My Goodreads review: Season of Skulls

[ankh_hpl]

Season of Skulls by Charles Stross

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Even by the elevated standards of the Laundry Files as a whole, Season of Skulls is remarkably weird. Stross exploits the time-travel & time-branching aspects of his dream roads for all they're worth, allowing the improbable combination of The Village(yes, that Village, be seeing you) & The New Management to wind itself up to an epic conclusion.

This one is Eve Starkey's novel (finally!), which gives the reader a good look into the complex magical system of the Laundry universe. Eve is a highly talented sorceress on a desperate mission, & she won't allow trivialities like a whole Hunt of Tindalos to get in her way. Meanwhile, back at home, brother Imp & his superpowered housemates are doing their utmost to help -- which of course results in additional chaos.

Like all the Laundry novels, this one is self-referential -- do not attempt until you're up to date on at least the New Management arc, preferably the whole series. Stross has also introduced characters both real & literary from the Regency period, though he includes some helpful comments in his Acknowledgments. All in all, I found this one a bit complicated at points, but in no way disappointing. And it does indeed complete the trilogy which began with Dead Lies Dreaming.



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Comments

[rattfan]

So if one has read Dead Lies Dreaming, one should then read the second book and then be okay for this one? Actually, that's reread DLD as much of the weirdness detail has left my brain.

I turn 60 in 10 days; do you think that means I can claim senior moments?

[ankh_hpl]

Yes, you should have read DLD & Quantum of Nightmares before you tackle this one. You should be fine at that point -- I've forgotten many of the earlier books, but everything made sense to me as I went. Stross also includes those helpful reminders at the end, linking some characters back to earlier books.

I don't have senior moments . . . I have senior afternoons, evenings, & occasional overnights. Of course, I turned 60 a little while back . . . ahem. Happy early birthday!