Mob Rules (Underworld Cycle, #1)

Mar 12, 2011 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-giveaway, signed, read-2010, mine, vampire

Are you tired of reading the same book over and over again under the guise of a different title? You know the ones: girl meets boy with a secret, magic is plentiful, perhaps a vampire is featured, and don’t forget the happy ending. Well, Cameron Haley may have started with this formula, but he blew it up—literally. The main character, Domino, works for the baddest mob boss in L.A. As a strong magic user, she’s his lieutenant in the outfit, which means she takes care of business the boss doesn’t...more Are you tired of reading the same book over and over again under the guise of a different title? You know the ones: girl meets boy with a secret, magic is plentiful, perhaps a vampire is featured, and don’t forget the happy ending. Well, Cameron Haley may have started with this formula, but he blew it up—literally. The main character, Domino, works for the baddest mob boss in L.A. As a strong magic user, she’s his lieutenant in the outfit, which means she takes care of business the boss doesn’t want to deal with. When a member turns up dead and missing his skin, Domino tries her hand at investigation. She reaches out to the member’s soul to find out who killed him, and when that doesn’t work, she resorts to older magic to bring back his ghost. Shortly after her investigation starts, she’s dating a guy—who has a secret!—that she found along the trail. At the same time, Fred the vampire makes an appearance, but is he “vegetarian” or killer? From there, every time I thought I knew where Haley was taking the story, it would take an interesting turn in a different direction. Haley would play out the most logical conclusion almost to the end before she changed the path 90 to 180 degrees to show us another possibility. I bet you’re wondering about the happy ending, but you’re just going to have to read it for yourself.
I received my copy of this book from the First Reads giveaway program where members can offer a copy or several copies of a book for other people to collect. The system works mostly on random selection, but the process is simple. With three clicks of the mouse, I let Cameron Haley know I was interested in this book. He had listed three signed copies in celebration of his first book release, and 867 members requested a copy. I didn’t pay anything to sign up for an account, to enter, or to receive my book. The only stipulation is that I was asked to post my review of the book on the website (and any other venue I chose). This was not hard and was a pleasure to accomplish—to the point that I might have skipped some homework in order to finish reading this amazing book. I look forward to more books from this author.(less)

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Nov 12, 2010 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, genre-urban-fantasy, job-magic-and-powers, genre-mystery

This is a fun book to read. It has magic used in an original way, with both everyday and combat spells. There is personal conflict, internal turmoil, family problems, new friends, betrayal, and a war.

Domino grew from nothing to a lieutenant in a LA mob made up of sorcerers. She doesn't realize how powerful or important she is and can be. She has a genie as a familiar. She gets a peskie (not a pixie, that's "offensive and insensitive") as a roommate. She dates the boss's son, who may be possessed...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Paradoxical rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reading-list, books-otherwise

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't what I got.

The beginning seemed promising. It was just different enough from other urban fantasy novels that I sort of wriggled back into my chair and prepared for a long read. You don't often read books about a main character who's part of the mob and is all right with it and what she's doing. Add a bit of grit and a fairly interesting magic system and I thought that I would truly enjoy reading the book. Unfortunately, it didn't qu...more I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't what I got.

The beginning seemed promising. It was just different enough from other urban fantasy novels that I sort of wriggled back into my chair and prepared for a long read. You don't often read books about a main character who's part of the mob and is all right with it and what she's doing. Add a bit of grit and a fairly interesting magic system and I thought that I would truly enjoy reading the book. Unfortunately, it didn't quite turn out that way.

The problem is that most of the book feels flat. Domino, as the main character, has the most depth to her, but she never grew into more for me. She was just sort of there, doing the things that she had to do, and it actually bored me. For a book where the opening pages had a man strapped to a bondage rack with his skin completely cut off from his body--well, let's just say that I wasn't expecting boring.

The other characters were all one dimensional. You never really get to know them, including Adan, who spends a good portion fo the book being horrifically bland. And the relationship that Domino has with Adan is just as bad. She's attracted to him. We get that from the first meeting. But we're just told that she's attracted to him, and I just don't see it.

