Flight into Fantasy

My blogging partner, Lora, and I are trying something new today. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at co-reviewing a book, and since we both like urban fantasy, we figured Diana Rowland’s debut novel, Mark of the Demon was a good place to start.

If you want to check out other opinions, feel free to read the following:

• Sci Fi Guy

• Lurve a la Mode
• Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
• Dear Author

Synopsis:

Cop and conjurer of demons, she’s a woman in danger of losing control–to a power that could kill….

Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly
beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives–and souls–of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore. Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head…

My thoughts:

I can’t say that this was my favorite urban fantasy ever, though I did enjoy it. The author does a few things I liked–the police procedural stuff felt very authentic, Cara wasn’t too stupid to live, and I liked the way she dealt with the conflicted relationship Cara has between two men, which, I have to admit, is the part of most urban fantasy stories I hear about that I haaaaaaaaaaate with a passion! I mean, really, make up your damn mind about which one you want, and qit whining, because some people only wish they had those kinds of problems, you know?

That being said, the mystery didn’t work for me at all. I thought it got bogged down in too many places with the minutia of police work, and then, wham! There’s the solution. And since this was very much a mystery, I was left kind of underwhelmed for the first half of the book. There were also times when things happened and my reaction was a nod and an eyeroll. I didn’t buy for a second that Ryan, the FBI agent Cara meets while she is working on the case and, predictably, the third side of the love triangle, was ever a bad guy, even when the author planted red herrings. I pretty much called the death of a minor character after he called Cara to ask about the case. And the climax went down about like I expected it to, with both the murder mystery and Cara’s occult workings intertwining.

I did like Cara’s voice, and like I said, I liked the choice she has between Rhyzkahl and Ryan. I’m firmly on team Demon myself, which is surprising since I normally don’t end up rooting for the hot but morally ambiguous types. I liked Ryan well enough, but Rhyzkahl… Man, he stole every scene he was in, and I absolutely believed that Cara would be in terror of him, because he could easily break her, which fascinates me and I hope he gets to show up more in future books. At the same time, though, I like how Cara’s not sleeping with Ryan, and their relationship is going to develop more slowly, and Ryan isn’t just the good, stable man (TM.) He’s got secrets, and I want to know what will be in store for him.

I guess if I were to grade this book, I’d go with either a B- or a C+. I loved the second half, but the first half dragged so much, and the overused tropes were kind of eyeroll-inducing.

Lora’s Thoughts

I picked up this book because it had one of my favorite combinations of genres:  police procedural and urban fantasy.  I was a little worried, because this is the first novel Diana Rowland has published, but the stor ywas a pleasant surprise, and well worth the read.

Kara Gillian has been a property crimes detective for the past three years. In the past few weeks, she has transferred to violent crimes.  Serendipity lands the Symbol Man case in her lap, the handiwork of a serial killer obsessed with the demonic.

I enjoyed the conflict between the various police investigators assigned to the case, everything from the resentment of several characters because the rookie was appointed as lead on the case to the inevitable clashes as several different agencies had to work together.  The procedural part felt authentic, and for me it didn’t detract from the story.  I enjoyed the cop humor as well as the police work.

Ms. Rowland develops an interesting society based on demons instead of vampires or werewolves or any of the other common supernatural myths.  I would love to see this society fleshed out even further, as I think there are some fresh and interesting ideas to be explored here, something that will go beyond the usual suspects and the usual plot devices.

Like you, I’m often skeptical of the “torn between two lovers” trope.  It can grow tedious, and there are many times that I would rather the author spent more time on the world, the mystery and the magic, and devoted less space to the predictable romantic angle.  This story was an exception, however.  I liked both Ryan and Rhyzkahl.  Ryan came across as the lovable, if a bit awkward, geek, while Rhyzkahl simply owned every scene he was in. Although I had a little trouble accepting that Kara slept with him on their first encounter, I’ll concede that I could understand her abject fear of him, and fear can make us do strange things.  He is powerful, confident and absolutely compelling, with an underlying streak of anger that could prove very dangerous. I haven’t chosen sides yet.  That’s actually a good thing.  Usually, one of the characters has a clear-cut advantage in these competitions, but I liked both men.  I could almost argue for polyamory in this instance.  Nicely done, Ms. Rowland, for making me enjoy something I’d otherwise find annoying.

