The Palladium, by Thorsten Brandl

Imagine on one hand, if you will, the very first season of Supernatural (the TV series), and all the wonders it will throw on you, but yet unknown to you. And on the other hand, imagine Alice in wonderland, just as she’s about to follow the white rabbit (only this time, the white rabbit is a golden retriever). Now you clap your hands and sprinkle a little of Dante’s Divine Comedy over it, and voila – The Palladium!

Fun fact before we start, by the way: I was initially drawn to this book by the title, because it reminded me of the Latin name for the region I’m living in. That’s the Pfalz (which I like to describe as the Shire of Germany), Latin name Palatinatus. Yes, I know, Palladium is nowadays associated with a chemical element, but that name still is Latin and has the same root as the word that is the origin of Pfalz. Imagine my surprise as the very first chapter opens in Karlsruhe, which is just a spit away from the Pfalz (basically, it’s just across the Rhine, on the wrong side though – if you would move Karlsruhe to the left side of the Rhine, it would belong to the Pfalz).

Sorry for that ranting. I just meant to tell you that I barely knew what to expect from this book when I picked it up, but even had I known more, I sincerely doubt it would have been enough to prepare me for this kind of rollercoaster ride that The Palladium is. And I mean the pleasant kind of ride, with thrills and stuff. Also some religion.

It wasn’t by chance that I mentioned Supernatural. I’m well versed in the art of Urban Fantasy, and I’ve learned a thing or two about a lot of mythologies over the years. UF novels tend to draw inspiration from there – like the Greek or Nordic mythology. The Palladium, on the other hand, uses the same source as the TV series Supernatural – Christian mythology.

At the heart of the story is Michael Baker, who is thrown into a chess game of biblical proportions. Quite literally, as it turns out, because he is a pawn in a game between God and the Devil. Or he might be the queen, powerful in a certain way. Only problem is: Unlike all the other game pieces, he didn’t even know the game existed until he was forced unto the board. His side is losing, and no one cared to explain the rules to him – if they even apply to the game any longer, that is. But hey – what could possibly go wrong?

There are other mythologies thrown in – I think the trend of having a secondary and tertiary source is still going strong in current Urban Fantasy -, but lucky for the reader, no previous knowledge is expected. (Although knowing what a Japanese Shisa is, for example, will be a small reward for the reader in itself.) And so we follow Michael as he stumbles into his own wonderland, one filled with dangers and wonders alike. Can he really change the game in the last turns? And it is a carefully constructed game, although it looks more like a game of cat and mouse than chess, most of the time. And the mouse is missing some limbs – which raises the stakes.

While we’re talking about Michael, let’s have a go at the characters in general, starting with our protagonist. There certainly is a good character development here – I have to admit that I really didn’t like Michael in the beginning of the story. It’s not that I disliked him – I just found it hard to root for him. Early stage Michael was someone I didn’t really care about, one way or the other. Lucky for him, there’s a small array of side characters who drew my attention and sympathy. Like Ian, the radio disc jockey – right from the get go, a very likeable character. You know, just the kind of guy you see and think to yourself that you want to be friends with him. The female characters – and their background stories – were also great to discover. I liked them very much, desperate Cleo and all time angry Joan. (Really, Joan was so angry all the time I expected her to turn into She-Hulk any moment.)

I felt for the characters, and the story had me gripped so much I pretty much read it in two sittings in two days. I have a feeling that the story is not finished, not really, as there is still much left to be explained about the world of The Palladium. Then again, the epilogue had a nice ending to it, and I’m a sucker for happy endings.

If you want to know what a Gorgone and the Maiden of New Orleans have in common, read this book! I give it 4 out of 5 sunglasses 😎.