C. E. Murphy: THE WALKER PAPERS SERIES


Author:  C. E. Murphy (Catie)

Series:  THE WALKER PAPERS 

Plot Type:  Urban Fantasy (UF)

Ratings:   Violence—3, Sensuality—2, Humor—3

Publisher and Titles:  Luna     
     BOOKS: This is the author's reading order for the books.   

           Urban Shaman (1/2009)

          “Banshee Cries” in Winter Moon anthology (10/2009)

           Thunderbird Falls (6/2009)

           Coyote Dreams (6/2009)

           Walking Dead (9/2009)

           Demon Hunts (6/2010)

           Spirit Dances (3/2011) 

           Raven Calls (2/2012)     

           No Dominion: The Walker Papers: A Garrison Report (1/2013, Gary's history plus series-related short stories)

          Mountain Echoes (2/2013)

           Shaman Rises (6/2014) (FINAL)

     Free on-line stories:

           "Magic Hath an Element" (the first chapters of Urban Shaman from Gary's point of view)

           "Rabbit Tricks" (comes after Coyote Dreams)

           "Forgotten But by a Few" (events in Spirit Dances from Gary's POV)

     Cross-Over Novella:

           "Easy Pickings" (11/2012, e-novella by C. E. Murphy & Faith Hunter in which Joanne Walker and Jane Yellowrock have an adventure in an alternate New Orleans.)  

     This post was revised and updated on 7/10/14 to include a review of Shaman Rises, the eleventh and FINAL book in the series. That review comes first, followed by an overview of the world-building and brief reviews of books 7, 8, and 10:

            BOOK 11:  Shaman Rises            

     Murphy does us all a huge favor in her "Author's Note" by providing a one-paragraph summary of each book in the series. I wish all authors of lengthy series would do the same! Joanne herself provides the following summary of the past two weeks of her life, which have been covered in the past few books: "I'd been running nonstop for two weeks, ever since a dance performance had caused me to accidentally turn Morrison into a wolf. And that had been the least of it. I'd also quit my job, stopped a sacrifice, gotten bitten by a werewolf, been to Ireland, made amends with my dead mother, defeated an avatar of evil, flown to North Carolina, reconciled with my estranged father, met the son I'd given up for adoption, and released an evil angel into the world." (p. 27) Joanne now has three spirit animals: a raven, a snake, and a walking stick (insect).

    The entire woo-woo plot of the final novel revolves around the once-and-for-all defeat of the Master, who has been stalking Joanne all through the series. Although it has been just 15 months in real time since the events in Urban Shaman (the first book), Joanne and her friends and enemies have spent a great deal of time in the distant past (frequently due to the time-bending abilities of one of Joanne's spirit animals). Nearly every scene in this book involves a physical-spiritual-magical battle between Joanne and the Master's avatars in various realms. One of those avatars is Raven Mocker, who escaped from Joanne in Mountain Echoes. In one imaginative scene, Joanne, Gary, and Morrison actually beat back a pair of avatars by chanting, respectively, Chief Seattle's prayer, a speech from Shakespeare's Henry V, and the Gettysburg Address. Eventually, Joanne confronts the Master himself and learns his true identity.  

     The character list for this book contains many who are familiar from earlier adventures. Here is a list of the main characters: 

   > Michael Morrison: Joanne's former boss and true love

   > Cyrano Bia (aka Coyote): Joanne's mentor and ally

   > Gary Muldoon: the cab driver who befriended Joanne back in book 1

   > Annie Muldoon: Gary's supposedly dead wife
   > Suzanne (Suzy) Quinley: granddaughter of Cernunnos, god of the Wild Hunt
   > The Master: Joanne's arch-enemy, who speaks and acts mostly through his avatars

     As the book opens, Joanne and Morrison are still in North Carolina when Joanne gets an urgent call from Gary Muldoon, who claims that Annie, his long-dead wife, has turned up alive but unconscious in a Seattle hospital. Joanne and Morrison immediately head back to Seattle, and just as they are making their first visit to Annie's hospital room, two seemingly unrelated events occur: 

     First, Suzy Quinley shows up, claiming to have been summoned by someone who was trying to raise an earth element. Suzy explains what happened next: "When…I came through, so did something else. And it felt…bad. And I fought it, and I won, but it, like, leaked oil inside my head. All I can see is the darkness, futures where everything has gone dark." (p. 64) (Be sure to keep this scene in mind as you continue reading the book.)

