The Last Adventure of Constance Verity

May 16, 2016
Fantasy stalwart Martinez (Gil’s All Fright Diner) returns to the fertile soil of genre parody with decidedly mixed results. Constance Verity was given a single wish by her fairy godmother. She has spent every day since she was seven having impossible adventures. Swashing that many buckles gets old, though, and now Constance has one final mission: kill her fairy godmother, thwart her grand destiny, and live a normal life. To do that, she must venture into Area 51, punch the biggest monsters the fey folk have to offer, and, most challenging of all, navigate her new relationship with ordinary, wonderfully boring Byron. Martinez peppers his heroine’s life with as many disparate tropes and clichés as will fit in her ever-expanding backstory, and unlike Pratchett, who lampooned well-worn genre conventions to make sociopolitical observations, Martinez seems to be in it just for the laughs. Thankfully, those come at a rapid pace, and brilliant gags shine through the overall glib tone. Readers who enjoy a nicely shattered fourth wall will appreciate this novel.

June 15, 2016

While Constance Verity was still in her cradle, her fairy godmother bestowed upon her the blessing of an adventurous life. So it was, with Constance traversing the globe (and traveling through time occasionally), fighting evil, collecting artifacts, and in general becoming the most famous woman in the universe. By age 28, she's had enough excitement and decides to track down her fairy godmother and have her take back her blessing. But even with Constance's best friend Tia by her side, it will be an undertaking to stop taking on the risks. The deadpan snark, especially in exchanges between Constance and Tia, is nonstop and sure to keep readers giggling. Luckily, this is the first book in a planned trilogy. VERDICT Martinez (The Automatic Detective; Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain) delivers another witty, fast-paced fantasy for those who enjoyed his early work, as well as the books of Christopher Moore.--MM

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