Rachel B. (montbriac) - reviewed on 1/21/2010 + 10 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 4

This is dark, urban fantasy with a sharp edge and some ugly turns of event in the story.

Street Magic is the first book in the Black London series and it written from the point of view of Pete Caldecott who is a detective at Scotland Yard in search of missing people. One of her cases leads her to a tip that reunites her with a figure from her adolescence whom she thought was dead, her older sister's ex-boyfriend -- I'm not giving away anything big here. Turns out he's not dead and he has some special skills to help her solve her case -- but he's a junkie with all of the issues and complications that come with a nasty habit. There's nothing chic or sexy about Jack's heroin addiction.

The story is actually very well constructed and executed mystery that unfolds in a way that is both compelling and cohesive. Pete is an interesting lead because her mission really is to protect and save â sometimes it's other people and sometimes it's herself. She's not a saint, far from it but she's got a few more layers than we usually see when we meet a heroine in a book one in a series and I really got into the book because Pete's character and motives operate on multiple levels. Most compelling of all, was that I liked the fact that we don't really know what sort of relationship will evolve between Jack and Pete as the series progresses and in this book, there is a very well placed twist in their relationship that I completely bought. Plus the fact remains that Jack's got some serious baggage and Pete is at a turning point in her life. There aren't quick or convenient answers for either of them but they do work well together though and I liked seeing that dynamic unfold and evolve.

The weak point in the book is the author's interpretation of Brit colloquialisms -- she's not quite got it right and that has been the biggest criticism of the work. Since I'm American, I can get around it â but for readers who find the mistakes distracting, I would respectfully ask them to consider whether the missteps are so offensive that they overwhelm the story or are they just an annoyance? I am from Chicago and the first few books in the Harry Dresden series are riddled with mistakes in geography, local slang and even businesses (there isn't a single Wal-Mart within city limits, it's a HUGE issue here but that's a story for another day). If I had chucked Harry Dresden in the first three books because of the mistakes I would have dropped a series I ended up falling madly in love with. As readers, I think we sometimes need to give the author (and publisher) a bit of a break and try to see the forest through the trees.

Overall, Street Magic is a well conceived and executed introduction to a series that is well worth your time and I hope you'll give it a read.

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