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The Shambling Guide to New York City

(The Shambling Guides #1)

Mur Lafferty (Goodreads Author)

3.72 · Rating details · 3,929 ratings · 621 reviews

A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city - for the undead!

Because of the disaster that was her last job, Zoe is searching for a fresh start as a travel book editor in the tourist-centric New York City. After stumbling across a seemingly perfect position though, Zoe ...more

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Paperback, 350 pages

Published May 28th 2013 by Orbit

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Start your review of The Shambling Guide to New York City (The Shambling Guides, #1)

Apr 22, 2014 carol. rated it liked it

Shelves: female-lead, fast-and-fun, my-library-kindle, urban-fantasy

From my blog: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2015/...

Lafferty states The Hitchhikers’ Guide is one of her inspirations for The Shambling Guide, and the influence is recognizable. But instead of Arthur coping with space (which is “really, really big“), Zoe is exploring the darker side of New York City. No, not Wall Street–I’m referring to the monster hangouts. I picked this one up looking for an entertaining read, and it definitely satisfied. Set in one of my favorite cities (naturally), an open-minded, spunky woman takes on urban fanta From my blog: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2015/...

Lafferty states The Hitchhikers’ Guide is one of her inspirations for The Shambling Guide, and the influence is recognizable. But instead of Arthur coping with space (which is “really, really big“), Zoe is exploring the darker side of New York City. No, not Wall Street–I’m referring to the monster hangouts. I picked this one up looking for an entertaining read, and it definitely satisfied. Set in one of my favorite cities (naturally), an open-minded, spunky woman takes on urban fantasy staples.

Zoe has returned to her hometown after an editorial job at a travel book publisher –and her affair with her boss–ended disastrously. She’s browsing an unusual bookstore when she notice a man posting a flyer seeking a guidebook editor. The advertiser and others attempt to dissuade her, but she perseveres, finally taking the job after an enlightening dinner with the new boss. She adapts to her new inhuman co-workers, makes friends with a mischievous water sprite and an ex-deity and begins protective training with Granny Mae. When the company gets a new director of Coterie Resources (the polite word for the non-human), the situation starts getting really strange.

There’s no doubt this is an engaging story with likeable elements. Like many UF series, part of the fun is learning how the author interprets the folklore and mythology surrounding the non-human and then integrating it into the human world. Short excerpts from the Guidebook introduce each section (or was it finish? It’s rather hard to tell on a Kindle) and summing up the coterie interpretation of Zoe’s recent location. Zoe is an enjoyable main character; she’s made mistakes, but instead of indulging in self-pity, she’s deciding to move forward and avoid repeating them. Her generally upbeat and open attitude is refreshing. Supporting characters get reasonable development, particularly the enigmatic Granny Mae, Zoe’s boss and various people at the company. Action is appropriately paced, more thoughtful, context driven at the beginning, and then progressing into all-out mayhem.

The most significant downside is an unevenness of tone that left me unsure if this was a romp or horror, because there are rules to be followed for each. The appearance of the C.R. director is a perfect example of this indecision. Then there’s the set-up itself: many of the coterie are human-eaters, some abiding by rules and living peaceably, some engaging in more aggressive hunting. The Public Works is a human institution designed to police the coterie but tends to kill first and ask questions later. I’m certainly open to a UF book that is willing to explore the various shades of gray of acceptable lifestyles, but this seemed unevenly conceived. Protecting her coworkers from getting killed by Public Works seems noble, but her intentions seem to be forgotten as she engages in flirting with and saving of Public Works employees. Hitchhikers’ was brilliant in uniformly absurd but non-deathly consequences–did you ever really doubt Ford and Arthur would escape the poetry-reading Vogons? Or the emptiness of space? (Skirmishes were had, but no one died, except perhaps a bowl of petunias and a sperm whale)–but this has a number of implied murders.

On a personal level, there’s a scene at an incubus club that makes little sense: in Zoe’s willingness to go, her friend’s willingness to protect her–and then promptly disappear–and the general lack of consequences. Zoe almost articulated in the book its similarity to rape, but I don’t feel she or Lafferty gave it the consequences it deserved. Again, a very serious note in a relatively madcap adventure that jarred me out of reading flow. Quite honestly, it felt like the token nod to the female UF genre with token voyeuristic sexuality which was out of tone with the rest of the story. Other eye-rolling moments include a tentative romantic interest and a moment of TSTL (check link for a nice blog post on the phenomenon) where Zoe disconnects from her electronics (why hello, October Day plot line).

Still, with a lot of fun elements and an intriguing base concept, I’m willing to check out the next in the series, just not at full price.

Three and a half hidden stars.

Recommended for fans of McGuire’s InCryptid series (review) , or Bornikova’s This Case is Gonna Kill Me (review). ...more

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Dec 27, 2013 Melki rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

How had humans not noticed these beings around them? Now that she knew they existed, she saw the city in a completely different light.

