Sometimes you can hear talk of an author, and everything you hear is so very, very encouraging – But, it still takes you time to get around to reading their work. That is exactly what has happened to me with Mercedes M. Yardley. All the talk has been so incredibly positive; I’d heard great things about Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A tale of Atomic Love, but still I hadn’t gotten round to reading it. In fact Mercedes recently won the 2013 Reddit “Stabby” award for best short fiction of the year for the novella. So, when the chance came to check out Mercedes’ latest offering, I admit, I jumped at the chance.

Nameless: The Darkness Comes is the first book of Mercedes’ planned Bone Angel Trilogy. It centers on Luna: Seer of Demons. When Luna’s brother has his daughter taken by her lunatic of a mother, complete with attached demon, Luna takes it upon herself to try and rescue the girl. Along the way she is ‘aided’ by a love interest she refuses to call solely by his first name in Reed Taylor, and the only Demon she has ever trusted in Mouth (a fantastic, Luna-given moniker).

There are some dark situations along the way; certainly not for the squeamish. But they are balanced well with Luna’s on and off romance with Reed Taylor and some great back and forth with the Demons in general; the fun is not purely restricted to Mouth. The story ties up nicely at the end, while successfully wanting you to know more; it seems the fun is only just getting started. You’re left wanting to read more… Right now.

The story itself is a strong one. It flows very well, making it very, very hard to put down. The ability to merge dark fantasy with elements of humor is not easy, but Mercedes makes it all look so effortless. Witty one-liners and retorts were common enough to endear the reader to Luna, without becoming too common place as to detract from the character or indeed the story. Added to this in Luna, Mercedes has created one of the best protagonists I have come across in a long time. Equal parts Stubborn and Sarcastic. Perfect. For all that she has gone through, and continues to do so; she is still easy to relate to. The story being told through Luna, works. It just works.

It’s fair to say, I now totally get what the entire buzz is about. The guys at Ragnarok publications have got a highly-prized asset on their hands; I’ll certainly be looking forward to the rest of Luna’s tale. But first, I am going to pick up that copy of Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu. I won’t make the mistake of leaving any of Mercedes’ work unread any longer…

**** 4 ½ STARS

Paul

Mercedes’ Author Page Amazon