Going for a Pulp Fiction Ride

Solomon's Jar by Alex Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Part of a multi-author, long-running series, this is an excellent example of the pulp action novel. Good fun, lots of action, cool hero, interesting settings. Nice.

As a standalone novel, I give this 4 stars. Anyone who reads Jim Butcher's Dresden Files or Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid novels or the like would find this lands pretty much in the same zone. I expect they would enjoy it.

The difference is this series ran for about 60 books and consequently has a different pace.

The characters and world-building are a little sketchier here, but that's on purpose; it's making room for lots of action featuring the main character. As far as pulp goes, I consider this as solid as they come and would give it a full 5 stars.

One's expectations are different for pulp; the focus is shifted. It's closer to a grown-up, bloody, kinda creepy comic book in sensibility, and less like a big fat fantasy. You still want--and still get--moments of dialogue, of humor, of soul-searching and deep thoughts, but you come for the action and stay for the action. It's well done here, and I recommend it.

The author is listed as Alex Archer, but that's the pseudonym, of course. This one was written by Victor Milan, who unfortunately died in 2018. His Dinosaur Lords series was creative and cool, and he had many other successes, some of which I'm just learning about. It's a shame there won't be any new books under his name, but he has lots I've never read, so I'm grateful for that.

View all my reviews