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'Verity Fassbinder has her feet in two worlds. The daughter of one human and one Weyrd parent, she has very little power herself, but does claim unusual strength – and the ability to walk between us and the other – as a couple of her talents. As such a rarity, she is charged with keeping the peace between both races, and ensuring the Weyrd remain hidden from us.
'But now Sirens are dying, illegal wine made from the tears of human children is for sale – and in the hands of those Weyrd who hold with the old ways – and someone has released an unknown and terrifyingly destructive force on the streets of Brisbane.
'And Verity must investigate – or risk ancient forces carving our world apart.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Author's note: The city is not the city.
Though I do live in Brisneyland and have used it as a backdrop for Vigil, I must confess that I've played fast and loose with some details (I'm sorry, West End and I'm really sorry, Gold Coast). I'm a writer. It's fiction. So I beg patience of the purists; while the reader will recognise certain landmarks and suburbs, Verity's city is not quite the city you know. It looks a bit like it, seen through a glass darkly.
Enjoy the journey.
'Urban fantasy is one of those genres that is pretty saturated right now. Therefore, finding a real gem among the vast sea of titles is quite the challenge. When asked to review this one, I was a little leery that it might be one of a myriad of similar stories, but I’m happy to say that Vigil definitely stands out from the crowd.' (Introduction)
'Angela Slatter’s novel Vigil is set in Brisbane-with-a-twist.
'It’s contemporary Brisbane, but there’s a Boatman on the river ferrying the dead, alongside the CityCats.
'There are sirens, angels, vampires and other indeterminate creatures in the bars and cafes and bookshops.
'And when someone crosses the line, Verity Fassbinder PI steps in to work things out.
'Angela Slatter speaks with Kate Evans.'
'Angela Slatter is the award winning author of speculative fiction novels Vigil and Corpselight. She is also particularly adept with the short story. Her collections, The Bitterwood Bible and Sourdough and Other Stories have both received critical acclaim, with Sourdough being a finalist for a World Fantasy Award in 2011, and Bitterwood being a co-winner of this award for Best Collection in 2015. Slatter is also the recipient of an Aurealis Award for her collection, The Girl with No Hands and other tales. Her short stories are reminicient of fairytales, and by this I mean all the best parts; the adventure, the tangible worlds, brilliantly wicked characters and of course, the darkness. If you haven’t yet read her work, I encourage you to do so. You won’t be disappointed! Arianne was lucky enough to interview Slatter about her writing process and upcoming books.' (Introduction)
