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Desdaemona (Desdaemona #1)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 144 ratings · 39 reviews

Jordan helps kids on the run find their way back home. He’s good at that. He should be – he’s a runaway himself. Sometimes he helps the kids in other, stranger ways. He looks like a regular teenager, but he’s not. He acts like he’s not exactly human, but he is. He treads the line between mundane reality and the world of the supernatural, including the awesome Powers That B...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published May 31st 2011 by Solaris

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Oct 31, 2012 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

* * * 3.5 Stars * * *

Circumstances change so fast; it takes nimble footwork just to keep up, and your heart lags behind even in the best of times, which these most emphatically were not.

Desdaemona, Ben Macallan's debut, was one of my top reads of 2011. He has a unique style of writing that I find mesmerizing and I quickly devoured his novel and was left wanting more.

Desdaemona was the story of a boy named Jordan who was constantly on the run from the Powers of his world that were determined to...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Jacqie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: didnt-finish

Ben Macallan is another pseduonym for Chaz Brenchley ( I believe he's got at least 2 more). He's using this name for a foray into urban fantasy.

I was willing to go along for the ride, but about 130 pages into the book I realized that I didn't have it in me to read through the next 200 pages, so I skimmed. I feel that was the right decision.

Basic premise: young man (or something more?) on the run is recruited by a girl (who's definitely more) to find the girl's missing sister. There is, of course...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Joshua Palmatier rated it 3 of 5 stars

Desdaemona is the debut novel (here in the US) for Ben Macallan. It's an urban fantasy, and most of you know that I generally don't read urban fantasy. I just don't get caught up in it. I received this book as an eARC before it was published and read at least half of it then. I bought the book when it came out and finished it up just now. Out of the urban fantasies I've read, I'd say that this one has a few qualities that will make it stick out in the urban fantasy field.

Here's the idea behind t...more Desdaemona is the debut novel (here in the US) for Ben Macallan. It's an urban fantasy, and most of you know that I generally don't read urban fantasy. I just don't get caught up in it. I received this book as an eARC before it was published and read at least half of it then. I bought the book when it came out and finished it up just now. Out of the urban fantasies I've read, I'd say that this one has a few qualities that will make it stick out in the urban fantasy field.

Here's the idea behind the book: Jordan is on the run from him parents who intend, when he comes of age, to kill him and make him immortal. They are immortals, and as you've probably guessed, all of the immortals (and nearly all of the legends and folklore characters and myths) are alive and well and living among us, as with most urban fantasies. Jordan has managed to elude them for years, time for him suspended by an amulet he wears around his neck so that he will not come of age (and thus be easier to find). Most of the immortal world is on the hunt for him, since his parents have offered an award for his capture. While on the run, Jordan finds himself helping other runaways, mostly helping them out of trouble (usually the paranormal kind) and getting them back home where they belong. That's how the book starts--with Jordan helping a young girl escape from some werewolves--and then Jordan meets Desdaemona, a woman who's made a deal with daemons and so possesses some exceptional powers and who also needs Jordan's help finding her lost sister, Fay.

The rest of the novel is filled with Jordan and Desi searching for Fay, following the trail, all while attempting to escape all of the people looking for Jordan . . . and it turns out, for Desi as well. They're both mixed up with some pretty bad people in the immortal world, and everyone is out to get the reward for both their heads. So what makes this novel stick out in the urban fantasy field?

First and foremost is the voice of the main character. This is, of course, written in first person and so you get a strong sense of the main character, Jordan. For the US readers out there, this is set in England, and the characters are all, thus, English, which means that the text is (rightfully) written with all of the English idioms and such. This certainly gives it a unique tone in the US market. For the most part, it's easily read and I didn't have any issues with this style, except in one or two places where the phrasing was just enough off that I had to pause briefly while reading to parse out the sentence. But overall it's not intrusive to the experience and it does keep you firmly in the appropriate setting.

We also get a slew of bad creatures in this novel that you don't find in many other urban fantasies out there. And when I say a slew, I mean a slew. We start off with werewolves and vampires, but I think the author mostly put these in to get them out of the way, and to provide an easy entrance into the novel for the typical urban fantasy reader out there. After that, we get a mix of other creatures--harpies, undine, Morrismen, etc. And the final Big Bad that I can't reveal without spoiling things. These creatures were interesting because they were different and because the author puts his own slant on them, but i will say that in the end there were so many, none of them really tied to the others, that I felt somewhat scattered. I also wonder what the author intends to use in the NEXT novel, since it seems so much was used in this one. But I suppose I'll find out.

