Slayers of Old
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls in this humorous contemporary standalone fantasy about a group of former Chosen Ones coming out of retirement to save the world one last time
Three former Chosen Ones have joined together to spend their retirement in peace and quiet, running Second Life Books and Gifts in Salem, MA. A calm, peaceful, tourist-filled oasis, where they never have to worry about saving the world. Until some of the locals start summoning ancient creatures best left where they were . . . and they discover that their bookstore basement just may be the portal to the underworld. These ex-heroes may have thought they were done . . . but if they want to finish their retirement in peace, they’ll have to join together to save the world one last time.
Reviews
"Hines’s (Kitemaster) latest is a delightful, somewhat cozy fantasy with a fast pace and snappy supporting characters, both human and supernatural."
"[E]ntertaining fantasy thriller... Ben Aaronovitch fans will appreciate Hines’s humorous approach to supernatural peril."
"Imagine the Thursday Murder Club worked with Harry Dresden out of the Legend & Lattes shop, and you will understand who will enjoy Hines' original tale of found family, second chances, and oh, an end-of-the-world event."Booklist
"Slayers of Old delivers exactly what it sets out to: heart, humor, action, and magical mischief."
"[A] cracking good time...I would happily read more adventures set in Hines’ supernatural universe and was glad to have read Slayers of Old."
"A witty take on urban fantasy that goes beyond just monster-of-the-week."Caitlin Rozakis, author of New York Times bestseller Dreadful
"This is a book that holds both sides of your face gently, looks you squarely in the eye, and says “we will get through this. Together.” And it means it. Now, more than ever, that’s what we need."Lynne M. Thomas, Hugo Award winner and co-Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Magazine
"The only thing better than a fun, fast-paced, save-the-world story with kickass characters? That story written by Jim C. Hines. As usual, Hines adds his signature depth and heart throughout, from deft touches of backstory and delicious worldbuilding—and that house–to peeks into the characters’ lives that make them plunge from the page into your heart forever. Make no mistake, Slayers of Old is all of the above and more. An instant classic and most highly recommended!"Julie E. Czerneda, Author of the Night’s Edge series
"Slayers of Old is a richly imagined urban fantasy world with wonderful characters, plenty of danger, otherworldly terrors, laugh-out-loud dialog, and touching emotional moments...I’m so happy to have finally dipped into the world of Jim C. Hines."
I read this book so quickly and had a blast doing so...[I]f Jim C Hines wanted to bring the gang back for another not-quite-retired adventure, I wouldn’t be at all opposed.
"Hines does a masterful job of weaving the same story from three very different perspectives and does a wonderful job of pushing the plot to its inevitable confrontation without ever feeling stalled."
"Slayers of Old is ‘old skool’ urban fantasy right down to the protagonists’ creaking bones...I loved this one hard"
"Every wonder what happens to all the Chosen Ones/Scooby Gang when they grow old? Well now you can find out…The POV rotates between the three and each of them have regrets about their lives. The story uses a lot of urban fantasy mythos and is a fun read. I’m really hoping there will be more to read about in the future."Glennis LeBlanc, The Missing Volume
"Slayers of Old is incredibly funny, full of dry wit and acknowledgements of the reality that would underlie even the most magical of stories. The writing overall was funny, but the dialogue was really where it shone through the most for me. The humor is woven throughout, but Hines also does a great job building a heartfelt story that had me holding back emotion even the second time I read through it."Paley Goldberg, Merritt Bookstore & Toystore
"A very entertaining cozy-ish urban fantasy spin on your typical chosen-one(s)-saving-the-world storyline… The beautiful thing is that this book focuses at least as much on the mundane, but extremely meaningful friendships and connections between the characters as on the plot of fighting the supernatural evil they are up against, and its minions (or thralls)..."Christiane Balz, Buchhandlung Schutt
"This was an incredibly enjoyable read. The humor and the horror elements were perfectly balanced. I enjoyed the way Jenny's experience as a Hunter show how disturbing the idea of young teens battling horrors, a mainstay of TV shows and books for teens, actually is. A bunch of 15-year-olds going into deadly danger while adults tell them it's their destiny? Super messed up."Steph Zeman, Orell Füssli
"A unique contemporary fantasy filled with magic and monsters. It was hilarious, and quite so sincere and heartfelt. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to read something that will get them to turn the page and be invested in the characters as well as the storyline."Newsha Shapourian, Akademibokhandeln
Awards & Accolades
Amazon Editors' Pick: "Best Science Fiction & Fantasy books of October"