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Ella Grey #1
Stone Cold Magic
Demon patrol officer Ella Grey was pronounced dead after an accident on the job, but eighteen minutes later she woke up on a gurney bound for the morgue. With no explanation for her mysterious resurrection, she just wants to get back to life as usual. But she didn’t return to the living alone. The soul of a reaper followed her back from the grave, and it’s not just along for the ride. It's taking over her body and mind, trying to use her to continue its morbid work. But it also gives her visions of her troubled brother, Evan, who disappeared years ago. The reaper might be her biggest ally in her search for Evan—if it doesn't eat her soul first. Torn between the instinct to survive and the realization that only death’s eyes can lead her to her brother, Ella throws herself into a race against time to somehow outmaneuver the reaper.
326 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2016
1699 people are currently reading
2546 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Faith
37 books226 followersHi there! I'm Jayne Faith, author of the urban fantasy Ella Grey Series and paranormal romance Sapient Salvation Series. When I'm not tapping away at my keyboard while swilling coffee and tea, I'm playing with my dog; eating, flipping through recipes online, fantasizing about food, dreaming up my next meal (you get the idea); doing yoga or Pilates; or watching TV. Connect with me on Facebook, just search "Jayne Faith" or go to facebook.com/AuthorJayneFaith
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
April 27, 2020
➽ And the moral of this reread is: I want a pet gargoyle for Christmas. Because they're super cute and fluffy and the cuddliest companions a nefarious tyrant could ever wish for and stuff.
[Original review]
Friendly warning: this crappy non-review is as uninspired as this book was unexpectedly and shockingly good. Be afraid, my Little Barnacles, be very afraid.
I was SO sure this one was going to suck BIG time I didn't even bother adding it to my 'currently reading' shelf when I started it. Because, seriously: a UF book by two fairly unknown authors, available through Kindle Unlimited?
Exactly. I mean, let's be honest here, 99.99% of Kindle Unlimited books are pure crap. And given that 99.99% of UF stories that get published these days are pure crap too, well…Let's say things weren't looking too good for poor Ella Grey here. But I downloaded the book anyway because:
1/I love to suffer.
2/I'm not really sane.
3/It had beentwo weeks too long since I last DNFed a book.
4/I needed to vent in a rant review.
Right. I kinda sorta feel like a total idiot now. But I'm kinda sorta used to it, so I think there's a good chance I'll survive the slight mortification. Anyway, here I was, looking forward to unleashing my 2016 backlog of pent up anger in a gloriously epic 1-star review. So I started reading this little book here. And something truly horrific happened:
That's right, my deviously cunning plan to hate this book with a vengeance failed epically. Yes, my Little Barnacles, it is tragic, but it is true: my wondrous nefariousness notwithstanding, I have been had {insert screams of shock and confusion here} Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Damn. My reputation has just been thoroughly ruined by a Kindle Unlimited UF story. I'm pretty sure I'm never going to live this down.
Soooooo, this little book here. No, it is not highly philosophical. No, it is not mind-blowingly thought-provoking. No, you will not gain extra IQ points by reading it. But you know what? It's bloody shrimping entertaining. And it's not STOOPID. And that's more than enough for me these days. Because, frankly, with all the crap I've read this year, I can tell you the mere fact that a UF book doesn't suck and is fun to read is an achievement in itself. This obviously calls for a rhythmic celebration.
In case you were wondering: no, this ↑↑ is not me. As of this morning, I was still female. I think.
Okay, so it's almost Christmas, you're busy getting last minute gifts, I'm busy drinking myself to oblivion, and the crustaceans are busy sharpening their claws, so I'll just cut the crap and tell you why this book is slightly nifty:
① The world building is pretty creative, nicely developed and has LOTS of potential. There are yummy demons, cool magic stuff, plain humans (which is becoming a rarity in UF these days), non-boring ghosts *gasps*, witches, vamps, evil corporations, pet hellhounds, necromancers, extra souls and gargoyles!!!! Freaking gargoyles!!!! I want a gargoyle for Christmas, my Little Barnacles!!!
② The plot is surprisingly original, fast paced and intriguing. I had pretty low expectations at first, since the MC is a cop of sorts and police procedurals usually bore me to death. You know how ugly things get when I get bored, don't you? Yeah, that's right, doom, destruction and complete annihilation of all life on Earth and stuff. Luckily enough, this ain't no Dull Tedious Lackluster Flat Boom Planet Gone Mystery (DTLFBPGM™), my Lovely Arthropods! Because stuff happens! Because there are no fluffy bunnies or pastel colored rainbows! Because the MC is a demon patrol officer! And because freaking gargoyles! And because reasons! And because I said so! You're welcome!
Don't ask. Believe me, you really don't want to know what this is about.
③ Ella Grey, our Soon to Be Cool Chick Harem Material MC (StBCCHMMC™), belongs to that species on the verge of extinction known as the non-TSTL UF heroine. I must admit I nearly fainted to death when I realized the girl wasn't a harebrained nitwit with dimwitted tendencies. A girl who could actually think for herself. And even managed to act rationally. I know, I know, this is a lot to take. Breathe my Little Barnacles, breathe. What makes Ella Grey pretty shrimping cool is that she can get beautifully bi-polar sometimes. I mean, she kinda sorta died for a while and came back among the living with a built-in reaper type tenant in her little head. Which is pretty brilliant, if you ask me. Okay, so dear Ella doesn't seem to agree with me on that one. Mainly because Mr/Ms/Whatever Reaper tends toscare her shitless make her feel a teensy little bit uncomfortable when he/she/it/whatever takes over. But hey, I still think it's slightly cool and stuff.
④ The cast of secondary characters is somewhat awesome. They're all interesting, likeable, NOT one-dimensional and NOT tropey. I kid you not. Cross my heart, hope to die and all that crap. Aaaaaannnnnd, miracle of miracles, there is even a non-pathetically clichéd gay character in this story! I kid you not again. Cross my heart, hope to die and all that crap again. He's pretty cool, too. Because, you know, he's pretty cool, too. All of them are, actually. Pretty cool, too, I mean. ALL the characters, I mean. Even the bad guys, I mean. Ha.
⑤ The lack of Romance is deliciously delicious.Okay, so there's a hint of the possibility of a potentially probable romance in instalments to come, but for now it's zilch, zip, nada and stuff. Which is slightly glorious, if you ask me. And even if you don't. Ask me, I mean. It still is, I mean. Glorious, I mean. Ha.
» And the moral of this Bloody Hell I Can't Believe I Liked this One so Much I Actually Want to Read the Next Instalment Crappy Non Review (BHICBILtOsMIAWtRtNICNR™) is:
DUH.
