Royal Street

Sentinels of New Orleans #1

by Suzanne Johnson

As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal Romance

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2012

About the author

Author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series, set in post-Katrina New Orleans. A new story collection, JACKSON SQUARE, coming fall 2020.

Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series The Collectors romantic thriller series, the standalone paranormal romantic thriller, STORM FORCE, and the Wilds of the Bayou series..

Books by Suzanne Johnson: Royal Street; River Road; Elysian Fields; Pirate's Alley; Belle Chasse; The Consort (novella); Frenchman Street; Pirateship Down (story collection); Christmas in Dogtown (novella).

Books as Susannah Sandlin: Redemption; Absolution; Omega; Storm Force; Allegiance; Illumination; Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Deadly, Calm, and Cold; Chenoire; Wild Man's Curse; Black Diamond.

Reviews

[Denisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't go through with it. DNF

his lips say "sorry", everythingelse says "not even close"

I didn't like the characters, none of them. And there were stuff that annoyed me so much and that didn't really make sense!

She was a sentinel (or guardian, can't remember what it was called) -in-training, she and only a few others were protecting New Orleans from all supernaturals (and we all know this city is always full of activity, no matter what book you read). Yet the badass future guardian didn't even know how to use a gun, never mind protecting herself any other way. She was a weak witch too, not like she could kill the bad guys with her eyes or something. Still, she never thought about learning how to defend herself (or how to take out the bad guys).
Who does that?! How can you even become a protector (even in rl!) with no training? It pissed me off!


So I decided to leave this one, it's enough that we all have to put up with idiots in RL, can't have that in books too.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 2 out of 5]

You never know how you’ll react to a book. From the book summary, and the other ratings/reviews, I expected to love it. Sadly, my expectations were not met. There wasn’t anything glaring about the book that made me hate it, it just didn’t work for me.


I felt absolutely no connection to any of the characters.

Drusilla Jaco (known as D.J.)

D.J. was the main female protagonist. She’s a low level wizard living with a higher level wizard at the start of the book. There is a lot of background to why she’s living with the older, more powerful wizard (Gerry) and you learn why throughout the book. We are stuck inside D.J.’s head for the entire book and well, it’s not a comfortable spot. I felt disconnected from D.J. even when I was stuck in her head. I kept thinking she was boring, indecisive, and making poor decisions without even having a reason for her poor decision. I was waiting for D.J. to justify her actions so at least I could know why she was doing the stuff she was doing. However, we, the reader, just go through the motions. I would have been happy to be mad at D.J. rather than feeling numb. But that was exactly what I felt, numb to D.J. and everything she was doing. It was like… I’m going to do A and I’ll get in trouble but I’m still going to do it regardless. D.J.’s potential love interests were a mystery to me as well.

Alex

Alex is D.J.’s partner and her verbal sparing partner. There is a lot of trust issues between D.J. and Alex, but even the trust issues seemed unbelievable. There was plenty of telling “you need to trust me” rather than showing the reader that D.J. had a reason to trust or not trust him. Oddly enough, I liked Alex during the part of the book when he was her spotted tongued big goofy dog. Here is another weird thing, other than Alex wearing black and liking black, I cannot remember what he looked like. Usually, I can remember what a character looks like down to the smallest detail but not in this book. Which is weird since I just finished it last night.

Jake

Don’t worry, there is no love triangle since well, there is no love. D.J. has the hots for Alex for like a minute than Jake, Alex’s cousin comes into the picture and D.J. now has the hots for Jake but doesn’t want to hurt Alex but doesn’t want Alex to lust after her but then she at one point wants Jake regardless of Alex but at another point she wants Alex but then regrets it after only like 30 seconds and then she has the hots for Jean. We don’t know D.J.‘s reasoning behind why she is picking one man over the other. It just doesn’t make sense. Who’s Jean?

Jean

The pirate of course. Yup, he is the pirate and he plays a weird part in this book but again, while he is supposed to be a colorful, larger than life character, I found him dull. The potential to make him either over the top, or extremely dangerous was there, but he just seemed to blend into the background.

Similarities

Walking stick that follows D.J. everywhere. Anyone want to guess which book this sounds like? There is another similarity to that same book but if I tell you, it will spoil it.

What I did like

I loved how an actual historical natural disaster was woven into the story without being disrespectful. I didn’t think the author was going to pull it off, but she did. In fact, the entire world building was spectacular and I was thoroughly impressed with the entire wizard, Elders, New New Orleans, Old New Orleans, bringing back the historic undead and everything else. I think if the author spent as much time on her characters as she did on the world building, the book would have been a fantastic book.

Overall

Other reviewers love this book, so maybe it’s just me. I often complain about the lack of world building in books and now I’m complaining about the failing to connect with characters in the book. Maybe I’m just moody and if I read this during a different time, I’d like it more. So, just remember, I’m just one reviewer and just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean it is not a good book.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

2.5 out of 5

I went into this UF/PNR pretty hopeful: spunky heroine, a secret wizard organization, Hurricane Katrina, and an undead sexy pirate. What's not to love, besides the Louisiana location (seriously, hasn't another paranormal series coughSookiecough dominated that locale for the last 7 years?)? Well, if you're an apparently unsatisfied reader like me, three out of those four items did not live up to expectations. DJ failed to impress me throughout her misadventures, and the much-advertised Hurricane Katrina lacked the emotional pull the author was aiming for, and this is no Harry-Potter level of wizardry. Suzanne Johnson has the large and unenviable task of setting up a series from this introductory book, and based on the "strengths" of Royal Street, I wish her much luck and patience. '

It's never a good sign when you can't even agree with the heroine on the nickname she gives herself. Drusilla Jaco prefers to go by "DJ" but in my head, she was always Dru. As in, "Dru, why are you doing that?", "Really, Dru, really?!" and "Don't you want to maybe think that through before you do it, Dru?" Dru is a deputy sentinel and is oh-so-very aware of the first word in her title. She doesn't believe in herself or her abilities and feels crippled when her mentor goes missing in the aftermath of Katrina. My problems with this novel really began with Dru: despite my chummy nickname, this is not a character I invested in, even marginally. I managed to finish this because I was powered by an interest to see how everything would wrap up, rather than a desire to see Dru grow and change as a person. She's also mind-numbingly slow to put things together - example: when her supposedly dead mentor appears to her and tells her to lie to everyone, especially the authorities, she doesn't take this as a sign of something bad. She just blithely accepts his word and goes along.

In an ironic twist, it's not DJ, or her partner Sentinel Alexander that is the character with the most life. No that honor goes to Jean Lafitte, a pirate who is technically...dead. He's a bastard alright from the first moment he speaks, but damnit, at least he is an interesting and dynamic one. In a cast of so few, where I dislike most of the few, Jean was the one character I would root for continually. He didn't add the most to the story, but when I wanted to slap Dru for her wishywashy romantic love triangle BETWEEN COUSINS, Jean was the only tolerable part of the page. The love-triangle isn't as pronounced as some UF/PNR novels, but is fairly shameless and stupid on DJ's part. Within pages, Dru decides she doesn't want Alex, and goes on a date with his cousin Jake, only to be jealous of a girl looking at Alex while she is on the date with Jake. What? Really? At that point, I just thew up my hands and accepted that DJ was not a girl/character to whom I would ever relate.

If it was all just characterization issues with Royal Street, I could've easily seen a 3or maybe even a 3.5 rating for this novel. However, the twists and turns of the story are sadly predictable and telegraphed to the reader prematurely. I foresaw the resolutions to the main plot as well as most by plots easily and early on - I mostly continued reading to corroborate my correct guesses and see in what capacity Jean LaFitte would sidle into DJ's life. Perhaps best along with Jean, the villains of the piece are worth reading about. Unlike their cliched main character counterparts, Marie Leaveau and Baron Samedi are interesting and unpredictable for the duration of the novel. The murders committed at the heart of the mystery are semi-interesting but tend to get lost in the endlessssss searches for Gerry and the non-ending back-and-forth reporting to the Elders and waiting for a response. So much of this book is research or reporting or waiting that I got bored and would set it aside for several hours before returning to the story.

