Category Archives: Urban fantasy

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Magic to the Bone (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress 7) by Annie Bellet

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5

A lot of things happen in this book despite it’s small page count. First of all, Jade finally reunites with Wolf and integrates her into her own psyche so to say. This makes their bond stronger and more seamless than before. And she gets back her magic that she almost completely burned out in the previous books by rewinding time to save her friends from Samir.

Oh, and the final confrontation with Samir that we have been building up to for six books now, finally takes place. WARNING – SPOILERS:  So ding dong, Samir is dead by the end of this book. I am not sure how I feel about that. For six books he was built up as this ultimate big bad that Jade was so afraid of, so the final battle was a little… underwhelming? Don’t get me wrong, it was still intense and the stakes were high, but not high enough in my opinion. I guess that’s the issue with creating an ultimate big bad and hinting at how badass he is for six books – the reader has very high expectations of the final confrontation.

That disappointment notwithstanding, I liked Jade’s progress in this book. She finally realized that she can’t shelter her friends from danger all the time. And by trying to do that, she paints a big target on their backs and weakens herself as well, since she has to spread her attention so much. She realized that her friends weren’t hapless either, and that the best thing she could do was trust them to do their part in the fight.

That’s a lot of growth on Jade’s part, because all her life she was on the run, trying not to get attached, trying (and failing) over and over again to protect any found family she would create. 

I also liked that her friends trusted her enough to know she didn’t just run on them, even though they had no memories of the horrors that happened before she rewound time. I love protagonists who have a strong support system and wonderful friends.

The only question is what happens now? The big bad that loomed over Jade’s life for seven books is dead (or as good as dead), and there are three more books left in the series. What can be worst than an immortal sorcerer hell-bent on harvesting your heart and destroying everyone you love in the process? I guess I will have to pick up the next book to find out.

I am also a bit sad that Harper decided to leave town for a bit, though I understand why. 

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Cast in Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra 1) by Michelle Sagara

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

This is a good first book in the series. It does a good job setting up the world and the characters, as well as establishing the stakes and hinting at an overarching plot.

I really liked discovering the world of Elantra. This is a city build on the ruins of a much older civilization, and those ruins still contain magics that nobody can understand or harness, but which are deadly nonetheless. This is also a city where a multitude of mortal and immortal races manage to coexist in relative harmony, probably thanks to no small part to the efficient policing by the Hawks – Elantra’s police force. 

I loved discovering the different races, their customs, behaviors, and reactions ingrained into who they are. I think that the author put a lot of thought into the worldbuilding, so all those races feel “real” and organically woven into the story. I love book like that. We don’t have your run of the mill elves and werewolves (or were something else), but races with long histories and logic behind the way they act.

I liked the various relationships that Kaylin formed with her colleagues in the Hawks. I especially loved that she has several female friends and those friendships aren’t tainted by jealousy or competition over men. Too many urban fantasy authors make their female protagonists into special snowflakes in a world of men or surrounded by horrible female characters. Glad to see that it’s not the case here. Believe me, we women can coexist perfectly fine with each other without backstabbing and undermining each other. Shocker, I know.

I was less trilled about Kaylin though. I understand that she is young and had a traumatic childhood, but this girl has zero impulse control. She never stops to consider the consequences of her actions BEFORE she does anything. And while in some instance it’s warranted and understandable, it gets old really fast. Hopefully, having resolved the biggest trauma from her past, she will be able to grow and mature in the next books. I am certainly willing to check out the next book to see if there is any character development.

My biggest complaint about this book is that the narrative is rather confusing at times. We pay so much attention to Kaylin’s thoughts, flashbacks, feelings, etc. that it bogs down the actual story sometimes. So the action scenes stretch out into pages and loose their intensity. 

Also some of the subtext in the conversations isn’t clear. Like I get the feeling that I should get what the hidden meaning is, but I simply don’t. That makes for a rather frustrating read at times.

