Cicero James, Miracle Worker

Cicero James is a Miracle Worker. He is one of those gifted enough and dedicated to keeping the rest of us “Blissfuls” safe. You know, the blissfully ignorant. But it all went south on a routine Working. As you can imagine, waking up on the autopsy table was a big surprise to Cicero. But finding out that you might be immortal is not the flex you might think it is. On top of that, he is being investigated for illegal resurrections. Cicero struggles to understand what is happening to him while staying one step ahead of the law and those who will do anything to take his newfound powers.

Cicero James, Miracle Worker is an exciting new urban fantasy by Hal Emerson. Set in San Francisco and Emerson’s world-building location of the Twilight House. This novel blends real locations and a creative alternate world. Like in many urban fantasies, Emerson establishes rules for how the powers work and the workings of the Twilight House. Even though the working of these rules is complex, the plot stays intact, and the characters do not exhibit unknown or extra abilities. As in many urban fantasies, this novel has elements of crime fiction with a lot of mystery and intrigue. Emerson leaves Cicero and the reader in the dark until events reveal themselves.

The story is told through the point of view of Cicero James, Emerson’s main character. As explained by Cicero, the telling is the recollections of the events that make up the novel. As readers, we get a front-row seat to Cicero’s inner workings. Hence, all descriptions of other characters and locations are from his point of view. Even though the reader only gets a secondhand introduction, the details and descriptions of characters, places, and events are fully detailed and explicit. As a bonus, the reader gets a full dose of Cicero’s snarky attitude.

Of all the great lines to start a story, Emerson’s opening ranks near the top. “My name is Cicero James, and I died last Thursday.” After hooking the reader with a great opener, Emerson throws a solid cast of well-developed characters at the reader. He tops it off with an intruding and unique plot. And action, lots of action, from intense fight scenes to dramatic escapes. Emerson’s urban fantasy checks all the boxes with a contemporary feeling. Fans of The Dresden Files, The Iron Druid Chronicles, or The Hollows will enjoy getting to know Cicero James, Miracle Worker.