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katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun book, though I felt a little... I don't know, I guess let down by the ending. I can't put my finger on why, exactly. I think I am just getting tired of books where our intrepid hero / heroine busts ass to save a bunch of worthless ingrates who have neither appreciation nor even interest in what she does to help them. "The whole world is against you" styled books are beginning to get tiresome to me. Mostly because it always seems to end up that the "whole world" working against them is filled with assholes that they always have to save. Meh. Let them die. Fuck em.
mellhay's review against another edition
4.0
Thought you had a rough day? Charlie has just had one, or a few, with just one thing after another coming up. It all started when she got the call of an unconscious girl on the bathroom floor at her daughters school, fearing she's another victim to ash. When she goes to investigate the scene she learns the girl is the girl who's babysat her daughter and is like a daughter to her. Then, her day just goes down hill from there; she gets beaten to a pulp by jinn, and her ex-husband wants to be with her again - after what he did. On top of all going wrong today the nightmares that started eight months ago, when she died, which have been haunting her every time she closes her eyes have pushed her to the exhausted state and now strange things are happening to her; emotionally and physically.
I enjoyed this book more and more as I read. I liked the world that Kelly has created here. She has taken the world we know and added a few extras to it. We have a sound explanation to where the different beings come from, and the abilities they have. Through these parallel planes we have mages, sirens, a being I like to call a vampire/elf mixed type but what Charlie calls aliens, and jinn along with a other beings as well. There was one small piece that threw me off only a few times and that was the sudden appearance of unexpected beings, or item. In these few moments I felt I might have missed a piece that would lead up to them, but this in no way affected the story happening.
Part of what I enjoyed the most was the storyline direction and mystery. Charlie was constantly in action and uncovering a piece of the puzzle. The story was constantly on forward movement, in a fast pacing. We got the pieces right along with Charlie as she went through the actions and we tried to piece them together, together.
The characters where great. As Charlie wasn't my favorite character in the story, it was no fault of hers. It was the secondary characters I enjoyed. They helped in drawing the character of Charlie. Her sister is a wonderful addition with her magic skills and friends. Her partner, Hank, is a nice addition with being a siren. Charlie's husband, or ex-husband...now he is one to watch as you read. And then we have Charlie's daughter, nice to see we have a main character who is a single mom and trying to make it work. And the relationship she has with her daughter is a great one.
In the end, I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading The Darkest Edge of Dawn. As the story here ends there is lots of room and a few questions to answer to follow through further in the series. Kelly has a great start to a fresh new series here. Kelly has done a wonderful job drawing a mystery in a fantasy world with enough similarities to ours, but with many amazing surprises.
I enjoyed this book more and more as I read. I liked the world that Kelly has created here. She has taken the world we know and added a few extras to it. We have a sound explanation to where the different beings come from, and the abilities they have. Through these parallel planes we have mages, sirens, a being I like to call a vampire/elf mixed type but what Charlie calls aliens, and jinn along with a other beings as well. There was one small piece that threw me off only a few times and that was the sudden appearance of unexpected beings, or item. In these few moments I felt I might have missed a piece that would lead up to them, but this in no way affected the story happening.
Part of what I enjoyed the most was the storyline direction and mystery. Charlie was constantly in action and uncovering a piece of the puzzle. The story was constantly on forward movement, in a fast pacing. We got the pieces right along with Charlie as she went through the actions and we tried to piece them together, together.
The characters where great. As Charlie wasn't my favorite character in the story, it was no fault of hers. It was the secondary characters I enjoyed. They helped in drawing the character of Charlie. Her sister is a wonderful addition with her magic skills and friends. Her partner, Hank, is a nice addition with being a siren. Charlie's husband, or ex-husband...now he is one to watch as you read. And then we have Charlie's daughter, nice to see we have a main character who is a single mom and trying to make it work. And the relationship she has with her daughter is a great one.