· Book 2: Dark Harvest Magic ★★★★
· Book 3: Demon Born Magic ★★★★
· Book 4: Blood Storm Magic ★★★★
[Original review]
Friendly warning: this crappy non-review is as uninspired as this book was unexpectedly and shockingly good. Be afraid, my Little Barnacles, be very afraid.
I was SO sure this one was going to suck BIG time I didn't even bother adding it to my 'currently reading' shelf when I started it. Because, seriously: a UF book by two fairly unknown authors, available through Kindle Unlimited?
Exactly. I mean, let's be honest here, 99.99% of Kindle Unlimited books are pure crap. And given that 99.99% of UF stories that get published these days are pure crap too, well…Let's say things weren't looking too good for poor Ella Grey here. But I downloaded the book anyway because:
1/I love to suffer.
2/I'm not really sane.
3/It had been
4/I needed to vent in a rant review.
Right. I kinda sorta feel like a total idiot now. But I'm kinda sorta used to it, so I think there's a good chance I'll survive the slight mortification. Anyway, here I was, looking forward to unleashing my 2016 backlog of pent up anger in a gloriously epic 1-star review. So I started reading this little book here. And something truly horrific happened:
That's right, my deviously cunning plan to hate this book with a vengeance failed epically. Yes, my Little Barnacles, it is tragic, but it is true: my wondrous nefariousness notwithstanding, I have been had {insert screams of shock and confusion here} Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Damn. My reputation has just been thoroughly ruined by a Kindle Unlimited UF story. I'm pretty sure I'm never going to live this down.
Soooooo, this little book here. No, it is not highly philosophical. No, it is not mind-blowingly thought-provoking. No, you will not gain extra IQ points by reading it. But you know what? It's bloody shrimping entertaining. And it's not STOOPID. And that's more than enough for me these days. Because, frankly, with all the crap I've read this year, I can tell you the mere fact that a UF book doesn't suck and is fun to read is an achievement in itself. This obviously calls for a rhythmic celebration.
In case you were wondering: no, this ↑↑ is not me. As of this morning, I was still female. I think.
Okay, so it's almost Christmas, you're busy getting last minute gifts, I'm busy drinking myself to oblivion, and the crustaceans are busy sharpening their claws, so I'll just cut the crap and tell you why this book is slightly nifty:
① The world building is pretty creative, nicely developed and has LOTS of potential. There are yummy demons, cool magic stuff, plain humans (which is becoming a rarity in UF these days), non-boring ghosts *gasps*, witches, vamps, evil corporations, pet hellhounds, necromancers, extra souls and gargoyles!!!! Freaking gargoyles!!!! I want a gargoyle for Christmas, my Little Barnacles!!!
② The plot is surprisingly original, fast paced and intriguing. I had pretty low expectations at first, since the MC is a cop of sorts and police procedurals usually bore me to death. You know how ugly things get when I get bored, don't you? Yeah, that's right, doom, destruction and complete annihilation of all life on Earth and stuff. Luckily enough, this ain't no Dull Tedious Lackluster Flat Boom Planet Gone Mystery (DTLFBPGM™), my Lovely Arthropods! Because stuff happens! Because there are no fluffy bunnies or pastel colored rainbows! Because the MC is a demon patrol officer! And because freaking gargoyles! And because reasons! And because I said so! You're welcome!
Don't ask. Believe me, you really don't want to know what this is about.
③ Ella Grey, our Soon to Be Cool Chick Harem Material MC (StBCCHMMC™), belongs to that species on the verge of extinction known as the non-TSTL UF heroine. I must admit I nearly fainted to death when I realized the girl wasn't a harebrained nitwit with dimwitted tendencies. A girl who could actually think for herself. And even managed to act rationally. I know, I know, this is a lot to take. Breathe my Little Barnacles, breathe. What makes Ella Grey pretty shrimping cool is that she can get beautifully bi-polar sometimes. I mean, she kinda sorta died for a while and came back among the living with a built-in reaper type tenant in her little head. Which is pretty brilliant, if you ask me. Okay, so dear Ella doesn't seem to agree with me on that one. Mainly because Mr/Ms/Whatever Reaper tends to
④ The cast of secondary characters is somewhat awesome. They're all interesting, likeable, NOT one-dimensional and NOT tropey. I kid you not. Cross my heart, hope to die and all that crap. Aaaaaannnnnd, miracle of miracles, there is even a non-pathetically clichéd gay character in this story! I kid you not again. Cross my heart, hope to die and all that crap again. He's pretty cool, too. Because, you know, he's pretty cool, too. All of them are, actually. Pretty cool, too, I mean. ALL the characters, I mean. Even the bad guys, I mean. Ha.
⑤ The lack of Romance is deliciously delicious.Okay, so there's a hint of the possibility of a potentially probable romance in instalments to come, but for now it's zilch, zip, nada and stuff. Which is slightly glorious, if you ask me. And even if you don't. Ask me, I mean. It still is, I mean. Glorious, I mean. Ha.
» And the moral of this Bloody Hell I Can't Believe I Liked this One so Much I Actually Want to Read the Next Instalment Crappy Non Review (BHICBILtOsMIAWtRtNICNR™) is:
DUH.
· Book 2: Dark Harvest Magic ★★★★
· Book 3: Demon Born Magic ★★★★
· Book 4: Blood Storm Magic ★★★★
May 5, 2020
Well, Quarantine Brain™ has gone offline, perhaps gearing up for the stress of return to a New World. Still, before it powered down, a Certain Arthropod’s review pointed me towards this book, and I found my eye caught by two more unusual ideas, that of the reaper and a gargoyle. Intrigued–and cheap–I borrowed it and found it full of intriguing ideas, and interesting ensemble cast and a problematic plot, or problematic lead character. Sometimes with these books, it’s hard to tell which. Still, it was written well enough that I found it interesting.
So, what makes it better/different? The writing is competent, and a step above the average urban fantasy. The author(s) don’t waste time describing everyone’s eye color (that I remember), how many ab muscles show (despite the front cover), and don’t have a habit of ‘smirking,’ my personal pet peeve. It really isn’t a paranormal romance. Our main character, Ella, is a hetro female who has had a number of dalliances in her past, so she appreciates a cutie, but in this book at least, there isn’t anything significant going on. And, interestingly, it ends up being more of an ensemble cast, which I feel isn’t very common in a genre prone to the lone wolf trope (sometimes literally). The world-building is also intriguing, if somewhat murkily overshadowed by anti-corporation sentiment (and who can’t get behind that?).
