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malus23's review against another edition
3.0
Action filled, some weak spots around the whole "guess what! The world is magic!" moment. Nothing groundbreaking here, nothing unique, but a solidly fun read.
calamity_mary's review against another edition
2.0
As predicted this book didn't muster more than 2 stars and the only reasons it wasn't a 1 star book it's because at least it was entertaining enough that I could finish it and I did like Midian the vrakolak.
Without a doubt one of the most annoying UF heroines I've ever seen (even had a annoying name) and a book that drags on forever only succeeding on showing how much of a screw up the main character is.
I disliked it so much I can't even must the will to write a full review on this train wreck.
Without a doubt one of the most annoying UF heroines I've ever seen (even had a annoying name) and a book that drags on forever only succeeding on showing how much of a screw up the main character is.
I disliked it so much I can't even must the will to write a full review on this train wreck.
veronica87's review against another edition
2.0
What to say about this book...um, it has a cool cover? Here's the thing, if the overall plot of a book is weak but there is a yummy romance then usually the romance aspect can sustain my interest in a series. Conversely, if the romance is not all that but the plot and world building are top notch then I'm along for the ride. The problem for me with this book is that it fell short both counts, plot and romance.
As for plot, nothing really happened in this book. It was a group of people basically hanging around a house until the last twenty pages or so when the final showdown happened. The writer did manage to check off some cliches right out of the gate though. Heroine with unique name? Check. (Jayne - with an accent on the 'e' and pronounced zhuh-nay, yeah whatever. I pronounced it like regular old Jane in my head) Heroine inherits a vast fortune to make her monster stomping easier? Check. Heroine is suddenly gifted with super fighting skills that she's never had before? Check. That said, I did like Jayne overall.
The other issue regarding the plot is that we get told about the big bad but we never really see him or see him do anything really bad. He mostly exists off the page until the very end of the book. I never got a sense of who he was as a villain or why I should be rooting so hard for the good guys to take him out.
As for the romance aspect, I have to confess that I really enjoy the slow burn. Couples who are getting into bed in the first act rarely grab my interest. And so it is with Jayne and her love interest in the book. He's a nice enough guy, even if he does leave out some major information about his past, but I found the pairing lukewarm at best.
So, as a whole this was just a two star book for me. It's nothing that I would re-read. There are more books in this series and I might read the second book at some point to see if things pick up plot-wise and action-wise (since the romance angle is doing anything for me) but it won't be priority reading for me.
As for plot, nothing really happened in this book. It was a group of people basically hanging around a house until the last twenty pages or so when the final showdown happened. The writer did manage to check off some cliches right out of the gate though. Heroine with unique name? Check. (Jayne - with an accent on the 'e' and pronounced zhuh-nay, yeah whatever. I pronounced it like regular old Jane in my head) Heroine inherits a vast fortune to make her monster stomping easier? Check. Heroine is suddenly gifted with super fighting skills that she's never had before? Check. That said, I did like Jayne overall.
The other issue regarding the plot is that we get told about the big bad but we never really see him or see him do anything really bad. He mostly exists off the page until the very end of the book. I never got a sense of who he was as a villain or why I should be rooting so hard for the good guys to take him out.
As for the romance aspect, I have to confess that I really enjoy the slow burn. Couples who are getting into bed in the first act rarely grab my interest. And so it is with Jayne and her love interest in the book. He's a nice enough guy, even if he does leave out some major information about his past, but I found the pairing lukewarm at best.
So, as a whole this was just a two star book for me. It's nothing that I would re-read. There are more books in this series and I might read the second book at some point to see if things pick up plot-wise and action-wise (since the romance angle is doing anything for me) but it won't be priority reading for me.
vikcs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kblincoln's review against another edition
5.0
Jayne Heller inherits her mysterious uncle's (she thought he was gay!, but no, he's just a demon hunter) riches and house, and finds out he was murdered.
By Randolph Coin, who, is a human being "ridden" by a demonic spirit.
She decides to get revenge for her Uncle's sake, and also because she is trying to figure out who she wants to be after the past few years of just slacking around a campus.
Along with the riches and house, she inherits her uncle's "posse."
Midian, a cursed and aged chef extraordinaire (all the food descriptions of what he cooked made me ravenous) who wants Coin dead to lift his curse.
Ex, an ex-priest with a Paternal manner both infuriating and endearing.
Chogyi Jake, a master of the zen-like smile and acceptance.
And Aubrey (and his ex wife) who was more like a disciple to Eric's work of studying how and why riders take over humans and how to kill them.
Although the major bones of the plot are interesting action and assassination planning scenes with Jayne and her posse, the meat of the story is entirely different.
Jayne gets to go through the most realistic "what, magic?" readjustment of her worldview that I've ever read. She also gets to find out that while she wants to be a leader like her Uncle, her own particular style is much "softer' and more touchy-feely than his.