In the end, I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading The Darkest Edge of Dawn. As the story here ends there is lots of room and a few questions to answer to follow through further in the series. Kelly has a great start to a fresh new series here. Kelly has done a wonderful job drawing a mystery in a fantasy world with enough similarities to ours, but with many amazing surprises.
alikatson's review against another edition
BR with the MacHalos!
DNF @ 70%. This story had some potential but I just lost interest in trying to make sense of the whiplash story and character that is Charlie.
I may try again at some point.
DNF @ 70%. This story had some potential but I just lost interest in trying to make sense of the whiplash story and character that is Charlie.
I may try again at some point.
ktaylor1164's review against another edition
3.0
It was fine for a quick fix of brain candy. Not much else there.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books where I wasn't sure what to think of it or how to rate it. I liked bits of it but other bits seemed to drag and I would lose a bit of interest in it.
Charlie works for the Integration task force along with partner Hank who is a siren and an alien, one of many aliens choosing to live a new life on Earth. Now they are tracking a deadly drug that is killing and maiming users and may have come from one of the two planets now linked to Earth. Charlie's informant is killed by strange ninjas and she summons an unknown power to kill them, causing a diplomatic incident and forcing her on the run. What are these strange new powers and how did she get them? Is it connected to her return from death?
It got off to a good start with the beginning of the investigation and the attack on Charlie and her informant. There was a nice mixture of action and Charlie trying to be a good mother and juggle a dangerous job. At this point I had high hopes for the book and for Charlie but things started to go downhill a bit in places. There were parts of the book which really dragged especially the middle part where Charlie was investigating the people who saved her life and hanging out at the club to investigate. I didn't find this greatly interesting and it was becoming a bit repetitive. I actually left the book for nearly two weeks before I went back to finish it. The book does pick up a bit in the last third as we go towards the finale and parts of it were interesting again but I could not face reading that middle section again for anything.
I loved Hank. He was certainly my favourite character. I liked Charlie's sister Bryn who was a bit underused for me. I also liked Charlie at the start with her juggling being a cop and a mother, and trying to get over the trauma of being killed and brought back from the dead. Charlie's death was caused by her ex-husband dabbling in dark magic so I was really annoyed with her for nearly falling into bed with him because she can't resist his touch. Oh please! Thanks for turning what seemed to be a smart and tough heroine into a pathetic whiny little women who melts at the mere touch of a man. Gag! Jeez Charlie he cheated on you, his lover murdered you and you can't resist him??? Stop being so damn spineless!!! As the book progresses Charlie becomes very annoying with that 'I can do everything myself and don't need help thank you very much' attitude which leads to her constantly needing to be rescued. That becomes repetitive and very frustrating and I wanted to give her a good shake. She becomes a royal pain in the butt, frankly, the longer the book goes on.
One thing I did like though was the ending. The resolution of the story was quite satisfying and overall I did like most of the characters. I also liked the fact that for once we had a male and female team working together without the need to jump into bed. That was good! The action scenes were well written and there were some really good ideas and well written characters. I have complained about a few things that didn't appeal to me but it is not a 'bad' book. It is not poorly written. It has a decent story.
Gah this book had potential but I feel it just didn't fully deliver. The author had several different threads running through it-the Ash investigation, Charlie's love life, Charlie's death. I felt there was so much emphasis on the last two that the investigation into the drug fell by the wayside by halfway through the book-and that was the bit I found the most interesting. The book was mainly about her death and who caused it and it did overshadow a decent drug plot. Yes it was important for Charlie to get answers about her death and new powers but it did drag on a bit too much for me. The whole love life ex husband thing just bored me. I feel this book would have been better if the plot was tightened a bit and lost some of the padding.
There was a decent story in there which was well enough written but the slow sections just switched me off at times. The best characters were there it seems to rescue Charlie, who went from kickass female to idiot as we progressed, which was disappointing. I did finish the book but I decided not to continue with the series.
Charlie works for the Integration task force along with partner Hank who is a siren and an alien, one of many aliens choosing to live a new life on Earth. Now they are tracking a deadly drug that is killing and maiming users and may have come from one of the two planets now linked to Earth. Charlie's informant is killed by strange ninjas and she summons an unknown power to kill them, causing a diplomatic incident and forcing her on the run. What are these strange new powers and how did she get them? Is it connected to her return from death?
