Rating: 
Summary: The safeword is 'power'
Review: I've seen this "contemporary fantasy" (as the cover copy calls it) compared to the Borderland series, but it's not that except in the most superficial background sense. Elfland has reappeared in our world from its parallel dimension to the general detriment of human society. Danny, nineteen years old, a trained EMT, and too bitter for his age, journeys from Iowa to the nearest point of contact with the Shade, in Chicago, where he becomes part of the entourage of Mr. Patrise, a partly bent, partly noble power in this new world. There he becomes Doc Hallow, repairing wounds caused by gunshot and other, less Worldly forces in the struggle between Truebloods and humans. And that's about all the real plot there is. The real point in reading this darkly magical book is to experience the characters who inhabit it, to enjoy the interplay among them, to observe what magic does to people and non-people alike. Doc has his own deep secrets that keep him from loving, but he also has a strain of glowing personality that leads people to defer to him unexpectedly. Ford is an artist with fairy dust on his brush.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: John M. Ford's latest is another in a string of excellent novels by an author who doesn't receive the praise and recognition he deserves. Ford's novels are all fabulously inventive. 'The Last Hot Time' is no different.This novel is about a young man in an alternate world where Faerie exists. Danny Holman is 'called' to Faery where he becomes Doc Hallownight, the personal physician to a mysterious gangster-type figure. What I love most about this book are Ford's fascinating characters. He's created a relatively large ensemble cast, all of whom receive roughly equal time sharing the spotlight with Doc. The forlorn newspaper reporter. The babbling beauty with a voice to die for. The Elf assassin. Ford's menagerie is endlessly inventive and interesting. I was sorry to see this novel end after only 200 pages. I highly recommend this novel. One of my favorites from 2000.
Rating:
Summary: Inimitable
Review: Leave it to one of the genre's true originals to write an urban "elves-in-civilization" novel four or five years after the trend died and still make it a success. What genre is John M. Ford? Who knows. That's part of what makes him a true original. This is a fully realized world, although we don't get a full glimpse at every detail. He keeps us just outside, telling us what we need to know for the story and leaving much to mystery. Not because he wants a sequel, I think, but just because, well, how much do we really know about our own world? His characters exposition enough to get us by, each one giving us a hint at the world, making a beautiful tapestry. At any rate, it's his mastery of character and ability to create magic with dialogue is what pulls you along, not the story. These are some of the most vivid characters this side of Charles Dickens. My one complaint about the book, the only thing that brings it down to 4 stars, is the somewhat pat and rather forced feeling of the ending. Suffice it to say, I can't say just what bothered me about it, but trust me, it was a bit of a let-down. The rest of the book is more than worth the price of admission, though.
Rating:
Summary: Quite a read!
Review: My husband said, "I've never seen your re-read a book right after finishing it." and he's right -- I never have before. This one warranted an immediate re-reading. It pulled me along so fast the first time through that I thought I might have missed some of the good tidbits, images, and moody dialog and so decided to read it again. I like it just as much this time 'round. I'd recommend not reading too much about the book before hand. For this one, it is much more fun to let it unfold as you go. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Quite a read!
Review: The Last Hot Time is a fascinating tale of young man who leaves his home in the mortal world to live in The Levee, a region inbetween the mortal world & Faerie. Danny Holman becomes Doc Hallownight and quickly becomes involved in the intrigue of the Levee. Under the sponsorship of the mysterious Mr. Patrise, he uses his medical knowledge to help the other residents of the shadow region. With a colorful cast of characters with names like Cloudhunter, Stagger Lee, Ginevri Benci, & Phasia, he battles a dark force loose in the Levee. I have waited a while for Ford's new novel and it is well worth the wait. This made my Hugo nomination list for Best Novel of 2000.
Rating: 
Summary: ... but what's the point?
Review: THE LAST HOT TIME captured my attention from start to finish, mostly because of the easy prose. It's a quick read, the way that most Bradbury tales just kind of breeze across the imagination ... but, ultimately, THE LAST HOT TIME leaves me wondering, "What the hell was this all about?" The author seems to be making comments about crime, society, elves, magic, and perhaps hundreds of other topics, but I couldn't tell you what it was. The noir prose works very well for Mr. Ford; I just wish it delivered a satisfying wallop in the conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Hot Time is a hot book
Review: The Last Hot Time is a fascinating tale of young man who leaves his home in the mortal world to live in The Levee, a region inbetween the mortal world & Faerie. Danny Holman becomes Doc Hallownight and quickly becomes involved in the intrigue of the Levee. Under the sponsorship of the mysterious Mr. Patrise, he uses his medical knowledge to help the other residents of the shadow region. With a colorful cast of characters with names like Cloudhunter, Stagger Lee, Ginevri Benci, & Phasia, he battles a dark force loose in the Levee. I have waited a while for Ford's new novel and it is well worth the wait. This made my Hugo nomination list for Best Novel of 2000.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Hot Time is a hot book
Review: The Last Hot Time is a fascinating tale of young man who leaves his home in the mortal world to live in The Levee, a region inbetween the mortal world & Faerie. Danny Holman becomes Doc Hallownight and quickly becomes involved in the intrigue of the Levee. Under the sponsorship of the mysterious Mr. Patrise, he uses his medical knowledge to help the other residents of the shadow region. With a colorful cast of characters with names like Cloudhunter, Stagger Lee, Ginevri Benci, & Phasia, he battles a dark force loose in the Levee. I have waited a while for Ford's new novel and it is well worth the wait. This made my Hugo nomination list for Best Novel of 2000.
Rating:
Summary: A nearby world--very nice reading
Review: The world has changed with the re-convergence between human andelf dimensions. Magic works, but there is a halfway land between humanand elf--a land that compells many to it. One young man, Danny Holman,leaves his Iowa farm yielding to the call of magic and heads forChicago--one of the border lands. He becomes Doc Hallownight, caughtup in a gang war. John M. Ford depicts this world of magic as a sortof 1930s gang warfare. Instead of alcohol, elf-blood is the outlawedand sought after commodity. But the greatest drug for both humans andelves is power. That said, this novel is not about plot. While thereis enough action to hang a story around, the depiction of the newworld, Hallownight's interaction with its citizens, and his coming ofage are the real story. A very nice read that will stick with youafter you've finished...
Rating:
Summary: Obscure, but compelling
Review: This book was not long or densely written, but it nearly wore me out reading it. Ford drops you into the story with no exposition and little explanation, so the reader has to pick it up as she goes along. And there's a lot to pick up--the elves are nearly incomprehensible, the humans all have hidden agendas, and the protagonist is an innocent abroad. I still don't think I caught everything, and there were times when I said to myself, "What the hell...?", but it was a fascinating and compelling read nevertheless. In fact, I'd like to read it again to pick up on the nuances I missed the first time, and there are very few books that prompt that reaction in me.
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