Midnight Taxi Tango (Bone Street Rumba)

I love this book. It's the second installment in Older's Bone Street Rumba series and Half-Resurrection Blues should be read first. That's not a hardship though because I enjoyed Half-Resurrection Blues. Midnight Taxi Tango picks up a few months after Half-Resurrection Blues and the transition is smooth. This book was told from 3 viewpoints: Carlos, our main character, Kia, one of the minor characters from the first book who becomes a bigger player here, and a Reza, one of a new group of potential allies for Carlos. Reza is the reason I'm writing my first review. I absolutely loved her and loved being in her point of view. I enjoyed her heart, her humor and her baddassery, so I wanted to thank the author and, I suppose, "the elegant, mysterious gray-haired woman" mentioned in the acknowledgements, for gracing me with such a compelling character. The different points of view were surprisingly easy to distinguish and follow and added texture to the narrative. The first book was a little choppy for me, just trying to absorb the world-building and develop trust for where the author might take me. These issues were settled by book 2 and I just sat back and enjoyed myself. As with the first book, there is no cliff-hanger, but there are unresolved and new plot threads that I can't wait to read more about. While I'm impatient for the next book, I hope these characters are around for a while. Right now this is in my top 5 paranormal/fantasy series favorites, after only 2 books. Definitely recommended.

Same as with the first book, in overall I enjoyed this one. But I feel that the plots are not enough developed. The world building is potentially good, but I afraid the author not really sure what to do with it or his wonderful characters. Thought the plot was better constructed in this book. The reason I keep reading is the characters. Older creates great, interesting, diverse, deep characters with stories and baggage behind them. I loved two new POV characters. Both Kia and Reza are wonderful, and I adores their arcs. On other hand Carlos was a disappointment. I don’t feel he really had a part to play in the story, except connecting between Kia, Reza and Sasha. Originally Bone Street Rumba was his story, but now he became somewhat a passive passenger. I like my books with strong female characters AND strong male characters, both equally capable with their own strengths and weaknesses. Its pity Older lost his way with Carlos.

I'll admit, it took me a minute to get used to the other POV's, especially new characters. (I was thrilled to see Kia from book 1 as a protagonist.) That said, I loved the new complexity and interweaving story lines, I really loved the expansion of Carlos's "team" and the continuation of the world build. Absolutely cracked up at so much of it. (Like Chapter 35. Bwah!) Dammit, Older. I have STUFF TO DO and I've spent the day reading this. Now getting Book 3. God knows when/if I'm going to sleep. But please, keep writing. :)

The second book in the Bone Street Rumba series, Midnight Taxi Tango follows the adventures of Carlos Delacruz, a half-dead enforcer for the Council of the Dead. As in the first novel, Older's lyrical style and incredible rendering of a New York City that's ignored in so many other urban fantasy works make this novel stand out. In this book, Older has chosen to fold in characters and plot lines from some of his short stories, and the novel is told in multiple points of view. The characters are richly drawn, diverse and complex. The main issue I had with the novel is that the sheer number of characters tended to overwhelm the plot and made it difficult to follow along with the action. It's still a great read, and I'd recommend it to fans of urban fantasy and modern horror. The novel has no shortage of profanity and explicit sexual references, and would probably be best suited for adult readers who like hard-boiled action and a good dose of creepy description.

Take a ghost story. No, take a good ghost story. Throw in a half-dead swordsman with +10 Swagger, the world's most dapper sharpshooter, a lot of ghosts, even more evil roaches, and a teenage know-it-all who's about to find there's a lot she doesn't know (but she's gonna roll with it anyway 'cause she's like that). Mix together, serve it at the witching hour, and enjoy. Older's books are a John Woo movie set to a rumba beat, with poetic prose that will have you laughing your ass off as it breaks your heart. You will want to read the preceding book, Half-Resurrection Blues, before you pick up this one.

It's difficult to write in dialect and still write well. Older not only does this, but differentiates between subtle differences in Brooklyn/island Spanish dialect and inflection. His characters are well drawn and relatable. Most of all, the books move with a tantalizing musical rhythm. All while moving along exciting plots, enticing back stories, and casting a jaundiced eye on gentrification.

Wow, this moves fast. Great characters, realistic dialogue, non-stop action. The storyline is amazing, really creative stuff. Don’t wait - get the first one now: Half Resurrection Blues. Read them all, even the stories between the main novels.

Right now you need to imagine me writing Kia's name over and over in sparkly glitter pen because she is just that wonderful. While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as I did the first in this series--but, hey, this is a 4 star book so I obviously enjoyed it very much--I really love the path it put Carlos and his friends on. As always, Older is a poet. I could devour his words all day long. When he's writing Carlos, his words make my heart ache and soar simultaneously. Just beautiful.

A fantastic, gripping supernatural-noir adventure with some really original ideas and a witty, three-dimensional cast of characters. What I love about these books is the real warmth and emotional depth of these characters, something I think is missed out in the cover art!

The three protagonists here are amazing. Kia is a delightfully nuanced black teenage girl, carefree and insecure and abrasive. Carlos is as wonderful as always and Reza is a brilliant latina butch lesbian. Whilst I found the villain in this novel a bit shallow, like the world the villains are seem to be there to facilitate the characters. And they are brilliant characters. I challenge anyone not to fall in love with the librarian. In short, once again, read this goddam book.