Dead Man’s Hand (The Unorthodox Chronicles, #1) by James J. Butcher

Amy Caudill‘s review 

Two unlikely allies are pitted against a corrupt bureaucracy in the first volume of The Unorthodox Chronicles by James J. Butcher.

I adore the Dresden Files, written by the father of this author, so I wanted to give this newer series a chance.  To make sure I was unbiased, I did not read anything about this book or series before opening the first chapter.  I found myself in a familiar, yet different, setting to the world occupied by Harry Dresden. 

To be honest, I did not much like one of the protagonists in the beginning.  We are first introduced to Mayflower, a retired, bitter, drunken recluse who once was a legendary Hunter for the Bureau of Unorthodox affairs, which manages magical beings and creatures in the world.  He seemed to have potential as a player in the story, but we are abruptly switched from him to this other, younger, more pathetic seeming character, Grimsby. 

Grimsby is a failed witch, as all magic users are called here, but more than that he has an outlook of grim hopelessness in his situation (pun intended).  He has just recently had his life goal, becoming an Auditor for the Bureau, ripped from him, but he has given up on everyone and everything.  He seems to be drowning in a mundane job going nowhere and no ambitions for moving forward or making any kind of life at all.  Of course, in interior dialogue with Grimsby we learn he had no confidence or ambition in his prior training either; it seems he has only gone through the motions for most of his life.

Grimsby and Mayflower first cross path when the former is implicated in the death of his former magical mentor, who was previously the latter’s partner.  Mayflower has to decide if this cowardly being could possibly have murdered the most powerful witch to exist, or if he is being framed.  The two are drawn together by a need to find answers and a mutual distrust of the magical authorities.

Their partnership seems unlikely but Mayflower’s sense of duty and morality forces him to keep the kid safe.  Meanwhile, Grimsby is mainly terrified by the events around him and falls victim to the first stirrings of hope to improve his situation, which will betray his new ally.

Before the end, Grimsby will finally shed his self-doubt, and rise the occasion, but there are numerous hurdles in the way of actual success, including a corrupt bureaucrat who craves the artifact that only Grimsby and Mayflower, working together, have a chance of recovering.

This book, which does show some evidence of urban fantasy world building, really lacks in showing its setting.  I suppose that is a comparison to Jim Butcher, whose Dresden series takes place mostly in and around Chicago, which the author brought to life while laying out his plots.  In contrast, The Unorthodox Chronicles take place in Boston, but the only location described in detail is the Chucky Cheese-style restaurant where Grimsby works. 

The plot is a little thinner than I’d like, but does contain a number of twists to keep the reader on his or her toes.  I can see potential in the book, I just hope the other (currently two) volumes build on what is already there and give more background about the characters and the setting.  This is a solid debut, and I give it three stars.