Tag Archives: Deborah Blake’s Reviews

Series Review – Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom Series

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Allie Beckstrom series by Devon Monk

  • Magic to the Bone
  • Magic in the Blood
  • Magic in the Shadows
  • Magic on the Storm

Reviewed by Deborah Blake

Allison Beckstrom knows better than most that using magic comes with a cost. She’s a Hound—someone who traces illegal spells back to their casters—and she’s paid the price in lost memories and two-day migraines. But she isn’t about to give up the career she loves, or the chance to stay independent from her influential (and slightly shady) businessman father.

Over the course of these four books, Allie gets caught up in an illegal magical Offload that has her father’s signature all over it, corporate espionage, deadly blood magic, energy-eating ghosts, the city police force’s magical enforcement division, the Authority (a secret organization of magic users that wants her to join—or else), and the mysterious Zayvion Jones. Who may or may not be on her side, but is darned attractive either way.

MAGIC TO THE BONE is a the first book in the series, and introduces the reader to Allie and the Portland she lives in, where magic is real and can be harnessed by those with talent or the money to buy it. Allie has spent her adult life keeping her distance from her prominent businessman father and all that he stands for, even if that means living hand-to-mouth and taking on jobs she doesn’t much like. But when her father is implicated in a horrible crime, Allie must call on all her Hounding skills to find out the truth—even if she isn’t sure she’s going to like the answers she gets.

In MAGIC IN THE BLOOD, Allie is dealing with the gaping hole in her memories, an after-effect from a major magical working that almost killed her. She’s pretty sure she’s missing some important information, especially about the man she supposedly fell in love with, Zayvion Jones. But that mystery has to be put on the back burner when the city’s magical enforcement division pulls her into a missing-persons case that is much more complicated than it seems.

MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS finds Allie coping with even more lost memories and a loss of another kind. But the loss isn’t as final as she’d hoped, and having another person inside her mind drives her to seek the help of the Authority and Zayvion Jones. Unfortunately, failure to learn to control her abilities isn’t an option, since the alternative would strip her of everything she holds dear.

MAGIC ON THE STORM ramps up the action, the risks, and the price of using magic even more, putting Allie on the front lines of a battle where no one and nothing is what it seems, and losing the war could mean the end of the city of Portland—and everyone in it.

Allie lives in an alternative future Portland, and the city is almost as vital a character as her father, her love interest, and her fellow Hounds. The protagonist herself is realistically delineated and easy to like, despite her flaws. And the world-building in this series is second to none.

I was fortunate enough to discover these books when the third one was about to be released. I devoured the first two back to back, ordered the third as soon as it came out, and then waited with baited breath for the fourth. I give them my highest recommendation.

If you like urban fantasy that is gritty but not so dark you want to hide under the covers after reading it, and don’t mind getting so caught up in the characters’ lives that you think you know them personally, this series should immediately go to the top of your “to be read list.”

About the Reviewer

Deborah Blake is an award-winning author with five books on modern Witchcraft. Two of these are coming out this year: EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK (Llewellyn, July) and WITCHCRAFT ON A SHOESTRING (Llewellyn, September). She also writes Urban Fantasy and is represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency. Deborah gives a number of highly successful online writing workshops and has a loop, THE CREATIVITY CAULDRON, for paranormal authors. Her website is www.deborahblakehps.com.


Fantasy Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

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Shade
Jeri Smith-Ready
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Review by Deborah Blake

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts. But she wishes she couldn’t. In fact, she is working on a project that she hopes will help her figure out both why the Shift happened and how she can turn off this unwanted ability. In the meanwhile, she is going to school, working at her aunt Gina’s law office (which specializes in wrongful death litigation and helping out deceased clients), and eagerly awaiting the night of her seventeen birthday.

Aura has big plans for her birthday. Her boyfriend Logan is playing an important gig with his band, and they have special plans for an intimate after-party. She expects it to be the most memorable night of her life. But she doesn’t expect it to end with Logan’s death.

Suddenly, Aura’s life is turned upside down. Her boyfriend is haunting her. Her new friend Zachary is helping with her project, and his presence in her life is both supportive and confusing. And not just because she discovers they share a strange secret: she is the first baby born after the Shift, and Zachary was the last baby born in the minute before the Shift. They know that this secret is the key to learning something important about the mystery that surrounds them; but what they don’t realize is that there are other people who want to learn those answers too—and they will stop at nothing to get them.

Shade is a magnificent book; moving, powerful, and highy entertaining. Aura is a realistic teen dealing with a fantastic situation in realistic ways. Her relationships with her family, Logan’s family, and her friends all ring true. If you think you don’t like YA books or Urban Fantasy, I’m betting you will still enjoy Shade.

I will admit that for a chapter or two, I was a tiny bit distracted by some of the teen slang. But by the time I got a little further into the book, I was so captivated by the characters and the story that I didn’t even notice it anymore. I just wanted to find out what happened next.