I would have to give this book a B, however, because the surprises weren’t quite as surprising, and the mysteries not quite as mysterious, as I would have liked.  The red herrings meant to make Kara think Ryan was a bad guy were just not credible, and I wanted to thump her for falling for them at all.  Ryan had already proven himself under very trying circumstances, and her lack of faith was a bit disheartening.  I did figure out who the murderer was before the reveal, in large part because the conversation where he threatened to pull her off the case, and then relented, felt a bit forced and unbelievable. Given more opportunities to write in this universe, I believe that Ms. Rowland can refine the storytelling process to tackle these concerns, however.  There are at least two more books in this world on the way, and I look forward to reading them both.  Ms. Rowland has a writing style that makes her books fun to read, and she gives her Kara Gillian a strong presence that allows her to be capable and independent, and human enough to make mistakes. 

Title: Pure Blood (Nocturn City, Book 2)

Author: Caitlin Kittredge

Genre: Paranormal romance

Reason for Reading: I read the first book for Bookshare. I enjoyed it and decided to grab the second one to see just what was happening in Nocturn City.

Synopsis:

In the shadows of Nocturne City, witches lurk and demons prowl, and homicide detective Luna Wilder must keep the peace—while living life as a werewolf. Now bodies are turning up all over town, the brutal murders linked by a cryptic message: We see with empty eyes…
To make matters worse for Luna, she can’t get wolfishly handsome Dmitri Sandovsky out of her mind. The last time he helped her with a case, Dmitri suffered a demon bite that infected him with a mysterious illness…and now his pack elders have forbidden him from associating with Luna. But she’ll need his help when high-level witches start turning up slaughtered. Because a war is brewing between rival clans of blood witches and caster witches—a magical gang war with the power to burn Nocturne City to the ground.

Other Opinions

Coffee Quill

My Thoughts:

There’s a darker edge to Luna’s world, one that gives this series a sense of being more authentic than some. Relationships aren’t always rosy, and people’s interactions with one another feel authentic, even if they don’t always show everyone in the best light. Dmitri, for instance, is living a life that his pack has forced on him, sharing his bed with a woman that meets with the pack’s approval. And why? Because it’s easier to accept that fate than to fight against it. That doesn’t make him noble, but it feels appropriate for the character we met in the first book. He chose his pack, and feels comfortable with the weight of their traditions. At one point he accuses Luna of failing to understand, because she has forsaken the pack concept, and I can definitely see his point.

Luna, on the other hand, rails against the pack, her grandmother, the new police captain, in essence because she feels unloved and unlovable. She receives some unwelcome feedback about herself from a surprising source, and gradually she begins to realize that she is inflicting many of her woes on herself because she actively pushes people away. Brief glimpses of others’ reactions to her suggest that our narrator’s perceptions may not be entirely reliable when it comes to herself and her relationships

At points, I felt that Luna’s internal turmoil overshadowed the rest of the book. There is a case to be resolved surrounding the battle for possession of an ancient magical artifact with some interesting history behind it. And Luna, who has always worked alone, receives a new partner, Barbie Cop. It would be easy to write Barbie off, and Luna tries, but her partner proves herself on at least a few occasions, and it was amusing to have to watch Luna come to terms with that realization.

Irina, Dmitri’s new girlfriend, proved entertaining. She did what every red-blooded woman or were would do when confronted with the “other woman.” She fought back. And when her own efforts were in doubt, she enlisted others to help her.

This book afforded us a glimpse into Luna’s past from two different perspectives. Through her new partner, Shelby, she can study a reflection of herself, one that allows her to do some introspection. While confronting her past in another form, she begins to question who she has become, and takes a few tentative steps to change it. It’s too early to tell whether she’s on the right path, but I certainly hope she is, because I would like to spend more time with the plot when we next visit Nocturn City.

Luna also reaches a realization about her magical abilities; in essence, she is a witch after all, but her powers don’t manifest in the usual way. She is a “path”, a witch that absorbs magical energy instead of casting it outward. This is likely why she never could learn from her grandmother’s lessons, because she was trying to send magic outward instead of drawing it to her. This will either be the beginning of the “new power every book” scenario, or an opportunity to explore how this nuance of magic makes her different and special. I’m betting on Kittredge to make this another opportunity for an enjoyable tale.

The book was a fast-paced enjoyable read, and once I immersed myself in it I didn’t put it down. Ms. Kittredge knows how to tell a story, and once she draws you in, it’s hard to get free again.