The book tries hard to be gritty, but it reaches and kind of fails (it doesn't help that the main character apparently can't help but be flippant in her dialogue). There's slang and curses and--did I mention that I grew rather bored? Yeah. Also, repetitions of the word 'juice' kind of drove me crazy. I understand that the author is using it as a term for magic, but it's still used too much. Then there's the exposition. As in, there is too much exposition. We, the readers, do need some to sink our feet into the world, but Mob Rules uses exposition clumsily. Every time Domino has to explain something to me I'm knocked out of the story (which partially explains my boredom).

I expected a book more serious that I received, and I think that expectation colored my resulting reaction. Show, not tell, is a suggestion that is ignored here. On the other hand, the book really picked up towards the end, to the point where I wasn't just skimming it anymore but actually reading it. I just feel like the first 3/4s of the book could have been condensed and made much sharper than what was actually given to us. All in all, for most of the book it was 1 star. Parts of it (mainly the end) were 3 stars. So, averaging out to 2.(less)

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May 17, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-urban

If more urban fantasies were like this and not romances with guns and vampires and werewolves, I'd read more of them. Domino is an interesting protagonist, one that fits in nicely with her world. The world-building here is good, and the setting is gritty, raw, and no place for the weak. I found some of the twists and turns of the plot a bit contrived as the author tried to fit in all her unreliable side characters, but overall I plowed through this in about 5 hours nonstop (granted, I was on a p...more

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May 14, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

Have you ever had a book sit in your review pile for what seems like forever, and then randomly one day you start reading and it grabs you by the eyeballs and just refuses to let go? That essentially sums up what happened to me with Mob Rules, the first book in the Underworld Cycle. I figured it would be a fun urban fantasy story by an author I hadn't read before (which makes sense, since I found out upon further research that this is a DEBUT NOVEL, which only adds to my awe) but I wasn't expect...more Have you ever had a book sit in your review pile for what seems like forever, and then randomly one day you start reading and it grabs you by the eyeballs and just refuses to let go? That essentially sums up what happened to me with Mob Rules, the first book in the Underworld Cycle. I figured it would be a fun urban fantasy story by an author I hadn't read before (which makes sense, since I found out upon further research that this is a DEBUT NOVEL, which only adds to my awe) but I wasn't expecting the engrossing, highly enjoyable story that I found. I love surprises like this!

I want to preface the rest of this review with a statement that hopefully everyone will take to heart: This is Not a Paranormal Romance. I understand completely that it is published by an imprint of Harlequin and that that might lead some to get the wrong idea, so I'll go on record here as saying that this is urban fantasy, through and through. Domino is a gangster and she spends a good portion of the book doing gangster things; she has the moral compass one might expect from a lieutenant in a street gang.

All is not quiet on the streets of LA. Low level members of the organization Domino belongs to are getting ugly dead and squeezed for their juice; their magical mojo, so to speak. Domino is charged by the boss to figure out who's doing it and to administer appropriate justice; it becomes immediately clear that this is not going to be an easy task. Add in the fact that she's falling hard for her boss's son and Domino finds herself in quite a pickle indeed.

Easily my favorite part of this novel was the way that the urban setting and the supernatural elements were blended together and tied so closely that you couldn't see where one ended and one began. I loved how all of Domino's spells were rooted in quotations, instead of made up words or a more fantasy-style presentation. The subtle emphasis on how central Domino's skills as a sorceress were to her identity made the conflicts in the book seem believable and real. This is a story of one woman kicking ass and taking names because it's the only thing she truly feels competent doing; this is not the story of someone waiting to be rescued from life or bemoaning the circumstances in which she finds herself.

The true depth and nature of the conflict behind the murders is surprising; I enjoyed the twists and depths that were added to the story, even though I admit they fully became clear at a pretty late stage in the game. It definitely made me look forward to the next book in the series, which according to Amazon will be released on April 19th!

If you're looking for an excellent debut urban fantasy novel that isn't afraid to be as bad as it wants to be and doesn't care if it hurts people's feelings, then I highly recommend Mob Rules.

Overall Grade: A

Check out more reviews and other good stuff at What Book is That?!(less)

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Nov 07, 2010 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review

Meet Domino Riley, second in command to her Mob boss Rashan. The buck stops with her, and typically most problems are a relatively simple fix for her using bribes, intimidation, or just plain "removal" of the person causing the problem. However, when bodies start showing up skinned and no traceable magical residue is left, she knows this one won't be so easy to crack. Things get really complicated when one of the deceased's ghost points her in the direction of her boss's son, the man she has a s...more Meet Domino Riley, second in command to her Mob boss Rashan. The buck stops with her, and typically most problems are a relatively simple fix for her using bribes, intimidation, or just plain "removal" of the person causing the problem. However, when bodies start showing up skinned and no traceable magical residue is left, she knows this one won't be so easy to crack. Things get really complicated when one of the deceased's ghost points her in the direction of her boss's son, the man she has a strong attraction to despite the huge amount of trouble that could get her in. The more she tries to fix things, the deeper in she gets, and this time she might just not be able to dig herself out.

Let me start off by saying I LOVE Domino's character. She has plenty of kick ass attitude and the magical strength to back it up. There just is something captivating about a "bad" guy with a conscience, and this fits Domino perfectly. While she will kill without hesitation when necessary, an ability any good mobster must have, she never harms innocents. She constantly worries about becoming a monster and secretly wonders if she already might be one. This and many other traits make her the "good" bad guy that anyone would want to have in their corner, but really wouldn't want to cross. I can really see why her boss picked her to pull off the streets to train to become his lieutenant, and I think she has only begun to realize her full potential.

The world and the characters in this book are full of depth. I found it amusing that Domino's familiar, a Jinn, is trapped in an old TV box set. He sure isn't happy about this idea and seems to do anything he can to make her life more difficult if he can. An interesting part about the world is that the magic or "juice" as they call it doesn't have immediate side effects or costs, but the rush is extremely addicting and can lead towards a slippery slope of insanity. I find this a unique way to make magic come at price without being an immediate hindrance. Besides Domino's character, I really liked Honey's character the best. She seems to be the perfect balance to Domino, and I think the two of them will make a good team in upcoming battles.

This book threw me for a loop several times. It was anything but predictable as every time I thought I could take a stab at where things were going to go, something completely unexpected would happen and those predictions would go right out the window. It was really nice to read something completely out of the box compared to a lot of urban fantasies out right now. This is a must read from a fantastic debut author. If you love the "darker" side of urban fantasy with a heroine that isn't necessarily a "good" guy, then this book will be sure to impress. It definitely was a very quick and compelling read, and I eagerly await the next installment.
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Sep 29, 2010 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

The publishing company, Luna, turns out pretty decent stories. I have a feeling that much like the better known company that Luna is a part of (Harlequin) there's a bit of a formula that goes into these. They're all based around a female lead, they're all fantasy and there's some kind of romance built in.

Some pull it off better than others - C.E. Murphy is one of those.

Mob Rules was certainly decent but it did lose my interest about half way through. I had to sort of pick at the last few chapter...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Annmarie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crossover-appeal, fantasy, paranormal, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves

I read an advance reader's copy of this novel. This urban fantasy novel had a fast paced strong storyline with a strong heroine and an intelligently plotted magic system. The protagonist Dominica, or Domino as she prefers, is one of the top level magic users in a mob in L.A. that's run by a Sumerian sorcerer. Magical mob wars ensue, as her fellow mob members start turning up murdered in gruesome ways and Domino has to get to the bottom of it all. It's very mod, with Domino using Wikipedia and th...more

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May 22, 2011 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

c'était un livre qui changeait un peu. Premièrement, on part du côté des méchants, enfin tout est relatif, mais ce n'est pas la gentille héroïne qui veut faire justice elle même. Elle est second d'un grand mafioso possédant un énorme pouvoir et règle tous ses problèmes avant qu'ils arrivent jusqu'à lui.
Ce tome est assez surprenant on tombe directement dans l'action sans vraiment comprendre ce qu'il se passe et il faut quand même lire un bon bout du livre avant d'arriver à entrevoir les bases de...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Reed rated it 4 of 5 stars

So I was going on vacation and wanted a nice easy read to take with me--nothing too taxing on the ol' brain whilst drinking cervezas in the Puerto Vallarta sun. I stumbled across a mention of Mob Rules right before I left and it was just what I wanted: fast-paced, plenty of adventure, and enjoyable characters.

Haley's debut novel follows fairly standard urban fantasy tropes, with a few changes. His protagonist is Domino, a heavy hitter in an East LA gang. Gangs exist to control juice, aka magical...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Donya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, witches-magics-or-psychics, reviewed

Mob Rules has a unique world, which was a nice fresh of breath air. When I started I was a bit lost with all the "juice" and the world building, but everything eventually started to make sense and I just went with the flow.