The bad? Well, a guilt complex over a missing family member is a major motivator, as always. There’s also the trope of assuming excessive responsibility for which a person has only limited obligation. I appear to be somewhat deficient in both of these genes, because although both I and the protagonist have jobs where we help people, I am almost never tempted to bring those people home. I also recognize that I am not responsible for other people’s bad choices. But where’s the story in that, you ask? I don’t know, maybe Faith could find a better one.
Furthermore, Ella is kind of a jerk, in that she frequently bends the rules–I do that too, I’m not criticizing that part–in such a way that she ends up involving her friends, either to ‘help’ her cause or cover for her. But in some ways, this is definitely BookWorld™, and consequences aren’t severe. You can take home strange dogs, strange children, break the rules at work, invade the compound of all-powerful men, exhaust yourself into oblivion, and everyone will forgive you and still love you.
There’s enough of QuarantineBrain™ functioning that I’m on board with that.
Two and a half stars, rounding up for half-hellhounds and gargoyles. There's a lot of fun stuff here that essentially gets wasted, but overall, not a waste of time.
So, what makes it better/different? The writing is competent, and a step above the average urban fantasy. The author(s) don’t waste time describing everyone’s eye color (that I remember), how many ab muscles show (despite the front cover), and don’t have a habit of ‘smirking,’ my personal pet peeve. It really isn’t a paranormal romance. Our main character, Ella, is a hetro female who has had a number of dalliances in her past, so she appreciates a cutie, but in this book at least, there isn’t anything significant going on. And, interestingly, it ends up being more of an ensemble cast, which I feel isn’t very common in a genre prone to the lone wolf trope (sometimes literally). The world-building is also intriguing, if somewhat murkily overshadowed by anti-corporation sentiment (and who can’t get behind that?).
The bad? Well, a guilt complex over a missing family member is a major motivator, as always. There’s also the trope of assuming excessive responsibility for which a person has only limited obligation. I appear to be somewhat deficient in both of these genes, because although both I and the protagonist have jobs where we help people, I am almost never tempted to bring those people home. I also recognize that I am not responsible for other people’s bad choices. But where’s the story in that, you ask? I don’t know, maybe Faith could find a better one.
Furthermore, Ella is kind of a jerk, in that she frequently bends the rules–I do that too, I’m not criticizing that part–in such a way that she ends up involving her friends, either to ‘help’ her cause or cover for her. But in some ways, this is definitely BookWorld™, and consequences aren’t severe. You can take home strange dogs, strange children, break the rules at work, invade the compound of all-powerful men, exhaust yourself into oblivion, and everyone will forgive you and still love you.
There’s enough of QuarantineBrain™ functioning that I’m on board with that.
Two and a half stars, rounding up for half-hellhounds and gargoyles. There's a lot of fun stuff here that essentially gets wasted, but overall, not a waste of time.
February 22, 2018
A good book about a demon police officer who dies and comes back to life with a little extra. Interesting world building.
April 29, 2019
I just bogged down on this story. A lot of the UF worldbuilding is standard-but-with-a-twist and that works okay. But the heroine is both too much and not enough for me to feel engaged very much and the group she draws to her to get stuff done doesn't really hold together very well.
On the too much, Ella is rather conveniently connected to all the right folks. Big corporation I need answers from? No prob, the CEO is my uncle. Need sooper speshul sensor check? No prob, the best tools are in the hands of this guy who crushes on me. Need background deets on magic and prompts for future magic developments? No prob, my new partner is an underpowered member of the elite caster caste. None of these is unreasonable. But all of them together feel a little too much like an author brainstorming session for plot hooks.
The too little is Ella being an underpowered member of the dog-catcher unit of the paranormal cops. She's essentially an exterminator with a badge who walks around town with her stun gun and mouse traps waiting for calls reporting an incursion of baby demons. Anything actually important gets kicked up to the real strike teams. So we get to ride along on a cop beat that's all trivialities and mono-action that serves mainly to show that her partner is cool and she's a'ight.
I finally put the book down when she and her friends skip right past the "why are all here, again?" and go to the "let's take on the paramilitary dudes with actual guns, big powers, and scary-psycho mad-scientists in their back pockets." They're hatching some kind of stealth hostage thingy and I got bored after picking at all the holes in their plans. And now the thought of picking the book back up fills me with enough ennui to choke a goth chick after being dumped by her vampire boyfriend.
On the too much, Ella is rather conveniently connected to all the right folks. Big corporation I need answers from? No prob, the CEO is my uncle. Need sooper speshul sensor check? No prob, the best tools are in the hands of this guy who crushes on me. Need background deets on magic and prompts for future magic developments? No prob, my new partner is an underpowered member of the elite caster caste. None of these is unreasonable. But all of them together feel a little too much like an author brainstorming session for plot hooks.
The too little is Ella being an underpowered member of the dog-catcher unit of the paranormal cops. She's essentially an exterminator with a badge who walks around town with her stun gun and mouse traps waiting for calls reporting an incursion of baby demons. Anything actually important gets kicked up to the real strike teams. So we get to ride along on a cop beat that's all trivialities and mono-action that serves mainly to show that her partner is cool and she's a'ight.
I finally put the book down when she and her friends skip right past the "why are all here, again?" and go to the "let's take on the paramilitary dudes with actual guns, big powers, and scary-psycho mad-scientists in their back pockets." They're hatching some kind of stealth hostage thingy and I got bored after picking at all the holes in their plans. And now the thought of picking the book back up fills me with enough ennui to choke a goth chick after being dumped by her vampire boyfriend.
March 30, 2017
3.5 stars
March 19, 2018
A new name to me in urban fantasy and what a fresh idea. Ella is kind of a demon enforcement officer and as this story begins she is just about to come back after having had enforced medical leave. Believe it or not Ella recently died whilst on patrol but strangely came back to life but things are very different for Ella. She is suffering from disturbed sleep and seems to have acquired an odd shadowy sight and yet still has to face a horror that would turn anyone’s stomach . No I’m not referring to her new partner on the demon squad but a presence that came back from the grave with Ella and slowly but surely it’s taking her soul !
I really liked this story and think it’s a very interesting start to this series. Yes it’s a little futuristic but nothing over the top just some technology and of course a wee bit of magic. A world with demons struggling to break through and when they do it’s usually a nuisance but sometimes can be lethal.
I enjoyed getting to know Ella and finding out what it is that motivates her and all I’m saying is her family are definitely not run of the mill. Plus the supporting characters are made interesting too with their own backstories which makes them feel more like real people and not just a posse for Ella to fall back on . I think what I liked most though is the simple fact that Ella is pretty ordinary in a world where magic exists. She’s not some kind of super witch, she isn’t particularly fast, dangerous or super strong but she is independent, resourceful and willing to go that extra mile to save others. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and recommend this book to those seeking something a little different in urban fantasy.
I really liked this story and think it’s a very interesting start to this series. Yes it’s a little futuristic but nothing over the top just some technology and of course a wee bit of magic. A world with demons struggling to break through and when they do it’s usually a nuisance but sometimes can be lethal.
I enjoyed getting to know Ella and finding out what it is that motivates her and all I’m saying is her family are definitely not run of the mill. Plus the supporting characters are made interesting too with their own backstories which makes them feel more like real people and not just a posse for Ella to fall back on . I think what I liked most though is the simple fact that Ella is pretty ordinary in a world where magic exists. She’s not some kind of super witch, she isn’t particularly fast, dangerous or super strong but she is independent, resourceful and willing to go that extra mile to save others. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and recommend this book to those seeking something a little different in urban fantasy.
April 29, 2019
This is prolly more of a 3.5 for me, but rounding up for an amusing afternoon spent reading.
Ella Grey is a Demon hunting officer who died and came back with a hitch-hiker and that's only part of her problems.
I appreciated the world building in this series. It's UF and features some of the usual suspects as far as vampires, shifters, mages and the like, but the author has done a good job introducing her own mythology around these creatures and the world the MC and her friends live in. It's also unique in that it's a UF world where the magic is public and the world has adjusted to all that means. There aren't enough of those kinds of UF books which are well done, so she gets a lot of credit there.
The MC herself is okay, but her growth arc in this particular book is shallow. The book is definitely the beginning of a series and I suspect the rest of the series is where a lot more of that arc will come into play. She pulls some stupidity towards the end of the book which I didn't really think was worthy of her.
I liked most of the secondary characters and we're certainly set up to see more from them in future books.
The big draw back for me with this story came in the writing itself. It got off to a slow start and there was too much repetition. I did not need to be told at least a dozen times that Ella died for 18 minutes and came back, for example. And that's not the only time that information was parroted repeatedly when that space could have been used for further character depth or progress. It's a first book problem, in my opinion, and I'm curious enough to be willing to at least check out the next one to see if it gets better.
Ella Grey is a Demon hunting officer who died and came back with a hitch-hiker and that's only part of her problems.
I appreciated the world building in this series. It's UF and features some of the usual suspects as far as vampires, shifters, mages and the like, but the author has done a good job introducing her own mythology around these creatures and the world the MC and her friends live in. It's also unique in that it's a UF world where the magic is public and the world has adjusted to all that means. There aren't enough of those kinds of UF books which are well done, so she gets a lot of credit there.
The MC herself is okay, but her growth arc in this particular book is shallow. The book is definitely the beginning of a series and I suspect the rest of the series is where a lot more of that arc will come into play. She pulls some stupidity towards the end of the book which I didn't really think was worthy of her.
I liked most of the secondary characters and we're certainly set up to see more from them in future books.
The big draw back for me with this story came in the writing itself. It got off to a slow start and there was too much repetition. I did not need to be told at least a dozen times that Ella died for 18 minutes and came back, for example. And that's not the only time that information was parroted repeatedly when that space could have been used for further character depth or progress. It's a first book problem, in my opinion, and I'm curious enough to be willing to at least check out the next one to see if it gets better.
June 26, 2018
I think this was an okay start to a series. Interesting but not sure if it was interesting enough to continue or not but it definitely has potential and interesting concepts about rifs and magic.
December 15, 2024
Stars: 2 out of 5
This was a promising start, and I enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book, but it went downhill after that for a few reasons.
I think first and foremost, at least for me, is that I grew to despise the protagonist. She was mildly irritating at first, but I chalked it off to her upbringing and a recent traumatic experience she went through. The longer I read though, the more I understood that no, this was just how Ella truly was. She is extremely selfish, and she is very passive-aggressive when she wants others to do something for her, which is... all the time.
She never pauses to think about the consequences of her actions to herself or anyone else she drags into the messes she creates. And, as I said, she gets passive-aggressive when they try to say no, or just brushes off their concerns like they are not important or valid. Because they aren't to her, either important or valid, because nothing is more important to Ella than Ella.
Case in point, when Damien, a guy who she met barely a few days ago, tells her that he is not comfortable breaking into a highly fortified compound on a pretend inspection because he doesn't want word of this to get to his very influential family, she just... brushes this off? And the weird part is that he still goes with her. Why? Why is she portrayed as this special snowflake that all men (even gay men) fall over themselves to help and coddle?
She also suffers from the TSTL (too stupid to live) syndrome, because she thinks with her hormones, not her brain. Like the decision to keep the reaper's soul, even though it's devouring her, just because she saw a vision of someone who might or might not have been her missing brother. Now she is persuaded that this soul is the only way she'll find him. Erm, why? Did she exhaust any other means of searching for him? Because it doesn't look to me like she tried all that hard. She even flat-out refused help from a licensed private investigator. Really?
Or deciding to infiltrate a secure compound to "liberate" a gargoyle with a human stuck in it. All this with only 8 people, none of which are aware that she is planning a kidnapping instead of a simple inspection to make sure the boy is still alive.
And the worst part is, there are no consequences for any of that. Ella does the most stupid and hair-brained things and the author just rewards her for this.
In the end, I didn't care about whether Ella and co freed Nathan from his stone prison, or whether she would survive the reaper's soul. In fact, I was rather rooting for the reaper to win her over, so that that I didn't have to read about her anymore. Needless to say, I won't continue with this series.
This was a promising start, and I enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book, but it went downhill after that for a few reasons.
I think first and foremost, at least for me, is that I grew to despise the protagonist. She was mildly irritating at first, but I chalked it off to her upbringing and a recent traumatic experience she went through. The longer I read though, the more I understood that no, this was just how Ella truly was. She is extremely selfish, and she is very passive-aggressive when she wants others to do something for her, which is... all the time.
She never pauses to think about the consequences of her actions to herself or anyone else she drags into the messes she creates. And, as I said, she gets passive-aggressive when they try to say no, or just brushes off their concerns like they are not important or valid. Because they aren't to her, either important or valid, because nothing is more important to Ella than Ella.
Case in point, when Damien, a guy who she met barely a few days ago, tells her that he is not comfortable breaking into a highly fortified compound on a pretend inspection because he doesn't want word of this to get to his very influential family, she just... brushes this off? And the weird part is that he still goes with her. Why? Why is she portrayed as this special snowflake that all men (even gay men) fall over themselves to help and coddle?
She also suffers from the TSTL (too stupid to live) syndrome, because she thinks with her hormones, not her brain. Like the decision to keep the reaper's soul, even though it's devouring her, just because she saw a vision of someone who might or might not have been her missing brother. Now she is persuaded that this soul is the only way she'll find him. Erm, why? Did she exhaust any other means of searching for him? Because it doesn't look to me like she tried all that hard. She even flat-out refused help from a licensed private investigator. Really?
Or deciding to infiltrate a secure compound to "liberate" a gargoyle with a human stuck in it. All this with only 8 people, none of which are aware that she is planning a kidnapping instead of a simple inspection to make sure the boy is still alive.
And the worst part is, there are no consequences for any of that. Ella does the most stupid and hair-brained things and the author just rewards her for this.
In the end, I didn't care about whether Ella and co freed Nathan from his stone prison, or whether she would survive the reaper's soul. In fact, I was rather rooting for the reaper to win her over, so that that I didn't have to read about her anymore. Needless to say, I won't continue with this series.
May 17, 2020
3.5
Welcome back from the dead!
Welcome back from the dead!
May 18, 2018
I've been in the mood for some urban fantasy lately, and this one was free on kindle, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, it was a pretty good novel, enjoyable (and definitely worth the price!), but it was just lacking that something extra. Probably the best part about it was the world-building; the story takes place in an alternate future thirty years after a "Rip" that flooded the world with demons, viruses that create vampires and zombies, and even creatures not often seen in UF, like gargoyles. The heroine, Ella, works as a sort of cop in the Demon Patrol, walking a beat and taking out minor demons. I'm really picky when it comes it UF, but I liked the setting.
The characters weren't bad--I like Ella, her new partner (a gay man from a super-powerful magical family), and Roxanne, a teenaged girl whom Ella is trying to help (Roxanne's brother somehow got stuck in a gargoyle). Unfortunately, there were also many more characters tossed into the story, more than the novel's length could adequately develop. By the end, I felt like it was positively overcrowded.
The story itself was interesting, although I found the pacing somewhat plodding at times, and at the end, there was a lot that was left unresolved, clearly setting up the rest of the series. My final assessment: while I did enjoy it, and would recommend it to any UF fans, it wasn't compelling enough to make me want to continue the series.
The characters weren't bad--I like Ella, her new partner (a gay man from a super-powerful magical family), and Roxanne, a teenaged girl whom Ella is trying to help (Roxanne's brother somehow got stuck in a gargoyle). Unfortunately, there were also many more characters tossed into the story, more than the novel's length could adequately develop. By the end, I felt like it was positively overcrowded.
The story itself was interesting, although I found the pacing somewhat plodding at times, and at the end, there was a lot that was left unresolved, clearly setting up the rest of the series. My final assessment: while I did enjoy it, and would recommend it to any UF fans, it wasn't compelling enough to make me want to continue the series.
January 8, 2019
Not bad, not bad at all. Familiar tropes but they feel fresh. It doesn't suffer from many of the typical UF problems: the MC is not a lone wolf who has many guilt complexes and she doesn't drastically change her life when a man enters the picture. Yay! It has modern technology and the characters use it to communicate with each other. Yay! Yay! There are some pretty good magic scenes in bk №2. Yay! Yay! Yay!
The author may not be as polished as some of the professionally published authors but the MC isn't annoying, so a fair trade off, imho. It would have been 4 stars but I had to take off a star for how the MC prioritizes her issues. If the MC isn't going to do anything with the new info on her .
Pro: Available on Kindle unlimited
Con: Not quite cliffhangers, but the urge to binge is high
The author may not be as polished as some of the professionally published authors but the MC isn't annoying, so a fair trade off, imho. It would have been 4 stars but I had to take off a star for how the MC prioritizes her issues. If the MC isn't going to do anything with the new info on her .
Pro: Available on Kindle unlimited
Con: Not quite cliffhangers, but the urge to binge is high
January 21, 2023
Can't wait to get home and download the second book in this series. Then I will have to wait for the next ones to come out. Yes this book is addictive. It is a quick read and sucks you in almost immediately. I was hooked by the end of the 3rd page which usually means it is well written and has a wonderful storyline. And this time was no exception. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary.
December 24, 2016
The world was a bit difficult to understand and what had happened with the MC.
November 19, 2020
3.5/5
Mon avis en français
My English review
Here’s a novel that intrigued me. I’d seen the author’s name come up several times, but I’d never had the opportunity to immerse myself in one of her stories.
Ella Grey never had much power and that’s why she joined a demon patrol. But that’s not the only reason: she hopes to find the trail of her brother who has been missing for years. So far, she hasn’t found any information about him. So when she dies to come back to life, she doesn’t expect to have visions of Evan, alive. A reaper’s soul has invaded her soul, and if she can eventually finally allow her to learn more about her brother, her soul is also being eaten away, piece by piece. But can she use it to find her brother while still alive?
It was a pretty cool novel. I enjoyed discovering this universe a little different from the others, seeing the links that united Ella to the other characters and I was curious to see how she was going to do to save this little boy trapped in a gargoyle, an almost impossible mission and yet…
It’s a short series, because it has four volumes. So I’m curious enough to read the second one to see how it is.
Mon avis en français
My English review
Here’s a novel that intrigued me. I’d seen the author’s name come up several times, but I’d never had the opportunity to immerse myself in one of her stories.
Ella Grey never had much power and that’s why she joined a demon patrol. But that’s not the only reason: she hopes to find the trail of her brother who has been missing for years. So far, she hasn’t found any information about him. So when she dies to come back to life, she doesn’t expect to have visions of Evan, alive. A reaper’s soul has invaded her soul, and if she can eventually finally allow her to learn more about her brother, her soul is also being eaten away, piece by piece. But can she use it to find her brother while still alive?
It was a pretty cool novel. I enjoyed discovering this universe a little different from the others, seeing the links that united Ella to the other characters and I was curious to see how she was going to do to save this little boy trapped in a gargoyle, an almost impossible mission and yet…
It’s a short series, because it has four volumes. So I’m curious enough to read the second one to see how it is.
January 21, 2019
More of a 3.5*s really, it took a while to get into and for the storyline to get going. Also the romance was almost non existent and I’m not sure it’s headed in the right direction. I’ll keep reading though so hopefully it’s just that ‘1st book thing’
December 17, 2016
Really enjoyed reading this book! Cannot wait for the next in the series!
June 6, 2021
A thrilling ride with Ella Grey in the center where she had to deal with the demons entering via the rip in the world along with finding her missing brother. Added to that was a gargoyle with a human and demon trapped inside.
This was a maelstrom of subplots where each was more exciting than the previous. Author Jayne Smith with the delicious sleight of her hand added a demon in Ella’s soul when she was brought back 18 minutes after cardiac arrest.
The author could manage to give justice to all the subplots as well lay the pathway open for the next book. Being the first in the series, I was willing to give her time to develop her main character to be more kickass than what she was at the moment.
The narrator was pretty easy to understand at 1.6x speed. Fast paced and interesting was this book. Hoping to get to book 2 soon.
This was a maelstrom of subplots where each was more exciting than the previous. Author Jayne Smith with the delicious sleight of her hand added a demon in Ella’s soul when she was brought back 18 minutes after cardiac arrest.
The author could manage to give justice to all the subplots as well lay the pathway open for the next book. Being the first in the series, I was willing to give her time to develop her main character to be more kickass than what she was at the moment.
The narrator was pretty easy to understand at 1.6x speed. Fast paced and interesting was this book. Hoping to get to book 2 soon.
August 16, 2025
Very interesting fantasy book, action packed from page one pretty much. Gargoyles, demons, vampires mixed with humans in the town of Boise after the Rip.
I like the main character - Gabriella (Ella) Gray from Demon Patrol and her engagement into adventures involving all sorts of demonic creatures, as well as her friends.
I like the main character - Gabriella (Ella) Gray from Demon Patrol and her engagement into adventures involving all sorts of demonic creatures, as well as her friends.
June 23, 2019
A good solid read, I needed a change in genre so this fitted the bill I feel the series will grow from strength to strength and if I had the tie I would continue with the series but I’m on a tight reading schedule but I will go back to Ella Grey series at some point.
Want to read
March 16, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (3/16/2018)!💝
March 21, 2018
Good story! Ella died but came back to life with a hitchhiker! I didn't care for the way the story ended with loose ends!
June 10, 2018
I liked it. I don't know if I'm completely in love with the characters yet but I'm willing to give the second book a try. I could see myself liking the series with some further development.
July 13, 2019
actual rating: 3.5
This was a pretty good start to what could become an interesting series. The world building is interesting and I do like most of the characters so far. There were maybe a few too many convenient coincidences to move the plot along but it was a fun read and I'm always looking for an urban fantasy series that is decently written and doesn't focus on romance for the main plot. I will definitely check out the next book because I'm interested to learn more about the reaper that is in Ella, which was only really brought into the spotlight at the end of this book.
This was a pretty good start to what could become an interesting series. The world building is interesting and I do like most of the characters so far. There were maybe a few too many convenient coincidences to move the plot along but it was a fun read and I'm always looking for an urban fantasy series that is decently written and doesn't focus on romance for the main plot. I will definitely check out the next book because I'm interested to learn more about the reaper that is in Ella, which was only really brought into the spotlight at the end of this book.
March 15, 2022
mah.....
I was hooked at the beginning but around midway the story changed into something I didn't really like.
writing was good and the concept is awesome, but the story just isn't for me.
I was hooked at the beginning but around midway the story changed into something I didn't really like.
writing was good and the concept is awesome, but the story just isn't for me.
dnf
August 14, 2018DNF 40%
I was not enjoying the first person narrative and I was simply bored with the pace and jumpiness of the story. At 40% almost nothing of note had actually happened yet.
I was not enjoying the first person narrative and I was simply bored with the pace and jumpiness of the story. At 40% almost nothing of note had actually happened yet.
September 14, 2017
Discovered the audiobook of Stone Cold Magic through the Hoopla app that my library pays for. Loved Amy Landon as the narrator. She did an awesome job bringing the story to life like usual ❤️
June 1, 2018
Ella Grey, a Demon Patrol Officer, is pronounced dead after being attacked by an arch-demon while protecting her partner officer. Eighteen minutes later she wakes up on a gurney headed for the morgue, with no idea of how she came back to life. In her recovery process, she becomes acutely aware of something different within herself. She has odd shadows hovering in her peripheral vision and horrifying glimpses, in her dreams, of her brother Evan trapped in a feeding den for vampires. Evan had mysteriously disappeared 5 years earlier and Ella has continued searching for him as she’s been able.
Back to work, Ella is on patrol one night and rescues and befriends a little girl Roxanne, from some street thugs threatening to hurt her. Soon after, Ella becomes embroiled in a rescue mission of Roxanne’s brother Nathan, who somehow had gotten possessed by a demon and then trapped in a Gargoyle. In a world of majic, Ella is on the bottom rung of power ratings with just enough majic to have made the minimum qualifications to be a Demon Patrol Officer. Not able to properly help free Nathan, she enlists a number of her more powerful friends to help, including her new partner Damien, who comes from a well-known and respected family of Mages, the most powerful wielders of majic.
As Ella gets closer to freeing Nathan, she also discovers more about what’s inside of her, trying to possess her body and soul. Without ruining the balance of the story with spoilers, suffice it to say that Ella’s quest not only becomes one of saving Nathan’s life but her own as well.
The story was enjoyable and the characters amusing and interesting. I did enjoy it enough to read the entire story, although it did drag in a few places. This is the first novel I’ve read by the author, Jayne Faith and picked it up from Amazon free of charge. I would recommend it to those enjoying a light urban fantasy novel.
In my literary world, there are those books that leave you thinking of them weeks after reading, and hungry for more, my 5 star ratings. Books you enjoy, free of a lot of grammatical errors but not overly impactful, my 4 star ratings. Then, there are those books you struggle to get through, but do finish, (my 3 stars). This one I’m giving 4 stars.
The book did have a completed ending, thank you very much for that Jayne, and segues into the next book nicely. At this point, I haven’t yet decided whether or not to continue with the series. We’ll just have to see what’s in the stars.
Back to work, Ella is on patrol one night and rescues and befriends a little girl Roxanne, from some street thugs threatening to hurt her. Soon after, Ella becomes embroiled in a rescue mission of Roxanne’s brother Nathan, who somehow had gotten possessed by a demon and then trapped in a Gargoyle. In a world of majic, Ella is on the bottom rung of power ratings with just enough majic to have made the minimum qualifications to be a Demon Patrol Officer. Not able to properly help free Nathan, she enlists a number of her more powerful friends to help, including her new partner Damien, who comes from a well-known and respected family of Mages, the most powerful wielders of majic.
As Ella gets closer to freeing Nathan, she also discovers more about what’s inside of her, trying to possess her body and soul. Without ruining the balance of the story with spoilers, suffice it to say that Ella’s quest not only becomes one of saving Nathan’s life but her own as well.
The story was enjoyable and the characters amusing and interesting. I did enjoy it enough to read the entire story, although it did drag in a few places. This is the first novel I’ve read by the author, Jayne Faith and picked it up from Amazon free of charge. I would recommend it to those enjoying a light urban fantasy novel.
In my literary world, there are those books that leave you thinking of them weeks after reading, and hungry for more, my 5 star ratings. Books you enjoy, free of a lot of grammatical errors but not overly impactful, my 4 star ratings. Then, there are those books you struggle to get through, but do finish, (my 3 stars). This one I’m giving 4 stars.
The book did have a completed ending, thank you very much for that Jayne, and segues into the next book nicely. At this point, I haven’t yet decided whether or not to continue with the series. We’ll just have to see what’s in the stars.
September 11, 2018
Free on Kindle today - 11/9/2018
A low 3 stars
I loved the world. There was a major tear in dimensions and demons made their way through, with a zombie and vamp virus as well. After 30 years the world has gotten to a new normal. They don’t just have police any more, officers also walk the beat chasing down demons. Vamps are mostly docile, people have magic and going outside at night is asking to be possessed.
There was a lot of world building to set up the rest of the series and I think the plot line may have suffered a little as a result. We were repetitively told about magic and types of demons, but the actual action was rushed. The characters seemed to just miraculously get it done. We are quickly introduced to a lot of people and they seemed to just be in there because to set up their spot in the next book.
I’m still not sure what I think of Ella, our mc. She attracts the powerful men and everything just works out for her, as everyone does whatever she wants. Possible spoilers ahead – She talks constantly about her lack of magic, so it’s really obvious that she is going to have lots of power hiding away. It probably wouldn’t have irritated me, except for how often it’s mentioned. She is constantly asking people for things, she has no problems crossing the line into personal subjects or asking friends to do things that they are clearly uncomfortable with. I’m just not sold on her yet, maybe in book 2 I’ll warm up to her a little, but for now we are frosty.
The side characters, Ella’s fan club, all seem to have really interesting back stories, so I’m looking forward to seeing where they head in book 2. I feel like we got to know them more than Ella. They were a lot easier to like.
My biggest issue with the book was the repetitive paragraphs. We had arch demons explained twice in great detail, only to be explained just as much a couple of pages later. Repetitive phrases, throughout. I get that the dogs eyes flared a different colour, but you don’t need to say it ten times. These things pull me out of the story, which is never a good thing.
All in all, an interesting world with exciting magic. A quick read and an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
A low 3 stars
I loved the world. There was a major tear in dimensions and demons made their way through, with a zombie and vamp virus as well. After 30 years the world has gotten to a new normal. They don’t just have police any more, officers also walk the beat chasing down demons. Vamps are mostly docile, people have magic and going outside at night is asking to be possessed.
There was a lot of world building to set up the rest of the series and I think the plot line may have suffered a little as a result. We were repetitively told about magic and types of demons, but the actual action was rushed. The characters seemed to just miraculously get it done. We are quickly introduced to a lot of people and they seemed to just be in there because to set up their spot in the next book.
I’m still not sure what I think of Ella, our mc. She attracts the powerful men and everything just works out for her, as everyone does whatever she wants. Possible spoilers ahead – She talks constantly about her lack of magic, so it’s really obvious that she is going to have lots of power hiding away. It probably wouldn’t have irritated me, except for how often it’s mentioned. She is constantly asking people for things, she has no problems crossing the line into personal subjects or asking friends to do things that they are clearly uncomfortable with. I’m just not sold on her yet, maybe in book 2 I’ll warm up to her a little, but for now we are frosty.
The side characters, Ella’s fan club, all seem to have really interesting back stories, so I’m looking forward to seeing where they head in book 2. I feel like we got to know them more than Ella. They were a lot easier to like.
My biggest issue with the book was the repetitive paragraphs. We had arch demons explained twice in great detail, only to be explained just as much a couple of pages later. Repetitive phrases, throughout. I get that the dogs eyes flared a different colour, but you don’t need to say it ten times. These things pull me out of the story, which is never a good thing.
All in all, an interesting world with exciting magic. A quick read and an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
January 31, 2020
★ ★ ★ 1/2
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
In 2001, a dimensional rift opens up in New York City, and all sorts of strange things come from out of it—demons, a virus that turns people into vampires, a zombie virus, and other assorted supernatural strangeness.
Thirty years later, Ella Gray is a Demon Patrol officer with modest magical ability. Her role is to keep her patrol area clean of minor demons that are little more than annoyances—there are more powerful officers in charge of taking down bigger threats. One day she and her partner try to take out some small demons only to find out there's a much bigger and more powerful demon in the building, too. In the following fracas, Ella and her partner are mortally wounded. Her partner dies, and Ella does, too. But her death doesn't stick and she wakes up in the morgue.
A few weeks later, she's back to work—she's having strange visions, has a new partner (with a mysterious past and more magical power than she's ever seen), a supervisor that seems pretty antagonistic to her and, well...life has become stranger than she thought possible. She finds herself investigating what seems to be a gargoyle possessed by a demon and somehow the gargoyle has imprisoned a human inside it, too. (don't worry if you can understand it, no one in the book can at first, either).
Ella enlists help from a very human PI with all sorts of nifty gadgets that can help on the supernatural front; a political activist always in search of a new cause to take up; her best friend, a pretty powerful mage; and a supernaturally-inclined mutt. No, really. The dog is a lot like Walt Longmire's Dog, just with freaky eyes and an apparent talent for protecting Ella from magical attacks. (some anyway). Such things ought to be encouraged whenever they're encountered, and I hope this will work in the dog's favor.
The novel's focus is setting up the world and looking at the tensions between various aspects of Ella's life and the characters around her. Although Faith tells a pretty good story along the way, I just can't help but think that it comes in second to setting up the overarching series stories.
I really enjoyed Faith's take on vampirism and zombies. It's a nice blend of vaguely-science-y with the supernatural. I have many questions (that I assume will be answered in the ensuing books) about the demons and magic—and just about everything that goes bump in the night, I guess—in this particular world, but initially I'm buying in
I'm not saying that Faith borrowed (intentionally, anyway) from other UF series, but I had an impulse throughout to say "Oh, she got X from Kim Harrison," "And that bit is from Sarah Kuhn," "Is that Butcher or Strout there?" and so on. If she did, more power to her—she picked some good influences—and she took those elements, shuffled them up and put her spin on them. If she didn't, all the better—fans of the things I think were influences will find plenty to like here. My gut instinct is to say that Faith is a student of Urban Fantasy and has read widely within it so she can produce something that draws from the best. Ignore the voice of the cynic and enjoy this book.
To be honest, I wasn't looking for a new UF series (I'm always open to one, however), but a friend at work emailed me, wondering if I was familiar with this Urban Fantasy series that appears to be set in Boise of all places. This piqued my interest, and as I'd just finished an audiobook, I figured I'd take this one out for a spin. Now, this may come as a surprise to you, but Boise (and the general area) isn't exactly a popular setting for fiction. I can think of a tiny handful of books that have a character stepping foot in the town, but only two (this and Kolokowski's Boise Longpig Hunting Club ) that actually portray the city in a recognizable fashion. Faith clearly knows Boise—her use of local names and locations testifies to that, and for those familiar with the city, we can easily see the action and movement of characters in it. Which is an added bit of fun, if only for the novelty. This isn't to say that people who don't know Boise will be lost or won't be able to enjoy it—it's like any other novel set in a city that's not commonly used. Who doesn't like getting to see a novel set somewhere that's not NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, LA, SF, etc? Briggs' use of the Tri-Cities in Washington, Vaughn's Denver, Carey's Pemkowet, Michigan; Hearne's (all-too-brief) use of Tempe, AZ, and, now, Faith's use of Boise.
(If—and this is a big if—Jayne Faith happens to be reading this, I'd love the opportunity to ask you a few questions about your choice of—and use of—Boise. Feel free to drop me a line!)
Landon does a fine job with the narration. I can't really think of much more to say—I didn't hear anything remarkably good (nor, remarkably bad) Simply a strong, capable narration to help listeners to get invested into the characters and story.
I really enjoyed this introduction to the Ella and the rest, the magic and the world Faith has put them in. I have a pretty good idea where some of the stories she's set up are going, and am looking forward to watching them develop. At the same time, I also look forward to Faith showing me that she has a better idea for them than I assume. It's a solid Urban Fantasy story with an unconventional setting. You should give it a shot.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
In 2001, a dimensional rift opens up in New York City, and all sorts of strange things come from out of it—demons, a virus that turns people into vampires, a zombie virus, and other assorted supernatural strangeness.
Thirty years later, Ella Gray is a Demon Patrol officer with modest magical ability. Her role is to keep her patrol area clean of minor demons that are little more than annoyances—there are more powerful officers in charge of taking down bigger threats. One day she and her partner try to take out some small demons only to find out there's a much bigger and more powerful demon in the building, too. In the following fracas, Ella and her partner are mortally wounded. Her partner dies, and Ella does, too. But her death doesn't stick and she wakes up in the morgue.
A few weeks later, she's back to work—she's having strange visions, has a new partner (with a mysterious past and more magical power than she's ever seen), a supervisor that seems pretty antagonistic to her and, well...life has become stranger than she thought possible. She finds herself investigating what seems to be a gargoyle possessed by a demon and somehow the gargoyle has imprisoned a human inside it, too. (don't worry if you can understand it, no one in the book can at first, either).
Ella enlists help from a very human PI with all sorts of nifty gadgets that can help on the supernatural front; a political activist always in search of a new cause to take up; her best friend, a pretty powerful mage; and a supernaturally-inclined mutt. No, really. The dog is a lot like Walt Longmire's Dog, just with freaky eyes and an apparent talent for protecting Ella from magical attacks. (some anyway). Such things ought to be encouraged whenever they're encountered, and I hope this will work in the dog's favor.
The novel's focus is setting up the world and looking at the tensions between various aspects of Ella's life and the characters around her. Although Faith tells a pretty good story along the way, I just can't help but think that it comes in second to setting up the overarching series stories.
I really enjoyed Faith's take on vampirism and zombies. It's a nice blend of vaguely-science-y with the supernatural. I have many questions (that I assume will be answered in the ensuing books) about the demons and magic—and just about everything that goes bump in the night, I guess—in this particular world, but initially I'm buying in
I'm not saying that Faith borrowed (intentionally, anyway) from other UF series, but I had an impulse throughout to say "Oh, she got X from Kim Harrison," "And that bit is from Sarah Kuhn," "Is that Butcher or Strout there?" and so on. If she did, more power to her—she picked some good influences—and she took those elements, shuffled them up and put her spin on them. If she didn't, all the better—fans of the things I think were influences will find plenty to like here. My gut instinct is to say that Faith is a student of Urban Fantasy and has read widely within it so she can produce something that draws from the best. Ignore the voice of the cynic and enjoy this book.
To be honest, I wasn't looking for a new UF series (I'm always open to one, however), but a friend at work emailed me, wondering if I was familiar with this Urban Fantasy series that appears to be set in Boise of all places. This piqued my interest, and as I'd just finished an audiobook, I figured I'd take this one out for a spin. Now, this may come as a surprise to you, but Boise (and the general area) isn't exactly a popular setting for fiction. I can think of a tiny handful of books that have a character stepping foot in the town, but only two (this and Kolokowski's Boise Longpig Hunting Club ) that actually portray the city in a recognizable fashion. Faith clearly knows Boise—her use of local names and locations testifies to that, and for those familiar with the city, we can easily see the action and movement of characters in it. Which is an added bit of fun, if only for the novelty. This isn't to say that people who don't know Boise will be lost or won't be able to enjoy it—it's like any other novel set in a city that's not commonly used. Who doesn't like getting to see a novel set somewhere that's not NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, LA, SF, etc? Briggs' use of the Tri-Cities in Washington, Vaughn's Denver, Carey's Pemkowet, Michigan; Hearne's (all-too-brief) use of Tempe, AZ, and, now, Faith's use of Boise.
(If—and this is a big if—Jayne Faith happens to be reading this, I'd love the opportunity to ask you a few questions about your choice of—and use of—Boise. Feel free to drop me a line!)
Landon does a fine job with the narration. I can't really think of much more to say—I didn't hear anything remarkably good (nor, remarkably bad) Simply a strong, capable narration to help listeners to get invested into the characters and story.
I really enjoyed this introduction to the Ella and the rest, the magic and the world Faith has put them in. I have a pretty good idea where some of the stories she's set up are going, and am looking forward to watching them develop. At the same time, I also look forward to Faith showing me that she has a better idea for them than I assume. It's a solid Urban Fantasy story with an unconventional setting. You should give it a shot.
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