I started Paranormal Chaos (The Shifter Chronicles) one evening when I was pretty tired and not feeling much like a challenge. The book starts with a chase scene, Marcus and side kick Steve the Minotaur, running for their lives from a herd of centaurs. Once they escape we flash back to Marcus’ thoughts on being asked to take on the mission to keep the Minotaurs, and by extension the centaurs, in the treaty between paranormal and normal humans.
I almost quit at this point. Marcus and the Council do not get along. This sounded familiar, the Harry Dresden series, the Alex Verus series, but dressed up with Minotaurs and centaurs. I decided to keep on for a few more pages and I’m glad I did. The book is a solid read, entertaining with interesting flashes to Greek mythology and glimpses of Root’s excellent world building.
Somewhere around page 50 it dawned on me this was likely the most recent book in a series, but that in no way inhibited reading. Paranormal Chaos has its own adventures that do not rely on the prior novels.
Plot Summary
The backstory is humans and magically-endowed humans signed the Reformation Treaty about 20 years before and invited all the non-human sentient magical creatures – centaurs, Minotaurs, elves, Bookworms and more – to sign on too. Now the Minotaur leader sent notice to the Council they are withdrawing from the treaty. Council sends Marcus Shifter to bring them back into the fold. Steve convinces best friend Steve to help.
Since this is a fantasy novel Steve is revealed to be the son of the Minotaur leader, the Alpha, and her expected heir. There are disagreements among the Minotaur around how they should engage with every other species. The Alpha wants to be hands off, leave everyone alone; Steve wants to adapt to the modern world and engage as a normal person; a faction led by Makha wants to re-establish the human/Minotaur cooperative domination (and tyranny) described in ancient Minotaur books and art.
Steve and Marcus discover Makha’s plans and run back to alert the Council and other species of impending attacks. There is a short, brutal war which ends with most species agreeing to try again.
Fantasy Roundabouts
Several events in Paranormal Chaos don’t make a ton of sense but they help build the story.
- Minotaurs remain fascinated with labyrinths and their rite of adulthood requires passing a maze with hostile creatures and death traps and emerging alive. It’s not clear where the creatures and traps come from; we don’t see much (any) Minotaur magic.
- The Underground was a handy device that you need to accept as part of the story and not try to understand. (It wasn’t any clearer after I read the previous three books.)
- Not at all clear exactly how or why the centaurs and Minotaurs ended up in northern Canada. Both creatures were originally from the Mediterranean; even if one figures they fled when Rome got organized and made it unpleasant it seems odd they would go to Canada.
- The whole war didn’t make a ton of sense either. Makha didn’t know much about humans or how we would react if a bunch of odd guys started attacking and killing folks. Since Minotaurs live in the real world they would be vulnerable to conventional human weapons. (Makha had his own fruitcake ideas.)
Fun Points
Loved the Bookworms! Of all the creatures named they were the best.
The ending was excellent, true to people nature. “Now we figure out how to patch our worlds together. But this time we do it as friends.” “We struggled to deal with the shock of how close we’d come to being defeated by Makha. And how much we all had to lose.” Even so the Elves declined to do more than show up to meetings and the Vampires didn’t do that.
Summary
Author Joshua Roots did a great job building a compelling story using bits and pieces of myth, standard fantasy-in-a-box tropes, interesting characters and enough magic to make it flow. After I finished Paranormal Chaos I bought the first two books featuring Marcus Shifter and Steve, Undead Chaos and Summoned Chaos. They were also excellent; in fact the second, Summoned Chaos, was my favorite of the three. Highly recommend all three for fantasy lovers.
Note: I received a free advanced E copy from NetGalley in expectation of an honest review.
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