     Then, Morrison gets an urgent message that there has been a mass murder at Thunderbird Falls, an important magical site in Seattle that has played a major role in past books. When Joanne reaches the Falls she discovers that its abundance of white magic has been turned dangerously black by one of the Master's avatars. From that point on, Joanne fights the Master in all his human and spiritual forms as Seattle falls in ruins around her. These battles consume more than 80% of the book.

     Because the Master and his avatars can possess any human, Joanne (and the reader) never know whom to trust. As usual, Joanne makes many, many errors in judgment as she fights for her own survival as well as for her friends, for Seattle, and for the world at large, but the Master eventually gets his just due in a very unexpected manner. Murphy resolves the Master's punishment in the woo-woo manner that dominates this book (and the series in general), but for me, it was somewhat unsatisfying because it was so mystical and nonphysical. Unfortunately, the battles include the deaths of several familiar characters, and some of those scenes are quite heart-breaking. 

     I have to admit that this series got so deeply and enigmatically mythological and spiritual towards the end that I had trouble sticking with it. My tastes tend to run towards urban fantasy that is more realistic and less esoteric. But still, I love the primary characters, particularly Joann, Gary, Morrison, and Coyote (in both his forms), although Morrison was much more engaging in the early books when his scenes with Joanne were filled with sardonic dialogue and when their attraction to one another simmered in the background. Throughout the series, Murphy has done a fine job in her character development, giving each one (including the animal spirits) a distinctive personality and back-story. Sometimes the plots tend to drag (as is true in this book) because there are so many repetitious battles. For me, the strongest scenes are the ones that focus on the interpersonal relationships among the characters.  

            WORLD-BUILDING            

     Siobhan Grainne MacNamarra Walkingstick (aka “Joanne Walker”) is a six-foot tall, half-Cherokee, half-Irish police officer in Seattle. She is also a trained and experienced auto mechanic, which was her first job with the police department. Although Joanne has changed her Native American name and repressed her heritage for most of her life, a near-death experience triggers her abilities as a shaman, and she begins to use trances and dreams to move back and forth between astral realms, trying to solve both human and immortal problems. As the series progresses, Joanne's powers become quite strong—strong enough, in fact, to cause an earthquake and create a waterfall.

     Joanne's sidekick is cab-driver Gary Muldoon, who drums Joanne into her trances (he's away on a trip so he doesn't appear in Spirit Dances); her partner is Billy Holiday, a medium whose wife (Melinda) is a witch. Joanne’s nemesis (and possible love interest, she hopes) is her boss, Captain Michael Morrison, who tries to ignore Joanne’s magic but keeps being drawn into it. Her magical, mystical mentor is Coyote, who can take three different shapes: his namesake furry animal self, a red-skinned man, or an actual human. Joanne also has two other mystical helpers (Raven and Snake) who assist her in her magic and help her get out of the jams into which she constantly puts herself.

     Story lines in earlier books include an evil banshee who kills several humans in a quest for power, an ancient Celtic god who leads the Wild Hunt in search of a missing Rider, a coven of witches who try to reanimate an ancient spirit, and a zombie invasion of Seattle. Plots are mystically labyrinthine at times—particularly during Joanne’s frequent dreams and trances as she visits other planes of existence. The author doesn't provide much background information for Joanne's forays into various mythological pantheons, so it's easy for the reader to feel a bit lost at times.

            BOOK 7:  Spirit Dances            

     In book 7, Joanne's powers have advanced to an astonishing degree, and that development proceeds even further in this story. As usual, the disparate incidents in which Joanne gets involved seem unrelated, but no—they're all connected. So...here they are: A woman whose life was saved by Joanne's magic presents Joanne with tickets to a Native American dance program; the lead dancer of the dance troupe is magically murdered (while Joanne and Morrison are in the audience on an actual date—hurray!); Joanne cures a woman's breast cancer; and a homeless man has his throat torn out on the streets of Seattle. Yes, indeed...they're connected, and Joanne and her magic are at the center of it all. Once again, the plots are outrageous in their inexplicably, but the action never stops, and Joanne's adventures are endlessly entertaining. I guarantee that you will gasp out loud at what Joanne does to Morrison in this story.

