Review: Red & Dead by Violet Fenn

Blurb:

Neverwhere meets Rivers of London in this fast-paced urban fantasy about friendship, family secrets, and the perils of dating the undead.

Lili O’Reilly and her beloved cat, Grimm, live happily together on a quiet Liverpool back street above the coffee shop Lili runs with her best friend, Izzy.

But everything changes the day Lili wakes up with a sore head and no pulse. When she accidentally murders someone—not a very nice someone, but a someone all the same—Lili has to consider that maybe she’s no longer entirely human. And as the inhabitants of the city’s underworld start taking an interest, Lili is forced to fight for her (after)life.

Discover a magical world hidden in plain sight—a world where immortals jostle for power, and history tangles with mythology. A world in which the spirit of a city is the highest power of all.

Review:

It’s said the undead roam the streets of Liverpool. Lilith O’Reilly knows it’s true. She’s one of them.

If Rivers of London and Discworld had an illegitimate baby whilst on holiday in Liverpool…

A witty magical exploration of this underground nether(weird)world. If you enjoy a new perspective on magic in the real world, a light touch of wicked humour throughout and a quick plot pace to keep you turning those pages, then Red & Dead is just your thing!

I devoured this whole book whilst on a long-haul flight - which is exceptionally fast for me to get through any book!

I woke up without a pulse, my cat’s made friends with a ghost, and I think my landlords might be immortal. Standard day in Liverpool

Lili is your average young woman trying to live her life in the big city, struggling with bills, (lack of) romance, and the never ending demands of a hungry cat.

But when she finds herself inconveniently (un)dead her worldview naturally shifts slightly. Yet as she adjusts to suddenly not needing to eat, breathe or pay bills she also finds herself at the centre of a power struggle in the undead world hidden in plain sight. Witches, vampires, zombies and a living city all push and pull Lili around for their own ends, as a battle of life and death in the UK ensues.

The characters of the Netherweird world are wonderful, fun and unique. Sometimes I will find that in shorter books (this one is about 300 pages) character development is rushed or 1 dimensional as the faster plot pushes you through the book. Yet I didn’t feel that at all with Red & Dead. 

Not only are the characters delightful and interesting to be sharing their world with, I also felt that their motivations were clear and realistic, their actions suited their motivations and there was enough depth and development throughout the book that it didn’t feel obvious when secrets were revealed.

No spoilers here but my absolute favourite is a certain ghost who is as endearing as your gran and feisty as… your gran, and really adds depth and warmth to the atmosphere of this book. Their quips and sarcastic perspectives are truly delightful!

Fenn’s writing style is relaxed and easy to read. There are no long or complicated naming or magical systems in place, and the pace is quick and to the point. As a self published author, there are some grammatical errors which an editor would pick up on but I didn’t find it jarring or off putting on my read.

Now then Lilith O’Reilly. Are we going to talk about the fact that you’re dead?

The author’s humour comes across on every page and the book oozes character and fun. It’s quite rare for me to actually laugh out loud at a book, but I’m convinced those around me on the plane thought I was insane by the end of the flight, given the amount of chuckling emanating out of me! Yet despite this, the humour wasn’t overwhelming or in-your-face like some of the recent “funny” fantasy books have been. It’s subtly interlaced in natural character interactions and sarcastic quips that feel a part of the world rather than being there for funny’s sake.

Discover a magical world hidden in plain sight—a world where immortals jostle for power, and history tangles with mythology. A world in which the spirit of a city is the highest power of all.

Conclusion:

A fantastic opening book in a new urban fantasy series, loaded with myths and legends, sarcasm and angst. Naturally there are a few sticking points, notably with how the plot itself concludes. I feel it was a little rushed and it was the one area of the book where I didn’t entirely feel that all the characters acted genuinely or as expected. However I really don’t feel this detracted from the quality and enjoyment of the book. I had immense fun with it, and after all, that’s why we read fiction, isn’t it?

Besides, this is Fenn’s first novel in the series and some kinks are bound to need ironing out, as with most opening books. The promise however is huge for the Netherweird and I fully expect Fenn to take us on an exhilarating journey as I continue following Lili’s (after)life.