The world that Johnson has envisioned for her characters to play within is barely sketched out. It seems to be the same world as the one we actually live in (notable appearances: Louis Armstrong, Marie Laveau), but with wizards, vampires, undead, ghosts and other supernatural ilk. The wizards themselves were given a bare framework to illustrate the mechanics of the Sentinels program that was slowly fleshed out as the novel progressed. I liked the separation of talents into different spheres of influence (green congress versus red congress, etc.), though it does severely limit the possible scope of Dru's abilities. Also: I also have to wonder why other European sentinels did not come to help with the influx of supernaturality after Hurricane Katrina. It is mentioned that American sentinels went to Europe in 1976 for the "Wizard War", so why is no help forthcoming in this apparently most drastic of times for New Orleans, with 'pretes' and historical undead just waltzing into the city? Holes like this, in the logic of the main plot of the entire novel, just distract me. I kept wondering why the author would mention a possibility to fix every thing (call them in to help with the pretes AND finding Gerry! Both plotlines wrapped up in thirty pages) and then ignore it for the rest of the book. It was...odd.

This is the first in a series, and one I doubt I will pursue. Though my first impression formed ("I like that dead, dastardly pirate!") was one of the few favorable ones I took away from Royal Street, I believe this is a novel that will find a wide audience. Dru is far from a horrible protagonist, and some will genuinely like her wide-eyed and innocent approach to life - this is just not for me. 2/5 stars and a "no, thank you" - I will wonder what Jean LaFitte gets up to in his afterlife on Earth, but curiosity won't make me pick up book two when its out.

[Yodamom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not soemthing I want to continue DNF at 50%

[ᑭIᑭEᖇ⒤ᗩᗰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars* I can't quite give a 3 and I can't quite give it a 4, so in the middle it goes!

[Shera (Book Whispers) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the those books where I wanted to give it a higher rating, but in all honesty just couldn’t. Before I even sat down to write this review I antagonized about giving it a higher rating. Then it hit me if I have to think this hard to find enough qualities to bump up the rating, that's my first sign. Even if this one of my top debuts for 2012.

The reason for my feelings is for the world building of Royal Street. Wizards exist and they police the borders of the Beyond—where wizards, elves, vampires, werewolves, famous ghosts (or undead), and even gods reside and sometimes cross over onto the human plain. It was shear brilliance that Johnson had the book take place during the events of Hurricane Katrina. It was haunting and truly heart breaking at times, and painted the most realistic picture for a fantasy novel to take place. In that alone I will always love this book.

From there everything else just goes stale. Characters who were truly fascinating—a swashbuckling-sexy-violent pirate—didn't get enough page or development time. The lead DJ is so immature throughout the book and just didn't have a strong enough voice. It was nice to have a lead female who wasn't tough as nails and taking on the world with gun and metal, but she just didn't have enough presence. The love triangle (though pretty sure it was a square) is nothing special. Alex is the enforcer that comes to town to help her out and she immediately dislikes him. Though she will admit he's hot, but she has eyes for his cousin Jake the ex-marine. It seems like every male became infatuated or lusty after DJ, who is unaware of her sexual appeal. (That got old.)

Everything else for the book was stale as well. Events that could have turned into more exciting things (like a Truth or Dare game of cards) to the over all murder mystery. The plot was glaringly obvious from DJ's real dad, to the grand scheme of the creatures trying to break out of the Beyond. Honestly I felt bored. Every exiting turn soon became anticlimactic, even the bad guy's downfall was kind of like “That's it? Well that sucked!” (This book knocked me out of my reading high!! Now I'm stuck in a funk.)

The Hurricane Katrina setting was beyond brilliant not only giving a certain feel of reality to the tale, but showing readers a haunting glimpse into one of America's biggest natural disasters that it's seen in a long time. Besides that this book was boring and average at best. All the big plot twists might as well have had neon lights pointing them out. One redeeming fact was the humor. Laughs all around, and when I can get into the author's sense of humor that helps to keep me interested. Despite the overall underwhelming impression for the characters, plot, and emotion I'll be there for the next book. The debut had a lot of promise, I just hope the author pulls through and delivers.

Sexual Content: Lot's of pirate innuendos and hints of sexual favors. Kissing and a vague makeout session.

2/5- Average/disappointing, library check-out

Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! Detailed world building, post Katrina New Orleans, two charismatic love interests, shapeshifters, werewolves, Baron Samedi,a rakish undead pirate, an eleven staff and Louis Armstrong. DJ is a feisty and flawed main character who is a magical wizard in ways not completely revealed while Alex is set to become an endearing partner in magical escapades. Really excited to have discovered this new to me UF series.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea why I waited so long to read this fabulously written book! Royal Street has been on my tbr pile for such a long time, I am sure it grew dust mites!!!

Anyway, I finally picked it up, it's an amazing read, easy on the imagination and such a great story line. Suzanne Johnson is a new author to me, I've not picked up any of her books prior to this one, however, I can remedy that!!!!

Set in the times of Hurricane Katrina, Drusilla Jaco, aka DJ is a wizard in her own right, she lives with her mentor since her father (a mundane) didn't know what to do with DJ's magic or how to handle it. Gerald is DJ's life, and then he goes missing. In comes Alex, the 'Elders' have made him DJ's partner and together, throughout their ever changing relationship, they search for Gerald (against the Elders wishes) and Alex's brother Jake (also a mundane) who is dragged into the supernatural world and then held as 'bait'. Did I mention that Alex is a hot shapeshifter? No? Well he is and wow, just wow!!

I loved the story line as I said earlier, loved DJ, Alex, Jean, Jake... the characters are great!!

I can't wait to get to the next novel, love love love this book!!

[Bastard · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2012...

I've always been fascinated with the idea of fantasy stories including natural disasters as part of the narrative. Not the usual "storm is coming, I feel something terrible is about to happen" kind of event, but just a random tornado suddenly touching down in the middle of a scene, or maybe a hurricane comes to destroy a town and be just that, a natural storm without all the added plot-device baggage. It was with that in mind that I got interested in Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson with a story that takes place during the time of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It's the first of the Sentinels of New Orleans series, and laid the foundation of what could become a very entertaining series.

DJ, a deputy sentinel, is a wizard apprentice under the guidance of Gerry the acting New Orleans sentinel. They protect the city from preternatural beings that have crossed over to our world. As Hurricane Katrina hits, Gerry goes missing. DJ, who had evacuated the city, is tasked to return to the city to find her missing teacher while partnering up with an FBI agent, who may have his own agenda and may have been sent to spy on her by organization that governs them. Once arrived in New Orleans they have to deal with the disastrous aftermath of the hurricane and a serial killer who's on the loose. If that wasn't enough, Katrina has weakened the boundaries between the planes that keep the preternatural beings at bay.

Tackling an event like Hurricane Katrina is tricky. There's no easy way to approach it. Some consideration has to be given to those that have suffered, and at the same time try to not let it distract from the focus of the story you want to tell. With that in mind, it was evident that Johnson struggled to balance the inclusion of the happenings of what it was like during the time of Katrina with developing the mystery/thriller portions of the plot. I personally found it interesting to relive some of what went on during the hurricane through DJ's eyes. I also thought it was handled with tact and was informative, but not overwhelmingly so. Suzanne Johnson had apparently lived in New Orleans for many years, so there's a personal touch to be found here to put everything into proper context.

The pacing was slow though, but I didn't find it dull by any measure. I can see were many would have problem with it, but I didn't think it a major problem; but it was a problem. Kinda of a double edged sword because you want the Katrina exposure, but at times it impeded the momentum of the story. By the same token, I enjoyed the tangents through much of it. I found DJ to be a fun and quite even-keeled narrator, which is interesting considering she's an empath. She never gets too high or too low through the narration and it served the balance between the events of Katrina and the rest of the story well; and when she goes to emotional extremes, they don't last long, which I loved. There's plenty of funny scenes throughout the novel to contrast the somber moments.