All in all however, I am definitely willing to give the next book in the series a try to see if Kaylin matures a little, and to learn more about the fascinating city of Elantra.

books, Fantasy, Ghost Story, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co 3) by Jonathan Stroud

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

This series keeps getting better and better. The intrigue behind the Orpheus Society is getting a bit more development, and we have some interpersonal drama between the three members of Lockwood & Co. 

All in all, it was a fast-paced and gripping story. The plot thickens. Now we have a (yet) unknown group of people who discovered how to weaponize ghosts. A ghost bomb, anyone? And we have another (or same group) of people who were performing some kind of ritual in a plague pit that served as a focus point for a massive haunting in the whole of Chelsea. The reasons behind these events are unknown, and that’s intriguing. I’m pretty sure a confrontation between Lockwood and Co and these people (whether they are the Orpheus Society or not) will be the endgame of the series. I am excited to see how that unfolds.

On the interpersonal front, a wrench is thrown into the relationships between the trio in the person of Holly Munro. I found it rather hilarious to watch Lucy get all bent over the axel over the presence of another girl in what she considers her domain. This brings home the fact that even though they deal with horrible things that even adults would have nightmares about, Lockwood, Lucy and George are still basically children. They are teenagers with raging hormones, unbridled emotions, and rampant insecurities. 

Lucy especially has a huge chip on her shoulder, so she tends to be very judgmental of anyone she feels threatened by. Which means all females she comes across, unless they are absolutely ugly. So seeing how efficient, organized, and put together Holly is would rub her the wrong way. It was a bit funny to see Lucy assume so many things about Holly and then be an absolute snotty b… to her because of those assumptions. Hopefully, the events of this book showed her the dangers of assumptions, lack of honest communication, and what happens when you let your feelings fester. Maybe she will be nicer to other people now. 

We also learned what happened to Lockwood’s sister, and why he behaves the way he does most of the time. We still don’t know what happened to his parents, but the insinuations thrown in book 2 point towards the fact that it was nothing good and that it wasn’t an accident. 

I will definitely be continuing with this series and learning more about the Problem, the mysterious groups trying to weaponize it, and how our trio of friends can survive the aftermath.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Volatile Bonds (Prospero’s War 4) by Jaye Wells

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Stars: 3 out of 5.

Well, this book was a big disappointment, especially compared to book 3. Don’t get me wrong. It started strong with a murder and an explosion and a new actor trying to take over Babylon (again). It’s fast paced and a lot of things happen, and good guys win in the end, well sort of… but it just doesn’t hit the same as previous books.

Problem is, this series is starting to get formulistic. In every book, something happens and Kate looks for clues, but finds nothing. So they go visit Little Man, who gives them some clues. Then they hit a dead and again, so they go talk to Abe in prison… again, and get insulted and not learn much at all. Honestly, what’s the point visiting Uncle Abe in every book apart from reminding the reader what a horrible human being he is? Then by the end of the book Volos swoops in to help save the day… again. No matter which book in the series you pick up, the order of events is exactly the same. 

Are you telling me that Kate doesn’t have any informants other than Little Man? And if Little Man is so knowledgeable in all underground Babylon affairs, why is he living in squalor? Why isn’t he brokering this information better? Also, why do we have to go talk to Abe all the time? Honestly, at this point, you give the creepy guy in prison more intel by showing up there than you are getting from him. Not to mention, it’s getting boring.

My biggest pet peeve though is that the author is trying to push Kate and Volos together by making us believe that Volos can be good for her, or that she still has romantic feelings for him. Erm, bad idea. The author spent three previous books showing us that Volos is ruthless, domineering, cruel at times, and not above using blackmail to get what he wants from anyone, including Kate. He constantly tries to insert himself into her life and dominate it. Their relationship is toxic to the Nth degree. WHY are we all of a sudden trying to put him into the status of love interest? No, just no.

Especially when it’s done to the detriment of Morales’s character. In order to push Kate towards Volos, the author had to paint Morales in less than flattering light, so she makes him shifty and cowardly about telling their superiors about his involvement in the murder of an undercover cop. Problem is, this behavior goes against everything we learned about Morales’s character in the past books. It’s like he had a case of identity switch. And it’s only done so that Kate can’t trust him anymore and would be pushed away. Sorry, but that’s lazy writing. If you absolutely want Kate and Volos together, find an organic way to make that happen. Don’t bring down another character just for that.

