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Unshapely Things (Connor Grey #1)

by Mark Del Franco (Goodreads Author)

3.60 · rating details · 1,070 ratings · 130 reviews

In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement.

Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator-w...more

Mass Market Paperback, 305 pages

Published January 30th 2007 by Ace

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Aug 30, 2009

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" rated it

Recommends it for: fans of occult detective urban fantasy

Shelves: faerie, occult-detective, less-than-perfect-hero-or-heroine, owned-copy, part-of-a-series, detective-private-eye-sleuth, celtic-mythology, urban-fantasy

For a full review, check the Bitten by Books website: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/

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Feb 24, 2010

The Holy Terror rated it

Shelves: owned, urban-fantasy, fairies, elves, gargoyles, druids, male-pov

A great first book and a series I'll definitely continue with!

Connor Grey is a druid but he's lost his abilities. He's collecting a disability check from his old job but he still wants to help where he can. Connor has a good friend on the Boston police force named Murdock that he helps out from time to time and one night Murdock calls him to the scene of a murder. At the scene is a dead fairy prostitute, held done with ward stones and missing a vital organ. Unfortunately what Connor ...more

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Sep 01, 2010

Aimee rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, own-it, made-me-laugh-out-loud, violence-is-golden

Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

Conner Grey. What can I say? I like him. He's a "crippled" Druid who's retired from the "Guild" and working as a consultant for the Boston PD. He's very limited in his abilities and it seems he has just enough to constantly get himself in over his head.

Dead fairy prostitutes are popping up all over the "Wierd", hearts missing and no one has a clue as to ho...moreUnshapely Things by Mark Del Franco
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

Conner Grey. What can I say? I like him. He's a "crippled" Druid who's retired from the "Guild" and working as a consultant for the Boston PD. He's very limited in his abilities and it seems he has just enough to constantly get himself in over his head.

Dead fairy prostitutes are popping up all over the "Wierd", hearts missing and no one has a clue as to how they got that way. Connor sticks his foot in it...almost literally and it's a downward spiral of plot twists and action for him that ends with one kick-butt fight at the climax.

This one read like a crime-solver mystery to me. There was a LOT of information being thrown at you from the get go. It's a very complex world that requires much attention. I loved it! My brain hasn't had that good a workout since.... well, it's been a while. I'm going to need to read some mindless fluff next to give my mind time to recover.

I really appreciated Del Franco's take on the Fey. Down to the little details of how they phrase their names in this society, like "Gamelyn Dannan Sidhe" denoting what race they are. It was an interesting twist on what I've read in the past. And I LOVED the Flits. I keep picturing these little Cornish speaking pixie-like beings armed with sarcasm and a sword.

Connor was a great hero. He was humbled by his lack of abilities, but was using the "disability" to take inventory of himself as a person...of who he was in the past, and who he is now. And his growth as a character was enjoyable to read. I can't wait to see how he progresses with his new directions in the next book.

As for the negative. The only real complaint I could have was that it had the "first-book-blah's" in at a few points. I see that in a lot of firsts in a series. There's a lot of back story and information to impart in a limited amount of words. You have to build a new world for the reader and catch them up on everything and still try to keep the plot flowing. Not an easy task. So There were a few dry spots. Ah well, it was made up for by the end! What an amazing ending! Holy kickin-butt-not-expecting-to-leave-this-room-alive action! It's amazing what someone can drag themselves through when the end of the world as you know it is looming in the distance! I can't wait to see where this goes in the next one in this series, Unquiet Dreams.(less)

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Feb 09, 2009

Jensownzoo rated it

Shelves: 2009-reads, urban-fantasy

Although a standard explanation about why there are suddenly fairies and the like in the "normal" world, the protagonist is a new take on the topic. The protagonist is a disabled druid (with disability payments from the organization that oversees the paranormals) with little of his paranormal abilities intact. Like many urban fantasy protagonists, he is associated with the local police force (a consultant) and the novel reads a lot like a police procedural or mystery story...just wit...more

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Sep 03, 2010

Kristin rated it

I'd give this book a little more than four stars. The plot was interesting, the main character and his friends likeable and though you got hints throughout the book about who might be responsible for the murders of young fairy prostitutes in an area of Boston called the Weird, the conclusion did have surprises.

The story follows a druid named Connor Grey who fairly recently lost almost all of his powers after an attack by an extreme environmental activist elf. After his accident, Conn...moreI'd give this book a little more than four stars. The plot was interesting, the main character and his friends likeable and though you got hints throughout the book about who might be responsible for the murders of young fairy prostitutes in an area of Boston called the Weird, the conclusion did have surprises.

The story follows a druid named Connor Grey who fairly recently lost almost all of his powers after an attack by an extreme environmental activist elf. After his accident, Connor is no longer able to work for the Guild, an organization which polices the fey, and survives on disability checks he receives from them and by occasionally helping out a human detective named Murdock. The book starts with Connor already helping Murdock on the case of the fairy murders and continues with his investigation into the victims and the strange manner of the killings. Though this is a case being worked by humans, the Guild only takes cases they deem important, the Guild does eventually become involved and when Connor is taken off the case, he continues to pursue the killer on his own.

One thing I really liked is that none of the characters are super annoying in this book, at least not to me. We're introduced to a number of different people who were in Connor's life before his powers were taken away, many of whom are trying to help restore them and who help him with this particular case. Outside of the Guild there's a flit named Stinkwort, who would prefer to be called Joe, no mystery there as to why, who helps Connor track down a witness to one of the crimes; Briallen, an old, very strong druid who actually trained Connor when he came into his powers at the age of 12 (I'll admit, I did occassionally want to smack her upside her all-knowing head, but still, I wouldn't call her annoying); Keeva, a fairy working at the Guild and who isn't particularly fond of Connor but stops by occasionally to reset the wards around his apartment since he can no longer handle that simple task; Lorcan macDuin, the Guild's Community Liason Officer who doesn't like Connor at all; and Meryl, a strong druid who works at the Guild. Of course there are other minor characters throughout the book, but these are the major players.

Also, though not in the story but never far from his mind, is Bergin Vize, the elf who accidentally caused Connor's powers to seemingly become locked away in his own brain.

I'm not usually into the whole fae thing as they have so much mythology attached to them if you're not familiar with the different fae beings and their powers they can be sort of hard to follow, but del Franco does a good job explaining why fae and humans are together, due to something called the Convergence, the different fae involved and their respective powers and lets us see why there is prejudice from the sides of both humans and fae and even among the fae themselves.

Although the lack of powers makes Connor much more vulnerable than before, as he was an extremely powerful player at the Guild, he still has some powers as well as all of the skills he learned during his training as a druid and at the Guild. I like that del Franco shows us how Connor has changed since his fall from grace, having once looked down on all human and fae who were beneath him or who couldn't help his rise on the Guild ladder, he realizes that not only was he wrong, but that he is now on their level.

(view spoiler)

The end definitely sets up what the next book is going to be about (the fourth in the series was released earlier this year) and I can't wait to pick it up, especially if it's as good as the first book!
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Aug 01, 2011

Mlle. X rated it

High praise for this Butcher-esque urban fantasy about a druid whose fall from grace might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Connor Grey was a hotshot investigator for the Guild, the organization monitoring supernatural crime, before he was wounded in the line of duty. While he's physically whole, Connor lost all his magic - now he scrapes by on disability provided by his former employers, and he's downsized his lifestyle from "lavish" to "meager."...moreHigh praise for this Butcher-esque urban fantasy about a druid whose fall from grace might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Connor Grey was a hotshot investigator for the Guild, the organization monitoring supernatural crime, before he was wounded in the line of duty. While he's physically whole, Connor lost all his magic - now he scrapes by on disability provided by his former employers, and he's downsized his lifestyle from "lavish" to "meager." He makes extra cash freelancing for the regular police department, which deals with human crime and anything that isn't important enough for Guild to bother with. That's how Connor gets called in to investigate a string of fey murders - for three Tuesdays in a row, male fairy prostitutes have turned up dead, the bodies missing a heart and left to rot in dark alleys on the wrong side of town.

Connor has to confront the fact that back in his "glory days" - when he was rich and important - he would have ignored this case, too. He was only interested in furthering his career, so he only took the kind of high-profile cases that would help him up the ladder. Murdered prostitutes just wouldn't qualify. It's not just the case, either - he has to ask from help from people he used to treat like underlings, barely worth of his notice, and they're not ready to forget his former rudeness. As for his druidic magic? Well, he can try regaining it - if he starts from the beginning, retraining himself like a novice. It's all very humbling.

One thing I really liked about Unshapely Things is that it's the first mystery I've read in a long, long while where the detective seemed to do any serious gruntwork. Connor does his fair share of interviewing shady characters and setting up cloak-and-dagger routines, but he also makes time for research and annoying phone calls. I hate it when I read a book and the protagonist really needs some vital piece of information, but is always too distracted to seek it out - and it's not like it takes pages and pages to explain, either. So yeah, I was pleased that when Connor Grey needs information he actually grabs a book or consults an expert.

It turns out that his prostitute case is much bigger than it originally seemed, and plunges the reader into the murky world of fae politics. Fae politics seem to be dominated by the fairy-elf rivalry, which is woven into historical conflicts like World War II, and continues to play itself out in a global peace summit taking place while Connor is investigating. The only part of the book I didn't like was when Connor attended a party where all the guests were prominent citizens of one kind or another, and the description of it was really pitch-perfect, serious and dull as dirt. I guess I shouldn't slam the guy for getting something right, but I was itching to get out of there before Connor was.

The characters are great, the plot was well developed, and it built up to a satisfyingly thrilling conclusion. This book didn't have the kind of magnetic pull that some others do, that can't-put-it-down compulsive quality, but I will definitely continue with this series.(less)

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Apr 14, 2011

Karissa Eckert rated it

This is the first book in the Connor Grey series by Mark Del Franco. The fifth book in this series, Uncertain Allies, is due out the end of April 2011. This was a decent book. It is an investigative urban fantasy. The world created is interesting, there is good humor in here, and there is a lot of attention to detail for the investigation.

Connor Grey used to be a high-powered druid until his powers were stunted during one of his jobs. Now he is on disability and does investigative...moreThis is the first book in the Connor Grey series by Mark Del Franco. The fifth book in this series, Uncertain Allies, is due out the end of April 2011. This was a decent book. It is an investigative urban fantasy. The world created is interesting, there is good humor in here, and there is a lot of attention to detail for the investigation.

Connor Grey used to be a high-powered druid until his powers were stunted during one of his jobs. Now he is on disability and does investigative work on the side to make ends meet. He lives in the Weird, the region of the city where faeries made their home after the Convergence between their world and the human world. Now fairies are turning up dead and the human police force seeks out Connor to ask for his consultation on the case. Little does Connor know these murders are tied in with the druid organization he used to belong to.

This is a solid urban fantasy with an investigative bent to it. Definitely no romance in this book. The descriptions in the book are very intricate and detailed and weave an interesting plot and mystery. The book is fast paced and the action scenes well done. There is humor throughout the book which I also enjoyed.

Connor is a likable character; he wallows in self-pity some but in general tries to make a good life for himself with what he's got to work with. At times the reader gets a glimpse of the power he used to wield and of the hero he might someday become. Some of the side characters are even more interesting though. In general all of the characters have depth and are interesting to read about.

There were points where I thought the story was a bit dry. This was one of those books where I wasn't sucked right into the story, but once I sat down and took time to read a chunk of the story I had trouble putting it down. The idea of the Weird is interesting but similar to other books I have read where a faerie world merges with the human one.

Overall I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the second one. I loved the humor, the intricate mystery, the idea of the Weird, and the interesting characters. The book took a bit to get into and got a bit dry at times. That being said it was nice to read another book with a male hero and I really enjoyed the intricate details of the mystery and how everything was pieced together. You can't help but draw comparison to The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher or the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey. This book is similar in quality to the Felix Castor series, but not as good as the Dresden series.(less)

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Oct 07, 2010

Ami rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

Somebody is killing Male Fairy prostitutes, removes their hearts, and leaves a stone behind. Since the crime scenes show residual magic, Boston P.D. decides to call Connor Grey, a former Guild investigator, who is now crippled of his abilities after a run-in with a radical elf. With a help from few friends, including a spunky flit named Joe, a human detective Murdock, and a smart-mouth researcher Meryl, Connor tries to find who is responsible behind all the murders.

I always think tha...more

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Apr 02, 2010

Julie rated it

Even though I'm the worst offender, and an editor's worst punctuation nightmare, I can't stand typos in books. There was enough in the edition I read that I almost put it down. That said, I'm not scared off so easily, and do like to be forgiven from time to time for the stoooopid things I do, so I kept reading.

A friend gave me the first three books because I loved Jim Butcher's Dresden series so much. And seriously, now, who doesn't like a good urban fantasy featuring a beaten up...more

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Aug 09, 2011

Jaime rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal

I picked up the first two books of this series because another author I really liked did a blurb for them, Rob Thurman. I love his Cal Leandros series and was looking for another urban fantasy with a male lead. This book has a familiar premise in urban fantasies, a hero (or heroine) with magical links/abilities works to solve cases involving supernaturals. I’m completely on board. The hero’s a druid – cool. However, this book didn’t grab me the way “Nightlife” did. It was a lot slower than I exp...moreI picked up the first two books of this series because another author I really liked did a blurb for them, Rob Thurman. I love his Cal Leandros series and was looking for another urban fantasy with a male lead. This book has a familiar premise in urban fantasies, a hero (or heroine) with magical links/abilities works to solve cases involving supernaturals. I’m completely on board. The hero’s a druid – cool. However, this book didn’t grab me the way “Nightlife” did. It was a lot slower than I expected, and had two big flaws that I really hope are ironed out in the next book.

One thing bothered me right off, mainly because it is becoming fairly common and I don’t like the trend. The hero (heroine) is dirt poor and/or disgraced in the supernatural community. Harry Dresden can barely pay his rent, and wizards look down on him. Rachel Morgan was fired and would be on the street if not for Ivy. Even Cal can’t afford a new jacket – he spends what little money they get on weapons because they’re on the run. Connor Grey lost everything, his status, his high-rise condo, his job and his power when he lost most of his magical abilities. We learn that he was an arrogant prick, and near-celebrity, before he was injured. Even worse, he has no real ally. Yes, Connor works with a human detective and they mutually respect each other. But it’s not a partnership yet. That coupled with his crappy life – magically disabled, forced to live in the seedy side of town in a rundown apartment, unable to order take-out because he has no cash to tip, rivals from his former job – makes the book damn depressing. I need something to root for!

The second problem I had was that this felt like a traditional detective story with supernatural elements thrown on top of it. The novel is slowed down dramatically by detailed descriptions of fey politics. Now, I have raved in other series about how interesting vampire politics are. I had to think on why it didn’t quite work for me here – they are just like human politics today. In one passage, Del Franco describes how the dwarves and elves in Germany had formed a consortium and when the Berlin wall went down they had to create a “fey demilitarized zone.” The different fey are prejudiced against each other (like current race relations) and then we have the Guild duking it out with the Boston PD over jurisdiction, like the FBI and local police. And the murder victims are male prostitutes. Oh - but they are fairies! It was just too close to reality, and I get enough of that on the news and Law and Order. I want escapism.

However, the series has potential to be more. The first two thirds of the book were 3 stars. The ending, though, was fantastic and earned another star. Lots of twists came together, there was good battle and the little guys came out on top. I will read book 2. Connor Grey is the typical, honorable hero and I like that. He resents that the Guild won’t investigate the murders because it’s “just” prostitutes, and feels compelled to keep investigating. Connor being a druid (and not a wizard, or half-breed supernatural) is fresh and original, and the crimes do have a ritualistic nature. Connor’s a well-fleshed out character. The idea of someone powerful being humbled and seeing how the other half must live, often without justice, has merit. But, wouldn’t it be nice for them to have a powerful champion instead of someone barely surviving himself? The secondary characters are also well developed. Joe the Flit reminds me a lot of Jenx in the Rachel series – funny, loyal and invaluable. The human cop Murdock is a good by-the-book cop who compliments Connor very well. Even minor characters stand out, like Briallen the Druidess. Overall, the cast is engaging, and now that the stage is set, perhaps I can escape into the supernatural. I just hope the politicing doesn’t consume the series.(less)

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Feb 20, 2010

Anita rated it

Recommends it for: Urban Fantasy fans who don't like romance

Shelves: contemporary-urban-fantasy, mystery, paranormal-mystery

This book grew on me as I read it. It's a mystery/ contemporary urban fantasy set in Boston with a male protagonist - Connor. There's no romance at all in this book. It's strickly a murder mystery. When I started this book, I really wasn't sure whether I would finish it or not, but the more I read, the more I got sucked into the alternate world and the mystery. I'm curious enough about where the author is going with Connor to want to read the next in the series.

Connor is a druid, whi...more

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Feb 02, 2012

Tracy rated it

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who likes Harry Dresden, and the like and needs a break from all the women in the genre. I do love Rachel Morgan and the D'Artigo sisters and others but it is nice to get a male point of view and I haven't come across many so Connor Grey is a nice addition.

This series was on my radar for a while but I hadn't gotten around to it yet, then I won a copy of the 6th book in the giveaway and suddenly got bumped up the list and I have to adm...more

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Dec 22, 2008

Angela rated it

Shelves: ebooks, urban-fantasy

I have to admit that these days it is a refreshing change of pace to read an urban fantasy in which the protagonist is male; such thing are few and far between. I also have to admit that while male-protagonist urban fantasies have to work really, really hard for me to compete with the Dresden Files, Mark Del Franco's Unshapely Things gave it a good college try.

The book didn't entirely work for me. It's got issues with pacing and with what needs to get shown to the reader and what doesn...more

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Nov 20, 2010

Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it

Synopsis: Connor Grey is a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf named Bergin Vize. He now works as a consultant with human police detective Murdock to solve Fey murders that left the victim without their hearts and in it's place, stones that may have been stolen from the Guild itself.

This is my first venture into the Connor Grey series after staying mostly with female lead characters, and ...moreSynopsis: Connor Grey is a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf named Bergin Vize. He now works as a consultant with human police detective Murdock to solve Fey murders that left the victim without their hearts and in it's place, stones that may have been stolen from the Guild itself.

This is my first venture into the Connor Grey series after staying mostly with female lead characters, and it takes alot to get used to. The world has become a place where the Fey and humans live side by side due to what's called Convergence. There is a war looming in the background of this story that the queen of the Fey, Maeve, is trying to avoid.

One of the best characters of the book, and the best named that I've come across is Stinkwort aka Joe aka a Flit who is Connor's friend and drinking buddy. He pretty much saves the day at the end by calling in reinforcements, but you will need to read it to find out more.

The book took awhile to get going, as we had to proceed through some issues Connor is having since he lost his powers and is now nothing more than an advisor to the Boston PD, and living off his monthy disability check.

It's interesting reading from a males POV in the urban fantasy world of Mark Del Franco where Fey, Fairies, and dwarves all live in the same area called the Weird. We see the darkness of the weird and what people go through to live there.

My major beef with this book was the slow pace from the outset, and it wasn't until much later in the book that Connor finally gets close to the killer, and ends up as a person of interest to the Boston PD, and the Guild, who was trying hard to frame him for the murders to get him out of the way. Then there's Connor himself, who wallows in self-pity most of the book, not unlike Dante Valentine's Dead Man Rising.

The one positive here is that there were NO romance scenes. ::applause:: I also liked the fesity character of Meryl, who is a major hoot and I hope I see more of her in the next books. She, like Jo the flit, pretty much help save the planet.

For the first book in the series, I rate this book 3 stars.

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Jul 27, 2009

Brooke rated it

What's it about?

In The Weird, a neighborhood in Boston, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. Their hearts have all been taken and left in their place - magical stones. There are two groups that cover crimes in Boston & The Weird: The Guild, who are the fey run law enforcement, and then the human law enforcement. The Guild, uninterested in these murders leaves the solving up to the humans. Working with the humans is Connor Grey, a druid who was left crippled when he lost almost all ...moreWhat's it about?

In The Weird, a neighborhood in Boston, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. Their hearts have all been taken and left in their place - magical stones. There are two groups that cover crimes in Boston & The Weird: The Guild, who are the fey run law enforcement, and then the human law enforcement. The Guild, uninterested in these murders leaves the solving up to the humans. Working with the humans is Connor Grey, a druid who was left crippled when he lost almost all of his powers in an accident with a radical terrorist elf. He was taken off The Guild, and put on disability. Connors got a lot to deal with while trying to solve this case: Not being respected by the fey community, not being liked by the humans, and not having his full magical abilities to put to use. By trading information with a few of his close allies Connor figures out that these aren't random murders, that the dead prostitutes are a part of a ancient ritual that will open a portal and destroy the world.

My thoughts?

First of all this book was released in 2007, and it has taken me this long to catch up on it! I love getting a taste of a guys perspective in Urban Fantasy, a genre where women reign supreme. Mark Del Franco has something great going on in The Weird, and that's hero Connor Grey. You gotta love him. He's on the outs without his powers, and many times hearing how he acted previously when he had his powers make it nice to see him knocked down a peg. He's surrounded by a great cast of characters. All three ladies he is FRIENDS with are intriguing and strong. Maybe a possible love interest in one? I vote for Meryl. Also, his friend Stinkwort, aka Joe, a Flit, is one of the best characters. What is it with small characters and their fantastic attitudes. Absolutely loved him Joe! His human partner and friend Murdock is straight forward, and is content to put Connor in his place whenever necessary.

The case, hearing the back story on the Fae races, and about Connor's past were all interesting. Although, sometimes the descriptiveness got to be a bit much. I'm on the side where there is such a thing as TOO much detail, and it seemed like since this was the first book in a series Mark wanted to set up The Weird so that he didn't have to do it in future books. At least I hope that's what he did. I'd compare the characterization in this series to the Dresden Files, and the world building to Kim Harrison's Hollows. Both very good series, so Connor Grey is in good company, but maybe not on the same level yet.

Overall this was an enjoyable read for when I found myself in a reading slump. Now I'm back on the reading train and chugging right along!

There are the books so far in the series in order:
Unshapely Things (Connor Grey, Book 1)
Unquiet Dreams (Connor Grey, Book 2)
Unfallen Dead (Connor Grey, Book 3)
Unperfect Souls (Connor Grey, Book 4) will be released January 26, 2010(less)

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Dec 28, 2009

♦Jennifer♦ rated it

Recommends it for: paranomal fans, detective mystery readers

Connor Grey is a former hotshot druid guild mage that through a case has now had his powers blocked. As a result he has been kicked out of the guild, and lost all of the power, prestige, and friends that came with it.

Now he is forced to work on cases that he previously thought below him, and that is how he finds himself working on the case of Male Fairy prostitutes being murdered. While still trying to unblock the darkness in his brain.

I really liked this book. I star...more

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Jan 01, 2011

Yolanda Sfetsos rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is the first book in the Connor Grey series. I can't believe this one slipped my urban-fantasy-radar, but I'm really glad that I caught it. As a result, I've already ordered the second book and have added the third to my 2009 to-buy list.

Yep. I'm hooked. :)

I don't need to tell you anything about the story because it's already in the blurb above, but I will say that it rocked! Honestly, great book! I really like Connor and can't wait to read more about him and his si...more

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Aug 13, 2011

Dan rated it

Of the Urban Fantasy books I've read lately this was perhaps my least favorite. Not that it was a particularly bad book, in fact it was overall a decent read and the rating above should really be read as 2.5 stars; however, I had a devil of a time getting into it. The pacing was very slow and it took some time to achieve lift-off... like around chapter 10 or so. I've read plenty of police procedural-style books in the past, and this book really does read a bit like one of those but it wasn't ...more

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Jun 23, 2011

James rated it

I don't know what to make of this book, I wen't into it expecting a good urban fantasy mystery and in fairness that is exactly what I got. The character was like-able, in fact all the characters were really well done, the plot line wasn't piss poor and the writing not terrible.

