole two years of his life. Cal and his brother Nik aren't sure what exactly daddy-dearest is, but they've dubbed them Grendels and labeled them kill-on-sight. Hiding out in the Big Apple, living under the radar has worked so far, but the monsters have found them, and Cal and Nik are about to find out what Cal's purpose in life actually is, at least from the Grendels' perspective. Armageddon, anyone?Dark, and a bit angst ridden, but I'm interested enough to locate the next in the series.
    • 5/5
      I came across this series whilst browsing Amazon, and after reading the synopsis of the first novel, nightlife, decided that the series sounded a lot like the TV series supernatural. Being a big fan of the TV series I decided to purchase the first book, and see how I got on. Very quickly I realised that while there were similarities, in that it dealt with two brothers, who despite occasional tension between them would do anything for each other. And of course it deals with the supernatural. However that is where the similarites end. This isn't your typical series where evil is hunted down simply because it's bad. The brothers are on the run, and have no such illusions about taking out the bad guys. Quite often the protagonists find themselves turning a blind eye to the deeds of some of the creatures they find themselves working alongside, indeed on occasion allied with, and this is definitely not a bad thing.The novel revolves around two brothers, Cal and Niko. Cal, or Caliban to give him his full name (some readers will instantly spot the reference, for any who don't it is quickly explained) has a human mother, and an Auphe father. It is him that narrates the novel to us, and shares plenty of his bitter and pessimistic attitude with the reader. His one liners quite often put a smile of my face, and it's his narration that is one of the highlights of the series. I won't say any more for fear of giving some of the story away, but they are on the run from the Auphe. Cal himself has plenty of luggage when it comes to being half monster.Another resounding success for the series were the descriptions of the various creatures they come across, Boggle (the less I say the better, for want of spoiling the surprise) and Abbagor, a troll who they go to for information, in particular. The description of the troll conjured some very vivid images in my head, and I felt this was a really unique outlook on trolls. And the Auphe, the main bad guys in this novel, and the bane of Cal and Niko's lives, are a fantastic creation. Very, very scary creatures indeed. Again, I don't want to give too much away.There are plenty of other, smaller characters introduced in this first novel. Robin Goodfellow (Again, some readers will instantly spot the reference) and Promise are two of the more prominent characters in this novel. Neither are human, but could be described as on the side of the good guys. Both have their own past and agenda's, which is only hinted at.This is a great introduction to a series, plenty of interesting characters who have their own stories and agenda's to be revealed at a later date. It has its own unique mythology, a lot of the creature concepts are new and clever takes on old legends. Cal has plenty of attitude and comes out with a lot of funny one liners.As a little extra point, this novel doesn't take itself too seriously. It is fun, and an enjoyable romp through New Yorks seedier side. Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy. I can't wait for the next entry in the series. A very promising entry.
    • 4/5
      A great story, hard to put down and fast paced with lots of action and violence. Cal and half brother Niko try to survive in New York, surrounded by monsters. Cal is half monster and Niko has been trying to protect him all his life. The monsters they have been running from catch up with them and they must fight for their lives. This book was somewhat dark but there is also a great relationship between the brothers and some future romance options (for each brother). I will definitely continue the series.
    • 3/5
      Not bad for a first novel (I think it is one?), but I'm not really interested in re-reading it. It is an interesting concept, and a different take on several concepts than most of what I've read in the urban fantasy genre. I'll probably give Thurman a second or third chance.
