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Paranormal Scene Investigations #4
Dragon Justice
In my time with PUPI, formally known as Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations, I've seen a lot. Learned a lot. And not all of it's been good. But what we do—make people accountable for crimes committed with magic—is important work.
Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I've just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I'll finally figure out what's going on with the "special bond" between me and the boss man, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he's invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we're called in to look at a dead body.
And that's when life gets really complicated….
Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I've just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I'll finally figure out what's going on with the "special bond" between me and the boss man, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he's invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we're called in to look at a dead body.
And that's when life gets really complicated….
330 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
22 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Laura Anne Gilman
122 books823 followersLaura Anne Gilman’s work has been hailed as “a true American myth” by NPR, and praised for her “deft plotting and first-class characters” by Publishers Weekly. She has won the Endeavor Award for THE COLD EYE, and been shortlisted for a Nebula, (another) Endeavor, and a Washington State Book Award. Her work includes the Devil’s West trilogy, the Cosa Nostradamus urban fantasy series, the Vineart trilogy, and the story collection WEST WINDS’ FOOL. Her upcoming move, UNCANNY TIMES, will be out from Saga Books in 2022.
She lives in Seattle with a cat, a dog, and many deadlines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 6, 2012
And so ends yet another series. Darn. I really wanted more of this one.
I can’t decide if Laura Anne Gilman is better at worldbuilding or character building. The idea of Talent, people with the ability to control electric current, the new generation of witches and wizards; and fatae, the non-human magical creatures, is too good not to be explored in detail, which is why Gilman had two loosely connected series set in this universe. While I never made it past book two in The Retrievers series (not because I didn’t want to, but because I can’t seem to find the time), I’ve been following her Paranormal Scene Investigations series closely, stalking the poor woman, pestering her on Twitter and doing other things I’m too ashamed to admit here and now.
It’s her fault, though. *points finger accusingly* You can’t write characters like Bonnie, Venec, Ian, Sharon, Nicky, Pietr and Nifty and expect not to be stalked and begged for more.
The PUPs have a lot to deal with in Dragon Justice, even more than usual. A serial killer has been killing male Talents for the last thirty years, and he appears to be human, not fatae. An untrained storm-seer saw both Ian Stosser and Wren Valere dead in the near future. An unknown Talent is gathering young girls into a coven in Central Park for an unknown purpose. And, most delicious of all, Ben Venec and Wren Valere go against each other, him tightening the security of a museum, and her trying to “retrieve” (by which I mean steal) an item from it, to Bonnie’s never-ending amusement.
Once again Gilman brings her two series together: Wren Valere showed up shortly in Tricks of the Trade while Bonnie was apartment-hunting, but she played a much more significant role in Dragon Justice. I must say that I was very excited about seeing these two heroines work together, although to me, The Wren is far less familiar than Bonnie. I also enjoyed the scenes with their two love interests, Ben Venec and Sergei Didier, especially when they started growling at each other.
If I understood correctly (and really, my attention span is not that short), there will be no more books set in this world. Two e-novellas from Danny’s perspective will be released in 2013. After that, we’ll really have to say goodbye to this world. Gilman is working on a new series I know very little about for now, but I’m definitely curious about that project.
I can’t decide if Laura Anne Gilman is better at worldbuilding or character building. The idea of Talent, people with the ability to control electric current, the new generation of witches and wizards; and fatae, the non-human magical creatures, is too good not to be explored in detail, which is why Gilman had two loosely connected series set in this universe. While I never made it past book two in The Retrievers series (not because I didn’t want to, but because I can’t seem to find the time), I’ve been following her Paranormal Scene Investigations series closely, stalking the poor woman, pestering her on Twitter and doing other things I’m too ashamed to admit here and now.
It’s her fault, though. *points finger accusingly* You can’t write characters like Bonnie, Venec, Ian, Sharon, Nicky, Pietr and Nifty and expect not to be stalked and begged for more.
The PUPs have a lot to deal with in Dragon Justice, even more than usual. A serial killer has been killing male Talents for the last thirty years, and he appears to be human, not fatae. An untrained storm-seer saw both Ian Stosser and Wren Valere dead in the near future. An unknown Talent is gathering young girls into a coven in Central Park for an unknown purpose. And, most delicious of all, Ben Venec and Wren Valere go against each other, him tightening the security of a museum, and her trying to “retrieve” (by which I mean steal) an item from it, to Bonnie’s never-ending amusement.
Once again Gilman brings her two series together: Wren Valere showed up shortly in Tricks of the Trade while Bonnie was apartment-hunting, but she played a much more significant role in Dragon Justice. I must say that I was very excited about seeing these two heroines work together, although to me, The Wren is far less familiar than Bonnie. I also enjoyed the scenes with their two love interests, Ben Venec and Sergei Didier, especially when they started growling at each other.
If I understood correctly (and really, my attention span is not that short), there will be no more books set in this world. Two e-novellas from Danny’s perspective will be released in 2013. After that, we’ll really have to say goodbye to this world. Gilman is working on a new series I know very little about for now, but I’m definitely curious about that project.
October 18, 2018
3.5 stars. Good continuation of this series about a paranormal investigation agency. If you read it, brace yourself. Not everyone on the team makes it to the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2013
I didn't finish this one. In fact, I only got to page 12. So I have some 'splaining to do, don't I?
I don't know what it is about this author, but her books drive me up the wall. My brother loves them, however, and gave me the first four novels in her Retrievers series to try to spread that love. That didn't quite work out as he planned--I read the first two books, then donated all four to charity because I'd rather have chewed foil than read any more of that series.
So why did I try again? Why did another book from this author wind up in my hands? Because hope springs eternal. I was looking for something to read, saw this one on the shelf, and thought to myself, "You know, I should give that author another chance. Writers do get better over time, and Bro is still a rabid fan of hers."
Wishful thinking on my part. The things that drove me batty about the first two books I read from the author were also true of this book. They are:
1) It takes freakin' forever for anything to happen.
The pages are packed with little asides that are supposed to deepen the world and make the characters seem more realistic. Instead, they leave me frothing with impatience. Everything is bogged down with tiny moments and occurrences that appear to be irrelevant to the plot and which do not interest me.
(I'll note that another reader would probably really enjoy these moments. Heck, my brother does, and I consider him to have pretty great taste in books.)
Plot, plot, how do you crawl? Let me count the ways. First, the prologue is two pages of the protagonist/narrator explaining to the reader why she continues doing a job she has become jaded about. My reaction? Whatever, lady. Get on with it.
Next: the first scene consists of two investigators attending to a paranormal crime scene. One of them immediately says he's bored. And the other is the world-weary narrator from the prologue.
Well, great. Is there hope I'll stay interested in this scene when even the characters don't give a crap about being there? But wait! Right at the end of that scene, they discover something intriguing!
And, in the very next scene, the protagonist recants and says it turned out to be nothing interesting after all. Bait and switch, y'all! Hurrah!
And still, absolutely nothing relating to the book's plot has happened yet. That's not quite why I decided to give up, but I was definitely getting close. It's issue #2, however, that really pushed me over the edge.
2) Sex is inevitable; no attraction required.
Let me back up a little. The reason I stopped reading on page twelve of this book was largely because I was twitching in remembered pain at having read previous books from this author.
And what was my most painful memory from those books? Put it this way: in the second Retrievers book, there's a fifteen-bajillion page sex scene.
No, I don't know if it was really fifteen-bajillion pages long, but sweet mother Google, it went on FOREVER and it was excruciating and gratuitous and utterly, utterly boring. I kept trying to skim past it, but the boring, boring sex just kept on GOING. Folks, it's no wonder the plot drags when these people can't even boink quickly!
Okay, back on topic: the current book. On page 12, the protagonist starts info-dumping about how she and her boss are a "destined merge".
Translation: They magically/genetically/by-authorial-mandate are destined to fuck.
Look, I know these criticisms I'm levelling are really, really specific to me. I know lots of people find pre-destined love to be an incredibly hot and sexy premise in a novel.
I find it lazy. If two characters have no discernible chemistry, then I'm not going to suddenly get interested in their love life just because the author carefully explains to me how the magical woo-woo Uber-mind will someday kick these characters' brains out of their heads so that their bodies can make wild, sweaty monkey love.
