THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN TORC.

Simon R. Green. 2007. Roc. Paperback. 398 pages. $7.99

The name of the game with this book is fun – lots and lots of fun. The main thing here is to spot the pop culture and literary allusions and asides. The title, of course, refers to the James Bond novel, The Man with the Golden Gun. (And no, I’m not familiar enough with the Fleming novel to say how faithful it is.)

The hero is Eddie Drood (and again, I’m not familiar enough with Dickens’ unfinished final novel "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" to spot similarities and allusions), whose family has been protecting humanity for ages from all the nasty things that go bump in the night, and sometimes during the day as well. They use a combination of magic and science in their battle against all the supernatural nasties out there.

Eddie–who goes by the name of Shaman Bond in public–is called back to the family home/headquarters after a relatively routine mission involving the President of the United States. Eddie had fled the family nest ten years earlier and really doesn’t want to go home. But when the family calls, you go.

He’s sent back out on a very important mission only to discover that he has been declared a rogue by the family, with a shoot-to-kill order on his head. And yet he has no idea why.

His only choice is to enlist the help of many of the people he has been fighting against for years. Some of his unlikely allies are Jack the Ripper–unfortunately, he’s immortal–and a provocative anarchist witch of the wild wood whom Eddie has battled on several occasions. As he begins to work out the whys of the situation, he learns the deepest family secrets: the source of their power, the origin of the living golden armor which protects all family members, and who is really running the world.

Green is a fun and inventive writer who mixes in equal measures of adventure, science-fiction and fantasy, cloak and dagger, plausible plot twists, humor and just plain fun. He takes his readers on a wild roller coaster ride. This is brain candy of the best kind. I plan on reading many of Green’s other series and books.

DEATH RUN.

Jack Higgins and Justin Richards. 2007. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Hardcover. 253 pages. $16.99.

I have no idea why the publisher waited a year to publish this follow-up to Sure Fire. They both obviously came out of the same writing sessions and share the same copyright date. In light of the fact that they just released a new Sean Dillon novel in hardcover only six months after the last one, it’s even more puzzling.

But, be that as it may, this second offering from the Higgins/Richards duo is every bit as good as the first one, and in the end, better than Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider novels.

This time out, the Chance twins, Rich and Jade, and their father, John, find what was supposed to be a vacation to Venice interrupted by work again. Dad is supposed to help a Swiss banker do a "death run," meaning he’s going to disappear, essentially go into the witness protection program (or the British version of it). The banker had been handling the money for a criminal mastermind known as the Tiger.

But as Robert Burns said, "The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray."

Soon, the location of the banker is discovered, and both he and Rich are kidnapped by the Tiger’s men. John and Jade are now racing against time to rescue Rich and the banker.

Working from Higgins’ outline, Richards provides a breakneck piece of writing. The action is exciting, and the ways Rich and Jade are pulled into the events swirling around them are believable. (There have been times when I’ve had a hard time with the believability of the Alex Rider books, even though I’ve enjoyed them.) The dangers the kids face here are real and deadly, nothing sugar-coated. It adds not only realism, but excitement.

At the same time, there is nothing in these books to give parents pause or worry.

The gadgetry is obviously a Richards touch, given that Higgins has always avoided gadgets like the plague. But the gadgets make for fun reading for the intended teen audience.

More novels about the Chance twins and their spy father from Higgins and Richards would definitely be welcome.

CHALICE.

Robin McKinley. 2008. Putnam. Hardcover. 263 pages. $18.99

For years, Robin has been retelling our favorite fairy tales and legends, breathing new life into the old and familiar (Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and even Robin Hood). She’s even created a few new fairy tales in the Newberry Award-winning Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword.

With Chalice, she provides a new fable/fairy tale. This is the story of Mirasol, a very young beekeeper and caretaker of the woods. With the untimely death of the Master of the Willowlands and his Chalice, everything is thrown into chaos. The Master’s brother is recalled from the Priesthood of Fire–something that has never been done before–and the office of Chalice unexpectedly falls to Mirasol.

Everything around is chaotic with the change. Mirasol has had no apprenticeship to teach her what she must do, while the new Master is trying to adjust to life away from the Fire and serve his beloved Willowlands.

But there are plots afoot: The Overlord wishes to displace the Master and set his own puppet in place. Mirasol finds herself caught in the middle, trying to learn her office, and trying to hold the land together, while her new Master learns his own office.

With simple language, McKinley gives us a story of wonderful depth, showing people at their best and worst as they try to learn life. You really do feel the pain and confusion of Mirasol as she works to learn what is expected of her. You also feel her joy and love of bees and honey. (Who knew there were so many uses for honey?)

A new book from Robin McKinley is always a reason to rejoice, and this one is no different. This is my pick of the month.

Rich welcomes questions and comments from readers. You may contact him through this paper, or by email at 62rich@gmail.com.