The Myth Hunters: On the eve of his wedding, Oliver Bascombe is having second thoughts, when his privacy is intruded upon by the iceman Frost. Frost asks for Oliver's help, as he is being hunted. In assisting Frost back to the border of his world, Oliver is propelled into that realm to be hunted along with Frost. It is a world in which myths are real, driven there by the disbelief of ours. A parallel world to ours, separated by the Veil.

So far the emphasis in the series is on fantasy instead of horror. There is horror, but it is understated; maybe just waiting to spring on us in later books. Like Stephen King, Golden's style is more sophisticated than the average pop horror. The Myth Hunters, though, is more calm, focusing on the fantasy world instead of the horror in ours.

As in most fantasy, there is good vs evil and a quest with much traveling and confrontational episodes. The concept of The Myth Hunters is intriguing as are the characters. The one thing that bothers me is that it seems that not much is accomplished in this first book. 350 pages and I feel like the story is just starting. The first book ends when Oliver's fiance and the detective assigned to the murder of Oliver's father and disappearance of him and his sister learn of the supernatural aspect of Oliver's disappearance.

What I like the most about the book is the jaunts into our world and the perspectives of the detective, fiance, and sister who have no idea what is going on. The juxtaposition of fantasy and reality is interesting and helps to create a more complex story. In some ways it emphasizes the horror, in others it feels like it lessens it; like the reader is awakening from the fantasy.

related-myths, legends, murder, mystery
RL=YA-adult