Narrated by Gary Furlong
Note: As this is a series where the books need to be listened to in order, there will be spoilers for previous instalments in this review.
Book four in Hailey Turner’s innovative Soulbound series picks up not long after A Crown of Iron and Silver left off. The whereabouts of the Morrígan’s staff is still unknown, and the leaders of the New York City god pack continue not only to neglect their responsibilities to those under their protection but in some cases to actively harm them, leading more and more of the city’s werecreatures to seek help from the rival pack founded by Jono de Vere and his partner Patrick Collins. A Vigil in the Mourning is a compelling addition to this inventive and unusual urban fantasy series, and it raises the stakes considerably for our heroes and their friends and allies. The potential for a showdown of epic proportions has been building throughout the series, and A Vigil in the Mourning brings it another step closer.
It’s a case of “same shit, different day” for Special Agent Patrick Collins of the Supernatural Operations Agency when he’s summoned to a meeting with the SOA director and is instead met by one of his closest friends, the seer Marek Taylor. Through Marek, the fates tell Patrick he must go to Chicago in order to save the life of the Allfather – Odin – and that the Æsir (the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion) will be waiting for him there. Which is just peachy. Because more gods dictating to him and interfering in his life is just what Patrick needs.
And that’s not all. After receiving the fates’ instructions, Patrick receives a secret communique from his former commanding officer telling him that a man named Aksel Sigfodr may have information as to the whereabouts of the Morrígan’s staff and that Ethan Greene (Patrick’s father) and the Dominion Sect are likely searching for it as well. Sigfodr is a key player in Chicago politics who also has ties to the criminal underworld, so Patrick (accompanied by Wade Espinoza, the eighteen-year-old fire-dragon he and Jono have taken under their wing) is soon Chicago bound, with a cover story that he’s been sent there to investigate a candidate in the upcoming mayoral election.
While Patrick sets about his tasks in Chicago, Jono has to deal with some problems at home that have been brewing ever since he and Patrick openly declared their opposition to the New York City god pack. Jono has always known it was only a matter of time before he and Patrick would have to make a stand, but when he’s attacked by the Krossed Knights – an organisation of hunters of anything preternatural – on the orders of Estelle and Youssef Khan (leaders of the NYC god pack), he realises it’s time to act. But his pack isn’t strong enough to go up against them alone so he needs to make some potentially problematic alliances in order to bolster their strength. And he knows Patrick isn’t going to like it.
Hailey Turner packs so much into these stories, from the romance between Patrick and Jono to life and death struggles between mortals and deities, and everything in between. In this story, we meet Odin, Thor, Frigg and other gods from the Norse pantheon, and I have to say that the motorcycle-riding Valkyries were a masterstroke! Wade continues to steal pretty much every scene he’s in, but while he’s often the comic relief, he’s starting to grow into his own as well and gets to play an important role in the final confrontation in the story. The fact that Patrick and Jono are apart for some of it wasn’t really an issue; the separation doesn’t last long and in fact, their not being together serves to emphasise just how much they need and rely upon each other. Their reunion is bittersweet however, as we know that Jono has deliberately kept some things from Patrick. Jono has always been honest and upfront, and this is the only time he’s been less than completely open with Patrick, but even though he had the best of intentions, he can’t escape the fact that he’s hurt the man he loves. Patrick is, naturally, furious with Jono for not telling him about what’s been happening in New York, but it’s a measure of how far Patrick has come as a character that instead of shutting down and shutting Jono out – which he’d have done a couple of books earlier – he sticks around so they can talk through it. That’s not to say that all is forgiven easily, but there’s never any doubt that these two are in it for the long haul; they’re fiercely protective of one another but also respect the other’s strengths and trust in their ability to do what needs to be done.
A Vigil in the Mourning feels like a real turning point in the series. Each book boasts a self-contained storyline in addition to the overarching plotlines, and each one raises the stakes a little more, but now it appears the author is manoeuvring all her pieces into place on the board, moving ever closer towards what I’m sure is going to be an epic conclusion. My one niggle is something I’ve said before, which is that I wish it had been possible to include something similar to the glossary printed in the ebook to help me to keep track of the large cast, especially the new characters.
Gary Furlong is doing terrific work in these books, developing and conveying a real affinity with the characters and giving performances that really draw the listener into the stories. The series has a pretty large cast of recurring secondary characters, and he maintains an amazing degree of consistency from book to book – from slightly camp Hermes and silkily-accented Lucien to his star-turn as the always-hungry Wade, a perfectly judged mix of teenaged outrage and cheek. He’s able to employ a large number of different accents and to switch seamlessly between them, and does his homework when it comes to all the tricky pronunciations Ms. Turner throws at him! His portrayals of Patrick and Jono are excellent, Patrick’s snarky world-weariness a marked contrast to Jono’s more laid-back manner, and their emotional connection comes through strongly, especially in the reunion scene, which is the first time they’ve been seriously at odds. One of the criticisms I’ve levelled at Mr. Furlong in the past has been for a slight lack of animation in the narrative passages, and it seems to me that this has changed somewhat over the last couple of years; it’s certainly not been something I’ve noted here, in A Crown of Iron and Silver, or in Dal Maclean’s wonderful Bitter Legacy series, which are among the most recent examples I’ve heard of the narrator’s work.
A Vigil in the Mourning is everything I’ve come to expect from a book by Hailey Turner – it’s imaginative, inventive, fast-paced, action-packed, and tightly-plotted, with engaging characters who form a close-knit kind of family. It’s a gripping addition to the Soulbound series and once again, Gary Furlong’s intelligent and insightful performance is the icing on an already very tasty cake.
Caz
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