     As the book ends, Joanne and Morrison have taken a small step forward in their relationship, but Joanne is off to Ireland on the heels of a vision that is in some way related to her mother.  

            BOOK 8:  Raven Calls            

     To be absolutely alliterative about it, the plot of this book is confusing, chaotic, cryptic, and convoluted. As the story begins, Joanne is boarding a plane to Ireland in hopes of finding a cure for the werewolf bite she received the night before (at the end of the previous book). When she arrives, who should turn up at the Dublin Airport to meet her but her buddy, Gary Muldoon, who was ordered by Joanne's boyfriend/boss, Michael Morrison, to fly to her aid. Joanne and Gary head for the magical Hill of Tara, and this is where the madness begins. The plot seesaws its way back and forth in time as Joanne meets, converses with, and/or battles a series of supernatural beings. This is, unfortunately, a plot that is totally driven by immense quantities of Irish mythology and uncontrolled time travel. We get all of Joanne's Native American shamanism (her spirit animals, magic Garden, and magic sword) plus an overdose of Irish mythology (see below). Even Joanne's buddy/nemesis, Cernunnos, shows up to make another leering pass at her while he helps her win a battle or two. Due to the time travel situation, Joanne fights some of the mythological bad guys and gals more than once—in the far-past, the near-past, and the present.

     Here are some of the mythological beings Joanne meets. Click on the pink links for more information. Maybe if you read that information first, the plot will make more sense:

  > Meabh (aka Maeve): Queen of Connacht, wife of Aillil, The Morrigan's daughter, and a distant relative of Joanne's. She's one of Joanne's supporters. 

  > The Morrigan: Goddess of battle and strife, she's sworn allegiance to the Master and is Joanne's primary foe in this book even though she is also a distant ancestor. 

  > The Banshees: Fairy women who are the harbingers of death. In this book, the Banshees are sworn to the Master and are bringing death rather than foretelling it. Joanne's mother is one of the Banshees. 

  > Brigid: Another Irish fairy woman who shows up a few times to converse with Joanne in a friendly manner. 

  > The Master: He is apparently the god of Death and Destruction and The Morrigan is his assistant. Joanne has been battling him and his minions for many months. Other than "the Master," no other name is given. Is he Satan? We don't learn his true identity until the climax of the final novel, Shaman Rises.

  > Lugh and Nuada: Mythological Irish high kings who show up to move the story along. Both are friendly to Joanne. Nuada crafts Joanne's necklace—the one her mother gave her. That necklace keeps showing up around various necks throughout the story, depending on what time period they're in.   

  > Gancanagh: A male fairy who tries to help Joanne, but causes trouble the entire time he's with her because he has the ability to seduce women by taking the form of the one they love best. You can guess whose form he takes for Joanne. Unfortunately, Joanne's traveling companion at that point is Maebh, and to her he looks like her cheating former husband, Aillil. Much violence ensues when Joanne and Maebh throw some jealous fits.

     Along with her search for a cure for her werewolf bite, Joanne is also trying to save her late mother's soul. Throughout the book, Joanne behaves like an obnoxious adolescent, just the way she did in the early books of the series. Whenever she meets—or re-meets—one of the goddesses, she immediately begins the dialogue with wisecracks and rude remarks. Only at the very end does she have a face-to-face encounter with her younger "self" and finally puts that younger side of her to rest, hopefully forever.

     You may have noticed that I haven't given you a plot summary, and that's because the "plot" is either too confusing for me to understand, or it is just plain nonexistent. This is by far the weakest book in a series that, up until now, I've enjoyed immensely. In the next book, Joanne heads back to North Carolina to search for her father, who has gone missing. Let's hope that the mythology thins out and that Joanne has a few real-world experiences—preferably with Michael Morrison, who is entirely absent from this book. Well, not entirely, there are two phone calls in which they FINALLY admit that they love one another. 