Final Thoughts:

There was just a little too much internal conflict and whining in this book for my tastes. In a few places, I think that the central mystery got lost in Luna’s struggle to understand herself. Nonetheless, when we got down to it, I did like the story and the bits of world building that were done. I enjoyed the final showdown between Luna and her adversary, and feel that I have a better sense of Nocturn City and its struggles to fit magic into the world we live in, a world already full of crime and mayhem. At the end of the story, we’re left with new plot strands to explore, and I’m definitely eager to see where they lead us. A third book is already out, Second Skin, and a fourth book is due out on September 1, called Witch Craft. By all means pick up this series. I’d recommend that you clear your calendar, because once you start, you won’t want to put it down.

Final Grade: B

Title: Pure Blood (Nocturn City, Book 2)

Author: Caitlin Kittredge

Genre: Paranormal romance

Reason for Reading: I read the first book for Bookshare. I enjoyed it and decided to grab the second one to see just what was happening in Nocturn City.

Synopsis:

In the shadows of Nocturne City, witches lurk and demons prowl, and homicide detective Luna Wilder must keep the peace—while living life as a werewolf. Now bodies are turning up all over town, the brutal murders linked by a cryptic message: We see with empty eyes…
To make matters worse for Luna, she can’t get wolfishly handsome Dmitri Sandovsky out of her mind. The last time he helped her with a case, Dmitri suffered a demon bite that infected him with a mysterious illness…and now his pack elders have forbidden him from associating with Luna. But she’ll need his help when high-level witches start turning up slaughtered. Because a war is brewing between rival clans of blood witches and caster witches—a magical gang war with the power to burn Nocturne City to the ground.

Other Opinions

Coffee Quill

My Thoughts:

There’s a darker edge to Luna’s world, one that gives this series a sense of being more authentic than some. Relationships aren’t always rosy, and people’s interactions with one another feel authentic, even if they don’t always show everyone in the best light. Dmitri, for instance, is living a life that his pack has forced on him, sharing his bed with a woman that meets with the pack’s approval. And why? Because it’s easier to accept that fate than to fight against it. That doesn’t make him noble, but it feels appropriate for the character we met in the first book. He chose his pack, and feels comfortable with the weight of their traditions. At one point he accuses Luna of failing to understand, because she has forsaken the pack concept, and I can definitely see his point.

Luna, on the other hand, rails against the pack, her grandmother, the new police captain, in essence because she feels unloved and unlovable. She receives some unwelcome feedback about herself from a surprising source, and gradually she begins to realize that she is inflicting many of her woes on herself because she actively pushes people away. Brief glimpses of others’ reactions to her suggest that our narrator’s perceptions may not be entirely reliable when it comes to herself and her relationships

At points, I felt that Luna’s internal turmoil overshadowed the rest of the book. There is a case to be resolved surrounding the battle for possession of an ancient magical artifact with some interesting history behind it. And Luna, who has always worked alone, receives a new partner, Barbie Cop. It would be easy to write Barbie off, and Luna tries, but her partner proves herself on at least a few occasions, and it was amusing to have to watch Luna come to terms with that realization.

Irina, Dmitri’s new girlfriend, proved entertaining. She did what every red-blooded woman or were would do when confronted with the “other woman.” She fought back. And when her own efforts were in doubt, she enlisted others to help her.

This book afforded us a glimpse into Luna’s past from two different perspectives. Through her new partner, Shelby, she can study a reflection of herself, one that allows her to do some introspection. While confronting her past in another form, she begins to question who she has become, and takes a few tentative steps to change it. It’s too early to tell whether she’s on the right path, but I certainly hope she is, because I would like to spend more time with the plot when we next visit Nocturn City.

Luna also reaches a realization about her magical abilities; in essence, she is a witch after all, but her powers don’t manifest in the usual way. She is a “path”, a witch that absorbs magical energy instead of casting it outward. This is likely why she never could learn from her grandmother’s lessons, because she was trying to send magic outward instead of drawing it to her. This will either be the beginning of the “new power every book” scenario, or an opportunity to explore how this nuance of magic makes her different and special. I’m betting on Kittredge to make this another opportunity for an enjoyable tale.

The book was a fast-paced enjoyable read, and once I immersed myself in it I didn’t put it down. Ms. Kittredge knows how to tell a story, and once she draws you in, it’s hard to get free again.

