Having not been impressed by the first Time Hunter novella, The Winning Side, I wasn't sure about picking up any more, but the idea and the fact that Telos produces quality work convinced me to try another. I'm glad I did.
Kitsune is set in Japan, Kyoto to be exact. Honore and Emily have come to the country in their future because of a vision Honore has had of mass destruction. What they discover is a series of strange murders in the manner of Japanese ghost stories, which leads to the manifestation of a giant monster over the japanese city as in manga and anime.
It's an interesting story that feels like a really good episode of Doctor Who or Sapphire and Steel with a big budget. Catton manages to touch on several areas of Japanese culture, evoking J-horror as well as folklore and the aforementioned anime and manga. Ultimately it's a nicely paced sci-fi horror fantasy mystery with some engaging leads. Exactly the sort of thing I had expected from this series. It's pulpy, but it's a good pulpy. I recommend it and hope Mr Catton writes more.
