Here’s my Goodreads review of my friends J. Scott Coatsworth and Kim Fielding’s collaborative novel “Office Of the Lost.”

“Office Of the Lost,” a fun new novel by J. Scott Coatsworth and Kim Fielding is a breezy, fun read that blends fantasy, comedy, romance and adventure, published by Other Worlds Ink in conjunction with Tin Box Press.

Crispin is a “desk fae” at the otherworldly Office Of the Lost whose job is to retrieve things from different worlds. Usually this means objects, magical or non-magical (like a breeding pair of Passenger Pigeons) but he’s been assigned to go to Earth (“No one liked to go there. It was loud and dirty and filled with inefficiency and redundancy.”) and pick up a person: Leopold Lane.

Leopold is messy and chaotic where Crispin is neat and orderly. Sparks do not immediately fly when they meet but they are there. Then all hell breaks loose and they attempt to return to the office via “Thea,” Crispin’s magical transport that manifests itself (“herself?”) as a cellphone but something goes wrong and they find themselves bopping into various worlds with encounters with things out of a very fractured fairy tale. Things like cute, fluffy carnivorous fae-and-human-eating moths and a big, furry giant and (no kidding) a lizard-wizard.

Add Crispin’s imperious Mother (being Queen of the Fae will cause that!) and adorable pet squirrel Minkis to a wonky set of supporting characters rounding out the book.

What with Thea the handheld the book has a bit of the feel of “Quantum Leap,” which is one TV show that doesn’t get name dropped amid the abundant and very funny pop culture references in the book. References that are never overdone, by the way.

The story is well-told and the reader cares about Crispin and Leopold and if we can see one big plot twist coming, and not just the pair’s inevitable romance, it’s still a lot of fun getting there!

In the author introduction, J. Scott Coatsworth and Kim Fielding say that they alternated chapters with each author handling the point-of-view of a different character. Their styles mesh seamlessly.

The book has a fine cover by Kelly York at Sleepy Fox Studios.

“Office Of the Lost” is billed as “Chaos And Order Book One.”

Book Two should be well worth the wait!

Highest recommendations for “Office Of the Lost.”

And now, the words that authors dearly love: “Here’s a buy link.” https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com/book/office-of-the-lost/