Title: Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge
Author: Paul Krueger
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult
Pages: 288
Publisher: Quirk Books
Availability: Available now!
Summary: College grad Bailey Chen has a few demons: no job, no parental support, and a rocky relationship with Zane, the only friend who’s around when she moves back home. But when Zane introduces Bailey to his cadre of monster-fighting bartenders, her demons get a lot more literal. Like, soul-sucking hell-beast literal. Soon, it’s up to Bailey and the ragtag band of magical mixologists to take on whatever—or whoever—is behind the mysterious rash of gruesome deaths in Chicago, and complete the lost recipes of an ancient tome of cocktail lore. [Image and summary via Goodreads]
Review: Before we get started, fair warning: Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge is not a YA book. It’s firmly in the category of New Adult (you’ll see why in a second). This week, I’m branching out because, honestly, I loved this book, and I just want more people to read it. I ended up checking it out because the author has an excellent Twitter presence. What can I say, I love a good Animorphs joke.
So. Last Call at the Nightshadow Lounge is what happens when one Bailey Chen moves back home and discovers that there are monsters out on the street, and the heroes keeping those streets safe are a merry band of bartenders. Making just the perfect drink, whether it’s a Long Island or an Old Fashioned, lend these bartenders the magical power to fight off the monsters. But that magical power may not be enough when more dangerous monsters and other threats arise.
The book is just as fun as it sounds. It’s a wild, thrilling adventure that sets your heart racing as Bailey and the crew she joins fight off monsters, uncover plots, and make the perfect drink. Funnily enough, as someone who doesn’t really drink, I found myself wanting to get each of the drinks IRL that lend Bailey her powers. That’s just how much fun the whole book was.
So, if you’re looking to dip your toes into New Adult fiction, or you’re just looking for a solid urban fantasy book, you definitely want to get this book.
Recommendation: Get it soon!