Whiskey and Water: A Novel of the Promethean Age
By Elizabeth Bear
This post has been a long time the making. My deepest apologies to the author for the delay in this post. Elizabeth Bear is becoming a contender for my favorite modern fantasy author. Neil Gaiman is still number one, but just barely. Bear brings back many of our old dear friends, and enemies, in the sequel of
Blood and Iron. This book primarily focuses on Matthew, crippled Mage and guardian of New York. Bear also introduces some new, or old depending on how you look at it, players to the struggle. Michael the archangel make an appearance, as do several Princes of Hell, chief among them is Lucifer. Elaine still holds the horn throne of Arcadia, much to her son Ian’s dismay. Whiskey, our beloved steed, comes back with all of the power and majesty that he commanded in the last book, and just when you though the Promethean club was done for, here comes Jane for round two. Bear makes you see one thing while making three others change behind your back. In this writer’s humble opinion, Bear is not only one of the best writers in the fantasy genre, but one of the best fiction writers out there right now. Like the last novel, it is so full of detail, that you must read every word or you will soon be lost. Skimming is not recommended.