Overall, it's a solid venture into the urban fantasy field, definitely a good debut novel. The voice is distinct, and after an initial rockiness at the beginning of the book, it settles into a strong story. It really is about Desdaemona, so the title is appropriate, and yet it is more about Jordan and his own plight as the runaway. And the best thing about the book is the ending. Initially I thought it would end as most urban fantasies end--it heads in that direction--but then there's a twist that sets this urban fantasy above most of the others I've read. The twist kicks it to a higher level, one where the main character is forced to change. I hope that Ben Macallan continues this is his future novels, since one of the things I don't like about urban fantasies is that the main character never seems to change from book to book, only meeting bigger and badder bad guys.(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Otherwyrld rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy

Well, this is an interestingly different story. Generally with Urban Fantasy there are rules that are usually followed - they are mostly told first person by the protagonist, and that protagonist is usually the same gender as the author. Desdaemona is different, in that it is told first person and the gender is right but that person is not the protagonist. Rather, he is Jordan, a missing Prince of Hell who is hired by the real protagonist, a daemon (enhanced human) called Desdaemona to find her...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Christen *Goldilox And The Three Weres* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Christen *Goldilox And The Three Weres* by: Cat Russell Embraces the Darkness

I'm not going to lie - I give the first two-thirds of this book two stars and the last one-third of this book five stars. So I'm averaging it to three and a half stars.

Jordan is a runaway - running from what we don't quite know - who is found by Desdaemona, Desi for short. She knows a little about him and also knows that he helps other runaways occasionally. She needs his help in finding her sister Fay, who disappeared while Desi was off becoming a daemon. Being a daemon means that Desi possess...more I'm not going to lie - I give the first two-thirds of this book two stars and the last one-third of this book five stars. So I'm averaging it to three and a half stars.

Jordan is a runaway - running from what we don't quite know - who is found by Desdaemona, Desi for short. She knows a little about him and also knows that he helps other runaways occasionally. She needs his help in finding her sister Fay, who disappeared while Desi was off becoming a daemon. Being a daemon means that Desi possesses something called an Aspect. This makes her stronger and faster than a normal human, but even still she cannot figure out what happened to her sister. So she ropes a reluctant Jordan into helping her. She doesn't have to do much...expect give him a smile and a muffin. He is charmed by her even though he doesn't really want to be. He can't help it, he is forever 17 years old and stuck with the hormones of a 17 year old.

Confused? Yes, me too.

This book unfolds a little at a time. And when I say little, I mean LITTLE. Nothing about the cover of this book or the first chapters of the book is right. You think you are getting into an entirely different story than what you are actually getting. This isn't really a werewolf story or a vampire story. I don't actually even know what kind of story this is, to be honest!

This is the third book in a row that I haven't loved until more than halfway through. I'm sure this is just a coincidence, but I find it really annoying. I almost stopped reading this book two or three times because I just didn't really connect to it. I didn't love the relationship between Desi and Jordan in this book. Maybe it was just because it was different than what I am used to reading, but I just didn't really connect with their relationship at all. That was a bit of a downfall for me. When we finally do begin to get their stories, a LITTLE bit at a time, the book becomes much more intriguing and I became hooked. I just don't think any author should wait that damn long to hook the audience!

The book finally picked up (for me at least) around the appearance of a new character who comes 200 pages in. It wasn't necessarily that I loved this new character so much, but rather that we started to find out a little more about Jordan when this character appeared. Also, the action in the story picks up considerably with his appearance.

All in all I can say I'd recommend this book to others, but with reservations. It is a different style of writing and a different kind of story than most of the other UF books I've read, and I still haven't really decided if that's a good or bad thing!
(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, starters-prose

There are things that aren't human in the world, and while seventeen year old Jordan isn't one of them he can see and hear their signs, which a lot of people can't. He's also hiding from them, and has been on the run (and seventeen) a very long time. Desi is the one who finally finds him, but she's not looking for the favor of those that hunt Jordan - she wants his help to find her sister, who's in a great deal of trouble herself.

Desdaemona is a tremendous addition to the urban fantasy genre. It...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Jacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, urban-fantasy, favorites

I love this book. Ben Macallan is the new pen name for Chaz Brenchley, whose writing is always beautifully crafted. Spare and elegant, deceptive in its simplicity, this British urban fantasy story keeps up the tension right to the end, a real page-turner.

Jordan makes his living by finding kids who are on the run and guiding them back home. But he's on the run himself from something he doesn't want to admit to anyone. Not even himself. He looks like a regular teenager, but he isn't. He knows far...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Cami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, paranormal, young-adult, vampires

I really liked this one. The characters were strong, the adventure was fun and there is a lot of "British" language I definitely don't hear every day in the United States. And even after the end, I have questions...and hope that means there will be a sequel coming my way soon.

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Jul 12, 2011 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: killer-cliff-hangers, demons, dark-and-gritty, male-main-character-pov, series-i-can-t-wait-to-continue

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "Lonely's okay, truly, until it goes away."

Let me start by saying that I do plan on reading the next book in this series. How could I not after that ending.

Most of the book, I would give a 3 star rating, the end I'd give a 4 star, even though I figured out the main mystery before it was revealed.

The main character is Jay, a runaway who is helping runaways out of trouble and returning them to their loved ones. Jay is perpetually 17-years-old (which is explained later) and weak. He is on the smal...more "Lonely's okay, truly, until it goes away."

Let me start by saying that I do plan on reading the next book in this series. How could I not after that ending.

Most of the book, I would give a 3 star rating, the end I'd give a 4 star, even though I figured out the main mystery before it was revealed.

The main character is Jay, a runaway who is helping runaways out of trouble and returning them to their loved ones. Jay is perpetually 17-years-old (which is explained later) and weak. He is on the small side, not strong, scared, lonely, hungry and poor. He meets Desi when she asks him to help her find her sister.

Ah, Desi. Beautiful, strong, kick-ass, self-sufficient Desi. Desi is the opposite of Jay - beautiful, strong, in control, etc. He seems like a wimp next to her. I think she was a great character until the end. I don't know what I think of her now. I can't decide whether I hate her or respect her even more. She obviously had a "thing" for Jay, but by the end, it kind of seemed like she was making her way back to Jacey, which I think sucks for Jay. Jay is obviously mooning over her throughout the entire book. She is the first female and friend that he's had in several years of life on the run. Unfortunately, Jay is a wimp. For example, the author writes that Jay is holding on to her for dear life on the back of her motorcycle. He just seems un-masculine to me at this point. But, he really grew on me by the end of this book. I understood his reasoning, what he was doing by running away, and why he was so scared while he was on the run.

My biggest problem with this book was the over explanation of everything. Details, which I enjoy to a point, were written about way too much. There were entire paragraphs I was skimming over, because I was sick of reading a description. Also, in the beginning of this book, the main characters enter a vampire house. Maybe I was skimming too much, because I'm still not sure exactly why they did this. I was confused, but continued reading.

The book picks up with the addition a new character, who I really enjoyed. I loved the relationship between Jay and this character. I wish this character has been around for longer in this book.

The ending was great. I'm hoping that some of the events can be reversed, but I'm doubtful. The book ends on a cliff hanger, so I'm definitely reading book two in this series. I can't be left hanging like that :)

"Some are born great; some achieve greatness; some have greatness thrust upon them."

"I was in front, but even so I felt it, when Desi took her Aspect on her. Felt it? I was undone by it. This was the real thing, full-focus. It ripped my breath away."(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Otherwyrld rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal

This is the sequel to Desdaemona, and while still good, doesn't quite hit the same heights. This time Desdaemona herself is the narrator, rather than the outsider Jordan's point of view in the first book. In some ways that book is just a prequel to this, the main story.

Everyone is after Desdaemona, including Jordan (newly created Prince of Hell and not happy with her role in that elevation), Jace (the boy she ditched and whose family was after her in the last book for getting pregnant and getti...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Jenny Barber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Trouble didn’t follow me, so much as the other way around. I stalked it down dark and obviously untrustworthy alleyways, picked its pockets for the hell of it, tapped it on the shoulder and ran away like a kid playing games, led it inexorably into other people’s paths and let them face its fury.” (p.89)

Desdaemona’s on the run again. She ran once before, and found refuge and a new life – for a while at least. But she had a few issues with what she had to do to keep it, so she talked fast and hop...more “Trouble didn’t follow me, so much as the other way around. I stalked it down dark and obviously untrustworthy alleyways, picked its pockets for the hell of it, tapped it on the shoulder and ran away like a kid playing games, led it inexorably into other people’s paths and let them face its fury.” (p.89)

Desdaemona’s on the run again. She ran once before, and found refuge and a new life – for a while at least. But she had a few issues with what she had to do to keep it, so she talked fast and hoped no-one would notice the lies. But trouble is never far away and now she’s harried from pillar to post, by way of old allies and enemies across a broad landscape that takes you from the forgotten stations of the Underground to the chalk lands where the White Horse is ready to ride ever onwards.

Then there’s the complication of two old boyfriends: Jordan, the new love she’s running from – freshly crowned somewhat-reluctant prince of hell; and Jacey, the old love from a previous life she’s running to – heir to an empire and best protection from the wild assortment of mercenaries set upon her.

There’s a lot of running in this book – by foot and motorbike, by horse and rollerblade and some of it is fun, but at times it becomes too much and can be an exhausting thing to read as you go from monster attack to extended running scene, to monster attack to another extended running scene with scant places to stop and breathe in between. And yet, when those occasions for rest occur, they are often accompanied by the swelling of interesting background detail into just a little too much information that leaves you impatient for the action to start up again. In the author’s previous books this particular stylistic quirk has worked to great effect so perhaps the incongruity is because there’s a certain expected rhythm to urban fantasy, with pop beats you can nod your head to, and Pandaemonium reads more like a surprise jazz remix of a tune you sort of recognise.

“They were going to hang my boyfriend up by his heels and bleed all the life out of him, and they thought I’d want to watch.

“No. Almost all of that is true, but none of it is right.” (p.7)

The book hangs on its lead, and Desdaemona is an awkward character to like. You can sympathise with her plight, want her to shake free of the trouble dogging her, but liking her seems optional. She’s all sharp edges, the centre of everyone’s world and there is the persistent impression that all her sins are instantly forgiven so that everyone can flock to her assistance just when it’s needed. With Jacey, the forgiveness can be understood; there’s been plenty of adjustment time since they became exes, and the previous volume of the series offered a hashing out of their old business that allows for a certain degree of moving on; but there’s no apparent fallout for her betrayal of Jordan, save it creating the instigation for her to start running.

At the very least you’d expect him to make a snippy comment at some later point, instead of quite happily shrugging off the fact that she forced him into something he’d clearly said he didn’t want to do. And at the very least you’d expect some sign of her own motivation for it, beyond the brushed aside excuse that she felt it needed doing and was hers to do. Perhaps they both felt it was some kind of subconscious payback for him forcing her to face a part of her own past in the last book, but if so that’s not clear in the text and so his switch from betrayed to helper creates a feeling of unfinished business.

There’s also a running obsession with power happening throughout as Desdaemona repeatedly dwells on both the power of her gifted Aspect and the power of those around her: an understandable habit given her necessary rise from powerlessness, and the need to measure the many potential threats against her own ability to respond, all of which make her choices at the end particularly effective.

“I’d told the story before, here and there, or parts of it: just often enough that the old ways of telling it, the old words came easily to my tongue.” (p.91)

And yet, despite pacing issues and odd character niggles, Pandaemonium is still a hypnotising read. Macallan, no matter what name he writes under, has always had a distinctive gift for language that catches you up and pulls you along, weaving decorous spells that don’t let go. The story is built slowly, layering piece upon piece until the whole emerges in a patchwork of glorious imagery and fun concepts that make you want to read the next one to see what he can come up with next.(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Jules Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paperback, fiction, urban, fantasy