     One last warning: I highly recommend that you read Spirit Dances before you read this book. Really, you should read one right after the other. I read Spirit Dances a year ago, and many of the details of that story line have slipped my memory. Luckily, I could dredge up a few bits and pieces of that plot so I could stumble through, but I can't imagine that a reader would be able to get through this book without some knowledge of the events that climaxed  Spirit Dances.   

            BOOK 10:  Mountain Echoes              

     When Joanne arrives back in the Qualla Boundary (the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina where she spent her unhappy teen years), she runs into all sorts of problems, some related to complicated human relationships and some connected with the supernatural, particularly the evil Master who has been chasing her since she was a child. In the previous book, Joanne and Gary trounced, but did not annihilate, the Master during their adventures in Ireland. Back in her high school years, Joanne was a sullen and hostile troublemaker, alienating most people in the Qualla with her bad attitude. Even though they soon realize that she is now a powerful shaman, they don't really want her help because they remember her as a bad seed.


     To review: Just as Joanne and Gary ended their adventure in Ireland, Jane got a phone call from her former friend, Sara Isaac, telling her to come home because Jane's father has disappeared. Back in high school, Joanne and Sara were BFFs, but then Jane slept with (and was impregnated by) a boy whom Sara secretly loved, and Sara has been hostile towards Jane ever since. Sara left the reservation to become an FBI agent, and she showed up in Seattle in Demon Hunts to help in the search for a supernatural serial killer. Sara is now married to Lucas, the father of Joanne's twins, and when Joanne learns that Lucas is also missing, she has to deal with Sara's fears for Lucas's safety as well as her fears that Joanne and Lucas will somehow fall in love and leave her behind. (There's nothing like a slap of bad high school backlash to stop a pair of strong, independent 21st century heroines right in their tracks!)


     Not only does Joanne have to deal with the hostility of the folks on the reservation, she must decide how to handle meeting her son for the first time since he was born. Aidan is now 12 years old, and he has wicked shamanic powers. He was adopted by a woman on the reservation who fears that Joanne will threaten her relationship with Aidan. Then Aiden goes off into the mountains alone, and Joanne has three people to find—all with a personal connection to her past. The story follows Joanne and—shockingly!—Morrison as they figure out what's going on and try to find the two missing men. This involves some time travel, a series of battles, and some great scenes between Joanne and Morrison—the ones we've been waiting for since book 1.


     The action part of the conflict is based on the pain suffered by the land that was damaged over the centuries by the exploitations of the white settlers and how that pain is now being used by the Master to create a chaotic situation that draws Joanne and Morrison right into the grasp of his Executioner. The story has a few periods of dense mythology that are (as usual) somewhat difficult to navigate, but for the most part, it moves right along with lots of action and emotion.

     The emotional part of the conflict involves the angst of Joanne's extremely complicated family relationships. Jane gets a chance to reunite with her father and learn why he never taught her to use her magical talents, and Morrison is able to prove that he is the right man for Joanne as he steadfastly backs her up both physically and emotionally throughout the story. Adding to the emotional mix is Joanne's newly developing relationship with her son, who is now an adolescent who belongs to his adopted mother, not to Joanne. If you're a regular series reader, I'd recommend this book for the Morrison story line alone. Both the development of the action and the depth of the characterization (particularly for Lester Lee, the sheriff (who has had a long-time crush on Joanne), and Sara (the nemesis) are well done, adding just the right amount of personal conflict to an exhilarating adventure.

Sarah McCarty: THE SHADOW WRANGLERS

Author: Sarah McCarty

Series: THE SHADOW WRANGLERS
Plot Type: SMR

Ratings: V5; S5; H2

Publisher and Titles: Berkley Sensation:

      Caleb (2009)

      Jared (2010)

      Jace (2011)

      Slade (2011)

     This blog entry was revised and updated on 1/19/12 to include a review of the fourth book in the series: Slade. That review follows this summary of the series so far:

     This is an erotica series that tells the soul-mate stories of four Texan brothers—modern-day cowboy vampires. Centuries ago, when the eldest, Caleb, was on the point of dying, he was turned into a vampire. Because he couldn't bear to leave his brothers behind, he turned them too: Jared, Jace, and Slade. Now the men live on a ranch (the Circle J) and have formed alliances with two werewolf packs. In each book, a brother meets and mates with his one and only love. The villains of the series are members of the Sanctuary, a fanatical group of vampires who believe that they should be the sole rulers of all vampires and werewolves. The Sanctuary routinely kidnaps female vamps and female werewolves and tries to impregnate them in an attempt to gain control over future generations.

