Stephan Zielinski, Bad Magic

Bad Magic

Stephan Zielinski

Tor, Dec 2004, $23.95, 288 pp.

ISBN: 0312878621

Most people are unaware of paranormal entities residing in this world, but those that use the third eye see the creatures of myths and legends quite clearly. An octet with wide open third eyes wants to eliminate these cretins who cause suffering and pain in innocents. One of these individuals manages to remove strands of pain and takes it to his laboratory for study.

This underground group comes to the attention of the Vulture Clan who wants to control the San Francisco human and non human population; the Vultures see this group of eight as a threat to achieving their objective. They send magical dogs to kill the enemy, but the group escapes, but not before one of them is turned into a werewolf. Using their varying magical skills, the octet plans to stop the Vulture Clan, but first must retrieve a jaguar from South America to use in a spell that will convert back to human the werewolf member bit by the dog. Then they will challenge the Vulture Clan knowing that each one of them will probably die in the ensuing battle.

Though a bit difficult to keep track of who's who amongst the champions as BAD MAGIC has eight heroic protagonists, each is eccentric in their own way. Stephen Zielinski's debut novel is an edgy roller coaster ride of thrills and chills as the classic confrontation between good and evil plays out with no guarantees as to who will triumph. There is plenty of humor as the heroes and the author look at the upcoming altercation with a tongue-in-cheek attitude that makes for even more fun reading.

Harriet Klausner