Zoe comes to NYC and applies for a job at a publishing company. She's sure the position is right for her, as she has experience editing travel books. Her would-be boss, a vampire, is a little uncertain of her qualifications. You see, he's planning to publish a travel guide, all right. A travel guide for . . . zombies, sprites, incubi and other creatures humans ...more

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Jun 17, 2013 TheBookSmugglers rated it did not like it

Shelves: disappointing, paranormal, urban-fantasy, what-the-fuck-is-this-shit, survival-adventure

Originally posted on The Book Smugglers

Zoe is searching for a fresh start and a new job as travel book editor now that she moved back to New York City after her last job ended badly (i.e. in tears, after she had an affair with her boss, who turned out to be married). She comes across a position as a managing editor for a new series of travel guides in a new publishing house. But every time she attempts to apply for the job she stumbles on several people telling her not to, including the owner Ph Originally posted on The Book Smugglers

Zoe is searching for a fresh start and a new job as travel book editor now that she moved back to New York City after her last job ended badly (i.e. in tears, after she had an affair with her boss, who turned out to be married). She comes across a position as a managing editor for a new series of travel guides in a new publishing house. But every time she attempts to apply for the job she stumbles on several people telling her not to, including the owner Phil. As it just so happens, the publishing house is owned by a vampire, most of its employees are other assorted creatures and human Zoe simply doesn’t belong.

Finding out that NY City has a subculture of monsters – the coterie – doesn’t really faze a desperate-for-a-job Zoe that much and desperate-for-a-managing-editor Phil hires her. Now she needs to learn everything she can about this new world and about the coterie so she can do her job properly. But everything turns south when she finds herself in the middle of a deadly fight for the soul of the city itself.

There is so much silliness to Mur Lafferty’s debut novel The Shambling Guide to New York City that I ask myself: do I review this with any degree of seriousness?

Yes, of course I review this seriously. Because even a light romp about a travel writer taking on a job at a shady publishing company in NY ran by a vampire and which caters to a (not so much) underground world needs to have internal logic, make sense and be competently written.

I know that there might a fun book here somewhere. There is after all, humour t be had with zombies turned travel writers, right? But the execution of this story leaves a lot to be desired. It follows an extremely familiar story pattern following a Special Heroine that finds herself in a situation where she Must Learn and who is then Guided by a Wise Personage and everybody seems to “just know” that she is Special. It’s boring.

And then we have the premise itself. I was expecting silly and camp (I mean, come on: travel guides…FOR THE UNDEAD! How awesome could this have been?) but I can’t get over how downright stupid the set-up is. Phil the Vampire decides to create a publishing house that caters for the coterie and sets up said company, rents an awesome office building, hires a bunch of employees (several writers, marketing guy, accountant, etc) but he still doesn’t have a managing editor or An editorial vision for his travel guides. So basically all these other employees are sitting around waiting for a managing editor. And because in the entire world of the coterie ( which, according to the world-building as put forth in the novel, seems to be extensive, densely populated and widespread) there is not a single person who could do this job. ONLY Zoe can be the managing editor, even though she is a human who knows absolutely nothing – zero, nada – about the world she is hired to write about.

This is, quite frankly, the WORST business decision in the history of business decisions ever (and please don’t tell me this is how the publishing world works. My illusions will collapse like a house of cards at my feet).

What this premise does do is to force the story to move a certain way: even after this decision is made Phil still refuses to tell Zoe the things about the coterie she needs to know to do her job because “vampires are secretive”. So Zoe takes upon herself to learn. Cue endless sections of info-dump, ridiculous enigmatic conversations, convenient connections between characters and set-ups in which Zoe comes across fae, goddesses, incubi, etc and does her “research”, thereby also informing the reader about the coterie and justifying the book. All building up to an ending that was extremely rushed, with a lot of hazy action sequences and an end-of-the-world event that felt incredibly small and localised.

At the end of the day everything in here felt extremely contrived and forced to me. The story and characters were not interesting or vivid enough to allow me to get pass any of these problems in order to have fun reading The Shambling Guide to New York City. ...more

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Jun 08, 2013 P. Kirby rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, zombies

Mildly disappointing because I expected to love this, especially based on the first few pages. The following are my immediate thoughts, which may or may not, get expanded into a coherent review.

Basic premise: Zoe Norris, having lost her previous editing job because she dated the boss, who, unbeknownst to her, was married (to a psycho), secures new employment with a New York City publishing company that produces travel guides. Zoe is totally qualified for the job except in one respect ...more

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Oct 31, 2014 Mona rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a very creative take on the interaction between "reality" and otherwordly creatures (so-called monsters).

Mur has lots of imagination, and reads her work well.

Still, something is missing. It never really feels like Zoe, the main character (who might be Mur's alter ego) is in danger. The characters are all somewhat cartoonish. And the dialogue is lacking.

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Jun 20, 2014 Ian rated it really liked it

Shelves: a-audiobook, t-vampires-werewolves-witches, t-gods-goddesses-angels-demons, t-fairies-trolls-goblins-elves, t-zombies

After finding herself the other woman in a relationship with a married man, Zoe flees Raleigh, NC and returns to her home in New York. Fortune is seemingly shining on her when she sees a pamphlet pinned to a notice board advertising the job of editor for a newly established publisher.

