Wm. Mark Simmons

The Greeks are coming. Or at least their ancient monsters are. Half-vampire++ Chris Cséjthe wakes up from being killed x3 and finds himself rushing across the country++ to save the multiverse from something. He's not sure what that something is, but the theme this round seems to be Greek, with a range of nasties from the ancient Greek mythos swarming after him (in addition to the vamps, weres, and snarky witches that usually make his life miserable). And let's not forget Interpol, the IRS, and even Archangel Mike stopping by for a chat.

The basic plot is nothing unusual: the monsters from the outer darkness (the Greeks and their minions) aim to dissolve the whole multiverse and the good guys (Chris and his posse – Mama Samm, Carmella Le Fanu and a few old favorites, with some additions, especially a young witch named Stryfe) aim to stop them, driving across the country while skipping across alternate universes every time Chris falls asleep.

This is my first Halflife Chronicle book, but there was no problem getting up to speed. The rather ordinary story is enlivened by Chris's deep erudition that runs far into ancient languages, culture, mythology, and classic rock.

If you like urban fantasy, this one is well written and entertaining, so much so that when I read on the cover that it is the finale of the series I felt a pang of disappointment. But there are enough loose ends in this story to give me hope that there is another book or two in our future.

I received a review copy of "A Witch In Time" by Wm. Mark Simmonds from Baen through SFRevu. This review and others can be read online in the May 2021 issue.… (mer)