So "destined merge" is when I decided to close the book. Giving an author a second chance? Good. Risking another bajillion-page sex scene? Bad.
But, yeah. I'd better say again that this is just me. The author's a good writer, and her success more than proves that she writes good books.
They're just really, really not to my taste.
I don't know what it is about this author, but her books drive me up the wall. My brother loves them, however, and gave me the first four novels in her Retrievers series to try to spread that love. That didn't quite work out as he planned--I read the first two books, then donated all four to charity because I'd rather have chewed foil than read any more of that series.
So why did I try again? Why did another book from this author wind up in my hands? Because hope springs eternal. I was looking for something to read, saw this one on the shelf, and thought to myself, "You know, I should give that author another chance. Writers do get better over time, and Bro is still a rabid fan of hers."
Wishful thinking on my part. The things that drove me batty about the first two books I read from the author were also true of this book. They are:
1) It takes freakin' forever for anything to happen.
The pages are packed with little asides that are supposed to deepen the world and make the characters seem more realistic. Instead, they leave me frothing with impatience. Everything is bogged down with tiny moments and occurrences that appear to be irrelevant to the plot and which do not interest me.
(I'll note that another reader would probably really enjoy these moments. Heck, my brother does, and I consider him to have pretty great taste in books.)
Plot, plot, how do you crawl? Let me count the ways. First, the prologue is two pages of the protagonist/narrator explaining to the reader why she continues doing a job she has become jaded about. My reaction? Whatever, lady. Get on with it.
Next: the first scene consists of two investigators attending to a paranormal crime scene. One of them immediately says he's bored. And the other is the world-weary narrator from the prologue.
Well, great. Is there hope I'll stay interested in this scene when even the characters don't give a crap about being there? But wait! Right at the end of that scene, they discover something intriguing!
And, in the very next scene, the protagonist recants and says it turned out to be nothing interesting after all. Bait and switch, y'all! Hurrah!
And still, absolutely nothing relating to the book's plot has happened yet. That's not quite why I decided to give up, but I was definitely getting close. It's issue #2, however, that really pushed me over the edge.
2) Sex is inevitable; no attraction required.
Let me back up a little. The reason I stopped reading on page twelve of this book was largely because I was twitching in remembered pain at having read previous books from this author.
And what was my most painful memory from those books? Put it this way: in the second Retrievers book, there's a fifteen-bajillion page sex scene.
No, I don't know if it was really fifteen-bajillion pages long, but sweet mother Google, it went on FOREVER and it was excruciating and gratuitous and utterly, utterly boring. I kept trying to skim past it, but the boring, boring sex just kept on GOING. Folks, it's no wonder the plot drags when these people can't even boink quickly!
Okay, back on topic: the current book. On page 12, the protagonist starts info-dumping about how she and her boss are a "destined merge".
Translation: They magically/genetically/by-authorial-mandate are destined to fuck.
Look, I know these criticisms I'm levelling are really, really specific to me. I know lots of people find pre-destined love to be an incredibly hot and sexy premise in a novel.
I find it lazy. If two characters have no discernible chemistry, then I'm not going to suddenly get interested in their love life just because the author carefully explains to me how the magical woo-woo Uber-mind will someday kick these characters' brains out of their heads so that their bodies can make wild, sweaty monkey love.
So "destined merge" is when I decided to close the book. Giving an author a second chance? Good. Risking another bajillion-page sex scene? Bad.
But, yeah. I'd better say again that this is just me. The author's a good writer, and her success more than proves that she writes good books.
They're just really, really not to my taste.
May 21, 2012
Bonnie Torres is an Investigator for PUPI, a magical Police Agency. She is juggling three cases, a magical love connection with one of her bosses, and everyday life.
I'd never read a book in this series, nor had I heard of it. I am glad I finally did. I love Bonnie. She is strong, smart, and willful. My kind of heroine. A great mystery, loss, lessons learned, new friendships forged, and old one's made stronger. The only thing that disappointed was the one hook up scene was very lackluster. It reminded me of those old movies where the couple kisses, then it cuts to them eating breakfast the next morning. Luna is a subsidiary of Harlequin so I expected more after all the sexual tension build up. I will be going back and reading the earlier books in the series, and I can't wait for future installments.
I'd never read a book in this series, nor had I heard of it. I am glad I finally did. I love Bonnie. She is strong, smart, and willful. My kind of heroine. A great mystery, loss, lessons learned, new friendships forged, and old one's made stronger. The only thing that disappointed was the one hook up scene was very lackluster. It reminded me of those old movies where the couple kisses, then it cuts to them eating breakfast the next morning. Luna is a subsidiary of Harlequin so I expected more after all the sexual tension build up. I will be going back and reading the earlier books in the series, and I can't wait for future installments.
February 21, 2019
*Need to Review
A soft ending to the overall story arc. Still thinking about how I feel about it. The titles try to be relevant to the story but I find them to be fairly lacking in that regard.
A soft ending to the overall story arc. Still thinking about how I feel about it. The titles try to be relevant to the story but I find them to be fairly lacking in that regard.
August 9, 2012
Originally published at Reading Reality
Dragon Justice is the fourth book in Laura Anne Gilman's Paranormal Scene Investigations Series, after Hard Magic, Pack of Lies, and Tricks of the Trade. She's been building this urban fantasy version of New York City and its world for quite a while, ever since the first book in her Retrievers series, Staying Dead. And what a world it is! If you love urban fantasy I dare to to read the words "Cosa Nostradamus" without your imagination opening up into a smile of wonder. Concept and pun in one single phrase.
Dragon Justice, being the fourth book in the PSI series, builds on everything that came before. (See my review of Tricks of the Trade for details about prior events in the series)
It helps a LOT to have read the other books in the series. That's no hardship. This series, both these series, are awesome. But it makes it damn difficult to write a review as though this book stands alone.
Dragon Justice has the feeling of a middle book in the story arc. Each individual book in the Paranormal Scene Investigations Series uses a police-procedural-type framework -- the PUPIs are investigators, after all. So there is a crime that needs to be investigated. But that's not the biggest part of this particular story.
The big things are the forces moving in the background. Ian Stosser and Ben Venec are the two "Big Dogs" at PUPI, and they go off in different directions. Ian gives everyone a vacation so he can take care of some family business. Alone.
Ben goes to Philadelphia to work on a private security contract at a small museum. Ben turns out to be much smarter than Ian. He invites Bonnie Torres, one of the PUPs, to come to Philly. Whatever Ben's original motives might have been (and yes, they were exactly what Bonnie is hoping they were) when a dead body turns up, the PUPIs start an investigation. The victim wasn't Talented, but Talent seems to have been used to kill him.
While Ben and the team are working in Philly, Ian is in New York City dealing with problems of his own, and they are big ones. Two of the biggest; money and family. It takes a lot of capital to start up and investigative service like the PUPIs, and it requires a lot of specialized equipment. Expensive. The Cosa has some very unsavory characters in it, including loan sharks. Bloodthirsty ones who demand actual blood.
And then there are the long-standing problems that Ian has had with his sister Aden, problems that go way beyond sibling rivalry. Aden believes that only the Cosa Council should have the power to police and punish Council members who commit crimes. Ian knows the system is broken, that's why he started the PUPIs in the first place. Ian believes in that old principle from Spider-Man, "with great power comes great responsibility."
Aden thinks the Council is capable is watching over its members, and that no one else is fit to judge them, because the Council members are the most powerful Talent-users. Aden has forgotten the principle that "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." She's tried blackmail, she's tried boycott, she's tried a smear campaign. Nothing has stopped her brother. She resorts to finding people with even greater power than the Council, not thinking that anyone with that much power won't stop Ian with just a warning.
If someone wants PUPI stopped so badly that they will kill for it, then something truly evil must be coming. Bonnie and Ben need even greater help to save themselves and their friends from what Bonnie's sense of kenning sees in the future. But the price of enlisting the aid of Bonnie's friend Madame, the dragon who watches over New York, is very, very high.
Sometimes the myths are true.
Escape Rating A: There is a LOT going on in this story, and it all matters. It also ties into the original Retrievers series, with cameos from not just Wren Valere, but also her partner Sergei Didier and the demon P.B. (Someone really needs to make a P.B. plushie!)