Unfortunately she soon discovers the company is run by a vampire, his assistant is a zombie and her coworkers are a wide array of other worldly creatures. But she needs the job so she sucks it up and does her best ...more

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Jul 31, 2013 Jeffrey Grant rated it liked it

This book has a lot of potential, and it was a quick, fun read. The author cited Douglas Adams as a huge influence and the “Shambling Guide” excerpts in the book are sort of her homage to the Hitchhiker’s Guide segments in Adams’ books from that series. However, the whole thing is somewhat lacking in execution.

The premise, which is rather clever, is used to shoehorn Zoe, the main character, into the world of the coterie (the “PC” label the nonhumans have adopted in this world) but then it’s mostly a This book has a lot of potential, and it was a quick, fun read. The author cited Douglas Adams as a huge influence and the “Shambling Guide” excerpts in the book are sort of her homage to the Hitchhiker’s Guide segments in Adams’ books from that series. However, the whole thing is somewhat lacking in execution.

The premise, which is rather clever, is used to shoehorn Zoe, the main character, into the world of the coterie (the “PC” label the nonhumans have adopted in this world) but then it’s mostly abandoned. I was thinking that the story would be similar to the situation of Arthur Dent, where you have the clueless everyman/woman being introduced and then deriving the story from watching them cope. Zoe’s period of lost confusion is barely noticeable and mostly used as an excuse for a sex scene. It’s not long before she’s acting totally comfortable with almost all of the non-human characters and the human agency that acts to police them, and is kicking ass and taking names on top of that.

The result is that it turns into a rather generic action-y urban fantasy story, written almost from a checklist:
- female lead who can handle almost everything because she’s different from everyone else around her,
- lead has a mysterious secret,
- lead has explicit sex at some point
- lead ends up being able to cope with almost anything with minimal coping time, but still gets hurt so she appears vulnerable
- big bad threat is also convolutedly connected to her.

Unfortunately, the Shambling Guide excerpts placed at the beginning of each chapter almost seemed pointless; there were callouts to events and people from the main story, but they never really connected to one another like the Guide quotes always did, they weren’t laugh-out-loud funning on their own, and some of them even contained spoilers for the book itself.

The book would have been better and more unique in my opinion if it had been written focused primarily on the office environment and the difficulties surrounding Zoe integrating, getting the guide researched, and publishing it, sort of with a similar feel to large segments of the early Laundry novels by Charles Stross. As it is, it seems like someone took a generic urban fantasy plot and stuck the guide in as a plot hook for the main character which was promptly abandoned.
...more

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Jun 11, 2017 Nikki rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires, fantasy

I was kind of avoiding these because… I don’t know why, really. I thought it might be more like World War Z; a gimmicky set-up with comparatively little story. Wrong! There’s a solid story and direction behind The Shambling Guide to New York City, and though it does contain excerpts from the actual guide, the book itself is not written as a guide to New York City from the point of view of monsters — called, in this book, coterie. Instead, we follow our intrepid, sometimes somewhat slow heroine, ...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Insouciantly rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, alternate-reality

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely one of those books that just by changing one or two things it could have been FANTASTIC. The fresh look at zombies and vampires and fantasy creatures in a modern urban setting was nice. This is no True Blood, or Twilight, or even Charles DeLint, it is definitely its own thing, and I loved that unique view. I loved the concept, a human woman writing a travel guide for unnatural creatures visiting New Yor I have mixed feelings about this book. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely one of those books that just by changing one or two things it could have been FANTASTIC. The fresh look at zombies and vampires and fantasy creatures in a modern urban setting was nice. This is no True Blood, or Twilight, or even Charles DeLint, it is definitely its own thing, and I loved that unique view. I loved the concept, a human woman writing a travel guide for unnatural creatures visiting New York, awesome. It had a good sense of humor, definitely some silly moments, some witty lines. I understand that its supposed to be a fluff book, and I wasn't looking for anything too serious.

BUT

But... I got so sick of plot twists that entirely revolved around the romantic history and sex life of the main character. Really? I mean REALLY?! She's supposed to be a strong intelligent driven woman, so why is it always about the MEN in her life???
(view spoiler)

But enough about that. One of the other things I really liked about this book is that the author is local (to me :-D). She lives in Durham, and regularly mentions Raleigh, NC. Not in a super flattering light, but its still mentioned. And that makes me smile, because I love where I live, and I love that interesting people who are succeeding at their dreams are living here too.

While this book definitely had things I didn't like about it, it had enough things I did like about it that I will continue to read works by this author. I want to support local authors, but also because I think the flaws that so bothered me are somewhat from her being such a new author. This is apparently her first largely published book, I'm excited to see where she goes. Hopefully she'll find her strengths in her humor, and her fun new look at urban fantasy, and NOT in her sense of "romance" or dependence on male characters as plot points. ...more

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May 17, 2013 Julie Davis rated it liked it · review of another edition

We're on chapter 4 as the audiobook comes out week by week on iTunes as a podcast. If you want to hear this audiobook don't wait to download it. Mur Lafferty's agreement with the publisher is that she can only leave the audiofiles up for a week after she finishes all the chapters on the podcast. So get it while the getting is good.