I don’t want to give away any more of the story. But I will say that it is full of intriguing twists and satisfying details about the post-Shift world. My only complaint is that I will have to wait until the next book comes out before I can find out what happens to Aura, Logan, and Zachary.

Jeri Smith-Ready has published two previous Urban Fantasy books for an adult audience: Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone, with a third in the series coming out soon. They are vampire books with a unique and fun twist. This book is a complete shift (you should excuse the expression) from her other books; the only thing they have in common is that they are all astoundingly well written. Make a note of her name, because I predict you will be seeing a lot of it in the years to come.

About the Reviewer

Deborah Blake is an award-winning author with five books on modern Witchcraft. Two of these are coming out this year: EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK (Llewellyn, July) and WITCHCRAFT ON A SHOESTRING (Llewellyn, September). She also writes Urban Fantasy and is represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency. Deborah gives a number of highly successful online writing workshops and has a loop, THE CREATIVITY CAULDRON, for paranormal authors. Her website is www.deborahblakehps.com.

Debut Review: Embers by Laura Bickle

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EMBERS
by Laura Bickle
Juno Books – $7.99

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review by Deborah Blake

Anya Kalinczyk is an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department. She is also a Lantern, a type of psychic medium so rare that as far as she knows, she is the only one. When not at her day job, she works with DAGR, the Detroit Area Ghost Researchers, an eccentric bunch of ghost hunters. Anya’s rare talent allows her to absorb malicious spirits into her own core, thus extinguishing them forever; a mixed blessing, and a last resort.

An unusual increase in malevolent spirit activity and a series of mysterious fires send Anya on the trail of a supernatural arsonist—who just may be a Lantern like her. Both attracted to and repulsed by this dangerous adversary, Anya jeopardizes her friendships and her budding relationship with one of the DAGR members to try and handle the crisis on her own. Using only her salamander familiar and her own uncertain gift, she battles demons both real and emotional, slowly getting in further and further over her head.

In the end, she must reach out for help or risk losing not just her life but the city she has fought so hard to defend. On Devil’s Night, her foe will attempt to summon an ancient entity to consume Detroit and all those in it, unless Anya can find the strength to stop him.

EMBERS is a strong debut; well written and peopled by diverse and intriguing characters. Anya is a tortured soul—in more ways than one—and often her own worst enemy. As a reader, you sympathize with her friends’ frustration as she pushes away those who would help her, insisting on doing everything by herself. But once you learn her history, it becomes clear that Anya is damaged; and this story is as much about her own redemption as it is about her fight to keep her beloved city safe.

The unexpected beauty of the fiery entity, the playful malignance of the demon that inhabits Anya, and the flashes of humanity demonstrated by her enemy all enrich this book. My only complaint (and it is a small one) is that Bickle occasionally displays some of the writing flaws of a beginning author; words repeated too often or too closely, and once a contradiction that temporarily threw me out of the story. But overall, this is a winner, and I look forward to reading Anya’s further adventures. And her familiar Sparky is one of my new favorite paranormal creatures.

Deborah Blake is an award-winning author with five books on modern Witchcraft. Two of these are coming out this year: EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK (Llewellyn, July) and WITCHCRAFT ON A SHOESTRING (Llewellyn, September). She also writes Urban Fantasy and is represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency. Deborah gives a number of highly successful online writing workshops and has a loop, THE CREATIVITY CAULDRON, for paranormal authors. Her website is www.deborahblakehps.com.

Black Blade Blues

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Black Blade Blues
by J. A. Pitts
Tor Books
Trade Paperback – 15.99

Reviewed by Deborah Blake.

One of the things I enjoy as a reader is coming across a book that is completely different from anything I have read before; whether it is plot, characterization, or worldbuilding. Debut author J. A. Pitts certainly achieved that in his urban fantasy, Black Blade Blues.

Sarah Beauhall is an unusual protagonist. A blacksmith by day and a props manager for low-budget movies by night, she spends her free time fighting with a medieval reenactment group. And she’s gay. I challenge you to find another heroine anything like her.

Sarah is already overwhelmed by juggling two jobs and her emotional issues about being in a relationship that her rigidly moral father would have disowned her for. Then her girlfriend uses the dreaded “love” word. And a sword Sarah brought to the set for use as a prop breaks during filming, so she must repair the blade. And therein hangs the tale.

Because the sword is actually Gram, the mystical dragon-slaying sword from Norse mythology. Soon Sarah is in way over her head, dealing with dwarves, dragons, trolls, and a truly frightening witch—who may or may not be on her side. She discovers that centuries-old dragons masquerading as wealthy businessmen control some of the largest cities in the Pacific Northwest. In the midst of all this action, Sarah fights her own self-doubt and self-loathing, alienates her allies, and brings her life to a screeching halt. In the end, she must learn to trust both herself and others, and fight to save all that she values.

