Book Log #24: Luna latrans, by Vicka Corey

[annathepiper]

Several of y'all who are socially connected with the Murkworks and its denizens will be familiar with the efforts of lyonesse to write herself a novel over the last couple of years. The result of her labors went through a few title changes before settling at last on Luna latrans, which Vicka describes as "a novel of technology, lycanthropy, and chaos". She has also been known to describe it as "Harry Potter goes to grad school". Me, I describe it as pretty excellent reading. It's quite long, and Vicka's writing is very dense and detail-heavy; nonetheless, there's goodness to be had for the patient reader.

John Fourier is a graduate student at the Majika Labs in Boston, whose latest project, the Wearable Wolf, gets him involved in a territory battle between the local Free City werewolf pack--and the atypical Leominster Investment Group, the werewolf pack sponsoring his lab's efforts. At first he's merely barred from returning to his own apartment in the Free City pack's territory, but soon the conflict becomes far more personal for him as he befriends Crow Moon of the Free City pack--and learns that Crow Moon, as an omega of the Free City pack, will be the first to die if the pack war is carried out.

Sure, it's another werewolf novel--but it's one where the technology is just as important to the story as the lycanthropy. It's just as much a novel of science as it is one of magic, and moreover, it's a novel of Coyote, Discordianism, geekery, polyamory, and music. European and Native American magical traditions contribute to the plot, and there's even a magic-working African Grey parrot.

Luna latrans is not traditionally published or even self-published to any large degree, but Vicka's making the novel available by chapbook for interested parties. Go peek at moonthief.com if you're interested. And tell her I sent you!

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

thanks for reading and reviewing! :)

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

oh -- and the chapbooks are of short stories. the novel is in gorgeously handbound hardback by spinrabbit (some in-process photos in her journal) with handmade cover art by yrs trly :) the first edition having sold out, there's currently a second edition in progress (of 20, about 10 already accounted for).

thanks again :)