    • 4/5
      Cal Leandros is on the run with his brother, Niko – his half brother, that is, as they share only a mother. Where Niko's father was a known quantity and simply deadbeat and out of the picture, Cal's … led to their not-very-motherly mother naming him Caliban. He has lived his whole life knowing he is half monster – his mother never let him forget it, and a few years ago he was taken by his father's … people, the creatures he and his brother call the Grendels. He came back a few days after, but in the interval he lost two years somewhere: he matured, his hair grew, but he remembers nothing – not really a bad thing. But ever since the Grendels have hunted him, and he no more wants to know what they'll do if they catch him than he wants to know what they did while they had him. It's not a ground-breaking story, to start with. Boy lives with mystery surrounding origins, boy doesn't know exactly what he is or what he's capable of; there are monsters everywhere; boy is on the run from monsters… But there are some aspects which are unique. One: without (hopefully) giving away too much, the first-person narrative takes a turn almost in mid-paragraph, tone and personality changing completely. Because of the circumstances of the change, I kept expecting the POV to shift – and it never did, and that made for some unusual reading. Also, there is a fairly different take on mythology and the usual urban fantasy bestiary. These aren't Tolkien's elves, though, oddly perhaps, there is no explanation posited as to why public perception is so skewed as to expect Pretty Shiny Good elves. Werewolves, vampires, and Puck – yes, that Puck – are couched solidly in this world. The evil is pretty purely evil, but while this is usually a no-no it is fitted well into the world the author has built. (I do wonder why so many fantasy worlds have purely evil creatures – and yet no one ever seems to try out a purely good creature. Certainly what I've seen of those appalling fantasies that use angels as characters don't try for pure good, given the amount of sex said angels seem to have. But I digress.) The human – or mostly so – characters are also well handled. I quite liked the handful of secondary characters, and I think I will enjoy more about those who survived this book. Nik is darn near perfect – and yet I liked him anyway. I think my only problem with Niko in the narrative was that the descriptions were a little more admiring of his appearance than seemed quite right for a younger brother, but it's not impossible. Cal is … how to put this politely? Ah: a teenager. Whatever else is going on in his life and his head, he is a teenaged boy – there are glimpses of a likeable, intelligent human being, but they are buried in a pile of laziness and sarcasm and juvenile humor. Still, while this is not the character whose head I would rush to share, it was more agreeable than it might have been. There are reasons for the point of view, and for the choices in narration, and it works. I liked it. It didn't blow me away – almost, in spots, but not overall. It was a promising beginning – which, by the way, ended in such a way as to open the door very wide for an intriguing Book 2. The introduction of these two characters happens very late in the story, and they change the whole game. It's abrupt, as though they were just invented – yes, a bit deus ex machina – and this might have been alleviated if they had at least been mentioned at some point earlier, which spoiled the flow of the story a bit for me, but not irreparably.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this first volume in the series reasonably well, although the banter and protagonist's overall tone seemed a bit forced and got old quickly. I liked that the author went all-in and actually put the protagonist through something rather terrible, in a way that seemed somewhat original. A reasonably good read for a first novel in the series.
    • 2/5
      I have come to the conclusion that I should not buy urban fantasy books that were first published as mass market paperbacks. I can only assume it's the publishing world's version of "straight to DVD" or a SyFy original movie. Nightlife isn't terrible, but it isn't great. It's been-there-done-that territory for me and just wasn't worth my time. The plot is somewhat original: The Auphe (apparently another name for elves) need a human/Auphe child to help them open a gate to the past. The problem? Auphe aren't the Keebler elves: they're hideous, monstrous creatures who only live for violence and destruction. Not exactly what a woman wants to cozy up to for a night of passion. So the Auphe find a drunken gypsy whore who will do anything for money. Apparently they had to wait centuries for a woman depraved enough to sleep with anything that could provide adequate coin as payment for the experience; for which I call "bullshit" as this is the stuff of pure fiction. Hugh Hefner manages to find such a woman every fifteen minutes. Anyway, 9 months after this crime against nature occurs, little Caliban, named for the offspring of witch and demon in Shakespeare's The Tempest, is born. Cal and his half-brother, Niko, escape their terrible childhood together and spend the rest of their lives on the run from the Auphe. What's not particularly original about the novel is the execution. The characters are stereotypes to the urban fantasy genre. Niko is some sort of concrete jungle ninja; he walks around packing enough steel that he's at serious risk of shish kebabbing himself every time he sits down. He must also be as stealthy as a drawer full of silverware. Despite being so deadly, he's gorgeous and has blonde tresses that would be the envy of Lady Lovely Locks and the Pixietails (how's that for an obscure 1980's toy reference?). Cal, the supernatural part of the duo, is like Harry Dresden's younger brother. He's snarky and sarcastic in a not particularly clever manner. And this is problematic for me because I'm sick of this ultra-hip, pop-culture spouting, always quick with a quip in the heat of battle, "I'm such a smart ass, but I just can't help it" persona of the protagonists in these types of novels. It gets grating after a while, which is why I finally gave up on the Dresden Files and it's a big part of the reason as to why I'll be giving up on the Cal Leandros series. This smug glibness seems to be a literary sleight-of-hand for distracting the reader from a lack of character development, which is fun at first but gets tiresome after the second or third novel of this type. Another reason Nightlife didn't particularly hold my attention is because it begins with the resolution for what should be the novel's climax and, sure, the opening certainly gets your attention, but by the time you make it to what should be the most suspense filled part of the novel you realize, "Oh, hey, this has looped back around to the beginning. Damn! I already know what's going to happen." It's as anticlimactic as the Anthony Weiner scandal (c'mon, we all knew that was his junk). This foreknowledge certainly makes the last 1/4 of the novel tiresome. Again, I can't say the novel isn't worth reading; in fact, it might be okay for those new to the genre. I've read so much of this stuff that I know I've become jaded and from now on, if it wasn't first issued in hardback, I'm going to take a pass on this genre.