Final Thoughts:

There was just a little too much internal conflict and whining in this book for my tastes. In a few places, I think that the central mystery got lost in Luna’s struggle to understand herself. Nonetheless, when we got down to it, I did like the story and the bits of world building that were done. I enjoyed the final showdown between Luna and her adversary, and feel that I have a better sense of Nocturn City and its struggles to fit magic into the world we live in, a world already full of crime and mayhem. At the end of the story, we’re left with new plot strands to explore, and I’m definitely eager to see where they lead us. A third book is already out, Second Skin, and a fourth book is due out on September 1, called Witch Craft. By all means pick up this series. I’d recommend that you clear your calendar, because once you start, you won’t want to put it down.

Final Grade: B

Title: Magic in the Blood (Allie Beckstrom, Book 2)

Author: Devon Monk

Genre: Urban fantasy

Reason for Reading: As with many other books, I began by validating the first book for Bookshare. Having enjoyed the first book, I laid claim to the second book when it was submitted for validation, too.

Synopsis:

Working as a Hound—tracing illegal spells back to their casters—has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn’t about to quit. Then the police’s magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic.

Other Opinions

Enchanted by Books

CA Reviews

My Thoughts:

If you haven’t read Magic to the Bone, the first book in this series, please proceed with caution. I don’t want to ruin anything for you.

I read the first book in this series, Magic to the Bone, because I was intrigued by the premise behind the use of magic. Magic exacts a price for every spell you cast; it may take its toll in the form of lost memories, a serious bout of the flu, or even a coma. In Magic to the Bone we learned that some spellcasters offload this cost on someone else. There are those who make their living by serving as the target of this magical price, but when the cost is too high, such as that exacted by death magic, an unwilling target may be found. Allie is a hound, investigating such criminal off-loading, and in Magic to the Bone, she investigates her father because his magical signature links him to just such a criminal act. I found the first book interesting, though I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the romance between Allie and Zayvion. Looking back, though, I suspect it was because Allie forgets Zayvion at the end of the first book, which made it all feel futile; yet this is exactly the danger that she brings upon herself whenever she casts magic.

This second foray into Allie Beckstrom’s world absorbed me from beginning to end. It felt as though the setting, the characters, the plot all grew up from one book to the next. The world felt more fully fleshed-out. We learned, for instance, that there’s a magical grid to supply power for electricity when the main grid goes down. Organizations such as the Magical Enforcement Response Corps, a branch of the police department, and the Authority, a somewhat shadowy organization that Allie’s father belonged to, have each taken it upon themselves to monitor the use of magic, and respond appropriately to magical threats. And Lon Trager, the kingpin of drugs and blood magic, has just been released from jail after serving only three years of a thirty-year sentence.

The characters we encounter are also much more fully realized. We begin to see how Allie copes with the price of being a magical practitioner. She must maintain a journal of the daily events in her life, because both large and small events can be swept clean from her memory by spellcasting. We witness the impact as she encounters friends she has forgotten, and as she struggles to rediscover the love she felt for Zayvion, a love she has no recollection of now. Watching Zayvion suffer with the knowledge that Allie can’t remember the love they shared and the experiences they underwent together, and how he responds to that loss, gives him a depth and sympathetic side that made him much more enjoyable for me this time around. We also meet several more hounds, and we learn that each of them has developed some form of addictive behavior to help them cope with the impacts of magic on their lives. Finally, we learn a bit more about Daniel Beckstrom, Allie’s father, and those revelations make him a much more complex and interesting character. His motives become more complicated, and it is decidedly uncertain what his intentions are toward his daughter.

One of the most interesting additions to the magical landscape are the “watercolor people.” These ghostly images haunt Allie whenever she attempts to cast spells, leeching her magical energy from her with a touch. I won’t tell you what we learned about them, but I found the discovery fascinating, a welcome addition to Ms. Monk’s already fairly original interpretation of magic.

I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. Allie is run ragged by the press of events, affording us a real glimpse of how she practices her art, what a hound must know and do in order to survive in this dangerous world. And the final magical confrontation was well-choreographed and delightfully diabolical; it was well worth the journey.

The end of the tale makes it clear that there is more to come, and the creepy implications of it all left me eager for the next installment.