It got off to a good start with the beginning of the investigation and the attack on Charlie and her informant. There was a nice mixture of action and Charlie trying to be a good mother and juggle a dangerous job. At this point I had high hopes for the book and for Charlie but things started to go downhill a bit in places. There were parts of the book which really dragged especially the middle part where Charlie was investigating the people who saved her life and hanging out at the club to investigate. I didn't find this greatly interesting and it was becoming a bit repetitive. I actually left the book for nearly two weeks before I went back to finish it. The book does pick up a bit in the last third as we go towards the finale and parts of it were interesting again but I could not face reading that middle section again for anything.
I loved Hank. He was certainly my favourite character. I liked Charlie's sister Bryn who was a bit underused for me. I also liked Charlie at the start with her juggling being a cop and a mother, and trying to get over the trauma of being killed and brought back from the dead. Charlie's death was caused by her ex-husband dabbling in dark magic so I was really annoyed with her for nearly falling into bed with him because she can't resist his touch. Oh please! Thanks for turning what seemed to be a smart and tough heroine into a pathetic whiny little women who melts at the mere touch of a man. Gag! Jeez Charlie he cheated on you, his lover murdered you and you can't resist him??? Stop being so damn spineless!!! As the book progresses Charlie becomes very annoying with that 'I can do everything myself and don't need help thank you very much' attitude which leads to her constantly needing to be rescued. That becomes repetitive and very frustrating and I wanted to give her a good shake. She becomes a royal pain in the butt, frankly, the longer the book goes on.
One thing I did like though was the ending. The resolution of the story was quite satisfying and overall I did like most of the characters. I also liked the fact that for once we had a male and female team working together without the need to jump into bed. That was good! The action scenes were well written and there were some really good ideas and well written characters. I have complained about a few things that didn't appeal to me but it is not a 'bad' book. It is not poorly written. It has a decent story.
Gah this book had potential but I feel it just didn't fully deliver. The author had several different threads running through it-the Ash investigation, Charlie's love life, Charlie's death. I felt there was so much emphasis on the last two that the investigation into the drug fell by the wayside by halfway through the book-and that was the bit I found the most interesting. The book was mainly about her death and who caused it and it did overshadow a decent drug plot. Yes it was important for Charlie to get answers about her death and new powers but it did drag on a bit too much for me. The whole love life ex husband thing just bored me. I feel this book would have been better if the plot was tightened a bit and lost some of the padding.
There was a decent story in there which was well enough written but the slow sections just switched me off at times. The best characters were there it seems to rescue Charlie, who went from kickass female to idiot as we progressed, which was disappointing. I did finish the book but I decided not to continue with the series.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
I never get bored of a kick-ass heroine in a paranormal/fantasy setting and this one did not disappoint. Enjoyed the fact that she is a single mother, something you rarely see in novels like this and an fun and interesting plot to go a long with it. Will definitely continue the series!
blodeuedd's review against another edition
4.0
Plot:
It has been over 10 years since the big revelation, that there are two other dimensions, what we used to call heaven and hell. But things are not that easy and not everything is black and white. Charlie Madigan is a cop, and single mum. She works on a special task force together with her partner trying to keep the city clean because the off-worlders do not always play nice. She also died 8 months ago and something is wrong with her, but what? Someone is selling a bad drug to the people of Atlanta and she needs every help she can get to stop it.
My thoughts:
New favourite UF author :D Yes I really want to dive right into book 2 but will stop myself. I would just read it in a day in a crazy haze like I did with this one. It was just that good.
Charlie is one kick-ass woman, and kick-ass and UF is what I love. She is a tough cop, but she does have nightmares from her death, and she has a strange super strength. I was so very curious about what was up with her. She has a sexy partner (sadly no action there), an ex she has not forgiven and an itch to scratch. Sadly not a hint of romance, but ok I can deal with that, still I hope an interest comes along. There were some good maybes in this book, and I wonder if the author will go down one of those roads.