So far I am enjoying this a lot. It is not another of those "the world is covered with zombies and we're all just trying to survive" books. The supernatural world We're on chapter 4 as the audiobook comes out week by week on iTunes as a podcast. If you want to hear this audiobook don't wait to download it. Mur Lafferty's agreement with the publisher is that she can only leave the audiofiles up for a week after she finishes all the chapters on the podcast. So get it while the getting is good.

So far I am enjoying this a lot. It is not another of those "the world is covered with zombies and we're all just trying to survive" books. The supernatural world is existing camouflaged alongside ours, as we can anticipate from watching our heroine try to get a job writing travel guides.

I enjoyed Lafferty's Playing for Keeps which was a light take on superhero adventures, which were all the craze at the time. Shambling Guide seems like a similar take on the current zombie craze in literature so I look forward to seeing what sort of adventure tale is spun.

So far, this seems like a light, fun read that I would give to my mother or sister (who do not delve as deeply as I do into urban fantasy). And, depending on where the story goes, I might even pick it up for my own shelves.

FINAL
I tired of getting a short chapter every week and was pleased to see that the library actually had just gotten the book in. I read it in one night, confirming my initial feeling that this was a light, easy take on the urban monster story. (Is that a genre now? Urban monster story? ha!)

Overall, I'd have wished for more plot and less introduction via exploring the city with co-workers, however that isn't really a flaw.

What I definitely DID wish is that the X-rated exploration of the succubus/incubus night club had been less graphic or skipped altogether. I already got the point about being stalked by an incubus. I was intensely grateful that I was reading a print version at that point so I could simply skim back to where the sex stopped and the story picked up. Listening to the podcast of that chapter would have been intensely embarrassing and disgusting ... so I was spared that at least. (So much for giving this book to my mother or sister ...)

I assume the internal justification was to show Zoe being attacked by a monster. However, that is scant reason for handling the issue in that particular way. Luckily there are no further descents into that gutter and one can move on with the story.

I did enjoy the book and look forward to the sequel, mostly because I love anything about New Orleans and that is where the next Shambling Guide will focus. ...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Nafiza rated it really liked it

Shelves: source-net-galley, read-2013

I have made it a mission to check out all accessible UF novels as I am attracted to novels featuring kickass female protagonists. Who are flawed but have qualities that make me root for them and their happiness despite their flaws. Protagonists such as Rachel Morgan and Cassandra Palmer. Though Lafferty has quite an impressive backlist, I haven’t read anything by her so I went into The Shambling Guide intrigued but not expecting anything. I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing is smart, cr I have made it a mission to check out all accessible UF novels as I am attracted to novels featuring kickass female protagonists. Who are flawed but have qualities that make me root for them and their happiness despite their flaws. Protagonists such as Rachel Morgan and Cassandra Palmer. Though Lafferty has quite an impressive backlist, I haven’t read anything by her so I went into The Shambling Guide intrigued but not expecting anything. I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing is smart, crisp and to the point.

Urban Fantasy is a genre in which lyrical prose really doesn’t work. It is fueled more by the plot unfurling than by character development. Lafferty delivers perfectly on that count. We meet Zoe as she searches around a seemingly decrepit bookstore. There she sees a job ad for an editor in chief. A position she has just lost due to her affair with her boss without realizing he was married. I am a bit skeptical about that. How does a man hide his wife? Especially when she’s the chief of the police in the area? Wouldn’t she drop by the office? Wouldn’t other people know? Do men really hide their wives like that?

Anyway, I’m getting distracted. As I said, flawed protagonist. And while I don’t condone adultery and cheating at all, I will take Zoe’s flimsy excuse that she didn’t know he was married. The novel is jam packed with action. Things are happening at full speed and there is just the right amount of tension and danger. There’s even a slightly yoda-ish lady and a crazy surprise at the end that I liked. There is a little romance and Lafferty does awesomely well in making the romance a side plot. I hate books that promise to be UF and end up as romance novels disguised as UF.

What I especially liked about this novel is that while the setting and characters are fantastic, they’re realistically fantastic. There are overweight vampires, zombies who bring brains for lunch, incubi who are creeps and change appearances according to their targets and hunger level (that was quite fascinating). All the supernatural creatures mentioned are fascinating and unique and have something to themselves other than the stereotype popular culture has foisted on them.. Zoe is a very likable protagonist and she completely won me over. I look forward to following her on more adventures as she writes/edits traveling guides to other cities. Strongly recommended. ...more

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May 09, 2013 Danielle rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-arc, supernatural

Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews

Spunky girl writer accidentally gets hired to write a humorous book for a subculture she never knew existed, while solving a mystery before the end of the world. Plus obligatory romance.