    • 4/5
      Nightlife by Rob Thurman is the first book in the Cal Leandros series about two brothers - Cal and Niko - who are on the run after monsters burnt down their house and killed their mother. The book is satisfactory on many levels - action, character studies, paranormal, mystery, and humor. The story is action-packed, as you would expect from a novel about monster-fighting brothers, but first and foremost, the story is about the relationship between the brothers. They support each other and care for each other. Their relationship seems authentic - part love, part exasperation, part irritation. Both of them have different ways of dealing with the fact that Cal is half monster, which is interesting. Equally interesting are the characters they encounter: Robin Goodfellow, a "puck." (Satyr); Georgie, who can read the future; Promise, a "Black Widow" Vampire; and Darkling, a male banshee. And the mystery of why the monsters are chasing Cal is intriguing. All in all, a good and satisfying story which left me sitting in front of my computer, ordering the next book in the series on Amazon!
    • 3/5
      The book started slow but sped up nicely after character establishment and although the story line was wonderfully creative, I was expecting a little bit more from the characters once they bloomed. The reshaping of well known myth and fantasy creatures is attention grabbing but it seemed like the author was setting up characters for a series instead of this particular story and a few of the more interesting characters seemed to have walk on parts, at best, in this particular novel. The brother dynamic for the two unlikely main heroes is nice but they pontificate far too much on thier connection to each other. They are brothers, that's all that really needs to be said about thier relationship, we get that thier connection is strong without the re-establishing of that connection every chapter or so. I liked the mysterious aspect of Cal's lineage and his parents being far from perfect, his stumbling attempts to avoid his crush make him a very sympathetic character as well but, he still comes off as a little flat. He doesn't seem to like or dislike much of anything outside his brother and as exciting a character as he should be, that lack of intrest paints a rather dull picture overall. I wanted to like the sidekick, the aptly named "Robin" but I felt he was written with too many homosexual stereotypes to really be believable. He's fighting monsters and is pissed off that his silk shirt is ruined? I was pissed off that the great postential of this character was tossed away. I liked the story enough to want to read more, I just wish the great ideas were better written.
    • 5/5
      Cal is a monster. Well, half-monster. His father is a nasty creature called an Auphe--the basis for elf mythology, but the only accurate thing is the pointed ears. And for some reason, the Auphe have been seeking Cal for years. It's only because of the grim devotion of older half-brother Niko that Cal has stayed alive through their years on the run. That's about to change. The Auphe want Cal. Badly.Rob Thurman has created a unique urban fantasy series following the first-person vantage point of Cal Leandros. Most urban fantasy is aimed towards women, but this book should strongly appeal to everyone through Cal's sarcastic, snippy tone. Actually, all of the characters are fantastic. His older brother is a walking arsenal and the perfect guy to have at your back, and the supporting cast is just as brilliant. Cal and Niko aren't straightforward good guys; they are the Batmans of their world, surviving by grim determination and a steady aim. Normally they wouldn't be my type, but Thurman's solid writing and fantastic voice completely won me over. Just what I needed... another series to get hooked on.