I found the biggest problem with the novel was the mystery plot aspects. Though it kept us guessing about certain things through out the it, I thought everything became transparent earlier than I would've liked. Not that big of an issue at the moment, but I thought there was a detachment from the case through the novel that made me not care about many of the events surrounding the story. Particularly evident with the serial killer victims, didn't care for them. We weren't really immersed in the investigation, we weren't made to care for the victims, as such the investigation wasn't of much interest. What held the story together was the wondering of what happened to Gerry and DJ's personal issues she's to overcome.

The story had some good action though. I would've liked to see just a bit more of it and maybe a few more scenes that would've made the novel a bit more suspenseful with a heightened sense of danger, but other than that quite pleased with what Johnson provided. I really think DJ will become one kickass character as the series continues, but we'll see how she keeps developing her powers.

The world-building was excellent, and it's mainly what has me thinking this is a very promising series. She has also injected into the story a preternatural being called "historical undead" which have been quite lively so far, and insures that we'll be exposed to plenty of flavorful characters as the series continues. There's mention of all the usual supernatural beings too, but they haven't made an appearance yet for the most part. In many regards it reminds me of The Dresden Files world now that I think of it, differentiated with the unique touches Johnson has given it; combining all these with the rich history of New Orleans and how well it's been incorporated to the aftermath of Katrina is a great start.

Royal Street introduced us to some good characters that will be entertaining and pleasant to follow. Character interaction was good and fun through much of it. As mentioned previously, never gets too high or low emotionally for an extensive span of time. Was worried about this in particular with DJ being an empath, since it had the potential to become a bit too touchy-feely for me, but Suzanne Johnson handled much of it to my liking. There's some romantic interests here, more than one actually, but it's been kept light so far and it hasn't bother me. We'll see how much of the focus it'll have going forward, but not too worried at the moment with the current precedent.

I really enjoyed DJ as the narrator and as a character. At times a bit too impulsive, which is all right. She recognizes it as a flaw herself, so it's all good. Makes her a bit unpredictable. Even though at times she tries to rationalize some of her actions as prudent. Going forward I think she needs to be cleaned up a bit because she's clearly not an idiot, but has plenty of dumbass moments. One in particularly grated on me. DJ warded her house and as means to disable it used a word that would be the equivalent of using "password" as the password for your email account. Sorry if I indirectly called some of you a dumbass, but probably well deserved. In all, despite this I think she'll be a good character to follow.

All this to say that yes, Royal Street is very much a flawed novel, but I think it's one that's very much worth the read. I enjoyed it thoroughly flaws an all. I'll recommend it with little hesitation to all urban fantasy fans, and this being Suzanne's debut, I'd imagine we can expect things to get better from here. The foundation for the series is now in place, and it's a strong one. Early reactions to the sequel River Road have been positive and seem to agree that it's better than the precursory novel. Suzanne Johnson may just have winner in her hands with the Sentinels of New Orleans series.

Thoughts and prayers for those currently affected by Hurricane Isaac. Donations can be made to the Red Cross.

Also a percentage of her River Road royalties has been pledged by the author to help on the relief from this hurricane and an oil spill. Have just learned that the setting in the sequel has been destroyed by Hurricane Isaac, Plaquemines Parish. Details can be found here.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Royal Street, by Suzanne Johnson, is the first in a new urban fantasy series set in New Orleans. Drusilla Jaco, a.k.a. DJ, is one of the city’s two wizard sentinels, which means she’s assigned to keep an eye on paranormal trouble in town. The other sentinel is Gerry, Drusilla’s mentor and father figure. With Hurricane Katrina on the way, DJ evacuates while Gerry stays behind. When the storm passes, DJ returns to a devastated New Orleans to find Gerry missing, new breaches opened between this world and the Beyond, and a serial killer who leaves voodoo paraphernalia at the scenes of the crimes.

Johnson’s world-building is great — both the real and the invented. She takes us right into New Orleans immediately pre- and post-Katrina and gives us an idea of what it was like to be there. As for the invented, there are some original touches here in terms of the magic. Johnson introduces the “historical undead,” who are kind of like ghosts, only corporeal, and live in “Old Orleans” in the Beyond unless summoned to our world — or unless, as in the aftermath of the hurricane, the barrier between the worlds is damaged. This is a really creative way to incorporate some iconic New Orleans personalities into the novel without going the cliché route of making them all vampires.

Another element I liked is the division of the wizards into color-coded “Congresses.” DJ is a Green Congress wizard, which means she deals mainly in herbal potions, while Gerry is Red Congress so he can do flashier, more immediate effects. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. DJ’s magic takes longer and is more subtle, but sometimes this is an advantage in a situation where Red Congress magic would just blow everything up. There are references to a couple of the other Congresses as well.

Even with these promising elements, though, it took me a long time to read Royal Street. It moves at an extremely slow pace until almost the very end. Part of this can be chalked up to Katrina, and delays caused by having to borrow a boat, not having power, etc. help to illustrate just how great a blow the hurricane struck. But the book also slows down for avenues of investigation that prove fruitless, for an unnecessary love triangle, and for arguments between DJ and her new partner, Alex. Lots and lots of arguments. Some of this dialogue is funny, and would probably be even more fun in an audio edition. Much of it, though, is just annoying and makes me like both DJ and Alex less. The murders don’t gut-punch us the way they should, either, because the victims are not fleshed out at all. When the momentum finally does pick up, the story is over almost too soon. It’s a little anticlimactic.

I also had trouble understanding DJ. Part of it is the way she caroms back and forth between the two love interests. I also just didn’t get why she made some of the decisions she did. One example that can be explained quickly and doesn’t spoil much of the plot: DJ sets wards around her house to keep out supernatural threats, particularly the pirate Jean Lafitte. The password to get past the wards is Lafitte. This made no sense to me, as I could think of several different ways that he or one of his minions might speak his name while trying to get in… and then voila, they’d be in. This never actually comes back to bite DJ, but I kept expecting it to.

I had some issues with Royal Street, but I found Johnson’s New Orleans and her supernatural world compelling enough that I will probably read further in the series. I just hope that the love triangle is resolved quickly and doesn’t overshadow the rest of the story.

Written for www.fantasyliterature.com

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royal Street is a very refreshing and enjoyable urban fantasy read. I was captivated by the sights and scenery of New Orleans, and the honest and enlightening perspective of the city during and after the Hurricane Katrina devastation. We did get refugees (both human and animal) from New Orleans around that time in the Austin, and also the poisoned air drifted our way, causing a lot of allergy and respiratory issues. Seeing the aftermath from a more distant perspective was painful enough. I can't imagine having experienced it firsthand. Ms. Johnson allowed me to do this in reading this book. New Orleans has such a personality, that it continually establishes itself as a important character in her own right in books. This reader is not jaded at meeting this beautiful ancient dame yet again.

Drusilla Jaco doesn't cede all the attention to New Orleans. She establishes herself as a likable character whose story you want to learn. She's neither too strong, nor too weak. Her strengths and weaknesses balance themselves out, making her a character I want to accompany on an adventure. Drusilla is a wizard, which is fun. Usually the tendency is to make a female UF protagonist a witch, which I feel can be a bit sexist. It could also be that I am not a big fan of witch storylines and witchcraft. I can and do like the idea of wizards a little more, and why can't a woman be a wizard? In this case, she is not just a wizard, but one with a special heritage which comes into play. That was fun to see Drusilla, or DJ, as she is called, come into herself and her genetic inheritance.

As far as other characters, I definitely liked Alex and Jake. Boy howdy, I do not care for love triangles, but this one feels credible. Both guys have a lot to offer, and you do feel torn. I have made up my mind who I want Drusilla to end up with, but we'll see what the series has to say about that. Either way, so long as it doesn't turn into bed-switching (which has become almost an UF staple lately), I'm okay with going along for the ride. Now that Jean Lafitte, he's a character. I find him sexy, but it's in a "I'm so wrong to think he's sexy" kind of way. I mean, he's ruthless and amoral, and he is physically abusive. I'm not feeling that at all. At the same time, he is a cutthroat pirate, so I can't really ascribe 21st century values to him, can I? Yeah, I'm feeling conflicted. At any rate, he's an interesting character. I can't really tell you about one of my favorite characters, who is in fact an inanimate object that DJ calls Charlie. Let me just say that Lord of the Rings fans will find it very cool indeed!

