Kari C. reviewed on 9/29/2010 + 77 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This book had a sharp learning curve to get into it. It definently read like the 2nd or 3rd book in a series instead of the 1st. Things are discussed without any background given. A couple examples: The character has a voice in her head that "had woken during Sylvie's first brush with the Magicus Mundi. Sylvie wasn't certain what it was..." No explaination is given for what the Magicus Mundi is - a group, a thing or whatever. Later she starts talking about a government organization, the ISI, that she has a history with. A third of the way into the book and I still don't have no clue what ISI stands for, or what they do, besides the fact that it's got something to do with the supernatural.

My other problem with this book was the main character, Sylivie. She is a hard-bitten, tough girl detective. Which is great, as long as that tempered by something that makes the reader care for the character. Ilona Andrews character Kate Daniel is a great example - no matter how much she wished it were otherwise she's got friends that she cares about who care about her. Sylvie has people that care about her, but that she doesn't actually show any affection for (no matter what the character monologue says). Before the book started an employee was killed and Sylvie's reaction is to try to pack up shop and leave everyone behind, no matter if that's what they really need or not. And this pattern continues through the rest of the book (or at least the part that I read). We aren't given anything to make us care about Sylvie.

The story seems interesting, but the book just had too many problems for me to put up with it long enough to figure out how the story plays out.

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