Suvudu Universe

A short read and a short review for a Sunday afternoon.

What do you get when you cross the foul-mouthed mayhem of Snake on a Plane with the intentional b-grade laughs of Sharknado? Well, swap out Samuel L. Jackson and Tara Reid for a petite sort of Angelina Jolie, and you've got Snake Typhoon! (yes, that is an exclamation mark in the title).

It's a silly, nonsense romp, complete with a massive cyclone in Australia, poisonous snakes, a secret government department, an opportunistic misunderstanding as to what a 'herpetologist' does, mystical nonsense, infomercial extravagance, and even a little lesbian titillation. Billie Jones clearly knows the source material, and isn't afraid to satirize it with some rather broad strokes of her pen.

Does it always work? No. Are there some gaping holes in the story? Yes? Does any of that matter? No. It's fun, it's frantic, and it plays like the best parts of a b-grade movie. The dialogue is sharp, the action is non-stop, and the humor is biting. There's even a cliffhanger involving a tarantula-quake that we can only hope is realized.

Snake Typhoon! isn't going to win any literary awards, but it's sure to be one of those fan-favourites that readers talk about over one too many drinks.


ebook
Published January 24th 2014 by Carina UK (Harlequin)