Reviews

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

shai3d's review against another edition

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4.0

Will post review closer to book's release

rclz's review against another edition

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4.0

This is good. It's straight UF. No romance although there were hints that there may be more later. There is a lot of ways she can go with the world she's set up. I'm interested to see where it goes. I like her build in this first book and the characters to go in it.

book_whispers's review against another edition

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2.0

This is one of the those books where I wanted to give it a higher rating, but in all honesty just couldn’t. Before I even sat down to write this review I antagonized about giving it a higher rating. Then it hit me if I have to think this hard to find enough qualities to bump up the rating, that's my first sign. Even if this one of my top debuts for 2012.

The reason for my feelings is for the world building of Royal Street. Wizards exist and they police the borders of the Beyond—where wizards, elves, vampires, werewolves, famous ghosts (or undead), and even gods reside and sometimes cross over onto the human plain. It was shear brilliance that Johnson had the book take place during the events of Hurricane Katrina. It was haunting and truly heart breaking at times, and painted the most realistic picture for a fantasy novel to take place. In that alone I will always love this book.

From there everything else just goes stale. Characters who were truly fascinating—a swashbuckling-sexy-violent pirate—didn't get enough page or development time. The lead DJ is so immature throughout the book and just didn't have a strong enough voice. It was nice to have a lead female who wasn't tough as nails and taking on the world with gun and metal, but she just didn't have enough presence. The love triangle (though pretty sure it was a square) is nothing special. Alex is the enforcer that comes to town to help her out and she immediately dislikes him. Though she will admit he's hot, but she has eyes for his cousin Jake the ex-marine. It seems like every male became infatuated or lusty after DJ, who is unaware of her sexual appeal. (That got old.)

Everything else for the book was stale as well. Events that could have turned into more exciting things (like a Truth or Dare game of cards) to the over all murder mystery. The plot was glaringly obvious from DJ's real dad, to the grand scheme of the creatures trying to break out of the Beyond. Honestly I felt bored. Every exiting turn soon became anticlimactic, even the bad guy's downfall was kind of like “That's it? Well that sucked!” (This book knocked me out of my reading high!! Now I'm stuck in a funk.)

The Hurricane Katrina setting was beyond brilliant not only giving a certain feel of reality to the tale, but showing readers a haunting glimpse into one of America's biggest natural disasters that it's seen in a long time. Besides that this book was boring and average at best. All the big plot twists might as well have had neon lights pointing them out. One redeeming fact was the humor. Laughs all around, and when I can get into the author's sense of humor that helps to keep me interested. Despite the overall underwhelming impression for the characters, plot, and emotion I'll be there for the next book. The debut had a lot of promise, I just hope the author pulls through and delivers.

Sexual Content: Lot's of pirate innuendos and hints of sexual favors. Kissing and a vague makeout session.

2/5- Average/disappointing, library check-out

Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.

peterpanda's review against another edition

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3.0

-This was a Goodread win!-

I feel as if this book just dragged on and it was a plot that could have been finished up in less pages then was given.

Don't get me wrong it had its highlights which is why it got three stars. I really liked the magical element and the Louis Armstrong figure. I also really liked the Pirate and Jake.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Alex and I know that's where the romance plot is going with the lead. I much prefer her with Jake or even the gnarly Pirate.

The ending was meh. And, I don't think the plot for her and her father was thought out very well. It also left for too many questions. Usually deaths makes a reader sad but I had no emotional connection to the character that had passed away.

To be honest, I'm not in a hurry to go to the next book even with questions that weren't answered.

However, I may not recommend this to others but I can see why some people may like this book. =) It probably didn't help that I read it during a stressful school time. Maybe, if I really sat still long enough to read it I would have absorbed into it better. However, I've read books that I can't put down even with midst of stress...and I guess this just wasn't one of them for me.

It has an amazingly beautiful cover though. And, the idea is strong for the plot. The characters are well-rounded too.

