Karen

Can't get it out of my head. This book is great. The next 2 in the series are ok but inconsistent.

Nicholas

Amazingly satisfying and MODERN, as far as fantasy goes. I always picture satisfying fantasy to be something with an air of dust and age to it, when men spoke fancifully, and narrated their stories thus. All ensuing attempts, at least for me, seem to fail because, stories like Dragonlance are weak imitations, right down to the Tolkein verbiage. Golden attempts none of that and seamlessly blends the world of myth and legend with our own, in regular commonplace English. Even his hero, Oliver, is a normal, albeit wealthy man, with insecurities, temptations, and weaknesses, and he reacts to his strange predicament of being thrust "beyond the Veil" in normal, understandable terms.As Amanda says, one gets a sense of Stephen King, and it's not just the Maine backdrop to the beginning of the story. I think mostly it reminds me of the Tower, with worlds behind worlds and the allusions to corners being turned onto parallel dimensions where things could be slightly, or significantly, off-kilter.I enjoyed the use of myths and legends from around the world beyond just the standard Western litany of Greek and Norse gods and heroes. Among the main characters are a Native American trickster, a Chinese dragon, a Japanese trickster/demon and Jack Frost, who's just the winter man. Golden imbues each of these with strange, but culturally acceptable powers. At times, it seems Golden's research into these myths is just superficial, and they take on the most stereotypical elements of their complex histories, but the attempt is admirable. Certainly there's a wealth of material for him to draw on in the construction of the Two Kingdoms. What's kind of disappointing is the mix he chooses. I have my eyes out for recognizable deities and legends, and find them wanting. The less notable villains seem like hodgepodges of animal parts with no connection to real human legend at all, but his choice of main villain in the Sandman is sublime and well done. I have to admit that this construction of th

Carl Buehler

I really liked this book. I had forgotten that it was the first of a series, but halfway through, I knew I would be looking for the next installment soon. Fluid writing mixed with a wildly imaginative story. What's not to like?

Mary T

Oliver Pierced The Veil and now he regrets it. The end.I'd give it maybe 2.5 stars. It's a really interesting concept, all of the myths and legends being true and personified. However, I never really connected with any character, as there is very little character development throughout the story. It held my interest enough that I will read the other two books in the series.The following is just a rant, maybe a small spoiler.It took so long to get back to the sister's part of the story I forgot what had happened to her. Not that much was happening in the meantime with her (she's kinda stuck in the one place), it was just taking too long to check back with her that I just assumed she was dead. Oliver is the type of person I wouldn't like IRL, much less as a main character for a book. I didn't like him in the beginning, and I still didn't like him at the end. You are an adult man, please sort out your daddy pleasing issues. If Oliver had been a teenager, I would have believed that he's just some punk-ass kid that is going on a growing up adventure. But no. Oliver is a full adult male, not able to think for himself. I really hope the author does more character development in the next books. I really want to go more in depth with the myth characters he's chosen as mains.Also, the author seems to favor a few phrases. Most notably, "knitted his/her brows together" (this phrase just bothers me in general and the author just over-uses it in my opinion). And second, "pierce the veil". So I don't think they were even a band at the time of publication, but I just giggled every time the phrase came up and eventually Jaime became Frost in my brain for some ungodly reason and everything is messed up now.

Cindy Kerwin

It was a good read, different. Somewhat slow but still a good book. There were things that I think should've been explained or elaborated on more and other parts that didn't need as much page time but still a nice easy read.

Manda

I. Loved. This. Book. Period.I've been a fan of Christopher Golden for quite a long time, and have recently gotten back into reading him again, first with the Hidden City series that he teamed up with Tim Lebbon on. I'm tremendously happy that I stumbled across them, because I had kind of forgotten about Mr. Golden-- and had I not come across Mind the Gap I probably wouldn't have been inclined to grab the Myth Hunters. I have, as long as I can remember, been a bit of a legend or Myth junkie. I've found fascination in the beliefs of different cultures and some of the similarities of the lore in those particular cultures. Christopher Golden touches upon an astounding amount of these myths and gives their characters personality and depth. You can feel their frustrations with the main human character Oliver's ignorance of their world, though, they do seem to have patience of saints as they're going through and teaching him. You can feel the betrayl as friends show themselves as traitorous. It's a very well written book with cool little twists on some of the more well known legends. He also took the time to introduce some creatures not nearly so well known, and explains what happened to certain societies that previously just... disappeared.Fantastic book. Very creative. A fast, FUN read.