As far as the urban fantasy action, this book is pretty good on that score although it could have used more showing and more description. I did feel that the final confrontation wasn't as exciting and as well-executed as I would have liked. Admittedly, I am a stickler for well-written action scenes, so I tend to grade harder in that area. I did like that Drusilla does get to save the day. It was important for her to be able to do so, even though she did get a bit of help along the way.

Royal Street is a great start to a series that has me excited to read more. I liked the concept and the characters are appealing and have me interested in reading more, including the Grande Dame of New Orleans.

Urban fantasy readers looking for a book that would appeal to both male and female readers should find something to like in this book. I know I did!

[Snarktastic Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to begin this review with a trigger warning . . . no, not your normal sex stuff . . . a hurricane warning, if you will. This book happens during Hurricane Katrina. If this sets up a nightmare scenario in your mind, you should probably skip it. It isn't a side note here - it is a *huge* part of the story. And, I think it is quite well done and it illustrates, more than the media did, about the hardships and struggles the residents faced. But, nonetheless, if this is something you don't care to relive, move on. :)

I do not live in New Orleans. Nevertheless, Hurricane Katrina is a very sore spot in my memories. The tropical storm it became did push through the mountains were I was at the time. We didn't suffer anything like the others did, but we still felt its effects. But, mostly, it serves as a reminder of the time period in which my beloved stepdad died. It is painful for me. This book starts out right at the beginning of the weather forecasts. It follows all the changing and swerving and guessing that forecasters at the time did. So, no skipping over it. My memories kept me from moving forward in this one. I'd read a few pages, and set it aside.

I liked the characters. It starts off delightfully with our intrepid heroine in a little bit over her head . . . . refusing to admit it and trying to plan ahead and stay afloat . . . but still a bit over her head. And, from there, it is mostly full steam ahead. She is delightful - never too strong, always learning and doing her best to plan for the worst. She doesn't rush in - she is thoughtful and deliberative.

And, then, there is her protector and partner. With all the guns. He is also a character. And, does his best to back her up, protect her from the bad guys - AND herself - and is delightfully yummy at the same time. His relatives are also intriguing and helpful.

This one does immerse itself into New Orleans culture. I was blessed to spend a week there and I love it so much. This book divides my mind between sad memories of Katrina and wonderful memories of New Orleans. But, as it continues, it is the culture that wins out. The local hot spots and heroes and villains are all here.

The story is interesting and not your typical urban fantasy fare. The heroes are Sentinels - protecting the world from magical beings. Most of the magic is kept away in another plane and the sentinels are here to protect us. So, the voodoo becomes real and a few other UF aspects. But, you won't find vampires cluttering up the pages. (Yes!!!!) Unfortunately, the Sentinels come with their own political agenda . . . naturally.

Apart from its world view differences, this has everything I love about UF. DJ and Alex are both very snarky and sarcastic. I found myself giggling aloud at some of their thoughts and interchanges. I seriously could not put this down. The mystery is intriguing and well thought out. And, I cheated. I read this when I was supposed to be reading another book. So - I guess that puts this in 5 star category for me. I can't wait to move on. And, the only reason I have not as of yet is . . . I have other books I am supposed to be reading. And, I do not expect to see the conclusion of this story before Feb of 2018. (According to the author . . .) So, I am currently savoring the next until such a time as I need a little light hearted frippery and something new to me.

Great story. Highly recommend unless Katrina is not good for you.

[AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A secluded Louisiana bayou. A sexy pirate. Seduction and deceit. My Friday afternoon had the makings of a great romantic adventure, at least in theory.”

Now that is a promising start to a novel. Set in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Royal Street has the makings of a really good story.

The basic premise is that the Hurricane’s change of barometric pressure allowed energy fields that protect our world from the Beyond to weaken, thereby allowing preternaturals to come through and create havoc in our world.

The aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina are respectfully detailed. The devastation, the chaos, and the disorder form the backdrop of this story.

Our heroine Drusilla Jaco (DJ) is the deputy sentinel for New Orleans. DJ and her mentor sentinel Gerry St. Simon are responsible for keeping New Orleans safe from these monsters. DJ has been sent north to her grandmother’s to ride out the storm in safety while Gerry stayed in New Orleans. In the aftermath of the storm, Gerry vanishes and DJ returns to find strange symbols painted in front of his home. DJ begins her search for Gerry but is interrupted by the pirate Jean Lafitte, a historical undead. She is rescued by Alex Warin, an enforcer with ties to local law enforcement.

I liked DJ’s character. She’s all insecure with her magical abilities and describes herself as a nerdy wizard. DJ thinks fast and is not afraid to use unconventional means when necessary. She has a touch of badass about her. Her empathy skills seem to hinder her at times. There is something special about DJ, and Gerry goes to great lengths to protect her.

I saw Alex as just an enforcer until his special talent was revealed. He has a good sense of humor. I had to chuckle at DJ’s assessment of Alex: “Body of Adonis, brains of an anchovy.” Ouch. Alex is attracted to DJ, but she seems to be attracted to his cousin Jake. Not a horrible love triangle, kind of mild, but there nonetheless.

Alex and DJ work together to find Gerry. They also investigate several grisly murders involving voodoo. Baron Samedi, Marie Leveau, Louis Armstrong and the Pirate Jean Lafitte make appearances.

Some of the supporting characters were intriguing. I loved Jean Lafitte. The historical undead pirate added a comedic and swashbuckling touch to the story. Here is where I would have loved to have had more information about the historical undead. They are not zombies and not ghosts and are warm-blooded. I would have liked to have known where and how they came to be.

Therein lies my problem with this book. There really is a lot going on. There are so many different types of supernatural creatures: werewolves, shifters, vampires, fae, elves, ghosts, pixies, historical undead, merpeople, etc. Combine these with the voodoo and Baron Samedi, Marie Leveau – just a little too much to keep track of.

The world was interesting, full of magic. The wizard hierarchy with its Elders and colored congresses was fascinating. I liked that the Beyond had its own parallel New Orleans called Old Orleans where the preternatural beings lived.

When I checked the author’s website, I noticed that there was a free story called Pirate’s Alley available. This story tells how the Pirate Jean Lafitte was summoned to New Orleans and introduces the sentinel Gerry St. Simon. There is another free story available called Chenoire and it takes place between this book and the sequel River Road. River Road will be published in the fall of 2012. I’ll be looking forward to reading that book when it comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.

[Olga Godim · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. Magic and wizards. Betrayals and gods. Historically undead pirates and ultra-modern guns. It’s not a surprise such an unholy mix resulted in a marvelously fresh urban fantasy novel.
The protagonist Drusilla (I hate the name by the way) is a young wizard in New Orleans, a junior member of the Green Congress of wizards. Her hardest assignment up to date has been sending a historically undead pirate back to Beyond, where he belongs. Then Katrina hits, and Drusilla’s life explodes.
Katrina not only destroys most of Drusilla’s beloved city but also contributes to the erosion of the border between our world and Beyond. Many of the inhuman population of Beyond—vampires, fae, and the rest—want to exploit the situation to their advantage and to the detriment of humans. The wizards’ obligation is to close the breaches and minimize traffic to and from Beyond. Besides, Drusilla’s mentor is missing, the undead pirate is stalking her, and the Congress sent her a bodyguard/enforcer hunk to partner, while the city painfully struggles back to its feet.
The story is sometimes funny and sometimes profoundly sad, as the heroine absorbs the enormity of the devastation after the hurricane. She tries to do what she can in the face of the natural disaster while simultaneously juggling her magical problems with her personal issues. She worries over her missing mentor. She spars verbally with her handsome and stubborn bodyguard. She experiments with magic. Compassionate and inventive, resourceful and vulnerable, she is a great UF protagonist who is still discovering the limits of her magic and the complications of inter-wizard politics.
The plot flows fast and furious, as unstoppable as the flood that flattened New Orleans, with so many unexpected twists and turns I occasionally felt dizzy. New dangers arise on every second page, as Drusilla tries to do her duty and stay true to her heart. Sometimes those two goals coincide. Unfortunately sometimes, they clash, and then the heroine has to make hard choices and decide what’s more important to her: obeying the Wizards’ rules or saving the people she loves.
The book is written very well, with rapid dialog, original plotline, and believable characterization. The world building is superb, and the magical system interesting. There is one small snag though. The heroine has a staff: she finds it among her missing mentor’s possessions. The staff was made by elves long ago. It follows her around like a faithful puppy. It has the ability to heal and to amplify her magic.
The fans of Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson novels might find the entire staff thing familiar. Mercy has a similar staff—made by elves, ancient, able to heal and amplify magic, able to make its own choices and select its own mistress. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, a copy, or maybe they both attended the same workshop some time ago, and the idea of such staff crept up in their common sessions. And both writers obviously liked it and used it.
Aside from this one small glitch, it was an absorbing book and it introduced a riveting heroine. I want to know what happens next in Drusilla’s life. I’ll definitely read the next story about her or anything else this writer writes. It’s such a nice feeling to discover a new writer and feel love stirring in your heart. Suzanne Johnson is a writer to watch.

[D.G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

**2.5 stars**

The best part of this book was the setting - New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. After that, the world was full of plot holes with a wishy washy main character that should have CLUELESS stamped on her forehead and a stupid love quadrangle. You heard it right, not two but THREE men have her sights on her. Sigh.

DJ is a low level sentinel in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina, which has breached the walls between this world and the "beyond". Her mentor disappears and even though he's never let her handle any serious work, the Elders put her in charge, but send Alex, a sexy shifter enforcer and FBI agent to help.

In the description there's a mention of some murders but DJ and Alex have almost nothing to do with that. DJ does very little, just flip flop between supposedly wanting Alex and his cousin Jake and getting chased by Jean Lafitte which is an "historical undead" (the terminology in this book is so clumsy!) She's so freaking dumb that she discovers a secret about her past, all spelled out in a diary, and she doesn't even catches on. Just imagine Darth Vader saying: "Luke, I'm your father" and Luke saying..."Ooohh, he wants to be my father!" No, dummy, he is telling you he IS your father! How clearly do you need that spelled out?

It wasn't very clear why shifters were allowed in the normal world when the rest of the "pretes" couldn't or how Alex' cousin didn't know what he was. And how these wizards were supposedly so powerful that they could keep all these pretes in a different dimension or whatever it was.

Another thing that bothered me was the use of a stick that follows DJ around, which if you read UF, you know it's a plot point in the Mercy Thompson series. I wish the author would have used another device because every time I read this, I got reminded of Mercy Thompson, which is a way better series.

The way this ended shouts "love quadrangle" because you know Lafitte will be in the mix. I didn't care much about DJ to be in her head so much or learn how she progresses so I'm definitely not continuing the series.

[Kara-karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book. It's refreshing, easy and just a little bit different to be memorable among the sea of other urban fantasies.

Dru is certainly not a kick-ass heroine. Physically she is an average human apart from being able to work with magic. She gets beaten and hurt easily, and you have to respect her determination to continue in the circumstances when a normal human being retreats. She's got a lovely sense of humour, it's a pleasure to read her banter with Alex, her unwilling partner, or her snarky observations.

What really makes this book unique is its rich, authentic atmosphere of New Orleans - it's smoky, sassy and spicy, heavy with accents, full of different backgrounds and beliefs. New Orleans just after Katrina is hard to read about, but it's a setting that I haven't encountered before in UF, and Suzanne Johnson really brings it to life.

I also loved the idea of all the supernaturals living in the Otherworld and slipping sometimes through the cracks and portals to our world. That's what the sentinels are here for - to send them back to the beyond.

Jean Lafitte, a famous pirate from the past is one of these supernatural beings featured in Royal Street, and I have to say he was a riot. Really great secondary character, playing an important role in the plot, he turns from a villain to an unexpected ally, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of him in the books to come.

There are some drawbacks of course. DJ's partner, Alex, didn't do much for me, even his brother was nicer and had more character. Gerry with all his experience also was a little bit disappointing, because he couldn't see what was right in front of his eyes.

Otherwise I recommend Royal Street to all the fans of Hoodoo series by Adrian Phoenix and The Edge series by Ilona Andrews.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

HOLY BATMAN THIS BOOK SUCKED!

You see the girl's facial expression on the book cover? It says.... hurry up and take this photo i need to take a dump!

That girl's facial expression summarizes my reading experience with this book.

This is the book you read while waiting for someone to get out of the bathroom to take a dump.

And I mean this with the most respect...

Now I admit, the first four chapters I was enjoying myself.. getting excited... but then nothing.

I made it to 60% and just DNF'd it.

God I was bored

It just seemed so fucking cliche and done before and non-climatic.

If this book was made into a cartoon my kids would beg to do homework...

If this book was a cuisine dish it would be a bowl of water....

If this book was a sexual experience it would be sex with a tiny guy with even tinier equipment covered in hair and crying every time he orgasmed.

What was the publishing company thinking? "What the urban fantasy market needs is a really boring ass book!"

for godsake this book involved hurricane Katrina and still sucked.

BOOOO

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royal Street is another Netgalley offering which made me very happy. Netgalley is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you're gonna get. Royal Street is one of the ones that looks like it might be one of those odd chocolate-covered taffy things, where the inside is that strange pastel color and you seem to just have to chew and chew. It might look that way, as possibly just-another-urban-fantasy, but Royal Street is actually pure coconut. Or, as the Cigarette Smoking Man preferred, English toffee.

I don't know why it's been so hard to polish up and polish off this review....

It has, in real time, been seven years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and – well, here in Connecticut the impact of those horrors was mainly through our television screens. It was terrible – but we were largely able to proceed with our lives, grieving during the evening news each night. It was an impersonal horror.

This story brings it home and makes it personal. In fact, I think it's brilliant how Suzanne Johnson uses the disaster as a springboard for her story: natural disasters cause the barriers between worlds to weaken. There is this world, where wizards work quietly and unknown to mundanes to keep things on an even keel, and there is the Beyond, where all of the mythical mystical beings of legend and young adult novels dwell. Dwell, but don't like to remain; they would rather be here, powers amidst the powerless, rather than exiled to the Beyond where any average prete (short for "preternatural") is a small fish in a big magical pond. This world is much more fun and tasty. New Orleans, always prone to breaches being as it is and ever has been steeped in magic even mundanes can't help but be aware of, is now wide open because of the huge disturbance of the hurricanes. Wizards are kept busy containing the situations that arise – anything from gnomes looking for a drink to vampires looking for a drink. The book begins just a couple of days before Katrina, as the Louisianan main character – Drusilla Jaco (DJ) – watches weather forecasts with an eye half worried (it really does sound like a bad one) and half jaded (but we've heard all this before).

That's one side of the tale – the increase of preternatural activity, including the disappearance of Drusilla's mentor Gerry, with whom she has lived most of her life. He made her evacuate for the storm to her grandmother's house; he stayed, as sentinel of New Orleans needing to be on hand for whatever happened. And now he's gone without a trace, mystical or otherwise, and in addition to that and the expected increase in other activity National Guardsmen are being murdered. Also alarming: strange symbols are being found on houses all throughout the area… the houses of wizards. And DJ, not-quite-trained as she is, is suddenly the only sentinel on hand.

The other side of the tale is the one everyone faced.

The houses on either side of Gerry's were deserted, windows broken out. Heck, every single house in Lakeview was deserted. Two square miles empty and ten thousand people homeless just in this one neighborhood.

Then multiply it by dozens more neighborhoods.

This is her city. And, slowly at first and then stronger and stronger, it becomes clear that it will never, ever be the same again. It's just the beginning of the pain, still fresh, still in survival mode; reaction has not had the chance to morph into the outrage over failed levees and the debacle the trailers turn into … The pain is still concentrated on what the hurricanes did, not the government: nearly 1000 deaths, and many times that struggling to cope with the loss of everything they owned.