But yeah... 3/5

shelleyrae's review against another edition

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3.0

Royal Street is an enjoyable urban fantasy series debut from Suzanne Johnson. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina has caused breaches in the border between this world and the Beyond and Drusilla Jaco, a Green Wizard, is charged with banishing the undead back to the ether. DJ though is distracted by her missing mentor, Gerry, who is suspected of betraying the Elder Wizard Council, an undead pirate seeking revenge and the Enforcer, Alex. With a voodoo God and a serial killer on the loose the new Sentinel of New Orleans has her hands full.

What I particularly like about Royal Street is the world building. Set in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Johnson sensitively incorporates the tragedy into her story. The devastation makes an interesting background throwing up natural obstacles like a lack of electricity and transport which her protagonists have to work around.
New Orleans history is rich with iconic characters which Johnson works in to the story including voodoo gods, pirates and even musicians. While there is mention of vampires, fae and werewolves it is the historical undead that feature in Royal Street. Known in general as Pretes, the otherworldly beings reside in the Beyond in 'Old Orleans', a historical alternative to the modern city.
The magic system of Royal Street focuses on wizardry with a system that is headed by the Elders and then tiers of wizards with different abilities. As a Green Wizard, DJ is only able to wield potions, spells and charms, Red Wizards have mastery over physical magic while Yellow Wizards have psychic abilities. Enforcers are the muscle for the council dispensing justice where necessary.
Unfortunately Royal Street was let down by the protagonists of the story, especially DJ who lacks the smarts I prefer in my urban fantasy genre. There are too many instances where she makes poor decisions, ignores obvious clues or acts so slowly as to put herself or others in danger. This is particularly true at the climax when she inexplicably fails to act to prevent injury to her allies. The romantic element of Royal Street includes Alex, the Enforcer sent to assist DJ, Alex's cousin Jake, a war vet, and the pirate, Jean Lafitte. DJ is attracted to all three men but I didn't like the way in which she seemed to be toying with Alex and Jake in particular. The relationships are another example of DJ's immaturity.

While I think the characters of Royal Street need to be stronger, I did enjoy the book. There are often teething problems for a new series and ultimately I think the original aspects of the world building and potential of the story outweigh the flaws. Royal Street is a promising debut and I will be interested to see where Johnson takes it.

hollylynna's review against another edition

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3.0

This is exactly the kind of fantasy book I adore....set in new Orleans, our world with the paranormal alongside, and a little mystery and romance thrown in. Enjoyed the world building and I really hope this will turn into a series.

buuboobaby's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 to 4 stars

Loved the world building and Jean Lafitte, but the pacing was occasionally frustrating and the romance tepid. The ending was a blast, though, and had me geeked for book two.

Updated with full review -

Review:

Royal Street has been on my TBR mountain for a long time, so I jumped at the opportunity to host a spot on Suzanne Johnson’s blog tour. New Orleans is a great setting for books, especially urban fantasy reads, and I admit that I’m fascinated by the city and it’s history. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting yet, but it’s on my list of places to visit. Setting the story after Hurricane Katrina just made it that much more appealing to me. That big, scary storm caused so much damage, why couldn’t it have ruptured the borders to another dimension? I’m totally buying into that!

Drusilla Jaco, AKA DJ, is a junior sentinel for New Orleans. She controls green magic, which is kind of weak and lame compared to her mentor’s. Gerry is a powerful wizard, and he can do things that DJ can only dream about. Light a candle with the flick of a finger? It’s a snap for Gerry. Banish nasty paranormal critters back to the Beyond? No problem with that, either. What DJ wants is to test her wings and prove that she is capable of more than the menial tasks Gerry sends her on. The story starts with her confronting Jean Lafitte, in the bayou. If she can send him back where he belongs, maybe Gerry will give her more important tasks.

