Cheryl F. (bengal77) - reviewed on 3/17/2010 + 15 more book reviews

I am a huge fan of Kim Harrison's The Hollows series as well as her fantasy stuff written under the name Dawn Cook. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a very quick, light hearted read. Madison is a quirky kid who reminds me a bit of a young, not yet so disillusioned Rachel Morgan. The plot was a bit simplistic in the beginning, mirroring the protagonist's naivety, but deepens towards the end as Madison becomes more aware of how the world actually works. This book is heavy on the philosophy of light vs. dark but Harrison manages to redeem it in the end of the book by showing that both sides are not quite as cut and dry as Madison naively believes. I enjoyed Harrison's take on the new Angel trend. Her plot and world are definitely unique in that she mixes the idea of Angels with ghosts and reapers for something completely new. Although I enjoyed this book I do have a few small complaints. Harrison's characterization is repetitive to her Hollows series, yet at the same time it is not as in-depth. The characters come off as a bit two dimensional compared to her other works. While I enjoyed this book and closed it with a smile on my face I am not dying to read the second. I will, partly because I have really enjoyed Harrison's/Cook's other works but also because I'd like to give the series a second chance. I think that Harrison has created a unique world here and I'd really like to see where she wants to take it.

As a side not: the synopsis of this book paints it as a ghost-story. And while it does have ghost elements, it's really more of an Angel story involving the conflict of light and dark (notice I didn't say good and evil). So fans expecting a ghost-girl or vampire story might be disappointed. However, if you think you would be interested in an Angel book then I would suggest giving it a shot.

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