     In book 1, Caleb is forced to turn Allie into a vampire after they are attacked by rogue werewolves. Unfortunately, Allie cannot consume blood from anyone but her mate—and that, of course, turns out to be Caleb. Since female vampires are rare, Allie is an object of interest for the Sanctuary. The plot revolves around the progression of the romance and the blood problem, with interruptions for some Sanctuary trickery.

     Book 2 begins with Jared's discovery of a young vampire female in the wilderness between the Circle J and the Sanctuary.  As the romance between Jared and Raisa develops, he discovers that she has some deep secrets that may put herself—and his family—in danger.  Once again, the Sanctuary is at the root of their problems, and once again, Raisa can only tolerate her mate's blood.

     In book 3, Jace must rescue his werewolf mate (Miri) and their baby (Faith) from Sanctuary imprisonment. Being a vampire, Jace has a hard time getting the local werewolves to accept his mating with one of their pack members.

     In book 4, Slade, the science/technology-obsessed brother, meets his match in the brilliant and feisty Jane Frederickson, who is a genetic researcher at a laboratory with Sanctuary connections (but she knows nothing about vampires or werewolves). Just as the Sanctuary goons are about to grab Jane up and carry her away, Slade sweeps in to rescue/kidnap her. After a few battles with Sanctuary vamps and werewolves, Jane is convinced that supernatural beings do exist and that some of them are better—a lot better—than others (Slade, in particular). Slade and his family want Jane on their side so that she can find a cure for the terminal illness that has struck Joseph, Caleb and Allison's infant son—the first known child to be born a vampire. Naturally enough, Jane doesn't take well to being kidnapped, although she is sympathetic to their reasons for needing her expertise.  After continually refusing to accept the fact that she is Slade's mate, Jane has a moment of epiphany when Slade lays down his life for her and nearly dies. At that point, she does a complete turn around on the whole mating-forever idea, guaranteeing an HEA for the happy couple. 

     In general, the stories focus on the ups and downs of the various romances, with more downs than ups most of the time. The plots serve primarily as breaks in the romantic cycle, and the characters are fairly shallow: handsome, chest-thumping alpha males and smart, sassy (but sexually submissive) females—all rather interchangeable. In general, most of the arguments and disagreements between each pair of mates is solved—if only temporarily—with a thorough sexual workout. All of the main characters have loads of emotional problems that they must work through (sometimes at tedious length). Lots of trust issues and self-esteem qualms: Does he/she love me for myself or is it just because of the blood match-up? Every other scene is a bedroom (or kitchen, or living room, or cave) sex scene, so if you like that type of paranormal fiction, you'll enjoy this series. 

Ann Aguirre: CORINE SOLOMON

Author:  Ann Aguirre

Series:  CORINE SOLOMON 
Plot Type:  Urban Fantasy (UF)

Ratings:  Violence--4, Sensuality--2-3, Humor--2

Publisher and Titles:  Roc

          Blue Diablo (4/2009)

          Hell Fire (4/2010)

          Shady Lady (4/2011)

          Devil's Punch (4/2012)

          Agave Kiss (3/2013) (FINAL)

     This post was revised and updated on 3/30/13 to include a review of the fifth and FINAL book in the series, Agave Kiss. That review appears first, followed by an overview of the world-building, a brief description of books 1 and 2, and full reviews of books 3 and 4:

            BOOK 5:  Agave Kiss            

     Corine has several big problems to solve in this final book. Most importantly, she has to find a way to resurrect her lover, Chance, from the dead. In the meantime, she has to deal with Barachiel, an arrogant, self-proclaimed archangel who insists that she must fight on his side. Next, she has to save the life of her Internet friend, Ian Booke, who faces certain death after Corine helps him break the curse that has held him captive in his home for decades. Then there are the minions who have been sent to collect on Corine's demon debt that is left over from the last book. And don't forget the situation with Shannon (Corine's BFF) and Jesse (Corine's ex-boyfriend). They're in love, and the situation is awkward when the three of them are together. On top of all these problems, Corine faces a major, life-changing event that I won't spell out here. You'll pick up on it right away, though—well before the big reveal (at least I did). 