I just described one of my lowest rated books of 2012 and one of my favorite of 2013.

What makes The Shambling Guide to New York City so great is it never loses that humorous part. It doesn’t take an underground publishing company run by a Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews

Spunky girl writer accidentally gets hired to write a humorous book for a subculture she never knew existed, while solving a mystery before the end of the world. Plus obligatory romance.

I just described one of my lowest rated books of 2012 and one of my favorite of 2013.

What makes The Shambling Guide to New York City so great is it never loses that humorous part. It doesn’t take an underground publishing company run by a vampire, a zombie, and an incubus too seriously. Or seriously at all. It’s definitely a book that requires suspension of disbelief.

Zoe, a human, stumbles into a coterie, (that would be the politically correct term for monsters and magical beings,) bookstore. That probably shouldn’t happen, but we’re not going to worry about it. She finds a flyer for editor of a new publishing company. Convenient, considering she JUST left an editing job and is looking for work in the field! The head of the company is there and none too impressed by her “breathing” and “having a heartbeat”. Still, she manages to land the gig and dives right into learning about a world that’s been hiding in plain sight.

TSGtNYC doesn’t dwell on the absurdity of its plot, and neither should you. It’s fun. It takes a new, interesting look at some well known mythologies, (I liked the idea of zombies being functioning when they’re full and feral when they’re hungry,) and introduces some not-so well known ones. Sure the vampires are pretty standard, along with the fae, but seeing them all interact in a business setting remains delightful.

The world building is pretty spectacular, with most of NYC’s famous landmarks being reimagined as mystical symbols. For example, the Statue of Liberty? Sarcophagus for an ancient demon. The book focuses mostly on hiding in plain sight, though there are a few magically-hidden portals to the rats’ nest of tunnels used by coterie cabbies. Fair folk can take advantage of the boom of veg*an restaurants, while those that feed on human emotions can just sit near the hipsters. Incubus and succubus enjoy a wide variety of strip and sex clubs, including the setting of the only hard-R scene, (keeping the book firmly out of the YA section.)

I will say, using the homeless as a network of spies for the government felt odd and a little tacky. Same with the mystical but “crazy” homeless mentor. I think it’s supposed to be a commentary about how homeless people are everywhere and no one notices them, just like the coterie, but when it’s a real issue that affects 50,000 people in NYC alone? Kind of makes my fun fantasy about water sprites and death goddesses less fun.

The end fell down a bit with eleventh-hour powers and confusing action sequences. There are passages that needed to be read multiple times, and even then I’m not sure they really made sense. (view spoiler) Still, I thought it was a very strong, entertaining book.

Obviously the coterie are the most interesting characters and I LOVED Morgen, Fanny, and Gwen. Granny Good Mae has an amazing backstory that I’d love to learn more about. Likewise, can Orsen, the retired vampire hunter, and Benjamin, his doctor/semi-retired Zoetist, (Life-creators. Raisers of zombies and golems,) husband get their own wacky spin off? Because I will pay good money for that. The romance didn’t set my soul on fire, but with a sweet, spunky main character and a lot of...diverse side characters, I highly recommend you don’t overthink it and just give it a try. ...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it did not like it

Zoe moves to New York City to find work, after being forced to leave her old job, after being seduced by her very married boss into having an affair. Like many job hunters, Zoe is getting the run around in that she is constantly either being told that she is either too experienced or does not have enough experience. Having worked in publishing writing tour guides, Zoe decides to answer an advertisement for a new editor that she sees hanging in a coffee shop. What she does not know is that interv Zoe moves to New York City to find work, after being forced to leave her old job, after being seduced by her very married boss into having an affair. Like many job hunters, Zoe is getting the run around in that she is constantly either being told that she is either too experienced or does not have enough experience. Having worked in publishing writing tour guides, Zoe decides to answer an advertisement for a new editor that she sees hanging in a coffee shop. What she does not know is that interview is the first step to her involvement with the coterie.

Zoe goes from being an ordinary and mundane, to working with death goddesses, water sprites, zombies, constructs, inccubi, succubi and vampires. Learning the rules of the supernatural community is a hard thing but Zoe is forced to speed her learning curve along when it becomes clear that someone is out to get her. It begins with a construct with her ex boyfriends head and zombies running amok and killing people.

At first blanch I really thought that The Shambling Guide to New York City was a book that held a lot of potential. It has a really unique premise and has a menagerie of supernatural characters; however, these factors alone do not a good book make. Mur included a lot of unnecessary problematic language in the book; in many ways it felt like Mur was trying to include social justice issues but just couldn't.

Zoe was told repeatedly that she might not fit in with her job because she was human. She defends her ability to fit in saying, "I don't care if Underground Publishing is catering to eastern Europeans, or transsexuals, or Eskimos or even Republicans. Just because I don't fit in doesn't mean I can't be accepting as long as they accept me." Gee how progressive of her. Also, who uses the word "Eskimos" anymore? Then there is the use of the word "transsexuals". It's just a throw away offensive term because she sees them as weird. Mur doesn't even have a trans character in the novel.