I really hope that there is another book in this series coming out soon and it will explain some of the treads left hanging at the end of this one. Like who is the real leader of the Votaries? But more importantly, I hope we get better character development on everybody’s part. 

PS: Loved the guys with the pigeons though.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Deadly Spells (Prospero’s War 3) by Jaye Wells

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

This book was intense and by far the best in the series so far. The stakes were high, the murders gruesome, and Prospero and Morales finally came to terms with their mutual attraction. Oh, and it was fast-paced and un-put-downable as well.

I love that Kate’s relationship with her little brother continues to evolve. Kate has been a helicopter parent for too long. Out of necessity, for sure, but she is slowly learning to let go of the control. She is starting to understand that Danny is a growing person with his own opinions and a moral compass, and that in order to receive his trust, she needs to extend some trust first. We also see that being an Adept in a rich school full of Mundanes isn’t as glamorous as it’s painted to be.

I am also happy that her relationship with Morales finally evolved, and that she stopped running away from her feelings. Those two are a good team, and they understand each other a lot better then other people understand them, because they both have been through some very though things. They have each other’s back and they understand that both of them are broken, but more importantly, they know when to give each other space. 

We finally learn what truly happened to Kate’s mom. While it was a shock, I’m glad that Kate can finally let go of the guilt she’s been carrying for 10 years. She didn’t kill her mother. But it also reinforces that she did the right thing when she walked away from the coven and turned her back on that life. I mean none of the people in her past were exactly outstanding members of the human race.

My only regret is that Volos managed to get out of the mess he’s created without a scratch… yet again. I think the author is trying to keep the reader ambivalent about him. She is trying to portray him as someone who has good intentions but the execution can be rather catastrophic. Well, we know that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And in Volos’s case, he is NOT a good person. And I really really hope that he gets everything that he deserves eventually.

Also, it seems like someone is steadily eliminating the leaders of the main covens in Babylon. We have one in each book so far, or so. Question is who and why? Someone is trying to consolidate magical power over the city. I hope we get our answer in the next book.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Cursed Moon (Prospero’s War 2) by Jaye Wells

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

I am liking this series so far. The first book was a surprise hit for me, and the second book continues the streak of good luck. 

The action picks up several weeks after the events of the first book, and leaves Kate with a lot of guilt and frustration over what happened and what she was forced to do (and then cover up). That frustration slowly builds up during this book until it all comes to a boiling point and explodes all over her relationships with the people she cares most about. It was messy, it was frustrating to watch, and I wanted to cuff her around the head a few times for being a dick, but I never stopped caring. That’s a sign of a good book right there – when the character behaves like a dick, and you still care because you understand what’s going on and where she is coming from.

I loved the concept of the Blue Moon, and the effect it would have on Adepts vs Mundane people. Or that magic would be stronger and more chaotic during that phase. Not only did that raze the stakes for our characters, but it also dialed all their feelings up. And when emotions run high, things are bound to get messy. But, like Baba said, the Blue Moon can also be a blessing in disguise, because it shakes up the status quo.

By the end of this book Kate finally came to terms with her past and her magic, which made her stronger as a person. She also cleared the air with her brother and Pam. Hopefully, their relationships will be healthier going forward. 

I also have to mention that Baba is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. She is far from being this cookie old lady that cooks homemade remedies and plays bingo at the community center. I think both Kate and the reader tend to forget that she had a long and eventful life before she got to enjoy her twilight years, and this book showcases that very well. Baba is the one who sees through Kate’s bulls&^t and calls her on it. Baba is the one who doesn’t judge, just nudges her in the right direction and gives some very good advice. I honestly want to know more about Baba now!

