lauriereadslohf 's review for:

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

4.0

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I haven't yet read Armstrong's "Bitten" or "Stolen" so had to pay very close attention to the first few chapters to get the feel of this world and figure out who was who and what they had to do with the current story but now that I've got most of it figured out the pages are flying. Paige is tough and gutsy and vulnerable as well. And I'm digging the gore, the suspense, the wise-a*s humor and the tension (sexual and otherwise). Kind of reminds of very early Laurell K. Hamilton before she became sex obsessed to the point where a coherent plot was no longer an option ;)

The action is pretty much non-stop and the secret world of witches and cabals working behind the modern day world is well done and a nice take on things. The fact that they have to hide their abilities from normal folks is a nice touch and adds a touch of realism to the plot but I'm a little annoyed at the author for taking such obvious joy at poking fun at modern day Wiccans in the "They Aren't Naked, they're Skyclad." chapter. Her Wiccans all seem to be a bit loony and stereotypical . . .

This was an enjoyable read with some great action, humor, romance and characterization but at times I feel like I was missing something when past events were mentioned in passing and probably should have read this series in order.