The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp – a Review

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Description:
The post–Katrina New Orleans of The City of Lost Fortunes is a place haunted by its history and by the hurricane’s destruction, a place that is hoping to survive the rebuilding of its present long enough to ensure that it has a future. Street magician Jude Dubuisson is likewise burdened by his past and by the consequences of the storm, because he has a secret: the magical ability to find lost things, a gift passed down to him by the father he has never known—a father who just happens to be more than human.

Jude has been lying low since the storm, which caused so many things to be lost that it played havoc with his magic, and he is hiding from his own power, his divine former employer, and a debt owed to the Fortune god of New Orleans. But his six-year retirement ends abruptly when the Fortune god is murdered and Jude is drawn back into the world he tried so desperately to leave behind. A world full of magic, monsters, and miracles. A world where he must find out who is responsible for the Fortune god’s death, uncover the plot that threatens the city’s soul, and discover what his talent for lost things has always been trying to show him: what it means to be his father’s son.

Review:

The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp is a fantasy/urban fantasy standalone novel.  I had mixed feelings about this book, which I will go into more in my review.  The City of Lost Fortunes takes place in post Katrina New Orleans, and revolves around our hero, Jude Dubuisson, who is a street magician with the ability to find lost things.  Jude has laid low since Katrina, which was 6 years ago, but now the Fortune god, whom he owes a debt, is calling him back to meet.

Jude ends up in a card game with other gods, besides the fortune god. He knows this is not a normal game, and as he faces all the gods, Jude must try to figure out what they are up to and why; because he knows his life is on the line. This fateful game, with these trickster gods trying to win something, will put Jude into a dangerous fight to win against each god. When the fortune god is murdered, Jude knows he cannot trust anyone and must find a way to beat them at their own game, which is the game of life.

What follows is an extremely complicated plot with each god trying to gain control of the Luck/Fortune of New Orleans.  Jude who is a demigod, must step up and learn to use his own powers to win or die.  I thought the first third of the book was slow, mainly do the all the details Camp gave us in this world of magic, gods, demigods and afterlife.   I also found myself becoming confused quiet often, but once you get past the half way point, the story became more exciting and better.

The best part of the book was Camp’s knowledge of New Orleans, and giving us a glimpse of one of the best and unique cities in the world. He eloquently shows us the culture, the mythologies, the wonderful attractions, restaurants, streets and overall atmosphere of this wonderful city.  This to me was the fun part that I did enjoy.

 The last third of the book was very exciting, with some twists and turns along the way.  Jude must face each of the gods individually to try to find the murderer of the fortune god, and a few times his life hangs by a thread.  I did like Jude, who made a great hero, and some of other characters were very good: Regal, Renai, Sal, Papa Legba, Mourning, just to name a few.

The City of Lost Fortunes was a story of magic, gods, demigods, greed within a city that was literally destroyed, and the fight to rebuild it against the threats that would destroy any future.  Despite my mixed feelings, this was well written by Bryan Camp.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher