Anonymous reviewed on 12/7/2007

Helpful Score: 15

An urban fantasy about a heroine who is an astral traveler and private investigator/spy for hire. First book in a series that has potential. Due to a run in with a character that can eat souls, the heroine, Zoe, finds that her powers of astral projection have been changed and in some cases increased. Dealing with that as well as trying to solve a mystery that at first glance seems merely a case of corporate espionage makes for an entertaining read. It is almost a cliche of urban fantasy that the heroine is either an orphan or estranged from her family, so it is also nice to see a heroine in this genre who has a close relationship with her mother as well as several friends she can rely on, two of whom are ghosts. And I appreciate that the heroine is not the only major female character in the novel.

However, the big problem with this book is the voice of the main character. Told in the first person, Zoe cannot relate her story without CONSTANTLY commenting on what she is telling the reader. First the character will make a statement, then she makes a mental comment on what she just said and then she qualifies the mental comment with another snarky aside. What is supposed to come across as witty banter instead comes across as unnecessary distractions. It hurts the narrative. This happens not only throughout the book, it also happen several times a page. Her numerous asides and tangents bog the book down so it becomes more about how Zoe feels about how she is feeling instead of telling a story. I got to the point where I started skimming through Zoe's inner monologues so I could get to the plot.

The novel's premise is a good one but the execution leaves something to be desired. However, if Weldon does continue to grow as a writer that may change. I am unsure if I will continue with this series as I am undecided on whether it's promising elements outweigh the irritations.

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