Still though, there were times that I really struggled to get through the book. In the very middle there seemed to be a lot of times that I just thought 'Just tell me what happens, I can't be arsed to find out' ...more

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Jul 26, 2010

Julia rated it

Shelves: fairies-fae-faeries, urban-fantasy, vampires-weres-witches

Connor Grey used to be a powerful Druid who worked for the FBI- like Fey Guild, until he lost most of his power in an “accident.” He now receives Disability and the Boston PD sometimes throws him work as a consultant when crimes happen in the Weird. The Weird is where the elves, fairies, flits (and others) and humans mix. Connor Grey is like Harry Dresden by Jim Butcher, but he’s more of an anthropologist than wizard and Dresden’s more apt to quip. He’s like Mason by John Levitt, but he’s more o...more

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Feb 23, 2010

Jeff Young rated it

So this is really close to Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher. First off that's a good thing. A did however miss the enviable snarkasm that those authors are capable of and Unshapely things did suffer slightly in the comparison. However it took me practically no time at all to read and that was pleasant. While it took awhile to get started the book has plenty of action towards the end. You will find the familiar characters - Murdock = Murphy, Stinkwort = Jenks but the Weird is more like Simon Gre...more

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Feb 19, 2009

Elizabeth rated it

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy

It's nice to see another author trying out the Urban Fantasy genre from a male perspective. Especially when we're talking about the fae - I felt while reading that it sort of gave it a more realistic feel, by integrating it into the main character's reality versus constantly having him point out how pretty/different/unreal they might be. My biggest disappointment was that the whole story really feels slow for the first half of the book. Things don't really get going - like the author doesn't ...more

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Apr 25, 2010

Christine (AR) rated it

Shelves: urban_fantasy, sff

Connor Grey the magically-crippled druid works with the Boston PD investigating a series of fey murders.

I liked everything about this book! Damaged Connor; scary-powerful Briallen, his druid-mentor; kickass Keeva, his ex-partner; Joe, the foul-mouthed flit/familiar... Officer Murdock's kind of a blank slate, but there's possiblity there -- Del Franco gives us a cast of strong women and interesting men, plus an interesting murder investigation. I loved the world he created, too; eart...more

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Jan 03, 2009

Kami rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, adventure, fairies, supernatural

This was a good read about a druid who has lost most of his magical abilities and the mystery of murdered fairy prostitutes that he is trying to solve. I really enjoyed the excitement of the mystery and the adventure aspects. I also liked how flawed a protagonist Connor is. There is a large cast of characters and so much going on it is at times hard to keep it all straight. Basically the elves and fairies are about to go to war because they hate each other. The humans hate the fae for their supe...more

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Sep 26, 2011

Viccy rated it

Shelves: paranormal

Connor Gray was a powerful Druid, working as an investigator for the Guild in Boston. During the course of his last case, his powers are stripped when a talisman wielded by an anarchist backfires. Now Connor supplements his pension from the Guild by working with the Boston PD as a consultant. He is called into a case of fey on fey murders and determines someone is murdering fairy prostitutes, planning to invoke a complex and ancient blood spell. Connor has to pursue the murderer without his powe...more

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Jun 24, 2010

J.J. Levesque rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I'm torn with this book. I enjoyed it, however it took me so long to get into the book. I tried reading it and would end up putting it down. I had to restart it quite a few times and push myself through the first five chapters before things really grabbed me and I couldn't set it down. Once I was through that, the book was excellent. I loved many of the side characters on top of Connor, and his interactions with them added to the story. It's interesting how he has lost his Druid powers, and I wa...more

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Jun 20, 2011

Annarella rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, inglese

Connor Grey is a sort of sombrer and darker Harry Dresden with some original details like his magical disability.

