Helpful Score: 10
Overall, I would say this book was good, but not great. My strongest impression was chick lit does urban fantasy!
I really do feel like I just finished a chick lit book! It's the tone of the writing more than the content, really, but I'm rather bemused since even the Wild Hunt didn't shake that impression. Also, the story had a very breezy feeling, and the central theme seemed to be more about Joanne coming to terms with herself and her past -- the supernatural aspects were just a side part of the package.
I'm a bit disappointed though, because this book started off with a bang! Great imagery and well-done action sequences to draw in the reader, mysterious characters.... I was really impressed! But by about half way through the book, the urgency just sort of dwindled. Somehow the sense of mystery petered out, and the plot was a backdrop for Joanne to come to terms with herself in the chick lit style. Everything that happened after that just seemed sort of inevitable.
The story was still enjoyable, but I was ready for it to be finished by the time I got to the end. So, yeah, good but not great.
I really do feel like I just finished a chick lit book! It's the tone of the writing more than the content, really, but I'm rather bemused since even the Wild Hunt didn't shake that impression. Also, the story had a very breezy feeling, and the central theme seemed to be more about Joanne coming to terms with herself and her past -- the supernatural aspects were just a side part of the package.
I'm a bit disappointed though, because this book started off with a bang! Great imagery and well-done action sequences to draw in the reader, mysterious characters.... I was really impressed! But by about half way through the book, the urgency just sort of dwindled. Somehow the sense of mystery petered out, and the plot was a backdrop for Joanne to come to terms with herself in the chick lit style. Everything that happened after that just seemed sort of inevitable.
The story was still enjoyable, but I was ready for it to be finished by the time I got to the end. So, yeah, good but not great.
Helpful Score: 4
Joanne Walker is a mechanic with with the police force with both a Cherokee and a Celtic background. She went through the police academy but never used her training as an officer, content to use just her mechanic skills. At the start of this book, she was on the plane coming back from her mother's funeral when she sees a woman in trouble. As soon as she's off the plane, she grabs a cab to help the woman and runs into the Wild Hunt. This sets off a series of events which reveal Joanne's shamanic powers and a whole supernatural world. This was action packed - one thing follows another story and Joanne goes through a lot - battered from one side and another, and drawing on her new powers to heal herself. I liked how Joanne uses her mechanic background with her powers - imagining her body like a car and fixing things by using car analogies. It was engrossing to see what would happen next, but there was also some hints of Joanne's past and what Joanne is that was interesting as well. Another strong aspect was the secondary characters - they all had depth and interacted in believable ways with Joanne, from her sidekick cabbie, to her annoyed boss, to her coworkers. It will be nice to see how these relationships develop throughout the series. Looking forward to reading the next two books.
Helpful Score: 4
This was a fabulous book. The cover, title and synopsis had intriqued me for several months before I finally got this book. I was very pleased! The title character, Joanne Walker, is both believeable and likeable. The supporting characters are vivid without being cartoonish. There were twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat, while I still felt I knew where the story was ultimately headed.
After coming back to the States after meeting her dying estranged mother in Ireland, Joanne finds that her position has been filled and she must either leave the Police Department and everyone she knows, or take a Beat position as a real officer. Joanne is a mechanic who happens to have gone through the Police Academy. She also comes face to face with Wild Hunt and must confront both her Father's Native American Shamanic heritage and her Mother's Celtic Seer heritage.
After coming back to the States after meeting her dying estranged mother in Ireland, Joanne finds that her position has been filled and she must either leave the Police Department and everyone she knows, or take a Beat position as a real officer. Joanne is a mechanic who happens to have gone through the Police Academy. She also comes face to face with Wild Hunt and must confront both her Father's Native American Shamanic heritage and her Mother's Celtic Seer heritage.
Helpful Score: 2
Outstanding for a first novel, this is a half-fantasy/half-mystery altogether fun read. It helps if you know something of early American and Celtic mythos. Fans of De Lint should like this book.
Helpful Score: 2
Great beginning to a great new series. She is a mechanic/cop with a smart mouth that just won't quite. I loved her personality!