Her first assignment starts to go sour, but DJ proves that she’s a quick thinker and that she’s also clever and resourceful. She also pisses off Lafitte, and he menaces her for the rest of the book. I loved him. He had more personality than any of the other males characters, and I found myself hoping that DJ and Lafitte would hook up. Their tense, charged encounter so early in the novel spoiled me for her relationships with Alex and Jake. Unfortunately.

When Katrina rumbles into town, DJ is ordered by Gerry to evacuate. DJ needs to be safe, just in case something happens to Gerry. Gerry is the major force keeping the dangerous beings that live in the Beyond right where they belong. Though DJ believes the storm will blow over, just like all the rest have, she obeys and crashes with her grandmother. When the storm obliterates the city she loves, DJ just wants to get back home and make sure that Gerry and her friends are all right. When Gerry disappears without a trace, she is frantic to find him. When the wizard Elders believe that Gerry’s a traitor, DJ is determined to prove them wrong, even if it means risking her life to prove his innocence.

Overall, I enjoyed Royal Street, but there were times when I was so frustrated with DJ. I just don’t understand why these bright, intelligent women constantly turn off their common sense and go skipping into danger with hardly a second thought. Again and again and again. This is one of my biggest pet peeves with PNR and UF. The heroines are in such a hurry to solve whatever mystery they are confronted with that they cease to think things through. When everyone you know tells you to hunker down or you will die, I think that you need to listen every now and again, but maybe that is attributed to my cautious nature.

I didn’t find the relationship with Alex or Jake very compelling, but Jean Lafitte spoiled me for other men. He’s a pirate, for goodness sakes! It’s hard to compete with that! Mix in his apparent immortality, and, wowzies! I want DJ to bring out the noble man that I know must be hiding under that rakish pirate attire. I’m not saying that Alex and Jake are 100% chopped liver, because they’re not. Jake, the wounded Marine who now runs a bar, did have some appeal, and Alex, an uber alpha, gun-toting enforcer, would have been more interesting to me if not for the presence of Lafitte. I dig pirates! So sue me.

I found the pacing occasionally ponderous, but when the action clicked into gear, things really rocked. The ending, in particular, was a blast, and kept me turning the pages in rapid succession. DJ was just starting to come into her own, and I’m curious to see where the story goes next.

Grade: B

bookfessional's review against another edition

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3.0

Meh.

nyxshadow's review against another edition

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3.0

http://nyx-shadow.blogspot.fr/2012/10/sentinels-of-new-orleans-t1-royal.html

funsizelibrarian's review against another edition

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4.0

I finished this novel as Hurricane Isaac made landfall, which seemed appropriate. Royal Street takes place in New Orleans during the hours, days, and weeks immediately following Katrina. The storm and levee breaks have damaged not only the physical landscape, but the barriers that hold back the Beyond, the realm of the preternatural creatures such as the fae, the vampires, and the historical undead (those who are dead but so well loved/hated/revered/remembered that they have the power to live on). Normally sentinels, guardian wizards, would be hard at work repairing the breaches and sending the pretes back to the Beyond, but most evacuated. Gerald St. Simon, the head sentinel who stayed behind, is missing - and the Elders believe that it's not death, but betrayal that has Gerry off the map. Drusilla “DJ” Jaco, his ward and junior sentinel, is charged with returning to New Orleans and finding Gerry, or his body, and bringing him back. Helping her, whether she wants him to or not, is a sexy Enforcer, Alex, who tends to shoot first and ask questions later. There's also a voodoo-style serial killer on the loose in New Orleans, and one of his marks has turned up on DJ's doorstep. Oh, and the dead pirate Jean Lafitte is stalking her to avenge his last banishment to the Beyond...and he's brought friends.

There's a lot going on in this novel, but what impressed me was that not only did Johnson manage to juggle these plot threads, she deftly wove them together in such a manner that they came together into a cohesive tale of mystery, magic and family secrets. There is romance here, but it’s not the focus, so I wouldn’t classify it as such. Still, because of the style of writing and character development, I highly recommend this novel to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romantic fiction.