Shadow Unit 9

Shadow Unit #9

by Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear, Will Shetterly

     The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit hunts humanity's worst nightmares. But there are nightmares humanity doesn't dream are real. The BAU sends those cases down the hall. Welcome to Shadow Unit.
     The Shadow Unit series was created by award-winning authors Emma Bull and Elizabeth Bear.

Contains
Always Crashing In The Same Car by Will Shetterly
Spell 81A by Amanda Downum and Elizabeth Bear
Closet Monster by Leah Bobet

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Science Fiction, Crime, Procedural

Nook

First published August 4, 2011

About the author

Emma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder. She sang in the rock-funk band Cats Laughing, and both sang and played guitar in the folk duo The Flash Girls while living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Her 1991 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Bone Dance was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. Bull wrote a screenplay for War for the Oaks, which was made into an 11-minute mini-film designed to look like a film trailer. She made a cameo appearance as the Queen of the Seelie Court, and her husband, Will Shetterly, directed. Bull and Shetterly created the shared universe of Liavek, for which they have both written stories. There are five Liavek collections extant.

She was a member of the writing group The Scribblies, which included Will Shetterly as well as Pamela Dean, Kara Dalkey, Nate Bucklin, Patricia Wrede and Steven Brust. With Steven Brust, Bull wrote Freedom and Necessity (1997), an epistolary novel with subtle fantasy elements set during the 19th century United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Chartist movement.

Bull graduated from Beloit College in 1976. Bull and Shetterly live in Arizona.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the devices I especially enjoy is the alternative perspective - in fairy tales, certainly, but the authors here embrace the idea. Sometimes the story is told from the perspective of one of the primary characters, or there is a back-and-forth between one or two. Other times, the story comes from the suspect and sometimes you don't quite get the 'suspect'-ness for a bit. I also like that the FBI guys do get caught up with their suspects - these are people, sometimes more victim than criminal.

[B.D. Aguayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estos son los episodios 3, 4 y 5 de la tercera temporada. Y por suerte las historias se vuelven menos depresivas.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was the best last line I’ve read in this entire amazingly addictive series. No, I won’t repeat and spol it. I cannot believe the magical, musical moment at the finish; yet it emerged as an organic and joyous reaction to the environment, a welcome moment of positivity in the wake of pain and the grim journey which their hunts take Shadow Unit upon. One of the most soft-spoken and scary gammas raised her voice in response to Stephen Reyes’s inquiry, describing her own hunt as Shadow Unit hunted her; wrapping Daniel Brady in his mythology. What happened to Brady gave Chaz a beautiful moment to reach out to him, admitting some of what happened when Chaz himself was caught by a gamma for the first time. Nikki Lau, Daphne Worth, Chaz Villette, Solomon Todd, Stephen Reyes, Esther Falkner, along with their loved ones got beautiful character vignettes in between the hunts and Hafidha Gates motivated them all to search for the why behind what makes a gamma. Revelations were made in this direction, revealing also that all of Shadow Unit may be in danger from the very hunt itself.

Brady stood out in particular, due to the courageous choices he made, becoming more of a part of Gray’s life, although all of the Unit was trying to carry on, after the events of the previous volume. After all of that, they’d more than earned their heartwarming Happily Ever After For Now. I’m very glad, however, that it’s not the end, and that there is more to come of these characters and their universe.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Always Crashing In The Same Car" by Will Shetterly

Nice change of pace, having the story laid out in the form of letters. Requires reading between the lines but is very clear. I thought Shetterly did a good job balancing humor without disregarding the emotional trauma.


"Spell 81A" by Amanda Downum and Elizabeth Bear

Yay, Egyptology! Nerdy.


"Closet Monster" by Leah Bobet

About time. I'd been waiting for a case where the killer turned out to be an ordinary psycho. Can't be right every time.

[~Anita~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brady finally came out. I don't understand being closeted but I was born in 1985, I came out soon after figuring out I was bisexual and the only family member who was bothered was already fighting with me about my life.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unit continues to develop ideas about the gamma/beta issues. Back history is uncovered. The timeline is convoluted, so pay attention to the dates. Be sure to read earlier volumes first!

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good series...read in order

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever will I do when I get to the last of these?

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For example on Amazon!

Amazon should pick these up as their next #1 show! Low me some Emma Bull and all her pals to.
Time to hunt watch - on to episode 10 :)

☺