Kate

For a mass-market fantasy thriller, The Myth Hunters is pretty good. It has derivative elements, and original elements, and a fair enough share of good plot twists to keep you reading. While it's nothing spectacular, I'd like to keep reading and see what happens in Borderkind. I certainly don't regret picking it up.The story is about young Oliver Bascombe, a lawyer who came from wealth and privilege and now feels like he's living under his powerful father's thumb. Oh, he's working at the family law firm, sure, but what he really wants is to be AN ACTOR. Emphasis on the "TOR." He's about to marry his paternally-approved fiancee, Julianna, when he finds himself saving the life of a wounded man made entirely of ice.Jack Frost drags Oliver into the lands "across the Veil" to save them both from the "Hunter who almost killed them, and now Oliver is marked for death. It's kind of like... um... a big chunk of the fantasy published recently, actually: Magic, threatened by the damned Mundanes, has retreated into its own special country and is zealous in protecting its privacy from normal humans. Since Frost now owes Oliver a life debt, they set off to find out how he can stay alive with all of Story breathing down his neck. Along the way they meet a beautiful shapeshifter, Kitsune, who becomes Oliver's designated love interes almost from day one. She and Frost are quite concerned with learning who has started killing off the Borderkind (legendary figures who can cross between the worlds at will) while avoiding death themselves. Oliver is by turns fascinated with the new world he's discovered-- magic, after all is what he always wanted-- and guiltstricken over his abandonment of Julianna on the eve of their wedding.Adventures ensue.The book is a good read, I will give it that. Here's a spoiler for you: I was pretty much hooked when the Sandman crossed the Veil and started ripping out people's eyeballs. The main storyline is a fairly typical quest story, and the main character

Erth

I've just added Christopher Golden to the list of authors I'd like to take to lunch. I'd love to get inside his head and wiggle around in an effort to figure out where his incredible imagination comes from.The Myth Hunters is the first book of Golden's Veil trilogy -- and I'll admit, after turning the last page last night, I was already salivating for those final two volumes. The Myth Hunters introduces Oliver Bascombe, a priveledged, small-town Maine lawyer that wanted to be an actor, but has always made the right decisions in his life to please his distant father. On the eve of his wedding to the "right" girl, he is confronted by magic he's always believed in, and his steady, normal life is thrown into a tailspin. Through Oliver, Golden walks readers through The Veil, a world where myths are reality and where lost civilizations of humans that slipped through the border between fantasy and reality have been lost for ages, including the Atlanteans, Aztecs, Incas and many lost ships from the Bermuda Triangle. Amelia Earheart owns a bar here, and legends like Johnny Appleseed, Pater Noel and others are in grave danger from monsters called The Myth Hunters, who are inexplicably trying to extinguish these legends from the world. Oliver comes to the aid of Jack Frost, the spirit of winter, and becomes his traveling companion, along with a mysterious, beautiful woman that can transform into a fox and the Native American trickster, Blue Jay. The companions are trying to solve mysteries on both sides of the Veil -- to figure out who murdered Oliver's father after he slipped through the Veil and abducted his beloved sister Collette, and to discover who is trying to kill Myths from all over the world. I loved this book. I can't say enough good things about it. It is a wonderful blend of imaginative fantasy and crime mystery, and does an amazing job of straddling the fantastic and the real worlds simultaneously. If you are a fan of fantasy and love imaginative reading that is

Laurla2

Characters and story line just as tedious and generic as the Ben Walker series. Golden is now 0 for 3 for me and I think I'm done.

Van Rysseghem

Probs to the writer for mentioning Tolkien, yet engaging like the grand master he was not. At times I skipped pages because the story didn't capture me as I had hoped. If you like multiple POV in the third perspective, gory details and a story line that is not as 'been there' as most others, this could be something for you.

