Bride of the Rat God

I read this years ago when a friend pushed a dogeared copy on me. I enjoyed it. Alas, I do not have a copy so I think I will download it from Audible to see if it holds up. ( )

A delightful book that brings to life the era of the silent movies. In theory it's a horror story about an actress being stalked by an ancient demon, but in practice it's a wonderful description of the lives of the movie stars (incredibly long working day, parties with drugs, strain, early camera techniques, etc.) written by an author clearly in love with the era.
The POV character is an outsider, a poor relation employed on a whim by a star, who can view Hollywood with an open mind. Norah becomes embroiled in the threat to Christine's life from an ancient Chinese curse. With the help of a Chinese sage, and Alex the cameraman, Norah and Christine struggle to survive.
As I said above, don't read it for the plot (the plot is actually pretty good, but it's not what makes the book so enjoyable), just revel in the descriptions of filming a chariot racing across the desert, of leading men who are decorative, but can't act, of what Los Angeles was like in the past, and what people will choose when offered anything they want by a demon...

(If you have the Del Ray edition, ignore the blurb on the back - it has events out of order and keeps making you think you've missed something in the text!) ( )

Rating: Chinese demon, guardian Pekineses, 1920s starlet !

Good fun with an early version of urban fantasy. A 1920s starlet finds herself stalked by a Chinese demons and it takes her and a lot of friends to save her! ( )

After a silent era movie actress wears a cursed Chinese necklace on screen, she discovers she has become fated to be the bride of, and sacrificed to, the Rat God. Dunh dunh dunnnhhhh!

This book was not as campy or as funny as I was expecting, so it disappointed me in that respect. Instead, is a fairly straightforward light mystery-romance, with some cliched fantasy elements thrown in (ancient Chinese wizard, etc.). Mildly entertaining, ultimately forgettable. ( )

Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 3 1/2 stars
Style: 3 stars
Pace: 2 stars

Look at this cover. Really. It's ABSURD. It fits this book perfectly. Cheesy pulp fantasy novel with stereotypes galore. The magical chinaman. The brash flapper with a heart of gold. 1920s Hollywood with enough blatant drugs/bootlegged alcohol to make the DEA even today drool. But eh, for a Friday of a lousy week? Not bad. ( )