The depth of the world having already been built really tells. Things feel solid. The reader knows who Founder Ben is, what Bonnie means about needing to top up her current, or why all the PUPs need to restock on food as much as they do. Current uses real energy. The interactions between Council and Lonejack and Fatae are already well-established.
And Ian Stosser is an idiot. He built up this entire organization, and then he continues to handle too many things as if he has no backup, and no responsibilities to anyone other than himself. I know the character is that way for a reason, and I still want to reach in and shake some sense into him. Idiot.
There's also some foreshadowing that old enemies from the earlier series are building for a comeback. This is not a good thing for Bonnie or her world, however excellent for the story. But I bet things are going to get darker before they get lighter again. I can't wait for the next book.
Soon, please?
Dragon Justice is the fourth book in Laura Anne Gilman's Paranormal Scene Investigations Series, after Hard Magic, Pack of Lies, and Tricks of the Trade. She's been building this urban fantasy version of New York City and its world for quite a while, ever since the first book in her Retrievers series, Staying Dead. And what a world it is! If you love urban fantasy I dare to to read the words "Cosa Nostradamus" without your imagination opening up into a smile of wonder. Concept and pun in one single phrase.
Dragon Justice, being the fourth book in the PSI series, builds on everything that came before. (See my review of Tricks of the Trade for details about prior events in the series)
It helps a LOT to have read the other books in the series. That's no hardship. This series, both these series, are awesome. But it makes it damn difficult to write a review as though this book stands alone.
Dragon Justice has the feeling of a middle book in the story arc. Each individual book in the Paranormal Scene Investigations Series uses a police-procedural-type framework -- the PUPIs are investigators, after all. So there is a crime that needs to be investigated. But that's not the biggest part of this particular story.
The big things are the forces moving in the background. Ian Stosser and Ben Venec are the two "Big Dogs" at PUPI, and they go off in different directions. Ian gives everyone a vacation so he can take care of some family business. Alone.
Ben goes to Philadelphia to work on a private security contract at a small museum. Ben turns out to be much smarter than Ian. He invites Bonnie Torres, one of the PUPs, to come to Philly. Whatever Ben's original motives might have been (and yes, they were exactly what Bonnie is hoping they were) when a dead body turns up, the PUPIs start an investigation. The victim wasn't Talented, but Talent seems to have been used to kill him.
While Ben and the team are working in Philly, Ian is in New York City dealing with problems of his own, and they are big ones. Two of the biggest; money and family. It takes a lot of capital to start up and investigative service like the PUPIs, and it requires a lot of specialized equipment. Expensive. The Cosa has some very unsavory characters in it, including loan sharks. Bloodthirsty ones who demand actual blood.
And then there are the long-standing problems that Ian has had with his sister Aden, problems that go way beyond sibling rivalry. Aden believes that only the Cosa Council should have the power to police and punish Council members who commit crimes. Ian knows the system is broken, that's why he started the PUPIs in the first place. Ian believes in that old principle from Spider-Man, "with great power comes great responsibility."
Aden thinks the Council is capable is watching over its members, and that no one else is fit to judge them, because the Council members are the most powerful Talent-users. Aden has forgotten the principle that "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." She's tried blackmail, she's tried boycott, she's tried a smear campaign. Nothing has stopped her brother. She resorts to finding people with even greater power than the Council, not thinking that anyone with that much power won't stop Ian with just a warning.
If someone wants PUPI stopped so badly that they will kill for it, then something truly evil must be coming. Bonnie and Ben need even greater help to save themselves and their friends from what Bonnie's sense of kenning sees in the future. But the price of enlisting the aid of Bonnie's friend Madame, the dragon who watches over New York, is very, very high.
Sometimes the myths are true.
Escape Rating A: There is a LOT going on in this story, and it all matters. It also ties into the original Retrievers series, with cameos from not just Wren Valere, but also her partner Sergei Didier and the demon P.B. (Someone really needs to make a P.B. plushie!)
The depth of the world having already been built really tells. Things feel solid. The reader knows who Founder Ben is, what Bonnie means about needing to top up her current, or why all the PUPs need to restock on food as much as they do. Current uses real energy. The interactions between Council and Lonejack and Fatae are already well-established.
And Ian Stosser is an idiot. He built up this entire organization, and then he continues to handle too many things as if he has no backup, and no responsibilities to anyone other than himself. I know the character is that way for a reason, and I still want to reach in and shake some sense into him. Idiot.
There's also some foreshadowing that old enemies from the earlier series are building for a comeback. This is not a good thing for Bonnie or her world, however excellent for the story. But I bet things are going to get darker before they get lighter again. I can't wait for the next book.
Soon, please?
July 30, 2012
Favorite Lines: "Someone who came down looking for a romantic wooing--or at least some hot and heavy sexing--might have felt cheated at being cooped up in a dank subbasement listening to two guys bicker as they worked. I was, god help me, enchanted." (p. 130, e-galley)
Warning: This book is part of Laura Anne Gilman's Paranormal Scene Investigations' series. Do not try to read it as a stand alone. Another thing: I don't keep up with Gilman's Retriever series, but its heroine popped up quite a bit in Dragon Justice. As did mentions of some major uprising that the Retriever prevented.
Each book in Gilman's PSI series has built upon the previous book. From a company being built and friendships made to murders being solved, the series has increasingly gotten better. I wasn't impressed with the first book. It was so-so, but not a must have book for me. By the time I turned the final page of Dragon Justice I actually liked one of the narrators.
Bonita Torres has grown in the two years she has worked for PUPI. She no longer jumps in bed with any man or woman who catches her fancy, but she's not willing to open herself completely to the merge which connects her to one of her bosses, a man named Benjamin Venec. Their relationship is on the cusp of changing, but is waiting for them to both accept and allow the change.
Out of the four books in the series, Dragon Justice is the least focused on paranormal forensic techniques. That doesn't mean there aren't any, but the emphasis is placed on characters and their interactions. It's plot driven which is why I enjoyed it.
I've got to tell you Dragon Justice doesn't feel like the final book in the series. It has a conclusion, but there are many places Gilman can still take the characters. Major things happen in the book (some of which I'm not convinced is permanent). However, there's a sentence which summarizes my feelings of the book as a whole.
"Fire in the sky, the deep, burning chasm of emotion, the hunger and anger...and the sense of something still waiting."--p. 322
Hard to decipher? That's on purpose. I won't give the plot away! I simply felt like I was waiting for something major to happen the entire length of the book. That slight feeling of "bad to come" never paid off and I'm going to feel cheated if another book isn't published to address that notion. Although according to Gilman's website which was updated May 2012, I might just be left unsatisfied. She has only been contracted to publish four books in the PSI series.
Scooper Speaks
Warning: This book is part of Laura Anne Gilman's Paranormal Scene Investigations' series. Do not try to read it as a stand alone. Another thing: I don't keep up with Gilman's Retriever series, but its heroine popped up quite a bit in Dragon Justice. As did mentions of some major uprising that the Retriever prevented.
Each book in Gilman's PSI series has built upon the previous book. From a company being built and friendships made to murders being solved, the series has increasingly gotten better. I wasn't impressed with the first book. It was so-so, but not a must have book for me. By the time I turned the final page of Dragon Justice I actually liked one of the narrators.
Bonita Torres has grown in the two years she has worked for PUPI. She no longer jumps in bed with any man or woman who catches her fancy, but she's not willing to open herself completely to the merge which connects her to one of her bosses, a man named Benjamin Venec. Their relationship is on the cusp of changing, but is waiting for them to both accept and allow the change.
Out of the four books in the series, Dragon Justice is the least focused on paranormal forensic techniques. That doesn't mean there aren't any, but the emphasis is placed on characters and their interactions. It's plot driven which is why I enjoyed it.
I've got to tell you Dragon Justice doesn't feel like the final book in the series. It has a conclusion, but there are many places Gilman can still take the characters. Major things happen in the book (some of which I'm not convinced is permanent). However, there's a sentence which summarizes my feelings of the book as a whole.