The magic system of the book is lovely, well thought out and detailed with plenty of room for exploration later. Johnson achieves the best of all worlds by simply creating several classes of wizard – red, green, blue, etc. – and allowing each group different strengths and abilities. With this, DJ is quaffing potions and throwing vials containing various spells like a bona fide video game heroine, and her mentor Gerry can burst open a door with a wave of his hand. And neither can do what the other can.

Seriously awesome random line: At this point, I could have been floating around with a lampshade on my head, playing maracas and singing show tunes.

Odd quirk of the text: "Bon chance" is always used instead of "bonne".

The pirate Jean Lafitte is a major player in the book, right from the beginning (and he has eyes for DJ). He is beautifully used, as a story-telling device (he serves as the reader's introduction to pretes and how they are dealt with) as well as simply as a character: yes, this is indeed what the pirate must have been like, and how he would behave. The reality of the character is not forgotten: this fellow is no charming rogue type, though he can be charming and "rogue" can be substituted for "scoundrel". He is ruthless, violent, intelligent, and out for profit – and is also alarmingly attractive even though he oughtn't to be. He seemed like he was intended to make a cameo appearance and then wouldn't leave. "The old rule about taking candy from strangers should apply doubly to taking alcoholic beverages from undead pirates."

One of my Issues with my reading of late has been a tendency toward Everybody Loves [insert heroine's name here]. The stunningly gorgeous (though not cookie-cutter beautiful!) female main character moves through her life drawing men along behind her like a magnet through a metal shop rubbish tip. In time there isn't a man of appropriate age (and sometimes in-) who is not goofy in love with her; even casual interactions show unnamed NPC's giving her smiles and special treatment.

The funny thing is, Royal Street goes that route ... sort of. All I can really say is that if you're gonna do it, do it like this. DJ is attractive, but not the be-all and end-all, and the men who enter her life become attracted to her in a more natural manner - one becomes her new partner, one is his cousin and part of the attraction is a competitive streak between the two men. And then there's Lafitte – but he's just like that.

I love that DJ doesn't play the moronic games so many heroines (and in fact heroes) do: I really should share such and such information with this man who has announced himself as my partner, but he irked me and I won't, I'll just go into this ridiculously dangerous situation alone and fix it all by myself so there. She doesn't much like him, doesn't want him around, hates that he thinks Gerry might have been on the wrong side – and she works with him like a reasonable adult human being in a bind. They help each other. Also, he doesn't spend the entire book keeping stupid secrets from her; there is one huge secret that he spills fairly early on. It still has impact – comical and plot – and doesn't end up being something she can screech at him for keeping from her at the end of the book. As happens in so many books. She even promptly tells him about her dreams. This is awesome.

[Melliane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mon avis en français

My English review


Since I heard about this book, I was more than intrigued to learn more about it. So when I had the opportunity to read it with Netgalley, I immediately asked for it. And I confess that now I can only recommend it. It’s a new series I really loved (yes, yes, again). It’s always a pleasure to discover some new books like this one.

Suzanne Johnson presents us a unique world, different from the ones we could have found before. A world of course full of magic, of all kinds of creatures but also a universe which mixes some mythic characters who live among the population. We could meet Louis Armstrong, Jean Laffite or even Marie Laveau. What more can we ask for? I have to say these meetings were a big surprise and I really liked to learn more about them all. They are some characters we know a lot about and it’s true it’s very interesting to have an idea about their nature. I hadn’t read a lot of things about Katrina, this terrible hurricane whom everyone had seen the consequences. I think it was very interesting to follow the story because we can really feel the sadness, the changes and all the problems that occurred in the New-Orleans. Indeed, this storm is very important for the story.

We can meet here Drusilla, a young determined and stubborn woman, but who has also a big heart. She became the town’s sentinel after a tragic accident. During this hurricane, her mentor, Gerry vanishes and our heroine has to take her place. She is now determined to find what is going on, because she is convinced he isn’t dead. She doesn’t have a lot of powers but her capacity to read the feelings of the persons near her, helps her in her missions (well, it’s true she didn’t have a lot yet). A new character appears in the story, Alex, a mysterious man we want to know everything about and we would like to learn what he really wants. He will be here all along the book to assist DJ and protect and her from the ones who would like to kill her. But there is more, we also meet Jake, Alex cousin who is as much intriguing in his own way. What a chance DJ has, two sublime men who want to protect her from everything.

We follow the DJ investigation that will lead her in some dark paths but it will allow her to make new interesting and unique meetings.

It’s a great start for a promising series and I get into the story from the start until the end, trying to understand what was going on and discover the answers to my questions. We have a lot of beautiful surprises all along the novel and we learn to enjoy many characters. All complexes and completes, which allow to keep the readers interested. I really loved the Suzanne Johnson first volume and I’m more than curious to read the second one.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted at My keeper shelf

I’m a complete sucker for a new urban fantasy series and Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson is just the kind of clever, creative and beautifully written urban fantasy that I love.

Royal Street’s setting and world building was really quite skilful and inventive. I’ve always liked and appreciated a little bit of reality mixed in with any new fictional setting and I thought Johnson really delivered this in Royal Street. Set in 2005 just as Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, Dursilla Jaco (DJ) is the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans. When the hurricane devastates the city the barriers between present day New Orleans and Old Orleans (a kind of paranormal alternative otherworld) start to slip allowing the undead to cross over. When DJ’s wizard mentor Gerry who is normally responsible for protecting the New Orleans barriers also goes missing DJ is forced to work with new partner Alex, an Enforcer and FBI agent, to send the escapee supernaturals back to the otherworld whilst also trying to solve the mystery of Gerry’s disappearance.

I found Royal Street’s account of Hurricane Katrina to be really realistic yet sensitive handled, each chapter started with a snippet of news headlines which charted the progress of the hurricane and its devastating aftermath. Interwoven into this was the creation of a slightly creepy, magical otherworld of Old Orleans. The incorporation of some very famous dead people with New Orleans connections into the story was just genius. Characters such as Louis Armstrong (I loved him he was so sweet!), the pirate Jean Lafitte (I ended up loving him too, I hope we get more of him!) and the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau and seriously double creepy Baron Samedi were cleverly blended into the story and kept me absolutely glued to the pages. I ended up drawing myself a little map to keep all the characters straight in my head(that’s how engrossed I was!).



Royal Street also had the beginning of a very understated love triangle between DJ who is very much a sentinel learning on the job, and cousins Alex the enforcer, and Jake the ex-marine. Alex kind of grew on me as the story progressed but I have to say I had a real soft spot for Jake and I really hope to see more of him in the next instalment.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Royal Street and I will definitely be looking out for the sequel River Road. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Net galley and Tor books for the opportunity to read and review Royal Street before it’s publication on 10th April 2012.

[Alicia]

Overall, not for me.

Drusilla is a Green Congress wizard living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits. She leaves the city before the hurricane hits, but her mentor Gerry sticks around. At first, the two remain in touch, and Gerry appears to be fine. But then Gerry disappears. The wizard Elders demand that Drusilla return to New Orleans, locate Gerry, and address the crack in the divide between the Beyond and the real world. To help her, they send Alex, an enforcer whom Drusilla finds to be very sexy.

What I loved about the book was seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina through Drusilla's eyes. It's clear to me that the author did a lot of research on this topic, and it showed. After having read this book, I actually feel a bit more educated about the hurricane. So kudos to the author for that.

I also loved the idea of "historical undead." These are undead people who remain alive in the Beyond (and sometimes manage to sneak their way into the real world) because their memories are still alive in the real world. The historical undead who made appearances included the pirate Jean Lafitte, musician Louis Armstrong, and voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau. It was cool to see these people brought to life with personalities and weaved into the story.

Unfortunately, there was little else that I found to be special about this book. Drusilla was your usual, feisty heroine. She didn't completely understand her powers. And although her powers were cool enough, I was annoyed that Drusilla figured them out later than I did. Actually, Drusilla figured out everything later than I did, and there were times when I wanted to shout at her through the pages of the book.

