Lornographic Material

Odd Interlude was originally release as three novellas in ebook format. I reviewed each one separately, but am going to throw them all together here.  

Part One: 

I almost want to go back and lower my five-star rating on Odd Thomas and Brother Odd because of these ebook tie-ins. Quite honestly, they are better than the original book. I will try and do them justice in three separate reviews, beginning here with Odd Interlude #1.

First and foremost, you do not need to read Odd Interlude to continue with the Odd Thomas storyline, but if you choose to skip them (hopping from Odd Hours directly into Odd Apocalypse) you will be missing out on some of the best storytelling Koontz has penned in a tragic amount of time. 

Full disclaimer: I love unreal circumstances and otherworldly happenings. I do like can-happen fiction, but for the most part, I want to escape into a book and forget about the real world. Life is too short to only explore the probable. With that said, if you have a problem with suspension of belief, look elsewhere.

Koontz has returned to his glory days of sci fi horror. Not only that, but he's returned to Moonlight Bay (more accurately, just south of the town) where Koontz's Christopher Snow novels, Seize the Night and Fear Nothing took place. I can't help but to geek-gasm at the hope that Odd Thomas and Christopher Snow (the antagonist of the Moonlight Bay series) will eventually cross paths. 

This first novella is very tight. Koontz doesn't run off at the mouth too much here. He has a story to tell, and little time to tell it, so he gets right down to the heart of the matter. Odd and Annamaria (the mysterious young woman Odd met in Odd Hours) are sidetracked by a feeling that compels them to stop at Harmony Corners, a motor court. Right off the bat, odd things start happening, no pun intended. Since I don't care too much for the Annamaria character, I was glad to see she stayed out of this story. She gives her same annoying, obtuse info at the beginning and the end of the story, but the middle is completely devoid of her presence. 

Harmony Corners has been under the control of a sentient being for the past five years and Odd must find a way to outsmart a cunning puppeteer who can control the minds of anyone he wishes. But, because of Odd's gift, the puppeteer cannot access Odd's mind. 

I really did not see the ending to the first novella coming. It's not really a twist ending unless you're familiar with the Christopher Snow novels and that character's dealings with an enigmatic military base called Fort Wyvern. Odd happens upon a young girl, Jolie Ann Harmony, who's related to the family that owns Harmony Corners. The plot thickens to the consistency of tar... and then it ends. Cliffhangers abound in this series, so I wasn't disappointed or surprised. I just couldn't wait for the next installment. Luckily, I waited until all three novellas were published, so I didn't have to chomp at the bit for long. 

This review will continue with my thoughts on Odd Interlude #2. See you there!

Part Two:

Welcome back! Glad you found me. Now, let's talk about Odd Interlude #2.

This continuation of the first novella is full to the brim with action, mystery, horribly happenings and hilarious moments. I have read lengthy novels that weren't half as interesting as this novella. 

Odd has to make some hard decisions in this book that I didn't expect. I loved every one of them, just didn't think he would go there. Odd changed a lot during the previous book in the main series, Odd Hours, and has grown into a tougher character. Things are getting darker for the poor, clairvoyant fry-cook from Pico Mundo, but I love dark. 

I really can't say much about this one without spoiling something, but I will say that I couldn't put this down until I was done. I'm a slow, slow, terribly slow... did I mention slow... reader. I feed off every sentence. I can spend five minutes on one page, analyzing every nuance of a good string of sentences and paragraphs. I couldn't do that with Odd Interlude #2. It was simply too much fun. I had to know what waited for me on the next page.

We're let into the head of Jolie Ann Harmony this time around. Her and Odd's segments jump back and forth like a tennis match. I was caught a little off guard by this, but quickly switched gears and made the correct adjustments. Still I wondered how in the world Odd got inside her head. All that is explained by the end of the complete story, but I wanted to warn you that we're not solely with Odd this time around. The introduction of Jolie's thoughts was fresh and inventive. I loved everything she had to show me. Wonders abound, sci fi goodness pops up, and I'm grinning like a the nerd I am all the way through.

Oh, for the love of Tom Cruise, this was good. But, I will reiterate what I said in my last review. If you have trouble suspending your disbelief, go away, run far from this one. Me? It brought back my childhood. I was that kid reading The Time Machine or The Island of Dr. Moreau for the first time. Those two books have nothing in common with Odd Interlude #2, other than the fact that they are beyond entertaining, bordering on science fiction perfection.

This one ends with yet another cliffhanger worthy of a Sylvester Stallone movie, so be prepared. Fun times all around. I'd give this puppy six stars if I could. 

Wow. Just... wow.

Part Three:

Hey, hey, hey! Glad to see you back for the final review. 

I grew up reading Dean Koontz. Books like Twilight Eyes, The Bad Place, Cold Fire and Dragon Tears taught me a great many things about fiction. No matter how unrealistic the circumstances, as long as you care about the characters, anything can be possible. I think that, more than anything else, is why I loved the final novella in this Odd Thomas side quest. The dark fantastic is a grand place to get lost in, and Dean Koontz took me on a journey I will not soon forget.

Not since Kealan Patrick Burke's KIN have I been so terrified by a sequence of events in a novel. But this is a good kind of terror. Koontz garnered a reaction in me so severe that I read the final half of this novella with one eye closed. He scared the bejeebus out of me and that's not easy to do. 

Odd finally meets the puppeteer of Harmony Corners and sees this man in all his terrible glory. I was riveted to my kindle, heart thundering in my chest and breath coming in shallow gasps. This is where this book succeeds the most. We all know Odd survives. He has another adventure after this (Odd Apocalypse) and yet another coming out in March of 2013 called Deeply Odd, yet Koontz managed to make me fear for Odd's life. I really didn't think our little fry cook would see the outside world again. I honestly believed he was finally going off to be with his girl, Stormy. Damn, this was a well told story. 

This side quest has me seething with anticipation for Odd Apocalypse now, for one main reason. At the end of this novella, Odd tells us that he is going off to Roseland and that he will face horrors that trump the events of Odd Interlude. I find this highly unlikely, but we shall see. Given that this jaunt away from the main series has been the best thing Koontz has written in the past decade, the author seriously has his work cut out for him. 

I just started the next book. I'll tell you what I think the moment I am done. 

But, seriously, if you don't read any other Odd Thomas story, read this.