Andrea

DFN....oh I so wanted to love this book. Personifications of elements and mythological creatures is just up my alley. But I found it a bit boring after the first 150 pages or so. Why? I don't know really. It was slow...then fast.....then slow again. Flipping back and forth in the story was weird. I have read stories with twin POV before. Heck, I even wrote one....but ummm, they were so different.Anyway....perhaps another time I will find I really did like it after all.

Kelly

Does anyone else feel like they fell down the rabbit hole at the turn of midnight on New Year’s Eve and everyday since has been some twist on normal? Do you await the mailman every day in anticipation to get that invite to the tea parties you always hear so much about? Watch the news in a nervous stance waiting to see just when the apocalypse will be announced? Me, too! Oh, believe me it’s coming. And just to prove it, I bring you a five I guarantee no one expected!!! Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are, but there is no denying it. Golden’s Myth Hunters is the most innovative and spellbinding novel I have read this year.A Grimm Brothers wet dream, the plot is a dark masterpiece. Original and creative, Golden’s tale integrates characters from fairy tales, urban folklore, and world mythology. Walking a tight line to maintain an even balance and all the while keep at bay an imposing atmosphere, I guarantee this story will captivate you and awaken your youth.Sounds like I’m gushing, doesn’t it? Well, guess what, I am! This story has it all, a tight plot, an easy, but steady pace and three-dimensional characters that are fully fleshed and attired with realistic reactions. Each holds relevance and a place in your heart. I don’t care how jaded you are or how bad your childhood was, this cast will hold your attention, there’s no denying them. -As posted on Horror-Web.com

Amanda

Amazingly satisfying. Christopher Golden takes folk tales and myths and twists them into a believable and wonderful story. Restless lawyer Oliver Bascombe feels stifled by his father's rule and on the eve of his wedding day, seeks to dispel his doubts. He makes the acquaintance of Jack Frost, an iceman he thought only existed in his imagination, when Jack bursts into his room, bleeding and begging for help. With this one act of kindness, Oliver is propelled into a fantastical world and a quest to not only fight for his own life, but to help the stories he worshipped as a child. The array of mythical beings Christopher Golden assembles makes for a captivating cast of characters. Oliver reacts like a real man, not a golden hero, which makes the reading even better. Bouncing back between the parallel worlds, Golden creates a level of mystery and excitement that is completely satisfying to both the child and the adult within me. Oliver's allies are not always nice and don't always seem to have his interests at heart, but they are real characters, not some watered down sidekicks. A sort of Neil Gaiman meets Stephen King (complete with Maine references), Golden has me excited to read more of his series.

Wendy

This book was okay. It takes a while for the story to develop but it does finally come together and right about where the book ends it gets interesting. lol Now I have to read #2. Oliver is a lawyer from a very wealthy family, on the eve of his wedding. He is having doubts about rather he really wants to get married when he encounters Jack Frost (yep the one and only) who has been attacked by a Myth Hunter and needs Oliver to help him. In helping Frost escape the Hunter, Oliver is transported with Frost through the Veil, which keeps the world of the Borderkind (our myths and legends come to life) separate from our world. This leads to quite an adventure as Oliver attempts to find a way to circumvent that automatic death sentence given to all Intruders, while he joins up with several Borderkind in an attempt to discover who has given the order for all of the Borderkind to be killed and why. In the meantime The Sandman has escaped into our world and his first victim is Oliver's father. He abducts Oliver's sister to use as bait to lure Oliver to his death. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series 'The Borderkind' just to see what happens next.

Kristen

Imagine if all the "myths" and "legends" in the stories you were told as a child were not only real, but they were under attack by an unknown enemy in the parallel world they live in, that's just out of view of most humans?Oliver Bascombe discovers this is exactly how things are, when, on the night before his wedding - which he's not entirely sure he wants to go through with - Jack Frost staggers through the window of his house. Jack is near death and begs Oliver to help him. When Oliver agrees to help, he doesn't realize that he'll end up crossing the Veil - the parallel world where the Myths [but don't call them that, as it's a big insult!] are trying to figure out who wants to wipe them out. Oliver ends up on the run, because humans aren't permitted to cross the Veil and then cross back, which is what Oliver plans to do once he's helped Jack, and the other new friends he meets to save themselves and their world.This is a very unique and interesting story, and the characters are exactly what you'd expect the people behind the childhood stories to be like. They aren't like us, and they can be dangerous unless they are your ally.The world the author's created is really clever and really different and the plot will carry you along with it. The downsides of this story are 1) It's the first of a trilogy, so there isn't a real ending in this first book, and 2) There are some fairy gory moments of violence, as the other side is not at all civilized and they have some unique forms of killing.I enjoyed the book, and will probably read the rest of the series.