A welcome return to dark urban fantasy for Chaz Brenchley, writing under the name of Ben Macallan. If that pen name sounds vaguely familiar, it's because Brenchley previously used it for the lead character in a much earlier novel; and his usage here is more than whimsy, because this is exactly the sort of novel that the hero of Dead of Light would write. Jordan's a runaway teenager who makes a habit of helping the lost, both other runaways and those who've simply strayed into the world of the su...more A welcome return to dark urban fantasy for Chaz Brenchley, writing under the name of Ben Macallan. If that pen name sounds vaguely familiar, it's because Brenchley previously used it for the lead character in a much earlier novel; and his usage here is more than whimsy, because this is exactly the sort of novel that the hero of Dead of Light would write. Jordan's a runaway teenager who makes a habit of helping the lost, both other runaways and those who've simply strayed into the world of the supernatural. Jordan's clinging to an existence somewhere on the border between the mundane and the magical, moving on to the next town whenever the hunters on his trail get too close. He's doing pretty well at it, until Desdaemona tracks him down and drags him into her quest for her runaway sister Fay. Desdaemona's something of a mystery herself -- she's a Daemon, a human who has been rewarded with occult power for contracted services to a Power, but she's barely more than a teenager herself. How and why Desi contracted herself so young is just as much of a puzzle for Jordan to solve as is the mystery of Fay's whereabouts.[return][return]Fay's got good reason to have hidden herself as well as she has, and Jordan and Desi aren't the only ones hunting her. As they search for Fay, they find all too many enemies amongst the world of the supernatural -- the hunters on Fay's trail, the hunters on Jordan's trail, and the enemies Jordan and Desi make along the way. The result is an ever-increasing escalation of power and Powers they have to defeat or escape from, and a roller-coaster ride through a sharply crafted world where the supernatural can be found down any alley.[return][return]What makes this book so good for me is that Macallan/Brenchley takes British and Irish mythology, polishes new facets on it, and sets it to perfection in a contemporary urban English landscape. And he does it with strong characters and snappy social observation, in a story that unfolds to show rather than tell exactly who and what Jordan and Desi really are. It's often very funny, and sometimes terrifying, and occasionally heartbreaking; all the more so because it shows how the monsters can be only too human.[return][return]The ending begs for another novel, and indeed there are the concepts for two more living inside the author's head, though whether they see the light of day is another matter. But the book is complete in itself, a fabulous modern twist on old fables.(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Desdaemona follows the story of Jordan, on the run from his parents, who plan to make him immortal when he becomes of age. While on the run, he helps find other runaways--because who better to find a runaway than another runaway that knows all the best hiding spots and tricks? Enter Desdaemona, or Desi for short, who enlists Jordan's help to find her sister Fay, who has gotten herself mixed up with some very bad immortals. Jordan attempts to turn down her request, but, as he’s a horny teenager,...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

"They'd tempted fate, and here she came."

Brilliant! Macallan is a wickedly talented story teller that immediately pulled me in with his clever and engaging writing style. The story was well-constructed, full of action, intrigue, and numerous surprises that left no room for dull moments.

We are first introduced to Jordan, a man on the run. A survivor. He spends time aiding in the recovery of lost children and teens whenever and wherever he can.

In a world of Powers he's not the strongest or the fi...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Suzanne McLeod rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I was asked if I'd read, and if I liked, to blurb Ben's book. So I read, and I LOVED, and so here's the blurb! :-)

"Ben Macallan masterfully weaves myth, magic and the mundane to create a world where dangerous supernaturals control the shadows in a superbly realized English landscape. With its deft plotting, evocative prose, and the unique pairing of Jay, the plucky, engaging narrator, with the cool, take-no-prisoners Desdaemona, Macallan’s tale is smart, witty, full of surprises, and grips unti...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Patrick Doris rated it 5 of 5 stars

An unusual book the denouement and the ending came as a total surprise to me. This was a different world setting than I am used to it. The boo was so compelling a read that i skip my workout to finish it and had to go to the library to get new books since i had it scheduled to be a two day read. I enjoyed it. Unfortunately the authors seems to have four or five pen names which may make it difficult to find other works byhe/she

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Nov 26, 2012 Samuel Lubell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The beginning is very good. A boy on the run from some supernatural force meets a girl, Desdaemona, with a superhuman aspect, who is searching for her sister who is hiding from a different supernatural entity. There's a nice twist, but I felt the quality of the first part was undermined when it turns out the things characters were running from weren't as bad as the book made it sound.

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Jul 03, 2011 Katharine Kerr rated it 5 of 5 stars

A fast-moving, very well crafted story -- but dark. If you demand a happy ending, I'd suggest reading something else. Yet I really liked the author's insistence on making the ending true to the story. He pulls no punches, and all the clues are there in the text for the reader to put together.

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Oct 08, 2012 Andy Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book. A lot of running about from place to place but when the storylines all tie up it is well worth the ride.

And then, the final scene...............................never used OMG!!! before now but the final scene of this book deserve it.

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Nov 19, 2012 Andy Angel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book follows on from the previous book Desdaemona directly - as in book 1 finishes as Desdaemona (Desi) walks through the door and book 2 begins as she walks down the stairs at the other side of the door. Do not try reading this book until you have read book 1 as you will be missing out.

As books go this is pretty much more of the same, which is good, except for the fact that the author switches the main character of this book to Desi - a female lead (whereas book 1's lead was Jay - a male)....more

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Oct 28, 2012 Rosalind M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

3.75 stars. Even once the truth came out, I never really understood Jordan's terror of the future he was determined to spend his life running from. Beyond the obvious (trying to avoid spoilers here), I never got a feel for why it was so horrible.

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May 18, 2013 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paper

This book was exactly what I love to read - something different, and surprising - sexy, but not bawdy. There is a second book in the series, called Pandaemonium. Not sure why it doesn't show up on this site!!

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Apr 22, 2012 David Marshall rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is great fun. For once, we go beyond urban fantasy as a label and get into a good quality story without being bogged down by romance.

http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0...

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Jun 27, 2011 Mandy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Not liking this one so far. I've read 80 pages and I just want to put it down and move onto a better book.
It annoys me.
But I will finish it, just slowly...very slowly

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Jun 01, 2011 Feistygodwin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very cool book! I loved the main characters and how the author told the story in 'bits'. Unique and very powerful storytelling!

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Aug 16, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a good book. I was surprised about the ending. A good surpriser but still surprised.

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Jul 21, 2011 Caroline Ingvaldsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Engaging urban fantasy by a prolific and talented horror writer.

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Nov 29, 2011 Jaime Moyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books

This was a fun book, with lines sprinkled in that stopped me dead. I mean that in a good way. That Ben Macallan guy can write.

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Aug 04, 2011 Maghon Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Ok so I'm a little lost with backgrounds... Is this a series? Did I miss one before? Will there be one after? Other than this, it starts a little slow (probably because I was lost) but has a really good twist and ending, which I like when that happens, so I'm giving it an in-between rating. Some parts I really liked, some parts I really didn't.

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Jun 02, 2012 Madeleine Robins rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is urban fantasy--in the larger sense that it's set in cities, and magic and the fae and other magical beings suffuse it. And while it's romantic (the author is a deep dyed romantic) it's not a romance. It's a rich, emotionally complex book with all kinds of good stuff, told beautifully. Go read it. Really.

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About Ben Macallan

Ben Macallan is the boy your mother warned you about, the one with the motorbike and the cool clothes and the dangerous superpowers. He shoots round corners without looking, can put on his socks without bending and finds new planets as a Sunday afternoon hobby. He sometimes hangs out in smoky bars, where he plays saxophone and talks philosophy. Several schools claim to have taught him, but he neve...more

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Quotes from Desdaemona

“This one had come to me, though, picked me out. I thought she was trouble from the start. I don't read minds and I can't see the future, but call it instinct or experience, something was prickling my spine.
You could call it something else, if you wanted: adolescence, hormones, lust. Being seventeen. That doesn't go away, however long you practice.
"Hullo," I said politely, warily.
She was long and slim and very neatly put together, dark hair tumbling over denim, old worn black jacket and jeans that somehow hadn't faded into grey. They probably didn't dare. Right from the start I saw a focus in her, a determination that must go all the way through, like the writing in a stick of Brighton rock. In another world, another lifetime, I thought she'd have raven-feathers in her hair, a bear's tooth on a thong about her. She'd be the village shaman, talking to spirits, and even the headman would be afraid of her, a little...
Seventeen, I told you. She was devastating to me, she was sitting at my table, and I couldn't afford her. Not for a minute.
If I'd stood up, if I'd left, if I'd run away...
Nah. She would just have come after me. Faster, fitter, and on longer legs. What chance did I ever have?” — 2 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9561876-desdaemona?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327991271l/9561876.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9561876-desdaemona?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Desdaemona by Ben Macallan[/url]

Desdaemona (Desdaemona #1)

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