     The plot, as you can imagine, jumps from one of Corine's problems to the next, with the rescue of Chance looming over every scene. The story includes moments of joy, but it also includes some heartbreak as not all of the continuing characters make it through to the end. I'm going to keep this review short, mainly because I don't want to risk giving out any spoilers.

     This is a much stronger book than the previous one. Here, Corine is front and center, showing off her courage and intelligence as she fights to get back her man and protect her friends. Problematically, Corine lost some of her powers as a result of events in book 4, so she has to improvise and she has to learn to accept help from her friends, particularly Kelethiel (Kel), the Nephilim (half-angel/half-human) who has helped her out in the past. This is a great ending for a strong series. Click HERE to read an excerpt from Agave Kiss (scroll down a bit).
    

          WORLD-BUILDING AND BOOKS 1 & 2         

      As the series begins, Corine Solomon is a handler—a psychometrist. She can touch something and know its history and, sometimes, its future. She is not the usual gun-toting, smart-mouthed urban fantasy heroine. Instead, she dresses in hippie chic; likes to eat; runs an pawnshop; and has a dry, understated sense of humor. In the past, Corine and her lover Chance Yi earned their living by using Corine’s ability to find missing persons. Chance has his own supernatural power: his luck, which (so far) keeps him safe but not those around him, not even Corine. On their last job together, Corine was badly injured, but Chance escaped unharmed. When she recovered, Corine ran away, believing that Chance had been using her for his own profit. 

     In book 1, Corine has hidden herself away in a small Mexican town, where she owns a pawnshop and finally feels safe, but Chance tracks her down and convinces her to help him find his mother, who has disappeared. The plot includes demons, sorcerers, ghosts, witchcraft, black magic, and the Montoya mob. An additional love interest surfaces in book 1: Jesse Saldana, a sexy Texas police officer who has a supernatural gift of his own. 

     In book 2, Corine and Jesse go back to Kilmer, Corine’s tiny Georgia hometown, to learn about the details of the horrific death of her mother. They soon find that a dark force has taken control of the town. Corine learns a lot of new information about her early family life and has some major demon confrontations.

     Aguirre won the P.E.A.R.L. Award for best new author in 2008.  

            BOOK 3: Shady Lady            

     The third book reaches back to book 1 for the roots of its plot line. As the story opens, Corine is happily back at her pawnshop in Mexico City, with a romance-tinged long-distance relationship with Jesse, her cop semi-boyfriend in Laredo, Texas, and no relationship at all with her ex-boyfriend, Chance. When Corine finds an exquisite pair of silver salt and pepper shakers on her doorstep, she thinks she's in luck, but just as she reaches into the box to touch them, she is stopped by a voice from her past—Kel Ferguson, who warns her that the shakers have been hexed with dark magic—a killing curse set specifically for Corine. The mysterious, fully tattooed Kel was an ally back in book 1, but he has always seemed a bit scary to Corine. Kel maintains that he is the Hand of God, "tasked with killing those who would push the world toward the end of days." (p. 3). So...Corine is probably smart to be a bit fearful.     

     As it turns out, the the curse was cast by someone working for the Laredo mob boss, Montoya, whose empire was badly damaged (again, back in book 1) by Corine and her friends. Now, Montoya is out to get (i.e., torture and kill) Corine once and for all. As Corine and Kel work together to defeat Montoya, their relationship changes, first becoming friendship and then becoming more. We finally find out more information about who—and what—Kel is—and was. But Corine's romantic life has never been easy, so we also have some momentous changes in her relationships with Jesse and Chance. One other thing: Corine learns the significance of her last name.