The Shambling Guide to New York City is yet another in a long line of books which has the supernaturals filling in for marginalized people. When Zoe uses the term monsters to refer to the supernaturals that she is working with, she is told, "'Monsters' is pejorative. Nonhumans go by the term 'coterie.'" There are real marginalized people in this story but somehow they are never stigmatized based in their marginalizations. Homeless people for instance must face classism on a daily basis but Mur has turned homeless people into undercover agents.

"Public Works agent" Josh said. "most homeless, and some gangs, work as spies.|"

"Yeah," Morgen said."They're ubiquitous and ignored, and if they talk about zombies eating a guy, people think they're insane so if there's ever a security breach, no one believes them anyway."

Right. So the homeless aren't really homeless and suffering. The predatory nature of the capitalist system which keeps so many impoverished, is all sham, so that humans can keep an eye on monsters, uh excuse me coterie (wouldn't want to be accused of being insensitive).

Read More
...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Jaylia3 rated it it was amazing

One of the best things about this urban fantasy is that Zoe, the main character, isn’t paranormal herself. She doesn’t even know that “monsters” really exist until she’s hired by a vampire to edit a series of city guides aimed at the zombies, death goddesses, water sprites, and other supernaturals who are able to hide in plain sight among us on crowded streets and subway platforms.

Sharing a workspace with creatures who would enjoy drinking your blood or eating your brains has complications, of ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 ᴥ Irena ᴥ rated it did not like it

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy, vampires, zombies

Lots of interesting bits and pieces thrown into this story, but none worked that well for me.

Maybe it's just a it's me, not you case, but I didn't enjoy this book and I can't be bothered to write anything else about it.

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Jul 24, 2013 Den rated it really liked it

I like urban fantasy.

Well, that's not exactly true. I like the idea of urban fantasy. I like the idea of a secret hidden world within our world where magic is real, monsters live among us, and only a select few know about it.

What I don't like is much of what is published under the heading of "urban fantasy," most of which is really paranormal romance. Yes, I'm talking about Twilight. Vampires are predators who feed on the living, not sparkly emo stalkers obsessed with high school girls I like urban fantasy.

Well, that's not exactly true. I like the idea of urban fantasy. I like the idea of a secret hidden world within our world where magic is real, monsters live among us, and only a select few know about it.

What I don't like is much of what is published under the heading of "urban fantasy," most of which is really paranormal romance. Yes, I'm talking about Twilight. Vampires are predators who feed on the living, not sparkly emo stalkers obsessed with high school girls eighty years younger than they are. I read one of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that the TV series "True Blood" is based on and the less said about my opinion of that, the better.

That's why it's such a pleasure to find something in urban fantasy that isn't about whiny, co-dependent relationships with a vampire who is little more than a human with an eating disorder. Mur Lafferty has been a fixture of the podcasting world pretty much since there have been podcasts. She's been doing her writing show, "I Should Be Writing" for several years now, so it's great to see her long overdue major press publication.

The cover art alone tells you that this is something different from most urban fantasies. It eschews the leather-clad heroine with a tramp stamp holding a weapon in the moonlight. Instead, we see a professional woman walking down the street with various creatures in the background.

The protagonist of "The Shambling Guide to New York City" is Zoe, a travel writer. After a disaster of an office romance left her employed and forced to move, Zoe lands a job editing a travel book about New City. The catch: The book isn't aimed a humans, but the various vampires, demons, fey, and zombies that visit the Big Apple. Office politics take on a very different meaning when half her coworkers would just as soon eat her as take writing assignments from her. Managing a writing staff consisting of zombies, vampires, a death goddess and an incubus (there are no sexual harassment laws covering her new job) is challenging enough, but when the new HR director turns out to be golem made from the head of an ex-boyfriend, Zoe starts to think that maybe someone at the publishing company is out to get her.

"The Shambling Guide" is a fun, quirky book. Lafferty balances light humor and dark horror with a skill well above that of most first-time novelist. Zoe avoids many of the stereotypes that plague urban fantasy heroines. She doesn't waste her time mooning over unrequited love or overcompensating for deep insecurities. Zoe is smart, clever, and assertive while clearly aware that she has step in over her head. If you're tired of emo vampires, pick this up. ...more

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May 30, 2013 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2014, kindle

I've been a longtime listener of Mur Lafferty's podcast, "I Should Be Writing" and was really excited when she announced that she had this book coming out.

And then I started to burn out epically on urban fantasy. I accepted that there was probably some really great stuff out there, but I was tired of wading through the tropes to try to find it.

I grabbed this, admittedly mostly because of a kind of loyalty to Lafferty. If you're a writer, I heartily recommend her podcast. ...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Christiana Ellis rated it it was amazing

Although the premise bears some superficial similarities to things like "Ugly Americans", Lafferty's unique sense of humor combines with a real sense of danger to make something that feels fresh.