I also did not like the love triangle. There was Alex, and there was his cousin Jake. Drusilla was attracted to both of them, but her feeling toward both men came across as being superficial. She was immediately attracted to both despite not having any deep connection with either. In contrast, I got the impression that both men had real, growing feeling for her, and I found her attitude toward them to be fickle and selfish.

I understand this is the first book in a series. I don't plan to read the later books.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royal Street. What can I say? I loved it. Wonderful characters, a great plot and plenty of conflict. Not to mention sexy shape-shifters and pirates.

Drusilla Jaco, known as DJ, is a Green Wizard and a Sentinel in New Orleans. Her boss, Gerry gives her an assignment to capture and send the famous pirate, Jean Lafitte back to the Beyond. Lafitte threatens payback, but she sends him on his way. Then hurricane Katrina comes along, and DJ is ordered to evacuate. We all know what happens to New Orleans after Katrina - it flooded. DJ can’t locate her boss, Gerry, and she’s afraid he’s dead, but she tries to hold on to hope that he’s not. The Elder’s, however, believe Gerry is hiding, and that Gerry betrayed them.

Now DJ’s in charge of the New Orleans area, and her assignments are to send the dead back to the Beyond and plug all the breaches from where they came. Plus she's not giving up hunting for Gerry. Her new partner, Alex Warin is an Enforcer for the Elders, but that’s not all he is – he’s HOT! Alex and DJ spend a lot of time together helping each other along the way. They run into all sorts of problems such as Voodoo and National Guard killings.

I can’t give too many details or I’ll ruin this wonderful story for you. And take it from a reader who’s been hunting for a book such as this one, I don’t want to give anything away. I rarely read novels in one sitting, but I just couldn't stop reading Royal Street. I was fascinated by DJ, Jean Lafitte, her delicious partner, Alex and his sexy cousin, Jake. Oh, I forgot to mention, Louis Armstrong, he’s in there too. As well as a famous restaurateur. Hurricane Katrina has a major role as well.

I’m local to the New Orleans area, and the author couldn't’t have done a better job on creating the suspense and raw emotions of Katrina and the after-math. I remember it well. The book brought tears to my eyes in some scenes and I laughed my butt off in others. Suzanne Johnson is one to watch out for. I don’t care if you love romances, paranormals or urban fantasy books, Royal Street has it all. A perfect blend for everyone, just like a spicy New Orleans gumbo. It’s all in there.

[Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Green Congress wizard, a missing mentor, a decimated city, and one sexy pirate whose existence is made possible by the magic of memories. These are just some aspects of Johnson's Sentinels of New Orleans debut that made this novel an engaging and entertaining read.

I was originally drawn to Royal Street by its eye-catching cover. When reading the synopsis, I was intrigued by the idea of a world filled with magic, coupled with the difficulty of overcoming an event as devastating as Hurricane Katrina. The setting was a bold choice, in my opinion, and Johnson handles it very well.

The story follows Drusilla, sometimes referred to as DJ, as she searches for her lost mentor, reluctantly takes on a stubborn (but sexy) partner, makes some new friends and forms an uneasy alliance. She spends a lot of time bending the rules, but Drusilla's sole purpose is finding the man who has taken care of her and she'll use any resource available to get the job done.

The author does an excellent job of introducing us to Drusilla's life as a wizard, the political structure of the Congress of Elders, and brief descriptions of preternatural creatures residing in the Beyond. I'm very much looking forward to learning more about them in the series' sequel.

We are also introduced to various secondary characters along the way and there are two in particular that I'm hoping we explore more in depth later on. Alexander Warin, an enforcer for the Elders, and Captain Jean Lafitte, the ancient, legendary pirate that Drusilla can't seem to rid herself of. They both added their own elements of intrigue and excitement to the story and I'm anxious to see their growth and continued development in future installments.

Overall, I thought this was a solid debut from an author that I'm glad to have taken a chance on. If you enjoy urban fantasy with strong magical elements, then you'll want to read Suzanne Johnson's Royal Street.

http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2012...

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson is an interesting urban fantasy set in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Karina. Mixing the damaged New Orleans, long dead revenants who can cross from the Beyond back to the living, pirates, voodoo gods, magic and shapeshifters, Johnson’s debut novel is a real treat.

At the outset, we are introduced to DJ, the main protagonist, a young green empath and wizard in training tasked by her master wizard Gerry to seduce the revenant Pirate Jean LaFitte, who has gotten loose from the Beyond and returned to New Orleans eager to traffic in his old pursuits. DJ is able to thwart LaFitte’s plans and send him back to the Beyond but it’s a near thing. When she returns to report to Gerry, he orders her out of New Orleans because of the imminent storm. While at her grand mother’s riding out the storm, Gerry disappears from New Orleans.

DJ returns to the damaged city to look for Gerry and to take over as the main wizard there, but when she walks into her house, LaFitte is there and he is not amused. In the ensuing confrontation, LaFitte is sent back by bullet to the Beyond by Alexander Warin, an FBI agent, tasked by the Elder Wizards to help DJ.

DJ wants to look for Gerry suspecting foul play is at work, while Alex is suspicious of both Gerry, who previously fought with the Elder wizards and with DJ. He also wants help with a series of murders occuring in the city, which seem to have voodoo markings.

While looking at Gerry’s old house for clues to his whereabouts, Alex finds an odd elfin staff that he gives to DJ for keeping. There are sparks between Alex and DJ, and the tension between them is a good subplot, as is Alex’s real talents.

Their investigation leads them to confrontations with ancient voodoo figures from the past including Marie Leveau. Soon DJ starts to have living dreams of Gerry, who appears to be very much alive and plotting. DJ must learn to use the staff and join forces with Alex and Jean Lafitte in a violent confrontation with the voodoo god Samedi.

It’s a fun read with likeable characters.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you whoever recommended it because I loved it. I'm planning on reading more of the series. There are glimpses of a romance but who knows who the lucky guy is. Usually I want some sort of choice before books end, but it really didn't bother me that there wasn't. Can't wait to see what happens next! I would recommend this book.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book was interested and I did like it I wasn't blown away by it.

Firstly the writing style is my forte it engaged me and had some silly side thoughts which really brought the characters to life but the execution of writing I wasn't a fan of. There was a lot of telling in this book and while it was a combination of the two, show and tell and tell and show, it wasn't enough for me not to notice and get bored with the glossing of things.

The second thing, while I appreciate being dropped in a world already built the MC didn't explain much of the world she was living in. What exactly is the beyond? Is it hell? Another dimension? I still don't exactly know what it is. They people in the beyond are dead but alive? Kind of confusing. They can die but they can't die. Ok. So that was difficult.

Then we have the hurricane to deal with. I actually enjoyed reading a perspective of what possibly happened in a personal perspective. Since I was a little younger when it happened and wasn't really watching the news at the time idk all that went down. So this was an informative as well as sad to read about.

Parts of the book and some parts of the scenes reminded me of bits and pieces from other books I've read. I'm not sure that was the intent but this just felt like a mash up of lots of familiar scenes from other books thrown into this one. I can't quite recall what scenes specifically made me feel that way but there were many where I was like oh this reminds me so much of Mercy (she has a stick that follows her around) Alex is a shapeshifter and makes me think of Adam. There were some parts that reminded me of Anita and then also Cat and Bones. So if you've read those you too may draw comparisons too.

The romance was confusing too because she kinda goes between Jake and Alex but yet there's no actual established relationship just some make out sessions with each. I was hoping we'd have more info on why Alex was so territorial or why Jake and Alex both seemed to want her. Or why Alex told his mom that DJ was his girlfriend. But none of that was answered.

Overall the premise of the story was ok but the climax and the ultimate battle left a lot to be desired. It happened quickly and easily with a neat and tidy bow.