The book is a very good debut. It takes a bit to take off but I really enjoyed it

Ottimo libro di Urban Fantasy, il primo libro del ciclo di Connor Grey, druido con un problema di disabilità magica, in un mondo dove il piano di realtà dove vivono le fate si è unitl a quello in cui vivono gli umani.
Un po' lento in alcune parti, ha un finale col botto.
...more

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Feb 16, 2012

Bethany C rated it

I had high hopes for this book because I LOVE all things fae. I started getting a little worried as I read the first quarter/half of the book that it might be slightly boring. And there probably are people who have read this book and gotten bored. There is a lot of explanation of the fae world and races, so someone who isn't as enamored with that subject matter as I am might be a little turned off. However, when the story took off, for me, it really took off. I think Del Franco succeeded in...more

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Jul 14, 2011

Kate rated it

Shelves: fantasy, owned, urban-fantasy

A very, very strong entry into the urban fantasy category; I can't wait to read more books in this series.

My favourite part about this novel is that the world is never explained. It's simply slipped into. From the beginning, it's obvious that magic is a part of daily life in this world, that fey creatures walk the streets alongside humans, and that this is the normal state of things. Hints are slipped in here and there about why this is, and why it hasn't always been - and I look forwa...moreA very, very strong entry into the urban fantasy category; I can't wait to read more books in this series.

My favourite part about this novel is that the world is never explained. It's simply slipped into. From the beginning, it's obvious that magic is a part of daily life in this world, that fey creatures walk the streets alongside humans, and that this is the normal state of things. Hints are slipped in here and there about why this is, and why it hasn't always been - and I look forward to seeing how the author explores this in the future - and these little tastes of the various factions' reactions to Convergence and their situation add a fascinating sociopolitical backdrop to what is otherwise an "ordinary" crime thriller.

You know, if ordinary crime thrillers involved a sociopathic killer hunting down faeries and ripping out their hearts, or featured lead investigators who are severely damaged druids with serious angst issues.

The characters in this novel are incredibly well-drawn, fascinating, and mature; even secondary characters feel fully realized and very realistic, and everyone from the flit "sidekick" who refuses to go by his given name (he prefers Joe to Stinkwort, and wouldn't you?) to the brilliant and slightly shady archivist is a personality to remember. Even the antagonists are well-drawn, and have great depth to them - the people you assume are villains, or at least opposed to the protagonist, have their own very good reasons for acting how they do, and have some serious nuance to their characterizations.

My one complaint might be that the ending is a little bit Agatha Christie - the villain is someone you don't see coming, because the villain is concealed from the readers. Yeah, yeah, I know, that's terribly obscure, but I don't want to spoil it - it's a perfectly acceptable ending, and the villain makes SENSE, but it's definitely a case of "oh, wait, WHO?" which is slightly irksome. At least, it's slightly irksome in a standard crime thriller, like Agatha Christie - here, it doesn't matter as much, because we're less interested in the villain than in what he's doing and why, and how, and how Our Hero is going to overcome his magical disability to save the day.

All of which is done excellently, in a deft manner and with a great first-person narrative style. Of all the first-person noir-esque urban fantasies out there, I'd have to say that this and Dresden Files rank as the most engaging voices I've encountered.

Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy and faeries. And crime thrillers. And murders. And just generally good stories and characters, with a fast pace and great worldbuilding.(less)

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Sep 12, 2011

Ithlilian rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, urban-fantasy-male-protagonist

I like that goodreads has a button that says "I'm finished" because I am definitely finished with this book. I'm not surprised that I didn't like Unshapely Things since I tend to dislike male led urban fantasy books, but I didn't dislike it for the reasons I normally do. Usually the main character annoys me to no end in male led urban fantasy, and that was not the case here. Connor Grey isn't too much of a swaggering idiot, but he isn't very deep or complex either. His sidekick detecti...more

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About Mark Del Franco

Mark Del Franco's first novel UNSHAPELY THINGS was published in 2007 by Ace Books. That title began the urban fantasy series featuring Connor Grey and continues in UNQUIET DREAMS (2008) and UNFALLEN DEAD (2009). In July 2009, a new series featuring Guild agent Laura Blackstone will begin with SKIN DEEP.

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Quotes from Unshapely Things

“Most druids fall into two groups: sticks or stones. Wood has some wonderful properties, but it has a tendency to react too much with the user for my particular taste. Because they retain some of their own innate essence, using wands becomes almost a partnership. You have to be very nature-oriented to use them to their best advantage.” — 1 person liked it

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Unshapely Things (Connor Grey #1)

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