Of course, this book also left us with more questions than answers. What really happened to Kate’s mother, and why does it scare Uncle Abe so much? Who financed Dionysus and “aimed” him at Babylon? What is Uncle Abe’s end game? And what does John Volos really want?

I guess I will need to pick up the next book to find out. And I will gladly do that.

books, Fantasy, Ghost Story, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co 2) by Jonathan Stroud

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I really like this series so far, and that must be worth something coming from someone who doesn’t usually read YA books. Yet this is how YA should be – smart, interesting, with engaging characters and a developing plotline that evolves from book to book.

The characters are engaging and feel like real people, even if Lucy can come across as rather snotty and judgmental at times, especially when she describes other women they encounter. But I think that stems from deep insecurities she has about her appearance and her worth as a woman. After all, she has never been valued as anything other than an Agent, so that’s what she tries to build her whole personality around.

Lockwood is charming and charismatic as ever. And he is smart. He is the brains of this company, even if George is the one who does all the research. And as it often happens with very smart people, he has no patience for those who are a bit less smart them him, or who fail to do what he wants them to do. Thus why he was so irritated with George throughout this book and failed to see that his friend was getting more and more enthralled by the mirror.

All in all, I love the dynamics within this group. They feel like excellent partners, but more then that, they are becoming good friends, even sort of surrogate family to each other. 

The world depicted in this series is fascinating, in a gruesome and depressing kind of way. The adults live a state of constant fear, and the children are robbed of their childhood and forced to confront the horrors of the Visitors. Let’s be honest, the Rat House was terrifying. I like that we discover more and more details about what it means to live day to day with the Problem, and how people cope and adapt. I also like the little hints we get in each book that there is something bigger going on behind the scenes.

I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series as soon as possible to learn more about Lockwood’s sister, and the mysterious Orpheus society and its ties to Marissa Fittes.

books, Reviews, Urban fantasy

London Falling (Shadow Police 1) by Paul Cornell

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Stars: 3 out of 5.

As far as first books in a series go, this one wasn’t particularly impressive. In fact, it was almost a DNF until about 30% into the book. 

It is a very slow start, but it also starts with a story that doesn’t seemingly have anything to do with magic and the rest, so I kept wondering why we are following these two undercover cops who are trying to nick this drug lord. Yes, it is relevant to the case in the end, but it could have been summarized in a lot less chapters and gotten out of the way quickly before we get to the meat of the story. As it stands, it dragged way to long and almost made me DNF the book. It gets more interesting once the team gets the “Sight” and the story actually picks up, but getting there was a slog.

The biggest issue for me were the characters. At least two of them are really unlikeable from the moment we are introduced to them, even if they grow on you afterwards. But that’s not so much of an issue in itself. I read books with unlikeable characters before and loved them. My issue is that we don’t get to know them enough to get to care about them. Yes, we get Ross’s backstory, because it’s essential to the larger story. Yes, we get mentions of one of the UCs being mercilessly bullied when he was a child. Of Quill and the other UC, we know even less. Which means that to me they don’t exist as individuals, but just as coppers tied to this story that’s unfolding. Heck, a few times I didn’t even understand why they reacted the way they did. Maybe I am missing some important cultural background here and didn’t get some of the subtitle hints of social status in different descriptions, but some of their actions and reactions made me scratch my head.

Another problem is that the magic described has no apparent logic at the beginning, and makes only slightly more sense by the end of the book. So is this localized to London only or does each city have something similar? Does it mean that magic is linked to the past and human memory? That nothing new can be magical? Why does it require sacrifice? What are the rules of all of this? 

I mean, I am more than willing to believe in a magical system the author invented, but I want to understand it. And I expect the author to follow the rules of that system as well. Here, we have a lot of random magical occurrences in London that are unrelated to the case. And the main villain seems so overpowered… yet four mundane coppers (with the Sight, but no magic powers of their own), continuously thwart her efforts and manage to overpower her in the end. How? What is the logic behind this?

Coming back to the requirement of a sacrifice. Ross sacrificed the witch in order to beat her. So whom was that sacrifice dedicated to? The smiling man? Does she have a bargain with him now? What will the consequences be for the team? It’s unclear. 