Monica **can't read fast enough**

Interesting world and I loved Jack Frost. I do wish that Oliver was a more interesting main character, but hopefully he will grow as the series progresses. I'm glad that I grabbed them all at a library book sale and will eventually continue the series.

Kathy

An interesting concept… but a little too much misplaced angst for me…Oliver Bascombe, a lawyer in his 30s, still struggling with being himself vs being the man his father wants him to be… isn’t he a little old for that? He is to be married tomorrow, to a woman he thinks he loves, but he’s not sure… has enough of him been in the relationship to love her? And for her to truly love the real him? And that night, an injured Jack Frost comes into his living room… and thus the story begins…Jack Frost asks for his help in crossing ‘the Veil’ between our world, and the fantasy world where myths and legends (along with some lost ones) live… only a few can cross between (like the tooth fairy, and santa claus)… but hunters (who can also cross) are killing them… Oliver helps Jack, and ends up himself on the otherside of the veil…. They are joined by Kitsune (a japanese woman / fox shapeshifter), and they are journeying to find one who might be able to help Oliver regain his freedom…. While aware that there is a bigger problem that threatens both of their worlds.They come across the Sandman’s prison… his guards all killed… and though Oliver doesn’t find out until the end, the Sandman has killed his father (ripping out his eyes, causing a heartattack, and leaving sand in the sockets)… and kidnapped his sister Colleen… and gone on a worldwide rampage, killing children and taking their eyes. There is something undefined special in Colleen and Oliver that has caused the unknown powers concern… and she is the ultimate bait in killing Oliver.They face other dangers…. And towards the end, the go to Emilia’s – a club – begun by Emilia Earhardt… one of the lost ones…The story ends as they are heading to Scotland to one who might aid Oliver… First of a trilogy.

carol.

At first The Myth Hunters strongly reminded me of Terry Brooks' Landover series; unfulfilled lawyer missing the magic and passion in his own life is drawn into another world. It's feels a little indulgently angst ridden at first, as Oliver is a lawyer, has significant financial resources, and is on the eve of marriage to a woman he has dated since high school: "He was a fly trapped in amber." As he is reading beside the window while a winter storm rages outside, he encounters a winter being who turns out to be Jack Frost. Together they escape the Falconer pursuing them into the lands beyond the Veil. The Veil turns out to be the barrier dividing the worlds, with creatures of myth, lost humans, and old human cultures like the Atlanteans. Crossing results in a death sentence for Oliver, so one of his goals becomes figuring out how to prevent his sentence. The viewpoint then starts to jump between Oliver; Collette, Oliver's sister; and Ted Halliwell, the deputy investigating the disappearances. I enjoyed the premise of multiple mythologies, although like another reviewer, found that they were usually used in only the most surface of portrayals. Golden does a very good job of creating tension and horror, between Oliver running for his life and the horror of the Sandman. The shifting viewpoints heightens the tension by bringing in the human element of a police chase. I enjoyed the book, but find the jump from chase to chase exhausting. In the beginning, there was more time to enjoy the scenery beyond the Veil, so to speak, but it soon evolved into either chase or fight scenes. To me, the interjection of the deputy's investigation and search interrupted the rhythm of the world-building of the myth. The overall effect was good enough that I'll try the second book, but doesn't rate library inclusion.

Sandee

They lost me on the first few pages where first a window won't close because the snow is packed in it and then a minute later Oliver is blown back by the wind blowing in same window that is snow packed. I'll give it a few more pages... ...[buzzer sounding:] 2 more plot inconsistencies by page 50 has made this unreadable, no matter the general plot line. I don't know how an editor missed these things.

RGJameson

I just didn't like it, was hard to finish. Way too many explanations of what was going on and what the various characters thought/felt at every turn. Reminded me of Jay Leno, who always seemed to find it necessary to explain his jokes.