Zoe makes for a compelling lead character. She's proactive, determined and self-aware enough to occasionally take a step back and think "What the $@&* am I doing here?" The rest of the cast rounds out the narrative with a welcome mix of interesting characters, such as the mischievous water sprite, a ...more

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Apr 20, 2018 Alex rated it really liked it

If you’re looking for urban fantasy, this delivers in spades. This book leans more towards urban fantasy than it does humor (as the title and cover implies). The premise is humorous, and there’s some gentle humor within, but the presentation undercuts this with some serious trauma.

I am always happy when fantasy settings incorporate Public Works (and other municipal services) into the struggle against the supernatural. Additionally, I was overjoyed when I realized this tied into previous fiction ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 David Rossetti rated it did not like it

I really tried with the "The Shambling Guide to New York City", based on the concept and the positive reviews. Unfortunately, lumpy prose, a dull protagonist, and a lifeless supporting cast (no pun intended) made the first 200 pages such a slog that I finally gave up.

There's certainly the potential for an interesting book in the idea of a human exploring a supernatural underworld through the device of reading/writing travel guides; it's been done before in various forms as least as far back as I really tried with the "The Shambling Guide to New York City", based on the concept and the positive reviews. Unfortunately, lumpy prose, a dull protagonist, and a lifeless supporting cast (no pun intended) made the first 200 pages such a slog that I finally gave up.

There's certainly the potential for an interesting book in the idea of a human exploring a supernatural underworld through the device of reading/writing travel guides; it's been done before in various forms as least as far back as Douglas Adams and done well it can be a fun way to bring a reader into a new world along with the protagonist. The problem here is there's nothing much new or novel in Lafferty's underworld and the travel guide segments scattered throughout the book are correspondingly flat, reading like the recycled chunks of old role playing supplements from which this book likely sprung. New York even without the supernatural should be enough to energize any book; here it's largely a gray void with occasional dots of detail as if the descriptions were written using Google Streetview with a collection of clipart fae and vampires.

This sort of inelegant datadump structure is equally present in the chapters. Even central characters do little more than tell the protagonist their origins, powers, and general stance on things as if they were bios at the bottom of a character sheet. Zoe, the main character's tragic origin story? She slept with her boss at her old company. Other than that she just seems to float in a blog-like stream of uninspired observations and dated cultural references. There are hints that she's yet another in a long line of literary Chosen Ones but whatever advantages that might give, they seem largely wasted on this particular character.

For a while I was able to let most of this slide as the prose level was sufficiently juvenile that I assumed the book was intended for a younger YA audience. The introduction of an incubus as part of the staff of Zoe's publishing company suddenly veers the book in an adult direction. While we're told repeatedly how he sets Zoe's loins percolating there's nothing about the character's description or dialogue to seduce the reader likewise; I don't think we'll be seeing "Team Incubus" t-shirts any time soon.

Clearly the idea alone was sufficient to merit sequels and I'm hoping that New Orleans will provide a sufficient jolt to jerk the series out of the doldrums. Regardless, based on this predecessor I'm more than willing to wait for "Ghost Train to New Orleans" to hit the library or the one-cent rack at Amazon.

...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Sunil rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013, own

The Shambling Guide to New York City puts a clever spin on the urban fantasy genre, which involves fantasy in an urban setting. Supernatural creatures in cities. Who would have special needs and interests, different from the humans in cities.

So wouldn't they need a guidebook?

Enter Zoe Norris, skilled guidebook writer looking for a fresh start in New York City after a disastrous affair at her last job in North Carolina. She finds herself working for Underground Publishing and is initiated The Shambling Guide to New York City puts a clever spin on the urban fantasy genre, which involves fantasy in an urban setting. Supernatural creatures in cities. Who would have special needs and interests, different from the humans in cities.

So wouldn't they need a guidebook?

Enter Zoe Norris, skilled guidebook writer looking for a fresh start in New York City after a disastrous affair at her last job in North Carolina. She finds herself working for Underground Publishing and is initiated into the secret world of the coterie, the monsters' less pejorative term for themselves. Vampires, zombies, sprites, and even goddesses fall under this blanket, and Mur Lafferty mashes up the mythologies with ease.

For the majority of the book, Zoe is not trying to solve a Big Mystery or defeat some Ancient Evil. She's simply trying to do her damn job! She needs to do research to write her book! It's just that she has some pretty weird co-workers, okay. Her boss is a vampire and there's an incubus who really turns her on and that death goddess keeps talking about how doomed she is. In case it wasn't clear, Laffery keeps the tone pretty light, and it makes for a very entertaining read. It's light but not zany; Zoe has a healthy sense of humor about the absurdity of her position but she's a well-rounded character with depth.

What I love about Zoe is that she is a perfectly normal woman. She's not half-faerie, she can't do spells, she doesn't have any magic tattoos, she can barely fight. She's a relatable heroine, and I loved seeing the world through her eyes. Although she may not be strong in the physical sense, she's smart and resourceful, strong-willed and loyal, and, perhaps most importantly, incredibly competent and committed to doing her job. I love the way Lafferty juxtaposes the mundane and fantastic; it's a tricky line to walk and she does it effortlessly.