     The story line is compelling, with Corine's powers developing at a brisk rate, and her self-confidence growing right along with her powers. Corine's BFF  relationship with Shannon (a supporting character from book 2) is nicely, and heartbreakingly, developed and resolved, perhaps not the way we'd like to have seen it, but there is always a chance that the next book(s) will pick up their friendship again. If you've read book 2 (and you should do that before reading this one), you'll remember that Corine is still suffering from the aftermath of the battle in book 2 that nearly got her killed. She was saved by the demon "Maury," but she owes him a favor, which he collects in this book. Corine must face the dark effects that will come from paying off that demonic debt. This is a great story on all levels. The book ends on a sad note, when fate intervenes as Corine casts a spell, and that leaves two of her friends with long-lasting negative effects.

     There's lots to like about this strong series. The supporting characters are very well developed, particularly Chance and Kel. It's a treat to watch Corine grow in confidence as she learns that she is much stronger than she ever thought she could be. She is definitely one of a kind, not the usual over-the-top, clichéd urban fantasy heroine.

            BOOK 4:  Devil's Punch            

     This has been such a strong series up until this point that I'm very sorry to have to say that this book was a real disappointment. As the story opens, Chance has moved to Mexico as he tries to prove to Corine that he has changed and that he will do anything to get her back—to convince her to trust him again. The first few chapters are rather sweet as they begin to build a new, stronger relationship. Then, someone leaves a note on Corine's door threatening Shannon's life if Corine does not show up immediately at a specified location deep in the mountains. (Just to review, Shannon is the girl whom Corine befriended when she went back to her hometown in book 2,) Corine suspects that her enemy, the demon Caim (whom she defeated and humiliated in the previous book), is Shannon's kidnapper.

     When Corine and Chance arrive at the appointed location, a demon named Greydusk is waiting to guide them to Sheol (aka the Underworld). Soon after arriving in Sheol, Corine becomes possessed by the spirit of Ninlil, the former queen of Sheol. By this time, Greydusk is working for Corine, mostly because he recognizes that she (as Ninlil) is his true queen. This is where the story begins to fall apart. From this point on, Ninlil becomes the primary story teller and does most of the deeds. Occasionally, Ninlil allows Corine to surface, but it is sometimes difficult to tell who is in charge of the Corine/Ninlil body at a given moment. The longer she is possessed by Ninlil, the more demonic—and less human—Corine becomes. Chance, too, begins to change, becoming attracted to the Ninlil part of Corine and growing more powerful and bloodthirsty in battle. At one point, Ninlil reveals the identity of Chance's father to him, so we learn more about his godly status. So...both Corine and Chance are changing throughout the book—becoming stronger and more cold hearted and viewing violence and death as necessary for the greater good. 

     Sheol has been without its queen for a very long time, and (naturally enough) not everyone is happy that Ninlil has returned. Very soon, Ninlil/Corine has a major rebellion on her hands. At one point, Corine and her friends are captured by Saremon demons, who are are skilled spell casters. During this brief episode, which has a heart-breaking ending, Corine meets a very important person from her past. The plot plays out as the enemy demons step up their attack, putting the lives of Corine, Chance, Shannon, and Greydusk at dire risk—and the good guys don't all escape in one piece. Don't worry, though, because book 5 is just a year away, giving Corine plenty of time to learn enough magic to get things back to normal.

     The whole demon possession story line just didn't work for me. After the progression in the development of Corine's character in the first three books, her take-over by a cruel, pragmatic, demon queen was a huge let down. In essence, the Corine of the first three books disappears for most of this book, and probably forever. She is there at the very beginning and the very end, but in the bulk of the story, she is is replaced by an entirely different personality. Additionally, there are some illogical scenes in this story. For example, after just a week or two of training, Shannon, who has never used a weapon in her life, is able to wield a sword so skillfully against huge, armored demon warriors that she is killing them right and left and they're barely hurting her at all. Another problem is that the entire Sheol experience proceeds at a break-neck pace. When Corine steps into Sheol, she is almost immediately possessed by Ninlil, has a day or two of downtime for interior decoration and staff development in her castle, and then is quickly cast into the throes of demonic revolution. The continuous demon battles begin to blur into a homogeneous mass after awhile. The next book will follow Corine as she tries to bring back Chance, so there will probably be more scenes in the underworld. It's too bad that this once-great series has taken such a dive as it nears its end.