Good cast, her partner Hank, a siren, her sister Bryn who practices magic, her kid, some bad guys, aye the bad guys are always the best. they bring the tension, they are evil, and I liked one of them. not gonna tell who now ;)
There is magic, and all kinds of cool off-worlders, she kicks ass, and there is plenty of action. The book ends kind of nicely too. Now big cliffhanger that makes me scream in protest, but I do want to know what happens. Cos oh my the changes at the end! The next book will have a lot to deal with.
This book had me glued to it from start to finish. The punches kept on rolling and being as curious as I am I did not want to put it down. I needed to know what was up.
Final thoughts and recommendation.
Hell yeah, read it, this is one UF book you should have a look at. Excellent world building, great characters and a promise of such cool things to come. I would love to just start book 2 at once and just eat it up.
Reason for reading:
I did think it sounded good
Cover:
Is that a necklace she is wearing? Hm
It has been over 10 years since the big revelation, that there are two other dimensions, what we used to call heaven and hell. But things are not that easy and not everything is black and white. Charlie Madigan is a cop, and single mum. She works on a special task force together with her partner trying to keep the city clean because the off-worlders do not always play nice. She also died 8 months ago and something is wrong with her, but what? Someone is selling a bad drug to the people of Atlanta and she needs every help she can get to stop it.
My thoughts:
New favourite UF author :D Yes I really want to dive right into book 2 but will stop myself. I would just read it in a day in a crazy haze like I did with this one. It was just that good.
Charlie is one kick-ass woman, and kick-ass and UF is what I love. She is a tough cop, but she does have nightmares from her death, and she has a strange super strength. I was so very curious about what was up with her. She has a sexy partner (sadly no action there), an ex she has not forgiven and an itch to scratch. Sadly not a hint of romance, but ok I can deal with that, still I hope an interest comes along. There were some good maybes in this book, and I wonder if the author will go down one of those roads.
Good cast, her partner Hank, a siren, her sister Bryn who practices magic, her kid, some bad guys, aye the bad guys are always the best. they bring the tension, they are evil, and I liked one of them. not gonna tell who now ;)
There is magic, and all kinds of cool off-worlders, she kicks ass, and there is plenty of action. The book ends kind of nicely too. Now big cliffhanger that makes me scream in protest, but I do want to know what happens. Cos oh my the changes at the end! The next book will have a lot to deal with.
This book had me glued to it from start to finish. The punches kept on rolling and being as curious as I am I did not want to put it down. I needed to know what was up.
Final thoughts and recommendation.
Hell yeah, read it, this is one UF book you should have a look at. Excellent world building, great characters and a promise of such cool things to come. I would love to just start book 2 at once and just eat it up.
Reason for reading:
I did think it sounded good
Cover:
Is that a necklace she is wearing? Hm
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
I tried to make this my bedside book so that I could give it the reading time it deserved....and I had really whack-a-doo dreams the two times I tried it. I tend to have a rather vivid imagination and the images my brain retained from the Elysians, the hottie sirens, black mages, bigass scary jinn, the effects of ash, all made for some freaked out dreams that made me claw my way out and awake.
I love reading Urban Fantasy since I get to kick ass vicariously through the characters. They get the bruises and I get the virtual rush. And there was a hellah lot of virtual rush in this one. Charlie is smart and tough and has come back from the dead. She is slowly learning to come to grips with her growing abilities after the fact, but she wants answers. And to protect her daughter, her sister and her partner. And the world.
Five kickass beans save the world beans.....
I love reading Urban Fantasy since I get to kick ass vicariously through the characters. They get the bruises and I get the virtual rush. And there was a hellah lot of virtual rush in this one. Charlie is smart and tough and has come back from the dead. She is slowly learning to come to grips with her growing abilities after the fact, but she wants answers. And to protect her daughter, her sister and her partner. And the world.
Five kickass beans save the world beans.....