I may read the next one I may not. I'm just not sure yet. It's one of those that I could leave it or not.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royal Street is the first in a brand new urban fantasy series entitled Sentinels of New Orleans by author Suzanne Johnson. The tale takes place against the backdrop of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Johnson beautifully captures New Orleans, some of its most famous citizens and creates a fresh new fantasy world. While this first novel deals a lot with establishing this new world, I found the tale and the characters to be delightful. This tale contains wizards, assassins, Fae, elves, vampires, shape-shifters and more. With Kim Harrison’s series the Hollows winding down, I am excited about this new series.

The protagonist is twenty-five year-old Drusilla Jane Jaco.( DJ for short.) She is a junior wizard and empathy. She is employed as the deputy sentinel in New Orleans. Gerald St. Simon has been her mentor and father-figure since the age of seven. DJ is a Green Congress wizard who specializes in rituals and spells. She is eager to learn more and take on more responsibilities. She gets her first chance when Gerald asks her to send pirate Jean Lafitte back to the other realm after he was summoned. Jean Lafitte offers DJ a deal, one she refuses. After trapping him she sends him back to the Otherworld. As he leaves he swears revenge. When warnings start coming in of a hurricane bearing down on New Orleans, Gerry orders DJ to head out of town to her grandmother’s in Alabama. Gerry stays behind to watch the borders of the Beyond. When fluctuating barometric pressure happens during a hurricane, it opens doors that keep the Pretes (supernatural beings) in their world. Left unchecked they would begin crossing over and causing problems for the humans who reside in New Orleans. Reluctantly she agrees, but when Gerald ends up missing, she is ordered back to New Orleans. DJ returns home, to find her home spared and Jean Lafitte in her home seeking revenge. Without time to invoke a spell, DJ has to use her wits to save herself, and just when it looks like she might have the upper hand, Alex an enforcer for the Elders rushes in like Rambo and shoots Lafitte, sending him back to the Otherworld. She learns she is now the Sentinel for New Orleans and the Elders have sent Alex to assist her. DJ’s main concern is finding Gerry and GI Alex is not about to stop her. The tale that unfolds is actions packed, as DJ and Alex search for Gerry and try to stop a killer using voodoo.

The characters in this novel are interesting and unique. I easily connected with DJ. She is bright, feisty and determined. The thoughts that pop into her head were a riot and reminded me of a younger Charley from Darynda Jones fantastic Charley Davidson series. I cannot thank Johnson enough for creating a heroine who isn’t winey and doesn’t need a man to make it all better. DJ is not a kick-ass in this novel. In fact she spends almost the entire novel in various shades of black and blue. Johnson hints of DJ’s untapped powers and we learn some unique things about her that have me excited to watch this young protagonist grow into a kick-ass warrior. Combine that with her ability to piece things together, negotiate with those in the Otherworld and think outside the box, DJ has the potential to be one of my favorite heroines. Alex is a likeable guy and while his FBI training can make him act like a neanderthal, he respects DJ and listens to her. We learn a little about his history, but I have a feeling there is more. His buddy Jake owns a bar called Gators and is ex-military. Watching the two of them try and stake a claim on DJ was delightful. Jean Lafitte is a giant flirt and a true pirate. I laughed at some of his antics. While there was sexual tension all the way around and it made the tale highly entertaining, no real romance developed and it was refreshing. Other characters from both sides were interesting and they all made the tale feel genuine.

Johnson’s world-building is wonderful, and I feel like I have a true sense of this world. Filled with every kind of supernatural creature the Otherworld is kept in check by the Elders and their sentinels. Johnson captures New Orleans beautifully, and the fact that she once resided there is apparent in her attention to detail. The way she wove historical facts and famous people in to this story made the tale seem genuine. I loved that the tale was narrated by DJ, and the humorous voice that Johnson gave her. I am truly looking forward to the next installment of this series.
I want to thank netGalley and Tor Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Galateea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because a fellow book blogger and book junkie friend recommended it to me. And since i'm also in the habit of shoving books down her throat - she loves it - and I also happen to love paranormal romance and urban fantasy, i just couldn't refuse.

The interesting synopsis as well as ravenous 5 star reviews certainly weighted quite a bit in my decision.

As I was saying, i adore PNR and UF, i really do. They're two of my favorite genres, but this book simply did not do it for me.

OK, i might love my heroines snarky, badass and competent, to the point that i'm very critical of flimsy roses that lack the backbone, intelligence or sensible personality required to make a difference.

Our MC is named Drusilla Jaco. But you'll soon forget that, because DJ is mostly all you will hear. The missus is a sentinel. Think... guardian slash protector slash person.who.defends.the.city...

Sort of.

Well, she's still in training, so there's that. I cut her some slack.

Some.

So, our wonderful MC who, again, is still in training but still counting as a sentinel - i'm repeating myself, i know -, is utterly and completely null at protecting herself. And by that i mean exactly that. Utterly incompetent and a witch so puny that in my eyes i'd rather rank her on the same level as the corner shop 2 bit magicians.

OK, that was harsh as hell, but apparently so was the scale of the supernatural disaster after Katrina which i think should have required the expertise of someone more... well... competent on every level.

Or just slightly better than a magical hamster.


I honestly have no idea how i could finish this book without some hardcore procrastinating. It just drags on until the end with the speed and enthusiasts of a sleepy snail. Don't misunderstand me, i most certainly did not find this book distasteful or anything. It just didn't manage to engage me as a reader and keep me hooked. I had my fair share of sloe paced books and some i've enjoyed inhumanly much, but DJ - *snort* *giggle* - had a certain trait i abhor in characters who are supposed to be the MC:

She made absolutely no effort to improve.

None.

On any level. She was weak magically and physically and she had a pompous responsibility which i think was undeserved to the extreme, and she was in a very grave need of some damn basic skill improvement.

And did she do something about it?


Not only that - which in itself is pretty bad considering that we're dealing with PNR here - but she didn't even contemplate or think about learning some decent combat magic. Or even some hide, evade, run skillset. Or even dodge, spy, investigate skillset. Or anything skillset.

Zilch.

I don't mind weak characters, especially female ones, but i do mind female main characters who are doing nothing to improve themselves despite having the possibility and being very much pressured by circumstances. It takes a foolish kind of stupid to ignore this.

Guess what DJ did in this book?


Guess what i did after i finished it?

[LadyTechie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying that I have waited months to get a chance to read this book. I was able to obtain a copy through Netgalley's great e-ARC program. Royal Street is one of the books I have looked forward to since I was made aware that it was forthcoming early last summer. I have a love for stories based in New Orleans, especially urban fantasy.

Royal Street is an urban fantasy based in the time of Hurricane's Katrina and Rita and a lot of what happens has its basis in the vulnerability the wonderful city was left in because of those terrible storms. The author spent time reminding us of the devastation the different wards were left in, especially the Ninth Ward. Some of the areas continue to suffer from the results not just of the storm but also from the failure of the levees to hold. Even in 2011 there were stories of families still holding fund raisers to help neighbors repair their homes. Royal Street does a wonderful job of letting the reminding us what was lost.

This story is focused on DJ, a magic user in a level that is based more upon potions and spells along with her empathic gift. We learn about her relationship to her family, some of which she learns right along with the reader, which does a great job of helping us relate to her. There was a part of the book that I did not care for and it is not in any way related to how well the story is told. It is my personal preference to never read about certain relationships in books again. I would still read the the story even if I knew ahead of time, but, I have things I don't want to read about anymore, including things like love triangles or heroes/heroines so hard that I cannot relate to them. I won't delve any further into this because that would constitute spoilers. But, suffice it to say that it is just not a topic I like to read and has no reflection on whether the author writes a good story or develops her characters well. Alex and Jake are cousins and both have similar personalities but, we find that sometimes they are not always what they seem. I'm not particular about aspect of their competitive natures which ties into another part of the story, but, I like both of them very much. I especially like the support and love their family has for one another. DJ has another aspect to her magical abilities that is being developed in the books. Part of it was reminiscent of the Mercy Thompson series but, it took off enough and became Suzanne Johnson's story so I liked it. I also liked the remnants of Voodoo presented and would like to see more of the history of that religion developed in these books.

Overall, a good read and I look forward to the next one in the series.

Review can also be seen at http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo...