A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I picked up this book after seeing a review talking about how underrated the series and author were. The reviewer also promised a creative stab at vampires, and I'm all for something truly fresh and not just rehashed.
This urban fantasy book reads as a murder mystery, with FBI Agent Heather Wallace hunting down a serial killer and running across a cadre of vamps and immortals along the way. The lead vamp, Dante Prejean, is the lead singer for a band in New Orleans and is also the killer's target. (On a side note, the author adores NIN, and I have to wonder if she's modeled Dante after Trent Reznor, who used to live in the Big Easy and has similar music/performance wear tastes.)
The vamps are overall you standard fare. However, Phoenix has added Fallen angels into the mix in the form of Dante's pal Lucien (and others, presently just alluded to) which spice up the mix. We aren't sure where the Fallen are taking us, but Lucien is hiding a number of secrets.
The serial killer is also nicely demented and honest. I never doubted his perspective or motivation. Even without the paranormal elements the mystery side of this story holds water without issue, and that will keep me reading into the series.
The chemistry between Heather and Dante, once it happens, is genuine and not overdone, but at times it gets a bit artsy and cerebral. Heather over thinks most things, which is typical of her character, but it would be nice not to have it happen during a simple kiss. The author treats the romance with a wide camera angle lens.
The reason I gave this three versus four stars? Phoenix changes character perspective frequently, and with all of the internal dialogue going on it's often difficult to keep track of who's speaking. I found myself having to back up and re-read sections frequently, and that's just annoying.
However, I did like it, enough to continue reading the series to see where things lead. Phoenix brings a good deal of creativity to the stage, and I can hope the technique and style improves.
Tagged: A rush of wings, Adrian Phoenix, book review, nin, trent reznor