Figuring out how to be that kind of leader and getting the others to accept her and her decisions was the most interesting part of this book.
Oh yeah, there's a romance, but as the object of that romance is more interesting in his absence than his presence, the real relationship interest is provided by how Jayne relates to each of the members of her posse, so I didn't miss a more meatier romance.
Unclean Spirits is definitely grounded in our world, the author even brings parasitology in to explain some of the rider's behavior, and I truly enjoyed Jayne's emotional journey.
I'm hoping the author can build on that journey, and the world, in the next book.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Yakisoba noodles with shrimp and chicken and vegetables cooked to perfection for all the varied characters and relationships offered up in this book, as well as the interesting "noodles" of the assassination plots to kill Coin.
By Randolph Coin, who, is a human being "ridden" by a demonic spirit.
She decides to get revenge for her Uncle's sake, and also because she is trying to figure out who she wants to be after the past few years of just slacking around a campus.
Along with the riches and house, she inherits her uncle's "posse."
Midian, a cursed and aged chef extraordinaire (all the food descriptions of what he cooked made me ravenous) who wants Coin dead to lift his curse.
Ex, an ex-priest with a Paternal manner both infuriating and endearing.
Chogyi Jake, a master of the zen-like smile and acceptance.
And Aubrey (and his ex wife) who was more like a disciple to Eric's work of studying how and why riders take over humans and how to kill them.
Although the major bones of the plot are interesting action and assassination planning scenes with Jayne and her posse, the meat of the story is entirely different.
Jayne gets to go through the most realistic "what, magic?" readjustment of her worldview that I've ever read. She also gets to find out that while she wants to be a leader like her Uncle, her own particular style is much "softer' and more touchy-feely than his.
Figuring out how to be that kind of leader and getting the others to accept her and her decisions was the most interesting part of this book.
Oh yeah, there's a romance, but as the object of that romance is more interesting in his absence than his presence, the real relationship interest is provided by how Jayne relates to each of the members of her posse, so I didn't miss a more meatier romance.
Unclean Spirits is definitely grounded in our world, the author even brings parasitology in to explain some of the rider's behavior, and I truly enjoyed Jayne's emotional journey.
I'm hoping the author can build on that journey, and the world, in the next book.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Yakisoba noodles with shrimp and chicken and vegetables cooked to perfection for all the varied characters and relationships offered up in this book, as well as the interesting "noodles" of the assassination plots to kill Coin.
mferrante83's review against another edition
3.0
Unclean Spirits by M. L. N. Hanover, a pen name for one of my favorite authors Daniel Abraham, is the first in urban fantasy series the Black Sun's Daughter. While I didn't have any major trouble reading Unclean Spirits it is a far cry from other works by Abraham. It stands head and shoulders above other urban fantasy books I've read, and its excellent pacing and smooth prose makes Unclean Spirits a quick read.
Unclean Spirits opens with the troubled 22 year-old Jayné Heller arriving in Denver as the inheritor of her uncle's estate. Of course there was more, much more, to her uncle than Jayné ever expected and she soon finds herself dealing with the sinister Randolph Coin; the same man who orchestrated her uncle's death. Turns out Eric and those he knew dealt with some of the nasty things that jump into our world from elsewhere. It isn't long before Jayné takes up her uncle's quest; mostly in the name of vengeance for the man who helped her throughout her life.
Jayné makes for an interesting lead particularly because, at the start of the novel, there is nothing spectacular about her. She is our straight-woman. Just an average college aged youth trying to get her life together. Jayné's early characterization allows Hanover to build on her personality slowly revealing a surprisingly steely core. Jayné's normalcy is contrasted nicely by the people she soon finds herself surrounded by. The cursed undead gourmand Midian, an ex-Jesuit named Ex, a buddhist with magic powers named Chogyi Jake, and a parasitologist named Aubrey. Of those it is the last that we are first introduced and who is immediately (and rightfully) pegged as the novel's love interest. Smart, kind, and impossibly attractive my knee-jerk reaction to Aubrey was an eye-roll and a sigh. Thankfully my exasperation at this obvious role was somewhat alleviated by events later in the novel. I think the origin behind the relationship between Eric and Aubrey is fascinating it was a bit too tantalizing for me and I would have loved to see the invading spirit as parasites angle explored a bit more fully here.
Midian serves as a fun historical go-to and works quite nicely for a bit of comic relief. With Eric being dead Midian serves as our only real source of information on who Randolph Coin is and what his Invisible College is all about. Hanover pulls a nice twist with regards to this and really changes how view the information Midian was doling out earlier in the novel. Ex serves a more problematic role and his relationship with Jayné isn't explored too deeply however, there are enough hints that he could be an interesting source of tension in future volumes. Chogyi Jake serves as Jayné's spiritual advisor through her crash course in the world of the supernatural. He serves as an excellent sort of baseline calm throughout the chaos of the novel.