Final Thoughts:

I’m still struggling with the distinction between paranormal romance and urban fantasy. For me, this novel feels more like urban fantasy. Although romance was present, we were also gifted with a fair bit of world building and character development that made this book enjoyable on several levels. It was a bit bloodier than the first story, and if there was any failing in the plotting, it seems to me that Allie really didn’t address how she felt about some of the things she had to do in order to survive the threats she faced. Regardless, I have the sense that there is still time to address this and many other aspects of her character and the world, so I can be patient. I definitely recommend this series to anyone, whether you lean toward urban fantasy or paranormal romance. The next book, Magic in the Shadows, will be released on November 3, and I look forward to it.

Final Grade: A

Title: You Slay Me (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 1)
Author: Katie MacAlister

Genre: Paranormal romance

Reason for Reading: Once again, I was seduced by Christina, who thought I would enjoy reading it. This time she was right, so I read it while validating for Bookshare.

Synopsis:

We’ve seen the essence of this story before. A young woman living in the modern world, Aisling Grey, oblivious to the magical forces that lurk around every corner, finds herself abruptly thrust into the supernatural maelstrom without a clue as to what is going on or what she can do about it. It all begins with a seemingly straightforward courier mission: deliver an aquamanile to a woman in Paris. This simple task becomes far more complicated when she arrives at her destination to find the woman slain, and herself as the most likely suspect in her murder. Shortly thereafter, the aquamanile is stolen, and the action begins. The next 300 pages are a madcap run through the streets of Paris, trying to solve the murder and get her statue back. She is accompanied by a demon dog, and finds herself both tempted and thwarted by Drake Vireo, alternately a love interest and another murder suspect. As the story unfolds, she is accused of being a wyvern’s mate, a guardian, and a demon lord. The story concludes with numerous revelations, some hard decisions, and the knowledge that Aisling’s story is just beginning.

Other Opinions

Shannon’s note: I met Lora via a mutual friend. We both happen to be blind, we’re both big readers, and we’re on a private listserv full of bookish blind women. I’ve been hoping to recruit a blogging partner, and Lora was by far my most enthusiastic volunteer. She has no idea that blogging will eat her soul, so don’t tell her, OK?. Anyway, here is her first review!

Title: Howling at the Moon (Tales of an Urban Werewolf, Book 1)
Author: Karen MacInerney
Genre: Paranormal romance
Reason for Reading: I have been reading a lot of books about werewolves recently, and the synopsis for this one caught my eye. So I read it cover to cover as I was validating it for Bookshare.

Synopsis:

A werewolf auditor who hasn’t met but a handful of other werewolves in Austin in the last eighteen years is suddenly tripping over them wherever she goes. At the same time, someone is threatening her, sending her packages whose contents allude to her secret, and threaten to reveal it. And if all that isn’t enough, her mother, an herbalist witch, is accused of poisoning a politician, and winds up in jail.
Other Opinions:

Cloth Dragon

Darque Reviews

Scooper

Sandy M at TGTBTU

Limecello at TGTBTU

My thoughts: The Werewolf Wears Prada?  Oh, how the loup-garou have fallen!

I wanted to like this book.  The protagonist, Sophie Garou, is somewhat witty and entertaining, even if I cannot relate to her fashonista obsession. She is plagued with a bitter, gossipy office assistant, and a gorgeous best friend, and tends to be a bit of a workaholic, all reasonably believable challenges.  Her hunky human boyfriend, Heath, is the marrying kind, and he seems like a sweetheart. 

Enter Tom Fenris, the first real werewolf Sophie has ever met.  She is inexplicably drawn to him, for reasons that are never really touched upon, and even though she has a loving boyfriend who is ready to propose, she spends a good majority of the book mooning over Fenris, who isn’t even very likable.  The attraction felt forced, unbelievable and uninteresting.

I read on in any case.  I love mysteries, and I kept hoping that one of the mysteries presented to us would have an interesting resolution. Unfortunately, the story felt a little disjointed, and the explanations for the events that plagued Sophie from the beginning were rather unimaginative.

Final Thoughts: I can’t give this book an absolutely failing grade.  Some of the situations were mildly amusing, such as Sophie as a werewolf, whose panty hose get caught on a bush, or the badly bungled office break-in that Sophie and her friend orchestrate, but much of this book felt like the author was trying too hard. Ms. MacInerney has already published a second book in this series, On the Prowl, and a third is due out in July. I doubt I will read either. 

Final grade:  C-.