The Menagerie #1: The Nimble Man by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski Review by Little Willow

Book Cover
Bad guys, beware—The good guys (and girls) have gathered in Boston, and they will defeat you swiftly and nimbly.

The Menagerie is made up of legendary characters, each with his or her own powers and mystical, mythical origins. Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski have taken various characters well-known from literature and mythology and made them their own. Eve is not only what readers assume she is, but also a vampire. She is a ferocious female who takes no prisoners—and happens to have a keen fashion sense. Ceridwen is elemental and strong, but vastly different from Eve. Doyle, the leader, is intelligent and powerful but is human in his traits and flaws, making him more believable and likable than the foremen of other series.

The Nimble Man is a great introduction. It blends many genres together, sure to please fans of fantasy, action, science fiction, and mystery alike. The writing is rich in description, placing the reader right in the middle of the action sequences. The third person narrative lets the reader to get into the heads of these widely different characters, ranging from the immortal shapeshifter Clay to the confused changeling teenager Danny, from the specter of Dr. Graves to the shadowy hobgoblin (and chauffeur) Squire.

The Nimble Man starts The Menagerie series off with a bang. Fans of X-Men and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen will certainly love this team. I highly recommend this book.


Little Willow is an actress, a singer, a dancer, a writer, a reader, a cat owner, and, according to Christopher Golden, a miraculous girl. She runs the official Christopher Golden message forums: http://www.christophergolden.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi