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Lady Lazarus (2010)

by Michele Lang(Favorite Author)

3.16 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0765323176 (ISBN13: 9780765323170)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Tor Books

series

Lady Lazarus

review 1: The opening volume of a trilogy, this is a fine beginning to what proved to be an entertaining, moving, and ultimately quite satisfying series (yes, I've read all three books). The story follows Magdalena Lazarus, a Hungarian Jew and a powerful witch, as she grapples with the rise to power of Hitler and the visions of her prescient sister, Giselle, who foresees the horrors of Nazism. The book is set in a version of Europe that is both familiar and darkly fantastic. Magda works for a vampire; Hitler is served by vicious werewolves in SS uniforms; and Magda interacts with angels and demons.The blend of history and dark fantasy elements works well, creating a tale that combines the grainy atmospherics of CASABLANCA with the action and thrills of a modern urban fantasy. It... more is unlike any other work I've read to date, and I enjoyed it a good deal.
review 2: While I enjoy the urban fantasy genre, most readers will admit that it has become a tired field. A writer who can manage to add something to the genre is certainly welcome in my view.Michele Lang is one of those writers. She has taken the urban fantasy and transported it to pre-WWII Europe. The reader's knowledge of what's to come in the near future helps add a great deal of tension to Magda's story. Her sister is a seer who can seen dire things in the future--a future that Magda feels only she can prevent. Maga is the latest in Lazuras line of Jewish witches, who can come back from the dead. In addition, in desperate times (which, of course, are soon to come) she can call upon the help of the angel Raziel. Magda is determined to track down a family book that will serve as magical doomsday device if it falls into the hands of the Nazis.Hitler himself is possessed by a demon, he's served by SS werewolves, and vampires are an acknowledged part of society. It's WWII re-imagined from an urban fantasy perspective.Does it work? For the most part, yes. My problems with the novel are three-fold:1) The romance angle with Raziel seems contrived and forced. Admittedly, I often feel that is the case in urban fantasies.2) The novel's plot is a bit too sparse for me, there's just not enough meat to the book's events. Magda's trip to find the book is stretched out, and felt like it could have been told in a long short story or a novella. The pacing just seemed off.3) The tension of the novel is a bit off as well. It never seems like Magda is in great danger, despite the fact she is a Jewish witch in Nazi-controlled Germany. Even when she is killed, the reader knows she can come back from the dead. So what's the big deal?Overall, I do think Lang has talent and is worth watching. I will certainly take a look at her second book and see if she fixes my perceived problems, as I felt her take on urban fantasy is refreshing and worth a second chance. less

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