I really liked the main character, Domino Riley. She did good and well throughout the story, she knew her way around and she was quick on her feet (not literally though). Adan (which I keep pronouncing it as Adam) came off as sweet charming boy compared to how the main char...more

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Apr 06, 2012 July rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, urban-fantasy

Liked:
* The main character is awesome and unusual. A female sorcerer gangster? Win! She's also a very capable person without the "I'm a smartass and therefore a badass" complex typical to some UF heroines.
* The worldbuilding is equally awesome and very unique. The magic system isn't like anything I've read before and it's very urban.

Liked Less:
* The plot was interesting and kept my attention but it kinda just fell apart at the end. When Domino figured out the answer to the mystery, I thought "W...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Somehow, two things I am usually uninterested in (gangs and paranormal romance) have combined in Mob Rules to create a book that had me laughing out loud and staying up late to finish it. No lie.

Domino (or Dominica, but don't call her that to her face) Riley is an enforcer for the mob boss Shanar Rashan, an ancient (literally) Sumerian sorcerer whose current turf lies in the magic-rich streets of Los Angeles. When one of her own turns up dead, drained of all his "juice", or magical power, Domino...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-reviews

This was one of the books I had offered to me for review by Harlequin (its published by their imprint Luna) and I thought it sounded interesting so I added it to my pile. It took me longer than I wanted to get to it and I'd deliberately avoiding reading anything about it so really had no idea what to expect. Within the first chapter I was hooked on the characters and world building and couldn't put it down.

Domino is a little darker than most heroines in this genre, as the lieutenant in what amou...more

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Sep 22, 2010 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

In MOB RULES the good is really good (amazingly creative world building and a feisty fun sidekick), but by comparison, the bad is really bad (a slow storyline that never picks up speed).

The main storyline in which magical mob enforcer, Domino, is trying to avoid a gang war while chasing down a nasty killer who skins and crucifies his victims in order to drain them of their magic sounds a lot more interesting then it is on paper. And that’s no...more Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

In MOB RULES the good is really good (amazingly creative world building and a feisty fun sidekick), but by comparison, the bad is really bad (a slow storyline that never picks up speed).

The main storyline in which magical mob enforcer, Domino, is trying to avoid a gang war while chasing down a nasty killer who skins and crucifies his victims in order to drain them of their magic sounds a lot more interesting then it is on paper. And that’s not because Haley is a bad writer, he’s not, but his pacing leaves a lot to be desired. The whole mystery could have been solved in three chapters but instead it drags on for fifteen.

I actually found myself getting mad that this very cool world building was wasted on a story that just meandered through this fascinating alternate L.A. in which Domino’s familiar is Mr. Clean trapped in her TV, she contacts the dead through a Facebook type site, graffiti tagging can tap into juice (aka magic), and spells for everything from counteracting nicotine to all matter of cosmetic enhancements are triggered by famous quotes.

The other bright spots in MOB RULES were the scenes between Domino and a mischievous eight inch tall naked piskie named Honey. Honey felt like an import from a Stephanie Plum novel with lots of quick and quirky dialogue like this scene where Honey begrudgingly offers to teach Domino how to control her magic:

I laughed. “No offense, Honey, but you’re eight inches tall. And you have a sword.” I noticed the sword was missing. “Where do you hide that thing, anyway?”
”It’s a secret.”

Overall, the truly stellar world building and fun supporting characters couldn’t save this story with its wimpy romance and dull plotting. There is a prequel in the anthology Harvest Moon coming out October 1, 2010, and the sequel called Skeleton Crew due out sometime in 2011 but I can’t see myself picking up either.

Sexual Content: References to sex. A scene of mild sensuality.(less)

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May 06, 2011 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

I gave it 2.5/5

I happened to win a copy of SKELETON CREW Book 2 from Goodreads First Reads so I went to the library and borrowed a copy of MOB RULES so I would be ready to read when my book got here. I thought the world building was creative and engaging. The storyline was interesting and entertaining but the pace at which things happened was pretty slow throughout the whole book. I really wish the pacing wasn't so slow but I found myself loosi...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is my first foray in to supernatural chick-lit thrillers, and I cheated by picking a well-reviewed first novel rather than trying on a best-seller. It was good. You could drive a truck through the plot holes, but it hit some good notes, and the writing wasn't offensively bad. It had a fairly original conception of magic (who doesn't these days) in which magical "juice" is tapped from human vice using graffiti and other methods. Organized crime, then, is just as concerned with tapping juice...more

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Feb 05, 2011 cecilia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: orange-covers

MOB RULES was not what I expected - I think I was looking for more Raine Benares light-hearted fun, but Domino did not seem to be a marshmallow-on-the-inside sort of person. She was pretty straightforward, knew her job and knew how to survive on the streets where drugs and death seemed commonplace. It was actually fun to see how her magic functioned! She would use Wikipedia or FriendTrace.com to search for unknown magical items or connect with dead for further interrogation. She would use a famo...more

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Nov 22, 2010 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars

This fun, fast-paced urban fantasy tells the story of Domino Riley, a lieutenant for a powerful, magic-wielding, 6000-year-old mob boss in Los Angeles. Some of Domino's men have turned up dead; while that's not unusual in her line of work, what is unusual is that they were skinned alive and had all of their magic drained from them. Domino's investigations lead her to a rival mob boss, an ancient mystical king and hint at bigger, broader dangers that will likely unfold in later volumes. Domino he...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

It's a relief to find an author who is doing something slightly different with urban fantasy. Domino Riley isn't the usual cookie-cutter heroine - the lone-wolf kick-ass heroine with no interpersonal skills. Domino is a gangster, and she's comfortable with that (mostly). She's pretty high up in the organisation, so we see her working with, and leading, others. Domino is good with the wisecracks, but she's also committed to her job and tries to do it well.

We also (hooray) do not have the seen-it-...more It's a relief to find an author who is doing something slightly different with urban fantasy. Domino Riley isn't the usual cookie-cutter heroine - the lone-wolf kick-ass heroine with no interpersonal skills. Domino is a gangster, and she's comfortable with that (mostly). She's pretty high up in the organisation, so we see her working with, and leading, others. Domino is good with the wisecracks, but she's also committed to her job and tries to do it well.

We also (hooray) do not have the seen-it-before-please-can-we-have-something-different 'love triangle'. Yes, we have a hot guy, but only one. And - amazingly - Domino does not just jump straight into bed with him. It's nice to see an urban fantasy heroine actually going on a date and having a conversation rather than just falling over backwards.

The magic system is interesting and different, although we've seen the 'too much magic use sends you mad' concept before. But I like the way magic-users see themselves as separate, and not bound by the usual rules; it's believable. Domino is starting to worry about the ethics of using magic, and I'm looking forward to the next book to see where she goes with that.

The plot is a combination of detective work and action, and it's obvious that Domino is better at the latter than the former - and she knows it. She makes mistakes, and she doesn't pick up on clues until it's nearly too late, but this is believable in a character whose usual job is trouble-shooter. She's operating outside her comfort zone and her skill set, and there are other characters who know more than she does, so she has to get used to accepting help and advice.

All in all, this is a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy scene. The characters are interesting and well-drawn, the plot and setting are original. It's very obvious that this is part of a trilogy; the second book (Skeleton Crew) is out, but the third book Dead Drop) was scheduled for publication in summer 2012 but does not seem to have made it onto the shelves. I hope the author has not changed his mind.(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Merrian rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a B- read

I loved this book. The heroine is a 35 year old gangster sorcerer who is 2IC in her gang. The world of poverty and crime on the streets of LA is well realised and cleverly used to explain and show the world of magic, of juice and the skills to manipulate it that make a sorcerer. I liked how Domino was connected with and loved her Mum - such a contrast to the usually isolated UF/PNR heroine. Domino is kick-arse because she is smart and she is loyal and not afraid to act i.e. take...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf

This one was a very quick read, and kept my attention. I have to say that it does usually take at least 2 books to find out if I like a series - the first book is world building and not enough room for real character development (so I count the pace and whether or not I want to finish it higher than other things). I felt it was a good start, and I was starting to become invested in the characters.

The main characters are gangsters, so they are working in a lot of gray areas. They didn't spend to...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Anoolka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, demons, faery, parallel-worlds, paranormal, series, vampires, urban-fantasy, witches-and-wizards, series-to-follow

Good book, over all. Not great. (Especially since I already read the prequel short story and rather liked it more than this). The first half was a little slow, got better in the second half. But the twists somehow didn't entirely work for me (too little buildup, perhaps? the heroine was too accepting and I didn't feel enough of a shock from her, I guess?), like they didn't quite have the emotional impact they should have had, especially the second one.

Interesting and fresh idea, though. Perhaps...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Brandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Me ha gustado un montón por todas las diferencias que tiene frente a uno del mismo género pero con la misma plantilla.
Se nota que está escrito por un hombre porque la fantasía y el suspense son los elementos principales, dejando atrás a cualquier atisbo de romance o sexo.
Lo que más me ha atrapado de este título es la capacidad de sorprender. Cada vez que pasaba página me encontraba con teorías, personajes y tramas diferentes a la del inicio. Amos, por poner un ejemplo, empiezas con un asesinato...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Cid Tyer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, 2010-books, 2010-toberemo

I passed Mob Rules several times in book stores, picking it up and pondering buying this, because lets face it, that’s a cool cover. But this book is more than just a pretty face and an interesting story. I knew when I picked it up that it was urban fantasy, but I was surprised by the mixing and melding of histories to create the world Cameron Haley writes in. Magic is juice, gangs focus on who can control the most juice, but what are they really doing with it? I think that the world building an...more I passed Mob Rules several times in book stores, picking it up and pondering buying this, because lets face it, that’s a cool cover. But this book is more than just a pretty face and an interesting story. I knew when I picked it up that it was urban fantasy, but I was surprised by the mixing and melding of histories to create the world Cameron Haley writes in. Magic is juice, gangs focus on who can control the most juice, but what are they really doing with it? I think that the world building and the plot are both amazingly done. This is more than just an urban fantasy – this is an interesting take on the gang world as it could be, the character deals with moral issues of what she has to do, but I’ll touch on that in a moment.

The plot is both a mystery and an action type story. Most of it revolves around Domino trying to figure out who is squeezing their people. In the beginning this felt a little slow, but that’s deceptive. There’s a lot going on, and it’s parceled out.

Mob Rules is written in first person, which has the difficulty of sounding more as if you’re being told the story by the character sitting on the sofa with you instead of shown the story through their eyes. There were times, especially towards the end when stuff what just stated – this is how it was – and I thought it lost a little of it’s mojo that way. (Note: I said a LITTLE, it’s still a pretty fan-frikken-tastic book.)

The other hurtle with first person, is drawing your audience into the mind of that character. You were pretty firmly ingrained in what Domino was thinking, though some things were left in the dark on purpose for the reveals later. For me, I read books and want to connect with the characters; I found it a little difficult to ‘hear’ Domino in my head because there was very little emotional ques on the page. For me, that was the weakest part of the book – but it’s not a bad thing or even a real weakness – that’s a personal readers preference. That said, there are times that you see and feel through Domino’s eyes, and one of those is possibly my favorite, even if it tears you up.

Book two is called Skeleton Crew and is slated to be out May 2011. You can see a picture of the cover over on Goodreads.(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Jackie Uhrmacher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mob Rules is more about world-building than non-stop action. The details of how Domino uses her magic are just as much a pivotal part of the book as what she uses her magic on: “Even among sorcerers, ‘Wikipedia told me so’ isn’t a compelling enough reason to touch off a gangland war.” The creatures aren’t of your cookie-cutter variety: “These days, vampires aren’t really monsters; they’re just tragically hip antiheroes with unusual diets…[they] are just ex-human sociopaths who lacked the juice t...more

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Apr 06, 2012 ZaBeth rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: jodi israel

Shelves: source-lib, _g-sci-fi, r-suite101, series_started, 6-fromfictionstack

In Mob Rules, the first novel of Cameron Haley’s new Underworld Cycle series, we learn from a mobster’s right-hand lieutenant, Domino Riley, what it takes to be a gangster. It doesn’t take any longer than reading page two before readers understand that this isn’t the world of Don Corleone's mafia. Domino’s world is ruled by cut-throat sorcerers who use the power of graffiti magic to boost the strength of their organization. One the most powerful sorcerers, Shanar Rashan, is a Sumerian mobster an...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Kez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books, ebooks, genre-contemporary-fantasy, theme-kick-ass-females, theme-faeries, theme-ghosts, theme-magic, theme-vampires

When I first read the prequel short story to this in Harvest Moon I fell in love with the world that Haley has created. The concept of the big criminal organisations being built by magic users who suck juice from non-magic users which is generated through violence, sex and drugs is pretty cool.

In Mob Rules however I found Haley's writing style a little difficult to jump into. Perhaps it was because it was novel length rather than novella. Domino Riley is a thug for the mafia in essence, and Hale...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Ugh, I really wanted to give this five stars, but I can't. Mob Rules was unique and interesting from the start. Yes, as others pointed out, the word "juice" is overused to the point of physical annoyance at the beginning of this book. Just push past it, it does decrease a bit after that. I wonder if I would have noticed it if I hadn't read a review that mentioned it first. It is pretty excessive, but I was also looking for it. Anyway, this book is about rival gangs that control the magic in a ci...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Rhianna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Something NEW this way comes. (4 stars)

In Domino Riley's world if you're not the one controlling the most juice you're liable to get squeezed. No really. In L.A. the gangsters work for stronger magic ("juice") users who control their territories. As a bit of a right-hand to Shanar Rashan, Domino commands a lot of respect for an half-Irish, half-Mexican woman in the world of thugs. When one of Rashan's boys meets a very grisly end completely dried of his juice it's up to Domino to find out how. T...more Something NEW this way comes. (4 stars)

In Domino Riley's world if you're not the one controlling the most juice you're liable to get squeezed. No really. In L.A. the gangsters work for stronger magic ("juice") users who control their territories. As a bit of a right-hand to Shanar Rashan, Domino commands a lot of respect for an half-Irish, half-Mexican woman in the world of thugs. When one of Rashan's boys meets a very grisly end completely dried of his juice it's up to Domino to find out how. The plot continues to thicken as she begins to suspect a rival gang's Haitian head, Papa Danwe, is trying to overthrow her boss.

But when it comes to magic and the people who can manipulate it, everything is not always as cut and dry as it seems. Vampires, piskies and djinn occupy this world throwing their own interesting complications into Domino's investigation. By the time the whole story unravels the fight for L.A.'s juice may become a blood bath, but not if Domino can stop it.

In the genre that is Urban Fantasy it sometimes feels like you're reading the same story you've read before and all that's changed it what things are called and character names. Then, once in a while, you get really lucky and find a diamond in the rough. A book that's so fresh in concept or delivery you can't help but want everyone to read it. Mob Rules is an amazing example of taking an old idea and breathing some new life into it. There are lots of magic users out there in the genre but mixed in with the ganster elements this is urban fantasy guys can read without hiding the cover.

Fans of first person narratives from tough heroines should try this one out. Occasionally it's obvious Domino is written by a guy but thanks to her lifestyle it's forgiveable and works. The dialog is solid, something that for me as a reader is an essential element in enjoyable fiction. Haley does a great job of making larger than life secondary characters that don't pull you away from the heroine yet jump off the page making each scene they pop up in memorable. Honey the piskie is an absolute riot and next to Jenks from The Hollows series gives just the right touch of humor to lighten otherwise dark moments.

There is a touch of potential romance, a romance that—without me giving any spoilers—left me wanting more. Haley manages to use it well, making it just one spice in a tasty broth. I'm really looking forward to seeing where he takes Domino with this in future installments.

Overall I can't do the book justice as a reviewer. I can't quite put everything I want to say about what I liked into words without spoiling some of the greatest elements of the story. There are definitely some excellent surprises, just when I was totally bummed Haley managed to pull a fast one on me giving me a little hope. I am hooked. I recommend this one for urban fantasy readers sick of romance and sex taking over good plot, for readers looking for something weird and unexpected and for guys especially. Yeah, yeah, I said I recommend it for guys especially. I tend to like what my husband calls "guy movies" and can never fathom why he calls them that, I see them as "girls can be tough and look really sexy at the same time" movies. Domino is my kind of girl, doesn't take anyone's crap, can roll with the dudes but she's still a girl who can put on a skirt and makeup underneath it all.
***Notes: Received this one as an ebook review copy via NetGalley.(less)

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Mob Rules (Underworld Cycle #1)

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