"Fire in the sky, the deep, burning chasm of emotion, the hunger and anger...and the sense of something still waiting."--p. 322
Hard to decipher? That's on purpose. I won't give the plot away! I simply felt like I was waiting for something major to happen the entire length of the book. That slight feeling of "bad to come" never paid off and I'm going to feel cheated if another book isn't published to address that notion. Although according to Gilman's website which was updated May 2012, I might just be left unsatisfied. She has only been contracted to publish four books in the PSI series.
Scooper Speaks
July 26, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
allthingsuf.com
DRAGON JUSTICE is a book that belongs to many genres while simultaneously playing with the boundaries and conventions of all of them. Urban fantasy, but with a strong procedural flavor. Book four in a series, but with events that affect both the standalone mystery of DRAGON JUSTICE and the greater world in which the PUPs operate. A well structured, standalone mystery, but with“clues” commingled with background noise and longer arc story lines. The common thread between all these elements is Gilman’s seemingly endless creativity.
As much admiration as I have for Gilman’s world building and narrative style, I can’t emphasize enough how her characters always manage to sneak into my heart. Just as The Retrievers series seduced me with Wren, P.B., and Sergei, so too have Bonnie and the PUPs managed to charm me. Gilman doesn’t write easy, two dimensional relationships, which often means it takes longer for me to get a handle on group dynamics and get attached. The flip side of this coin, however, is that her characters have a core of realism that holds up well to scrutiny. While I was interested in Bonnie in HARD MAGIC, it was not until PACK OF LIES that I was ready to give up my attachment to Wren and invest myself in this new series. DRAGON JUSTICE is the peak of my love for Bonnie and her PUPs, to the point where I hope this isn’t our last chance to read along with their adventures. Though the narrative thread became a little frayed in the last few chapters (with a few events being explained in hindsight and some rather flat resolutions), to be honest, even these shortcomings lend support to the realistic feel of the book. Life is not always neat, even when it has a happy ending.
I’ve always hoped for more crossover between Bonnie and Wren, and DRAGON JUSTICE delivers in spades. Having Wren’s series end is less sad knowing that she’s still ghosting through the background of Bonnie’s books, and I hope DRAGON JUSTICE isn’t my last opportunity to check in with the Cosa Nostradamus. Whether with Wren, Bonnie, or any one of the well written supporting characters, I look forward to any opportunity to revisit Gilman’s world.
Sexual Content: References to sex and a scene of sensuality.
allthingsuf.com
DRAGON JUSTICE is a book that belongs to many genres while simultaneously playing with the boundaries and conventions of all of them. Urban fantasy, but with a strong procedural flavor. Book four in a series, but with events that affect both the standalone mystery of DRAGON JUSTICE and the greater world in which the PUPs operate. A well structured, standalone mystery, but with“clues” commingled with background noise and longer arc story lines. The common thread between all these elements is Gilman’s seemingly endless creativity.
As much admiration as I have for Gilman’s world building and narrative style, I can’t emphasize enough how her characters always manage to sneak into my heart. Just as The Retrievers series seduced me with Wren, P.B., and Sergei, so too have Bonnie and the PUPs managed to charm me. Gilman doesn’t write easy, two dimensional relationships, which often means it takes longer for me to get a handle on group dynamics and get attached. The flip side of this coin, however, is that her characters have a core of realism that holds up well to scrutiny. While I was interested in Bonnie in HARD MAGIC, it was not until PACK OF LIES that I was ready to give up my attachment to Wren and invest myself in this new series. DRAGON JUSTICE is the peak of my love for Bonnie and her PUPs, to the point where I hope this isn’t our last chance to read along with their adventures. Though the narrative thread became a little frayed in the last few chapters (with a few events being explained in hindsight and some rather flat resolutions), to be honest, even these shortcomings lend support to the realistic feel of the book. Life is not always neat, even when it has a happy ending.
I’ve always hoped for more crossover between Bonnie and Wren, and DRAGON JUSTICE delivers in spades. Having Wren’s series end is less sad knowing that she’s still ghosting through the background of Bonnie’s books, and I hope DRAGON JUSTICE isn’t my last opportunity to check in with the Cosa Nostradamus. Whether with Wren, Bonnie, or any one of the well written supporting characters, I look forward to any opportunity to revisit Gilman’s world.
Sexual Content: References to sex and a scene of sensuality.
July 20, 2020
When I started to re-read the "Paranormal Scene Investigations (PUPI)" books I did so with low expectations because my re-read of Gilman's "Retriever"-series - of which these books are a spin-off - had been a disappointment, mainly because of slow pacing and an overblown cast of characters that somehow were not that irritating when I read the series for the first time.
What I've always liked about Gilman's work are the characters and I guess that is why the spin-off turned out to be a very satisfying re-read. Because where the "Retriever" books centered on the big-bad and an epic show down that had to be build up to over six books, the spin-off operates on a much smaller scope and leaves the characters room to breath and develop.
The PUPI-books focus on a small group of people who investigate crimes inside the magical community. It's set in the same world as the "Retriever" series and shares a timeline (with book #4 picking up after the last "Retriever" novel and ending both series) but isn't part of the former's great story arc, therefore featuring a story that's much easier to get into, mainly because it's about a few people that you really get to know and care about. Each of the four novels has a mystery that gets solved at the end and while there is a background story arc that spans all four books it stays in the background and only adds tension without taking away from the main character, Bonita Torres. We see her evolve as an investigator and as a person, including a nicely unusual romance that, again, never distracts from the main story.
Laura Anne Gilman's "Paranormal Scene Investigations" are good paranormal mysteries with great world building and interesting characters. There is some overlap with the first series including characters that appear in both and "Dragon Justice" not only works as the finale for the PUPI story but also ties up some loose ends from the "Retriever" books.
What I've always liked about Gilman's work are the characters and I guess that is why the spin-off turned out to be a very satisfying re-read. Because where the "Retriever" books centered on the big-bad and an epic show down that had to be build up to over six books, the spin-off operates on a much smaller scope and leaves the characters room to breath and develop.
The PUPI-books focus on a small group of people who investigate crimes inside the magical community. It's set in the same world as the "Retriever" series and shares a timeline (with book #4 picking up after the last "Retriever" novel and ending both series) but isn't part of the former's great story arc, therefore featuring a story that's much easier to get into, mainly because it's about a few people that you really get to know and care about. Each of the four novels has a mystery that gets solved at the end and while there is a background story arc that spans all four books it stays in the background and only adds tension without taking away from the main character, Bonita Torres. We see her evolve as an investigator and as a person, including a nicely unusual romance that, again, never distracts from the main story.
Laura Anne Gilman's "Paranormal Scene Investigations" are good paranormal mysteries with great world building and interesting characters. There is some overlap with the first series including characters that appear in both and "Dragon Justice" not only works as the finale for the PUPI story but also ties up some loose ends from the "Retriever" books.
July 26, 2016
I wish I could give this more stars, because most of the book was just as enjoyable as the last three, but the book - and series - ending was a hatchet job.
It's like the author got bored and decided to move on - which is fine, but there are so many better ways to do so.
It's like the author got bored and decided to move on - which is fine, but there are so many better ways to do so.
February 22, 2016
Another excellent installment in the Paranormal Scene Investigators series. I like that Benjamin Venec and Bonnie Torres are taking it slow regardless of The Merge. It's great to see the romance bloom and their slow acceptance of it.
I love the way they tackle investigations and the mind pings. Several things aren't new but handled in a totally new way which makes everything more exciting. It was a bit sad at the end when a prominent character dies.
I love the way they tackle investigations and the mind pings. Several things aren't new but handled in a totally new way which makes everything more exciting. It was a bit sad at the end when a prominent character dies.
September 3, 2012
And the story keeps getting better and better. Laura Anne Gilman is one hell of a great story teller.
April 2, 2025
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is book 4 in the Paranormal Scene Investigations series. I did not read the first three prior to reading this one and felt it could be read as a stand-alone. There were references to prior events, but they were explained and not relevant to this story.
The story was primarily from the perspective of Bonnie, one of the ‘pups’. I felt that she was too frequently above the situation and a little sarcastic about it. In addition, there were times she withheld information from others that I thought did not make sense. For example, she knew her friend, Wren, was trying to break into the museum but she did not tell Ben, who was in charge of security for the museum.
The investigative group had two partners who were often referred to as ‘big dogs’. The employees were usually referred to as ‘pups’. I thought this was overdone.
