"Historical urban fantasy"
In the Wyoming Territory, Lucky Nickel Saloon owner Mick
is ecstatic that a fairy paid for his drink with a gold
coin, which enables him to remit the rent owed to his
landlady who was threatening him with foreclosure. His
spirits plummet when the coin turns to dust. A fairy horde
descends on the saloon, causing mayhem and aggravating his
regular non paying customers. Former regular Tom Murphy
and his mermaid wife Miss Lizzie, who just arrived in town
with the circus, join the melee. Everyone takes refuge under the magic piano to avoid the
out of control fairies who intend to rob the circus of
their gold so they can make more real gold. They demand
Mick serve the only drink that can get them drunk, Fairy
BrewHaHa, but he doesn't remember how to make it because
he and the fairy King J.R. Ewing were drunk when he
concocted it. Mick's girlfriend makes a deal with the
fairies that will solve everyone's needs. The fairies will
get the drink they want and a gold coin so they can make
more gold coins; Mick will receive three gold coins a week
for a supply of Fairy BrewHaHa. Now he must remember the
ingredients and find a gold coin from all his mooching
regulars. This wacky, wild and wonderful urban fantasy takes place
in the Wild West but instead of cavalry fighting Indians;
fairies are fighting humans. Readers will chuckle out loud
out with the snappy repartees and the zany situations that
arise when two different species occupy the same space.
Ken Rand is a grand storyteller whose historical urban
fantasy will gather him a huge fan base. Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted March 12, 2005
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 25, 2007
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Us regulars at the Lucky Nickel Saloon, Second Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming Territory, US of A, are shocked to hear from Mick, the Irish barkeep, that his mortgage is due tomorrow. Bankruptcy looms, dire straits for certain sure, as we-all're broke and none of us can get credit nowheres else. Sudden-like, a gang of fairies invades town. They're intent of robbing the circus, just arrived in town for a show, of payroll gold. But before the robbery, said bandits intend to get drunk on Fairy BrewHaHa, concocted, so the legend in Fairyland goes, only in the Lucky Nickel and nowheres else. Trouble is, Mick, who brewed said brew afore he gave up sipping at his own stock long ago, can't remember the secret formula. BH better remember quick, as the fairies get agitated and commence to breaking up furniture and glassware. Trapped under the saloon piano by the furious fairy folk, yer faithful narrator Tom Dooley (at-yer-service), plus gunslinger Banky, one-eyed gambler Casper, Mick the Irish barkeep and his soiled dove affianced Emma Drummond, back-east dude reporter Sam Something, along with circus strongman Tom Murphy and his mermaid wife Missy Lizzy (who resides in a water barrel), and don't forget Charlie although he's asleep, and good ol' one-legged Jack Thatcher, plus the circus folk (except for Clementine, the elephant) must do battle--guns, poker, fisticuffs, swinging parasol, and wooden leg clubs--with the fairy horde. We got ourselves a saloon to save.
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