I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
“Changing Guards”
by
Melissa Marr
urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by MM Ink on 2019 Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Unbound, Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, Fragile Eternity, Ink Exchange, Wicked Lovely, Radiant Shadows, “Guns for the Dead”, Cursed by Death
A short story, a prequel in the Graveminder horror urban fantasy series, revolving around Alicia Barrow.
This short story can be found in Cursed by Death and in Bullets for the Dead, which is out of print with a limited availability. (There is no eBook.)
My Take
Every Undertaker has a Graveminder whom he protects and often loves. Charles, well Charles is the bane of every Undertaker’s existence, for the Graveminder is treasured by both of them.
In this, there’s a morbid joking about Charles finding it a necessary evil to shoot Alicia and for Alicia to shoot him to feel better.
”Some women took up needlework, and some took up arms.”
There’s also that desire for something new and that’s what William brought Alicia. It’s an unhealthy delight as Alicia and her boys try out this new thing.
As for Charles, he’s amazingly accepting, and his reaction to his house’s destruction made me smile. How nice of him to consider relieving his citizens’ unhappiness, lol.
Marr’s description of how the land of the dead is landscaped was all too believable. We humans do think our particular way is the only right way.
We learn all this through Marr’s use of third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Alicia’s and Charles’ perspectives.
Now my one niggle, and I’m sure that Marr is holding this back for the suspense of it, is why would Abigail negotiate this contract??
The Story
Death is not the end. And it’s but one of the reasons Alicia Barrow has not moved on.
Surprisingly, she is urging Charles to cause others to move on.
The Characters
Alicia Barrow, a former Graveminder, now is the boss of a criminal enterprise as well as the owner of the General Goods store in the land of the dead. Her men include Milt and Mickey. Connor had been her husband — and her Undertaker.
William Montgomery is an aging Undertaker. Maylene Barrow is his Graveminder but not his love. Byron is his son and heir. Ella Mae is Maylene’s heir, or she was.
Charles is Death, and the one who killed Alicia. Ward is his right-hand man as well as valet, bodyguard, and friend. His land of the dead reflects the interests of its citizens with boomtowns, modern cities, the Old West, and more.
Abigail Barrow had been the first Graveminder with whom Charles had been in love.
The Title
The title is about the “Changing Guards” of the emissaries from the land of the living to the land of the dead.
