I have previously posted about the Vic Challenger series, in particular numbers 1, 2, and 5. Set in the 1920s, the series stars young Victoria Custer who discovers she is the reincarnation of a cave girl, Nat-ul, born and died 100,000 years ago.
Using the name “Vic Challenger,” she works as a travel writer (and adventurer) while looking for her soul mate from 100,000 years ago whom she thinks is also reincarnated. But in her travels, she gets into various dangers, and her past life as a cave girl warrior helps her out.
The character actually comes from Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ The Eternal Lover (later renamed The Eternal Savage). As the Burroughs novel is in the public domain, I am sure calling the character “Vic Challenger” makes it easier to copyright this different take on the character.
I picked up the most recent novel, #6, Event. This is set in Siberia, as Vic and her friend Lin are there on an expedition to Tunguska. Yes, the location of the strange “event” in 1908 that was probably an asteroid hit. They are actually there on behalf of the U.S. government, though that is a secret. And as usual, there will be danger both human and cryptid. And something worse.
Author Jerry Gill did some good research on the event and the people who live in the area and incorporated this into the novel. He gives a listing of sources at the back.
The subplot of Vic looking for her reincarnated lover takes a new direction in this novel as well.
It’s another great entry to this series. I don’t know when we’ll see the next novel. I do need to go back and get the two I missed. Will Vic ever succeed in finding her reincarnated lover? As these stories are set in the ’20s, will they get into the ’30s? We’ll have to see.
It looks like the covers have been changed, which, I think, is a good thing.
I know some people bemoan the lack of pulp heroines, and this one is a good one. Check it out.
Really a fun series.