Queen Anne Books

Looking for an unexpected summer blockbuster of a book? This is a POW KERBLAM novel about superheroes and supervillains. It is told by two narrators: Doctor Impossible, an evil genius, and Fatale, a new cyborg superhero. Early in the book, Doctor Impossible reveals his origins (even though he acknowledges that’s rare for villains) and reflects as he plans his next big plan to control the world. “Why did I freeze the Supreme Court, impersonate the Pope, hold the Moon hostage?” Why indeed…

Doctor Impossible’s nemesis (and creation! Dah dah DAH) is the superhero CoreFire, the toughest in the elite hero squad named the Champions. When CoreFire disappears, the Champions focus their justice on Doctor Impossible and recruit Fatale to help out. Through Fatale’s chapters, we learn about the heroic world and the ins and outs of saving humanity one day at a time. Of course the Champions and Doctor Impossible eventually have to face off, but first Doctor Impossible has to escape from the Special Containment Facility, assemble the parts of a diabolical machine, and maybe get the help of some other dastardly characters. The story is exciting and hilarious, playing off all the tried and true elements in superhero legends.

Although this is Austin Grossman’s first novel, he is clearly no novice at building complex worlds and characters. He is also a freelance game-design consultant, and this shows in his attention to detail. I kept laughing out loud at the little details that hint at how deeply he has envisioned his world. When Fatale meets a fellow Champion, Rainbow Triumph, she comments: “I’m a little surprised to see her still in the field. Child superheroes so rarely turn out well— look at the Impkin now; look at poor Theodore Bear.” Doctor Impossible spends a few quick paragraphs on his training in unlicensed hero fights in Bangkok, “the bottom end of the hero trade...an American in homebrew armor fought three Australian pigmy shamans, a karate specialist fought a French sorcerer, a Russian who’d come out of Chernobyl… I fought as Baron Benzene, as Count Smackula, as whatever name they put on the marquee. Smartacus. Doctor Fiasco.”

It all comes out rich, layered, hilarious, intense and over-the-top — just the way I want my summer superbooks to be. -Tegan

I'm really particular when it comes to short stories, and for that reason, I don't read them often. So when I picked up Kim Edwards', Secrets of a Fire King: Stories, I wasn't expecting anything great. Boy, was I wrong. I was really impressed by how well-written these stories are. Edwards has a keen eye towards detail, and she writes with a very graceful tone. And each story has a surprise or a twist, or just something with 'weight' that left me feeling full after each one. I enjoyed the unusual global settings Edwards chose. One story, set in Southeast Asia, is about a rubber-plant worker who discovers gold in the local river and becomes obsessed with finding more. There's a love story between a European circus trapeze artist and juggler. Another story tells of the marriage between a Vietnam vet and his Vietnamese wife, as she holds onto her cultural traditions and he tries to understand them. My favorite is set in Malaysia and involves a meeting between a sly seasoned ex-pat and a newly arrived ex-pat. If you're looking for a good read for a busy vacation, these are excellent stories to fill your spare moments. ~Hilary