Blackout (Cal Leandros # 6) by Rob Thurman
Urban Fantasy
March 1, 2011
Paperback
Roc

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Leandros…Niko, you might want to take a closer look at that picture and buy a cattle prod for when I’m all the way back because that guy is not happy and that guy is not right.”

When Caliban (Cal) Leandros wakes up on a beach surrounded by dead monsters he knows a killer has been here. That doesn’t bother him. The fact he could be the killer doesn’t bother him. The fact he may have enjoyed killing doesn’t bother him. What bothers him is he doesn’t remember who he is…and he’s not sure he cares.

Rob Thurman’s Blackout takes on an emotional tone with the Leandros brothers when Cal is bitten by a spider whose venom induces amnesia. Cal can’t remember who or what he is. He wakes to find himself in Nevah’s Landing, South Carolina. With no memory of how he got there or who he is. When Niko and Robin find him a few days later, Cal is ambivalent to both of them. He doesn’t trust Niko and Robin is a “monster” who he tries to kill. With a fork. Niko grabs Cal and hightails it back to New York and sets out to help Cal regain his memory. Fast. Because there is an evil goddess who is sucking the paranormal entities of New York dry. And she wants Cal for dessert unless he and Niko can stop her.

A dark urban fantasy with a wicked twist of humor running through it, Blackout steps out of it’s pre-constructed box and enters the emotion ring as we watch Cal and Nikos struggle with the new Cal we are seeing. Smooth writing and fast pacing produces an amazing storyline that will tug at your heart strings.

Cal has no memories of himself so the sarcastic emo sociopath we are used to is not here. Here is a slightly “happy” Cal. The Cal that might have been. In here we see what would have happened had his human side had stayed dominant. Narrated in Cal’s voice; we see his thoughts, hopes, dreams, and sorrows.

The dynamics of Niko’s and Cal’s relationship runs true and deep with some startling revelations. Blood is blood when it spills and its strength isn’t always determined by family bonds. The love, friendship, and lengths that Niko will go to protect Cal are extraordinary and quite shocking considering what we have learned so far about Nikos. The end sum is that Cal is his brother no matter what.

We see some old long running characters in here. Emo Promise of course. I really wish she would lighten up a little. Though we do see a bit of spark at the end, I find her a tedious character at best. Robin Goodfellow is also here full of piss, vinegar and monogamy. He and Cal play off each other like a long time running vaudeville act with homicidal tendencies. Even big bad Delilah makes appearances with her, “I’d like to slice your throat while we have sex” attitude. What I found interesting is that all of them make thinly veiled references to what is happening to Cal but it’s only a true enemy of his takes him in hand and helps him make the connection. My only wish for this story. Georgia.

The ending is a power house of action, suspense, and an explosive conclusion. Ms. Thurman gives us a rare treat by letting us see through Cal’s eyes.

If your looking for a powerful dark noir urban fantasy that promises an excitable read but delivers so much more then look no further then the Cal Leandros series. While you could read this as a stand alone, the over all arc and character development in this series is quite pronounced so I recommend starting from the beginning with Nightlife.

Rating: A

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