All in all, it’s a very muddled book that lacks structure and drive, especially in the beginning. Though the glimpse of London it gives is interesting enough that I will probably check out the next book in the series, but I expect a few more answers, especially as to how this whole magical system works.

books, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Dirty Magic (Prospero’s War 1) by Jaye Wells

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This is everything the first book in a series should be. It has an engaging heroine, an interesting story that manages to get personal for said heroine. There is just enough worldbuilding to introduce the world and the main players, but we aren’t bashed in the head with infodumps. 

The city of Babylon has a problem – a dirty magic problem. Think about the war on drugs and multiply it by ten, because the effects of dirty magic potions are mostly well-documented, but if a new one pops on the market, they can be quite unpredictable and even deadly. As Kate Prospero finds out one night on patrol when she has to confront what looks like a literal werewolf. But there are no such things as werewolves, right? Correct. It’s a new potion called Gray Wolf, and it’s a nasty one.

I really liked Kate as a character. And I loved her backstory. I can understand her hatred for dirty potions and those who cook them. She was one of them. She loved doing it to, discovering new recipes, letting others try them. And the consequences and side effects were somebody else’s problem… until those consequences hit very close to home. I understand her desire to cut herself from magic altogether, because she is afraid of relapsing into cooking again. And even though it complicates her life a lot in this book, and I really wanted to shout at her a few times because she was being pigheaded about it and putting the life of her loved ones in danger, I still understood her motives. That’s what I like about my protagonists – I don’t have to necessarily like them, but I have to understand what makes them tick. 

I also liked that Kate isn’t a lone wolf or a woman-hater, like a lot of urban fantasy protagonists tend to be. She has a solid support system and a good female friend in Pam. And while her life is difficult, because with the same last name is a notorious coven leader and crime lord it’s hard to make an honest living, she tries to make the best of the hand she’d been dealt.

My only issue with this book is the main villain’s motivation. I understand what the original plan was and even what Bane wanted to gain by creating Gray Wolf. What I don’t understand is why he thought attacking Abe’s flesh and blood (and I’m not talking about Kate here) would be a good idea. I also don’t understand Abe’s motivation for going along with this. Surely, revenge wasn’t the only reason… I’m hoping to find out more in the next book in the series. 

All in all though, I’m glad I finally gave this book a chance. I crossed another book off my TBR list and discovered another interesting urban fantasy series I wouldn’t mind continuing.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

The City Beneath the Hidden Stars by Sonya Kudei

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Stars: 1 out of 5

DNF at 40%.

Well, this was a disappointment. I love discovering new authors. I also love exploring settings set up in cities other than the usual London/New York/another well-known English-speaking city. So I was very excited about this story set in Zagreb. I hoped to learn some new lore and get familiar with a city with so much history. Unfortunately, the result is less than stellar.

I get what the author tried to do. The writing is supposed to be edgy and witty, and the sarcastic commentary that breaks the third wall is supposed to illicit a chuckle from the reader now and then. And it absolutely would… if it’s well done, which is not the case here. The overwrote language, never-ending descriptions and constant “winks” from the omniscient narrator to the readers get pretty boring very quickly. 

I don’t a detailed description of every single item crammed into the stairwell of a hoarder’s house. I don’t need a three page walkthrough of the market square. What I need is an engaging story and interesting characters I can follow. The rest is just setting. If I wanted to visit Zagreb remotely, I’d buy a tourist guide with pictures.

As it stands, I am not even sure, 40% in, what the story is supposed to be about. The Black Queen is returning? Cool cool… only she didn’t DO anything particularly horrendous so far, or even driven the narrative much. As far as the main villain of the story, she simply doesn’t pull the weight. As for the protagonists, they are simply blah.

There is also an overabundance of secondary characters that appear for a few pages, never to be heard of again, but are described in painstaking detail nevertheless. This overdescription of everything makes for a boring and tedious read, and since there isn’t really a good story to back it up, I don’t feel like investing more of my time into this 400 page book.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.