Although the story itself appears to be mundane at first—woman does research for a guidebook—Zoe finds herself in some dangerous situations that are nothing compared to the unbelievable climax Lafferty has in store for her. Shit gets real, but it never gets too dark, though. It's exciting and fun without being horrifically tragic, which isn't to say that everyone gets out of this book alive.

Ghost Train to New Orleans, the sequel, comes out next year. I love the idea of Zoe traveling to different cities, showing us the coterie in each one. It's a great premise for a series that promises something new with each installment. ...more

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Jun 29, 2013 Ginger Campbell rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-and-ideas-podcast, fiction, audible-com

Mur Lafferty is one of the people who inspired me to begin podcasting, so I am used to consuming her work in the audio format. She is an excellent narrator whose voice transports the listener into whatever slightly odd world she has created. I actually listened to The Shambling Guide to New York City at normal speed, instead of speeding it up like I usually do when listening to fiction.

I have been following Mur Lafferty's writing for several years, but I can honestly say that The Shambling Guide ...more

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May 22, 2013 Joseph R. rated it liked it

Like others, I am listening to the podcast version which is at chapter three right now. I'm enjoying the book a lot. The premise is fun--a book editor named Zoe who had to leave another publishing house returns to New York City to find a dream job. The opportunity arises when she runs across an opening at a new publisher in New York City looking to make travel guides. Zoe had started a successful, off-beat travel guide series at the first publisher. The thing with the new publisher is they are f ...more

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May 29, 2013 Chris Gwinn rated it really liked it

I literally judged this book by its cover, in that the thing that initially attracted me to it was Jamie McKelvie's cover (I'm a fan). I read the e-book, so I didn't actually get to enjoy the cover. Oh well.

On one hand, it's your standard urban fantasy where a female protagonist discovers that Things Are Not What They Seem. There's a love interest, and some vampires, and some zombies, and a mystery.

But.. The main character is not dumb. And the plot twists are clever. And ...more

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May 28, 2013 Icepick rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, thriller, supernatural

Sure, you've got some baggage, but you're a smart girl in the big city. Lots of opportunity for a fresh start, if you can just get a job....

We've all had some really questionable co-workers, right? Blood sucking demons of human beings. What if they were actually blood sucking demons? You can deal with that or can you?

It's worth finding out, if Zoe can. She's got a fresh start and more than a little attitude. Sure, her boss is a vampire and a god for a co-worker. Tha ...more

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May 13, 2013 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: speculative-fiction, fantasy, wwe-women-of-genre-fiction

Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun. A smart and funny novel, with a smart, capable, adult woman protagonist. The excerpts of the eponymous travel guide are great. Mur toys with ~~monster~~ coterie conventions in fresh and interesting ways. I only had one question left unanswered, which may be answered in the next book in the series. (view spoiler)

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Dec 24, 2018 Aaron rated it it was amazing

I first ran across Mur's writing in Knights of the Dinner Table magazine. Now I'm kicking myself for not following her into novels sooner. I "one more chapter"ed myself up well past my bedtime every night on this one.

In the afterward, she lists Douglas Adams as one of her influences, particularly on this book, and it shows in all of the best ways. I loved the guide excerpts. Her take on various supernaturals and their interaction into/around human society includes elements I've not s ...more

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Feb 22, 2018 Alice-ginevra Micheli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The whole book was quite entertaining, weaving in fantastical creatures in with normal life but I do feel like it kind of lost itself at the end there. It changed pace and just became something different all together which led to it feeling very rushed. Overall though I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one!

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Jan 13, 2019 James rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, fantasy

A delightful urban fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously and is not a bad-ass girl stomps villains novel. A fun read.

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Jan 07, 2019 Meredith rated it really liked it

Shelves: popsugar2019, fantasy, timetravelerchallenge2019

That was a lot of fun.

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Urban Fantasy Afi...: December 2018 Group Read - The Shambling Guide to New York City	16	16	Feb 03, 2019 06:32PM
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About Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty

1,142 followers

Mur Lafferty is the author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Hugo and Nebula nominated novel Six Wakes, The Shambling Guides series, and several self pubbed novels and novellas, including the award winning Afterlife series. She is the host of the Hugo-winning podcast Ditch Diggers, and the long-running I Should Be Writing. She is the recipient of the John Campbell Award for best new writer, the M ...more

Other books in the series

The Shambling Guides (2 books)

Books by Mur Lafferty

The Ghost Train to New Orleans (The Shambling Guides, #2)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Star Wars: Novelizations, #3.25)

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Quotes from The Shambling Gui...

“Are you going to eat her here, Mr. Rand, or should I prepare her to go?” — 1 likes

“Phil pursed his lips over his fangs. "Are you in league with Public Works, do you have any history with zoëtism, fortune telling, or anyone in coterie society?"
-"Does a fing look swart to the zooloofills?"
Phil stared at her blankly. "I have no idea--"
-"Exactly," she interrupted. 'I don't know what you're talking about either.” — 1 likes

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