Hanover makes a nice start with the characters in Unclean Spirits, but less so when it comes to the setting of Denver. When it comes to fantasy, particularly urban fantasy, sense of place is particularly important to me as a reader. The titular “urban” shouldn't just imply a modern city setting. Rather I'm of the opinion that the setting of an urban fantasy should be just as important as its story and characters. Dresden's Chicago is an important part of that series just as de Lint's Newford is essential to his novels and short stories; absent of those settings neither works quite as well. Unclean Spirits does not have the same strong link between characters and setting. Given that in Unclean Spirits, Jayné has just arrived in Denver I hope that as the Black Sun's Daughter series develops that link between character and place develops.
Unclean Spirits is a strong start to a series. Hanover's effortless pacing and deft characterization, even if he swerves towards cliché a bit, makes for an easy and exciting read. While novel didn't completely blow me away neither did it manage to turn me away; given that urban fantasy isn't my favorite sub-genre that is a pretty good thing. Given my experience with Daniel Abraham's other work I'm willing to give this series another shot and I'll definitely be checking in to see how Jayné develops across future volumes.
Unclean Spirits opens with the troubled 22 year-old Jayné Heller arriving in Denver as the inheritor of her uncle's estate. Of course there was more, much more, to her uncle than Jayné ever expected and she soon finds herself dealing with the sinister Randolph Coin; the same man who orchestrated her uncle's death. Turns out Eric and those he knew dealt with some of the nasty things that jump into our world from elsewhere. It isn't long before Jayné takes up her uncle's quest; mostly in the name of vengeance for the man who helped her throughout her life.
Jayné makes for an interesting lead particularly because, at the start of the novel, there is nothing spectacular about her. She is our straight-woman. Just an average college aged youth trying to get her life together. Jayné's early characterization allows Hanover to build on her personality slowly revealing a surprisingly steely core. Jayné's normalcy is contrasted nicely by the people she soon finds herself surrounded by. The cursed undead gourmand Midian, an ex-Jesuit named Ex, a buddhist with magic powers named Chogyi Jake, and a parasitologist named Aubrey. Of those it is the last that we are first introduced and who is immediately (and rightfully) pegged as the novel's love interest. Smart, kind, and impossibly attractive my knee-jerk reaction to Aubrey was an eye-roll and a sigh. Thankfully my exasperation at this obvious role was somewhat alleviated by events later in the novel. I think the origin behind the relationship between Eric and Aubrey is fascinating it was a bit too tantalizing for me and I would have loved to see the invading spirit as parasites angle explored a bit more fully here.
Midian serves as a fun historical go-to and works quite nicely for a bit of comic relief. With Eric being dead Midian serves as our only real source of information on who Randolph Coin is and what his Invisible College is all about. Hanover pulls a nice twist with regards to this and really changes how view the information Midian was doling out earlier in the novel. Ex serves a more problematic role and his relationship with Jayné isn't explored too deeply however, there are enough hints that he could be an interesting source of tension in future volumes. Chogyi Jake serves as Jayné's spiritual advisor through her crash course in the world of the supernatural. He serves as an excellent sort of baseline calm throughout the chaos of the novel.
Hanover makes a nice start with the characters in Unclean Spirits, but less so when it comes to the setting of Denver. When it comes to fantasy, particularly urban fantasy, sense of place is particularly important to me as a reader. The titular “urban” shouldn't just imply a modern city setting. Rather I'm of the opinion that the setting of an urban fantasy should be just as important as its story and characters. Dresden's Chicago is an important part of that series just as de Lint's Newford is essential to his novels and short stories; absent of those settings neither works quite as well. Unclean Spirits does not have the same strong link between characters and setting. Given that in Unclean Spirits, Jayné has just arrived in Denver I hope that as the Black Sun's Daughter series develops that link between character and place develops.
Unclean Spirits is a strong start to a series. Hanover's effortless pacing and deft characterization, even if he swerves towards cliché a bit, makes for an easy and exciting read. While novel didn't completely blow me away neither did it manage to turn me away; given that urban fantasy isn't my favorite sub-genre that is a pretty good thing. Given my experience with Daniel Abraham's other work I'm willing to give this series another shot and I'll definitely be checking in to see how Jayné develops across future volumes.
hoperu's review against another edition
3.0
I wavered about actually reading this after reading some of the other reviews. When I found it at the library and got sucked in, I decided to go ahead and read it. I would actually give this 3.5 stars - the plot is pretty interesting and the writing is good, especially for the urban fantasy genre. I don't know if I liked it enough to read the sequel any time soon, but it was a nice, quick summer read.
tiffasaurusrex's review against another edition
2.0
Felt like the same old urban fantasy- Bad-A Girl rounds up a team of Tough Guys, most of which are in love with her. The story is more interesting, "rider" spirits and an Ex-Priest were fresh elements, but overall not anything special.