Unclean Spirits: Black Sun's Daughter, Book 1 | ||||||||
M.L.N. Hanover | ||||||||
Pocket, 368 pages | ||||||||
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A review by Katherine Petersen
The tendency of most heroines these days is to take charge and kick butt, but Jayné is both more cautious
and more realistic. While she's gained enhanced fighting abilities, she doesn't know much about the College's
politics or history but is willing to learn from her friends. She's also willing to learn from her
mistakes. A college drop-out with a lot to learn, Jayné is a refreshingly girl-next-door
character. It's easy to like and to root for her. The action comes in fits and starts with the group
spending much of its time hiding behind protective wards and planning. I, for one, enjoyed the set up,
planning and back story in this character-driven tale, and I would encourage readers who generally prefer
a faster-paced novel to give this one a chance. I have a feeling that subsequent novels will zip along now
that the background is set.
Hanover gives us strong dialogue and descriptions and the action scenes we do have are fast-moving and
vivid. I particularly like his quirky characters who have their definite personalities and beliefs. Midian has
his own speech patterns and a flair for analogy, in his description of the Invisible College: "They're
strong, and they're smart, and they're organized. … Think Amway, but for demonic possession."
The one thing that didn't fit for me is the almost-immediate romance between Jayné and
Aubrey. It seemed forced and out-of-character for Jayné. I don't have issues with romances in
urban fantasy in general as long as they work with the characters and mesh smoothly into the
plot. Overall, I think Hanover is off to a wonderful start with his urban fantasy series, and I
look forward to reading future installments.
Katherine Petersen started reading as a young child and hasn't stopped. She still thinks she can read all the books she wants, but might, at some point, realize the impossibility of this mission. While she enjoys other genres, she thrives on fantasy, science fiction and mysteries. |
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