Overall, I really enjoyed Black Blade Blues. I loved the realistic details of the smith-work and the movie set, thought the descriptions of the local scenery and the battle scenes were exceptional, and the mythology was woven seamlessly into the world of present-day Seattle. These things alone made it worth reading the book. I was also surprised to see (from reading the dedication) that the author was a happily married man; very different from the protagonist who provided the main point of view for the novel. [Just a side note: Pitts managed to switch from first-person point-of-view to a couple of different third-person view points without jarring or confusing the reader. As an author, I can tell you; this is extremely difficult to do. So kudos on that one!]

I only had one real complaint about the book, and that is probably a personal bugaboo rather than a true flaw in the novel. Sarah is, for the most part, a flawed and unhappy character. She is struggling to come to terms with her relationship with her lover and has problems making real connections with anyone. The character can be hard to like at times, although by the end of the book her journey is starting to transform her. It was often painful to watch her screw up repeatedly—although, to be fair, some of her problems were brought on by mood swings caused by possession of the magical sword. And the battle scene was brutal, so if you have a weak stomach, you may have a hard time with this one. It was well-written enough to be unpleasant to experience, even second-hand.

This is an impressive debut, and I look forward to seeing Sarah’s adventures continue in the next installment of this series. If you like Norse mythology, dragons, atypical characters, and non-stop action, you’re sure to enjoy the roller coaster ride that is Black Blade Blues.

Debut Review – Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

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Deadtown
by Nancy Holzner
Penguin/Ace Fantasy
Paperback – $7.99
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Reviewed by Deborah Blake

Victory Vaughn is Boston’s only professional demon slayer, in a city where the vampires, werewolves and zombies are confined to a quarantined section called Deadtown. Not only is she dealing with a workaholic werewolf sort-of boyfriend, a rash teenage zombie apprentice, and a demanding, demon-ridden client, but now the Hellion who murdered her father has come back for her. And he intends to destroy the entire city in the process.

I confess—I wasn’t sure whether or not this book was for me. I love a lot of urban fantasy and some of my favorite authors write in this genre; if you haven’t checked out C. E. Murphy, Jeri Smith-Ready and Kim Harrison, run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore. But I’m not a big fan of the new zombie trend, and some urban fantasies are just too dark or too sexy (more sex than plot, for instance) for my taste.

Happily, Ms. Holzner’s book didn’t fall into either of these categories, and she actually found a way to make zombie characters sympathetic and even likable; something I wouldn’t have thought was possible. Her world-building is detailed, plausible, and highly original, and she doesn’t fall back on too many of the classic paranormal tropes in an effort to tell her story.

DEADTOWN’s protagonist, Vicky Vaughn, is real and believable, and the reader can identify with her problems, even when they are set in a world that is somewhat different from ours. The book jumps right into the paranormal; starting out with Vicky fighting demons in her client’s dreamscape reality, along with her zombie apprentice Tina, who wreaks havoc right and left.

As I said before, Ms. Holzner does a great job of making zombies more appealing than I ever would have thought possible. Three years earlier, a plague hit a localized area of Boston, turning regular folks into the walking dead. One of the reoccurring themes of the book revolves around prejudice and intolerance (in this case toward zombies and other paranormal citizens), and the author handles it well, without preachiness or heavy-handed melodrama.

I only had a couple of small complaints about the book—really small, and nothing that would stop me from recommending it. I sometimes had a hard time believing that Vicky would continue to put up with Tina’s impetuous and often destructive behavior. Vicky’s job as a demon slayer is so important; the reader has to wonder why she would continue trying to train this girl to follow in her footsteps. I also thought the book dragged a bit in a few spots, despite the almost non-stop action. But seriously, these are tiny issues and the rest of the book more than makes up for them.

Overall, however, I found the book entertaining and highly readable. The characters were interesting and believable, and the dynamics of the protagonist’ difficult family and social relationships were as realistic as her world was imaginative.

I am looking forward to the author’s next book and to returning to DEADTOWN. Although I have to say, I’m really glad I don’t have to live there!

~*~

Deborah Blake is one of my most enthusiastic followers, and is constantly linking and Friday Following this blog. I know she loves urban fantasy, so when I received this novel and it wasn’t really for me, I thought of her. Here is her bio:

Deborah is the published author of three nonfiction books on Witchcraft from Llewellyn, with two more coming out this year. She has also written three novels that are as yet— alas— unpublished, including an urban fantasy. Her prize-winning short story, “Dead and (Mostly) Gone” appeared in THE PAGAN ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT FICTION, and she won the EMILY “Best of the Best” award in 2009 for her novel WITCH EVER WAY YOU CAN. She also gives two popular online writing workshops, “Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author” and “Beyond Fangs: Creating New & Original Paranormal Characters.”

Ms. Blake lives in upstate NY in a 100 year old farmhouse with five cats who occasionally allow her to stop petting them long enough to write something. She can be found at www.deborahblakehps.com and http://deborahblake.blogspot.com/ as well as on Twitter and Facebook.