I did like the ensemble cast. The characters were interesting.
I thought the story line was a little confusing and disjointed. I was not sure how the coven in Central Park related to the overall story line. It was an example of an important concept and brought in a character but still it did not feel well connected. I was not sure of the reasoning behind what happened to Ian – that probably could have been a book in itself, but was limited to a few passages. It also did not relate back to the main story. The side story about Wren stealing the painting was never really explained. The bargain that Bonnie made with Madame was mentioned in one sentence and I did not fully understand it. Perhaps some of this was in earlier books, and it did not seem so when I read it.
I do not plan to continue reading this author. I feel she has a lot of potential, creative ideas, and the ability to create interesting characters. But I think she needs to write an outline and stick to it.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is book 4 in the Paranormal Scene Investigations series. I did not read the first three prior to reading this one and felt it could be read as a stand-alone. There were references to prior events, but they were explained and not relevant to this story.
The story was primarily from the perspective of Bonnie, one of the ‘pups’. I felt that she was too frequently above the situation and a little sarcastic about it. In addition, there were times she withheld information from others that I thought did not make sense. For example, she knew her friend, Wren, was trying to break into the museum but she did not tell Ben, who was in charge of security for the museum.
The investigative group had two partners who were often referred to as ‘big dogs’. The employees were usually referred to as ‘pups’. I thought this was overdone.
I did like the ensemble cast. The characters were interesting.
I thought the story line was a little confusing and disjointed. I was not sure how the coven in Central Park related to the overall story line. It was an example of an important concept and brought in a character but still it did not feel well connected. I was not sure of the reasoning behind what happened to Ian – that probably could have been a book in itself, but was limited to a few passages. It also did not relate back to the main story. The side story about Wren stealing the painting was never really explained. The bargain that Bonnie made with Madame was mentioned in one sentence and I did not fully understand it. Perhaps some of this was in earlier books, and it did not seem so when I read it.
I do not plan to continue reading this author. I feel she has a lot of potential, creative ideas, and the ability to create interesting characters. But I think she needs to write an outline and stick to it.
August 5, 2012
I've been a fan of Laura Anne Gilman's writing for many years. Her Retrievers series was some of the first urban fantasy I fell in love with and so I was quite excited to see a spinoff series emerge from it. DRAGON JUSTICE is the fourth book in this spinoff series and it stars one of the side characters from the Retrievers books: Bonnie Torres. I've liked Bonnie since the moment she set foot on the page in the Retrievers books and I'm so glad that Laura Anne Gilman decided to build a series around her team: Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations, a.k.a. PUPI. Yeah, that's right, Bonnie and her colleagues are PUPIs ("puppies") and the jokes are endless. =) I read somewhere that the author hadn't intended PUPIs to be a spinoff until she was asked to write another Cosa Nostradamus series, which is why the series was re-branded as "Paranormal Scene Investigations." While I personally wouldn't have minded a series called PUPI, I can see why the folks at Harlequin would encourage a different series title, to grab some new readers for such a great author.
Readers who are familiar with the Cosa Nostradamus will settle into DRAGON JUSTICE with ease. If you are new to the series, I'd suggest checking out this helpful Cosa Nostradamus Q&A from the author's website. In any case, here's a little refresher: In this world, there are two types of people: Talent, who can use Current (magic that works a lot like electricity) and Nulls (who can't use Current and/or don't know about it or the Cosa Nostradamus, a.k.a. the magical community). Talent have a mentoring tradition and are divided into two main groups: those who are Council and those who are lonejacks. Bonnie is considered Council because her mentor was Council but most of the rest of the team are from the lonejack camp. There are also fatae, (non-human) supernatural creatures who live among us. PUPI was established to be a CSI team for the Cosa, using Current spells or cantrips to forensically examine crime scenes. To say they weren't exactly popular when they started is an understatement. But by the start of DRAGON JUSTICE, the PUPI team has been together for a couple years and they're more accepted in the Cosa community. They're led by their founders or Big Dogs, Ian Stosser and Ben Venec, and there are four other original team members besides Bonnie: Sharon, Nifty, Nick, and Pietr. Bonnie and Venec have something called the Merge going on, which basically means their Current is extremely compatible and, according to lore, they're supposed to be soulmates. But they've maintained a mostly professional relationship up until now. There's obviously a lot more to it but that's the basic scenario, in case you try to jump into the PSI novels without going back to the start. (I strongly recommend going back to HARD MAGIC, though, because it's fun to watch the series build, and it makes some of the references a lot clearer, though you'll still be able to follow along because Laura Anne Gilman provides enough information for everything to make sense.)
And now that I've gotten all that out of the way, here's what I thought of DRAGON JUSTICE:
Wow. Just wow. This book was so good that I read it in a single sitting, much to my regret the next day at work when I was operating on too little sleep.
DRAGON JUSTICE is a game changer. All good series have one book that really changes the landscape and I think this is it for the PSI novels. In previous novels, Bonnie's kenning (she gets vibes about the future) had been hinting at major events and I think this book is what they've been foreshadowing. There are some major changes for Bonnie and Venec and also for the team as a whole. Plus we get some quality Wren time, which I love. I've missed her a lot and have enjoyed the glimpses we've gotten of Wren and PB in previous novels but she's actually got a bit of page time in DRAGON JUSTICE and I couldn't be happier. I fell for the Cosa world when I met Wren and her Null partner Sergei and it was a real treat to have them back.
While I can't say exactly what these changes are because I want you to experience the book unspoiled, I will say that this is probably my favourite Cosa book so far. I loved how the book really focused on Bonnie and Venec, how the move to Philadelphia changed the PUPI's operations, and how the stakes were higher than they've ever been. We finally get to see Bonnie and Venec really deal with the Merge, in a situation where they're not in grave danger, and it's about time! I've been waiting for the conversation to happen without an immediate threat hanging over them and it's everything I could have wished for. And moving the story to Philadelphia, since Bonnie goes down to visit Venec when he's doing a side job, was really clever. It put the characters out of their element and forced them to deal with a new group of people, some more helpful than others. And if that's not enough, Laura Anne Gilman has also done a fantastic job of incorporating the various threads that have appeared in previous novels, like Stosser's relationship with his sister Aden, and pulled them more closely together. She's even thrown in a few scenes where I was left slack-jawed because I couldn't believe that (a) the author had done that and (b) just how she did it. You'll know the moments when you read them, believe me. And this is what really makes a novel shine for me. I love it when unexpected things happen, particularly when they're done so deftly. (If you want to talk details, hit me up on Twitter!)
DRAGON JUSTICE is another wonderful instalment in the Paranormal Scene Investigations series. There's romance, there's action, and there are some major did-she-really-just-do-that moments, which means I loved it. Laura Anne Gilman always delivers a true reading experience and DRAGON JUSTICE is top notch.
http://www.tyngasreviews.com
http://ireadgood.wordpress.com
Readers who are familiar with the Cosa Nostradamus will settle into DRAGON JUSTICE with ease. If you are new to the series, I'd suggest checking out this helpful Cosa Nostradamus Q&A from the author's website. In any case, here's a little refresher: In this world, there are two types of people: Talent, who can use Current (magic that works a lot like electricity) and Nulls (who can't use Current and/or don't know about it or the Cosa Nostradamus, a.k.a. the magical community). Talent have a mentoring tradition and are divided into two main groups: those who are Council and those who are lonejacks. Bonnie is considered Council because her mentor was Council but most of the rest of the team are from the lonejack camp. There are also fatae, (non-human) supernatural creatures who live among us. PUPI was established to be a CSI team for the Cosa, using Current spells or cantrips to forensically examine crime scenes. To say they weren't exactly popular when they started is an understatement. But by the start of DRAGON JUSTICE, the PUPI team has been together for a couple years and they're more accepted in the Cosa community. They're led by their founders or Big Dogs, Ian Stosser and Ben Venec, and there are four other original team members besides Bonnie: Sharon, Nifty, Nick, and Pietr. Bonnie and Venec have something called the Merge going on, which basically means their Current is extremely compatible and, according to lore, they're supposed to be soulmates. But they've maintained a mostly professional relationship up until now. There's obviously a lot more to it but that's the basic scenario, in case you try to jump into the PSI novels without going back to the start. (I strongly recommend going back to HARD MAGIC, though, because it's fun to watch the series build, and it makes some of the references a lot clearer, though you'll still be able to follow along because Laura Anne Gilman provides enough information for everything to make sense.)
And now that I've gotten all that out of the way, here's what I thought of DRAGON JUSTICE:
Wow. Just wow. This book was so good that I read it in a single sitting, much to my regret the next day at work when I was operating on too little sleep.
DRAGON JUSTICE is a game changer. All good series have one book that really changes the landscape and I think this is it for the PSI novels. In previous novels, Bonnie's kenning (she gets vibes about the future) had been hinting at major events and I think this book is what they've been foreshadowing. There are some major changes for Bonnie and Venec and also for the team as a whole. Plus we get some quality Wren time, which I love. I've missed her a lot and have enjoyed the glimpses we've gotten of Wren and PB in previous novels but she's actually got a bit of page time in DRAGON JUSTICE and I couldn't be happier. I fell for the Cosa world when I met Wren and her Null partner Sergei and it was a real treat to have them back.
While I can't say exactly what these changes are because I want you to experience the book unspoiled, I will say that this is probably my favourite Cosa book so far. I loved how the book really focused on Bonnie and Venec, how the move to Philadelphia changed the PUPI's operations, and how the stakes were higher than they've ever been. We finally get to see Bonnie and Venec really deal with the Merge, in a situation where they're not in grave danger, and it's about time! I've been waiting for the conversation to happen without an immediate threat hanging over them and it's everything I could have wished for. And moving the story to Philadelphia, since Bonnie goes down to visit Venec when he's doing a side job, was really clever. It put the characters out of their element and forced them to deal with a new group of people, some more helpful than others. And if that's not enough, Laura Anne Gilman has also done a fantastic job of incorporating the various threads that have appeared in previous novels, like Stosser's relationship with his sister Aden, and pulled them more closely together. She's even thrown in a few scenes where I was left slack-jawed because I couldn't believe that (a) the author had done that and (b) just how she did it. You'll know the moments when you read them, believe me. And this is what really makes a novel shine for me. I love it when unexpected things happen, particularly when they're done so deftly. (If you want to talk details, hit me up on Twitter!)
DRAGON JUSTICE is another wonderful instalment in the Paranormal Scene Investigations series. There's romance, there's action, and there are some major did-she-really-just-do-that moments, which means I loved it. Laura Anne Gilman always delivers a true reading experience and DRAGON JUSTICE is top notch.
http://www.tyngasreviews.com
http://ireadgood.wordpress.com
July 15, 2012
ORIGINAL POST WITH GIVEAWAY:
DRAGON JUSTICE Edgy entry in Laura Anne Gilman's PSI Series on FANGS, WANDS AND FAIRY DUST.
DRAGON JUSTICE
Laura Anne Gilman
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Luna; Original edition (July 24, 2012)
Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Luna; Original edition (August 1, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
In my time with PUPI, formally known as Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations, I've seen a lot. Learned a lot. And not all of it's been good. But what we do—make people accountable for crimes committed with magic—is important work.Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I've just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I'll finally figure out what's going on with the "special bond" between me and the boss man, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he's invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we're called in to look at a dead body.
And that's when life gets really complicated….
Dragon Justice at Amazon
First I must disclose that I am a total fangirl for this series. So unless Laura makes Bonnie kill kittens and puppies I will want to read any thing that comes out. There are a few series I feel this way about.
The premise of the series is really original: Besides determining some properties of electricity, Ben Franklin defined magical energy and principles. Magic is kind of ignored by "mundanes," but it is really well understood. It's is something you are born with. There are other species as well—the fatae.
Laura Anne Gilman's PSI series is always smart fiction: fun and sexy with complex plots and relationships. Add in the magic and you get her main character, Bonnie from whose point of view the series is told. She's young, trained in her talent, developing her strength and experience and she's bisexual. While Laura has made her bi, and hinted at some dates, she hasn't really put any relationships with other women in the books, at least not the steamy stuff. I asked her why and being a very nice person she responded:
Mainly, because it was never relevant to the plot. I could have hooked
her up with Sharon as easily as Pietr, but Pietr's personality was better suited to what she needed/where it would go. Truthfully, she flirts with far more people than she ever has sex with (as shown in the first book, when we're getting to know her).
Bonnie's not highly sexed - the physical aspects are enjoyable, but her
job comes first, and she isn't about to get into a relationship that's
going to harm that (as shown even with Venec). And she has a tendency to be a serial monogamist, so once partnered, even casually...
Venec is Bonnie's superior at the agency. He started it with another guy, Ian Stosser. Venec and Bonnie have a magic ordained connection that's constantly pulling them together. It's inevitable, but the tension involved is delicious.
The tools the PUPI use to solve crimes would make any police detective happy, if they were admissable in court! In DRAGON JUSTICE, the crimes are pretty heinous. The whole PUPI group has to stretch itself to solve this crime in a new way. There's also a tragedy in the PUPI office that necessitates everyone stepping up. Laura adds in a new aspect of Bonnie's talent in pre-cognitive dreaming.
I find Laura's work to have more depth than at first read. It's exciting, so I find myself consuming the book way too fast and then being sad when I am done. It's not edgy writing; she doesn't mess with form. But she doesn't pull her punches. She can write some pretty gory scenes, and some really sexy scenes too.But, like Laura Anne says Bonnie is more of a flirter.
I still don't feel as if I know Venec as well. I feels he's dark in some ways (security/military-type past), knows himself, he's quiet and doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. He. Is. In. Control. But is that him or is it generic hero? He reminds me a bit of Adam, Mercy's husband in Pat Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series.
Bonnie is a well-developed character, and she quite self-aware. She's confident in assessing her own emotions and experience and isn't often pushed into doing something she doesn't want to do. Bonnie doesn't want to train trainees, become a member of management or mentor another magical talent. Being so much herself and enjoying her youth, makes giving up some control to the current running between her and Venec difficult. She wants to be connected to her lovers but not committed, yet. Two people in control having to give some of it up is pretty volatile. I think once they are together there won't be other lovers for either of them.
When I look at a new entry in a series, I am also evaluating the series. For me, this a must read series. The writing is great, the premise is original and Bonnie is such a modern-girl. This is a spin-off of Laura's Retrievers series so the landscape Laura creates is really well-developed and has great continuity. There's darkness, but there's snarky humor: funny species, and exciting situations. I don't think this stands alone outside the series, although you could probably miss a volume and still get this one. But why would you want to? I think once you start this series you'll be as hooked as I am.
If you like smart urban fantasy: Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Stacia Kane this is a MUST READ. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thriller with paranormal elements.
DRAGON JUSTICE Edgy entry in Laura Anne Gilman's PSI Series on FANGS, WANDS AND FAIRY DUST.
DRAGON JUSTICE
Laura Anne Gilman
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Luna; Original edition (July 24, 2012)
Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Luna; Original edition (August 1, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
In my time with PUPI, formally known as Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations, I've seen a lot. Learned a lot. And not all of it's been good. But what we do—make people accountable for crimes committed with magic—is important work.Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I've just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I'll finally figure out what's going on with the "special bond" between me and the boss man, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he's invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we're called in to look at a dead body.
And that's when life gets really complicated….
Dragon Justice at Amazon
First I must disclose that I am a total fangirl for this series. So unless Laura makes Bonnie kill kittens and puppies I will want to read any thing that comes out. There are a few series I feel this way about.
The premise of the series is really original: Besides determining some properties of electricity, Ben Franklin defined magical energy and principles. Magic is kind of ignored by "mundanes," but it is really well understood. It's is something you are born with. There are other species as well—the fatae.
Laura Anne Gilman's PSI series is always smart fiction: fun and sexy with complex plots and relationships. Add in the magic and you get her main character, Bonnie from whose point of view the series is told. She's young, trained in her talent, developing her strength and experience and she's bisexual. While Laura has made her bi, and hinted at some dates, she hasn't really put any relationships with other women in the books, at least not the steamy stuff. I asked her why and being a very nice person she responded:
Mainly, because it was never relevant to the plot. I could have hooked
her up with Sharon as easily as Pietr, but Pietr's personality was better suited to what she needed/where it would go. Truthfully, she flirts with far more people than she ever has sex with (as shown in the first book, when we're getting to know her).
Bonnie's not highly sexed - the physical aspects are enjoyable, but her
job comes first, and she isn't about to get into a relationship that's
going to harm that (as shown even with Venec). And she has a tendency to be a serial monogamist, so once partnered, even casually...
Venec is Bonnie's superior at the agency. He started it with another guy, Ian Stosser. Venec and Bonnie have a magic ordained connection that's constantly pulling them together. It's inevitable, but the tension involved is delicious.
The tools the PUPI use to solve crimes would make any police detective happy, if they were admissable in court! In DRAGON JUSTICE, the crimes are pretty heinous. The whole PUPI group has to stretch itself to solve this crime in a new way. There's also a tragedy in the PUPI office that necessitates everyone stepping up. Laura adds in a new aspect of Bonnie's talent in pre-cognitive dreaming.
I find Laura's work to have more depth than at first read. It's exciting, so I find myself consuming the book way too fast and then being sad when I am done. It's not edgy writing; she doesn't mess with form. But she doesn't pull her punches. She can write some pretty gory scenes, and some really sexy scenes too.But, like Laura Anne says Bonnie is more of a flirter.
I still don't feel as if I know Venec as well. I feels he's dark in some ways (security/military-type past), knows himself, he's quiet and doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. He. Is. In. Control. But is that him or is it generic hero? He reminds me a bit of Adam, Mercy's husband in Pat Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series.
Bonnie is a well-developed character, and she quite self-aware. She's confident in assessing her own emotions and experience and isn't often pushed into doing something she doesn't want to do. Bonnie doesn't want to train trainees, become a member of management or mentor another magical talent. Being so much herself and enjoying her youth, makes giving up some control to the current running between her and Venec difficult. She wants to be connected to her lovers but not committed, yet. Two people in control having to give some of it up is pretty volatile. I think once they are together there won't be other lovers for either of them.
When I look at a new entry in a series, I am also evaluating the series. For me, this a must read series. The writing is great, the premise is original and Bonnie is such a modern-girl. This is a spin-off of Laura's Retrievers series so the landscape Laura creates is really well-developed and has great continuity. There's darkness, but there's snarky humor: funny species, and exciting situations. I don't think this stands alone outside the series, although you could probably miss a volume and still get this one. But why would you want to? I think once you start this series you'll be as hooked as I am.
If you like smart urban fantasy: Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Stacia Kane this is a MUST READ. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thriller with paranormal elements.
October 18, 2021
I really loved this series, but I definitely feel like this volume was rushed and was missing a whole lot of content. The spoiler turn was so oddly handled and lacking in detail that I found myself wondering if it would turn out to be some sort of illusion. I guess it matches up with some other series now, but I'm sorry it had to be rushed when the series was canceled.
June 1, 2017
I really wanted to like this series more than I actually did. There was so much potential but every book just came up flat for me.
June 14, 2017
I am starting to think you have to read the retriever series and this series at the same time to understand it. I did like it though
June 14, 2018
UST resolved, nice to see Bonnie and Ben take things easy and grow into their mind-link or whatever.
Some scenes came out of left field (Ian).
Some scenes came out of left field (Ian).
April 20, 2020
An emotional ride in places and a worthy addition to the series.
dnf
December 27, 2020DNF COVID
September 23, 2022
Good closure to an excellent series.
October 28, 2023
Have enjoyed reading this series a second time. Hope you will be able to find time to continue it. Thank you
July 4, 2024
Fantastic finish to the series!
Read
October 1, 2012Setting: PUPI offices, Manhattan; Torres, Venec, and Wren Valere’s homes; museum, hotel, and warehouse in Philadelphia
Theme: the Merge (syncing of 2 souls), power, seeking power, death, teamwork
Characters:
Bonnie Torres – after of year of PUPI, Bonnie (and the rest) have grown in how they use their powers, and in the success of the organization. Bonnie and Ben are settling into the Merge, not fighting it, but not fully immersing themselves, ie sex or exclusive sex. Story told from her point of view.
Ian Stosser – boss… vision of PUPI. He has a strange relationship with Aden – they love one another, but she will stop at nothing to stop him (believing that the council should make all decisions, not some independent investigation unit).
Benjamin Venec – the heart of PUPI – with things doing well, he takes a few days to take a personal job in line with what he used to do… also not fighting the Merge, unhappy when she is with other lovers but tolerant. Competitiveness comes out when the museum alarm system is breached 3 times (stopped theif 1st 2 times, but she succeeded the 3rd).
Wren Valere – Bonnie’s friend (used to live in same apartment building, and loves Bonnie’s lasagna). She is a thief of the highest caliber – managed by her boyfriend and helped by her demon friend. She has never not fulfilled a job, and is very competitive.
Aden Stosser – Ian’s sister… contracts with sorcerers (who are not friend of the current users) to box in her brother… when they kill him instead, she kills them in retaliation.
Nick, Nifty, Pietr, Sharon – the core PUPI staff, each with growing control and use of their skills. They pull together when solving crime.
Summary:
4 story lines –
1st - fatae (fairy) hires PUPI (for favor to be given in the future) to find an almost 7 year old girl kidnapped from her home. Bonnie finds her in Central Park – where someone (to be revealed in a new book?) is gathering 7, 14, & 21 year olds (mostly 14 year olds) non-Talent to form a coven, to pull their power (as in the old days of magic, before the bridge). She fairly easily gets the little one back, and also gets a 21 year old, untutored, Talented seer – who sees the death of Ian and Wren.
2nd – Ian’s death – looks like accident, but Bonnie knows his sister is the cause, and confronts her. PUPI is lost without him… but will carry on.
3rd – in Philadelphia (when Ben is on a personal museum job, enhancing the electrical current to act as an alarm – his personal ability), Ben and Bonnie are approached by a police detective to look at the 2nd body they found, both were men, Talent, who had been restrained and cut with a sharp knife, scraping the layers below the skin, while still alive. They determine that 10 years ago, in San Diego , the same thing happened to 10 men, and 10 years earlier probably happened in Canada. By pooling their investigative skills, both magical and human, and joining with Nick grounding, Nifty coaching, Sharon truth evaluating, the seer pulling in power from a storm, and Bonnie scrying, the locate the warehouse where the Talents are being killed. With Ben’s help, they set the trap. And mentor and mentoree are working together to try and see and harvest additional Talent from others… and when the mentoree becomes mentor (taking his own mentor’s power) 10 years later, the cycle continues…. Until PUPI stop them.
4th – Ben and Bonnie – both are finding home in the other’s mind and body… while solving the case, they fall into be together, wrapped together, but only sleeping together… until a night of petting, then an night of sex, finally. Ian had borrowed money from a dragon to start the business… so Bonnie, with Ben, go to an ancient Dragon and friend (because the Dragon was Bonnie’s mentor’s friend) to ask for a loan to pay off the other dragon… and they promise their first born to be a mentoree to the Dragon. hmmmm
Memorable scenes:
After they have condom sex, Bonnie tells her ovaries and the Merge, not yet – on their time scale, not the universes.
Bonnie staying out of it when she realizes that Ben and Wren are pitting themselves against each other at the museum… Wren comes out on top, but Ben keeps it quiet, as it was the museum who hired them both, and the museum wanted only one picture taken, so he forces their silence on it.
The peace Bonnie and Ben find is quick mind touches.
Theme: the Merge (syncing of 2 souls), power, seeking power, death, teamwork
Characters:
Bonnie Torres – after of year of PUPI, Bonnie (and the rest) have grown in how they use their powers, and in the success of the organization. Bonnie and Ben are settling into the Merge, not fighting it, but not fully immersing themselves, ie sex or exclusive sex. Story told from her point of view.
Ian Stosser – boss… vision of PUPI. He has a strange relationship with Aden – they love one another, but she will stop at nothing to stop him (believing that the council should make all decisions, not some independent investigation unit).
Benjamin Venec – the heart of PUPI – with things doing well, he takes a few days to take a personal job in line with what he used to do… also not fighting the Merge, unhappy when she is with other lovers but tolerant. Competitiveness comes out when the museum alarm system is breached 3 times (stopped theif 1st 2 times, but she succeeded the 3rd).
Wren Valere – Bonnie’s friend (used to live in same apartment building, and loves Bonnie’s lasagna). She is a thief of the highest caliber – managed by her boyfriend and helped by her demon friend. She has never not fulfilled a job, and is very competitive.
Aden Stosser – Ian’s sister… contracts with sorcerers (who are not friend of the current users) to box in her brother… when they kill him instead, she kills them in retaliation.
Nick, Nifty, Pietr, Sharon – the core PUPI staff, each with growing control and use of their skills. They pull together when solving crime.
Summary:
4 story lines –
1st - fatae (fairy) hires PUPI (for favor to be given in the future) to find an almost 7 year old girl kidnapped from her home. Bonnie finds her in Central Park – where someone (to be revealed in a new book?) is gathering 7, 14, & 21 year olds (mostly 14 year olds) non-Talent to form a coven, to pull their power (as in the old days of magic, before the bridge). She fairly easily gets the little one back, and also gets a 21 year old, untutored, Talented seer – who sees the death of Ian and Wren.
2nd – Ian’s death – looks like accident, but Bonnie knows his sister is the cause, and confronts her. PUPI is lost without him… but will carry on.
3rd – in Philadelphia (when Ben is on a personal museum job, enhancing the electrical current to act as an alarm – his personal ability), Ben and Bonnie are approached by a police detective to look at the 2nd body they found, both were men, Talent, who had been restrained and cut with a sharp knife, scraping the layers below the skin, while still alive. They determine that 10 years ago, in San Diego , the same thing happened to 10 men, and 10 years earlier probably happened in Canada. By pooling their investigative skills, both magical and human, and joining with Nick grounding, Nifty coaching, Sharon truth evaluating, the seer pulling in power from a storm, and Bonnie scrying, the locate the warehouse where the Talents are being killed. With Ben’s help, they set the trap. And mentor and mentoree are working together to try and see and harvest additional Talent from others… and when the mentoree becomes mentor (taking his own mentor’s power) 10 years later, the cycle continues…. Until PUPI stop them.
4th – Ben and Bonnie – both are finding home in the other’s mind and body… while solving the case, they fall into be together, wrapped together, but only sleeping together… until a night of petting, then an night of sex, finally. Ian had borrowed money from a dragon to start the business… so Bonnie, with Ben, go to an ancient Dragon and friend (because the Dragon was Bonnie’s mentor’s friend) to ask for a loan to pay off the other dragon… and they promise their first born to be a mentoree to the Dragon. hmmmm
Memorable scenes:
After they have condom sex, Bonnie tells her ovaries and the Merge, not yet – on their time scale, not the universes.
Bonnie staying out of it when she realizes that Ben and Wren are pitting themselves against each other at the museum… Wren comes out on top, but Ben keeps it quiet, as it was the museum who hired them both, and the museum wanted only one picture taken, so he forces their silence on it.
The peace Bonnie and Ben find is quick mind touches.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2012
Categories: Romance - Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Review*
"Dragon Justice. It was cold, took in equal measure, and once the terms were set, there were no further strings."
Dragon Justice is the fourth novel and supposedly final book in the Paranormal Scene Investigators. If this is in fact the last book of the series, and from what I've heard it's true, it's such a shame.
Our main protagonist is 24-year old Bonita "Bonnie" Torres who is known affectionately as a PUPI. (Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigators). PUPI's use magic to fight magic and to find evidence that cops can't. They are supposed to be a neutral force that is incorruptible. Call this series the magical equivalent of CSI. Over the course of four books, Bonnie has been shot at, verbally abused, nailed with a PSI bomb, and physically threatened. None of that has stopped Bonnie from being a perfectionist in everything she does, including her dwindling love life which includes both men and women.
The other characters (PUPI's) are Nick, Nifty, Pietr, and Sharon. Ian Stosser and Benjamin Venec are the bosses, or big dogs as they are affectionately called. Venec and Bonnie have been doing a 2 step dance ever since the so called "Merge" tied them together emotionally, and physically.
Dragon Justice begins with a surprise visit from the Fey asking the PUPI's and Bonnie especially for help in locating a missing 7 year old girl. It leads to a surprise revelation that someone is collecting non talented girls aka Nulls, for their very own cult. The reason behind this really isn't all that clear except for perhaps the Talent want's to use them to enhance her powers?
Ben and Bonnie end up in Philadelphia where Wren Valere shows up as well. It is a showdown between Ben and Wren to see who is the best. It also appears that a serial killer has arrived in the city and is targeting Talents (Magical users). The Talent killer has been on a rampage for 30 years and it's up to Bonnie and crew to find him and put a stop to him before the bodies continue to pile up.
The third part of this story is an untested Storm-Seer named Ellen who "sees" the deaths of two major characters; one just happens to be Wren Valere. I actually liked the fact that we saw more of Wren in this book as LAG seems to be tying up loose ends from both series. We also see Sergei, PB and Danny as well.
The last part of this story is Ian Stosser's sister Aden on the war path against her brother and her actions once again cause a character to die. I've never liked Aden and wished that someone would have stopped her in her tracks. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen now.
The one continuation from the previous book is the Merge between Ben and Bonnie and how they continue to dance around each other when everyone else knows they are eventually going to hook up and sparks are going to fly. Well, if sparks flew when they got together, nobody told me! *Er, what I mean was that the story wasn't exactly graphic in the detail of their sexual escapades. It was left to the readers imagination to determine if what Bonnie and Ben have is viable and long lasting.
My main complaint, and I am truly hoping this is fixed before this book releases in 3 short weeks, is that you really had to pay attention to see who was speaking and when. There are several different POV's including Bonnie, Ian, and Ben. There are no breaks between Chapters, or page breaks between who is speaking. It's often times confusing and that's why this story won't be getting my 5 star seal of awesomeness.
*ARC recvd 05/27/2012 via Netgalley.com from Harlequin. Expected publication: July 24th 2012 by Luna
*Rating* 4.0
*Review*
"Dragon Justice. It was cold, took in equal measure, and once the terms were set, there were no further strings."
Dragon Justice is the fourth novel and supposedly final book in the Paranormal Scene Investigators. If this is in fact the last book of the series, and from what I've heard it's true, it's such a shame.
Our main protagonist is 24-year old Bonita "Bonnie" Torres who is known affectionately as a PUPI. (Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigators). PUPI's use magic to fight magic and to find evidence that cops can't. They are supposed to be a neutral force that is incorruptible. Call this series the magical equivalent of CSI. Over the course of four books, Bonnie has been shot at, verbally abused, nailed with a PSI bomb, and physically threatened. None of that has stopped Bonnie from being a perfectionist in everything she does, including her dwindling love life which includes both men and women.
The other characters (PUPI's) are Nick, Nifty, Pietr, and Sharon. Ian Stosser and Benjamin Venec are the bosses, or big dogs as they are affectionately called. Venec and Bonnie have been doing a 2 step dance ever since the so called "Merge" tied them together emotionally, and physically.
Dragon Justice begins with a surprise visit from the Fey asking the PUPI's and Bonnie especially for help in locating a missing 7 year old girl. It leads to a surprise revelation that someone is collecting non talented girls aka Nulls, for their very own cult. The reason behind this really isn't all that clear except for perhaps the Talent want's to use them to enhance her powers?
Ben and Bonnie end up in Philadelphia where Wren Valere shows up as well. It is a showdown between Ben and Wren to see who is the best. It also appears that a serial killer has arrived in the city and is targeting Talents (Magical users). The Talent killer has been on a rampage for 30 years and it's up to Bonnie and crew to find him and put a stop to him before the bodies continue to pile up.
The third part of this story is an untested Storm-Seer named Ellen who "sees" the deaths of two major characters; one just happens to be Wren Valere. I actually liked the fact that we saw more of Wren in this book as LAG seems to be tying up loose ends from both series. We also see Sergei, PB and Danny as well.
The last part of this story is Ian Stosser's sister Aden on the war path against her brother and her actions once again cause a character to die. I've never liked Aden and wished that someone would have stopped her in her tracks. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen now.
The one continuation from the previous book is the Merge between Ben and Bonnie and how they continue to dance around each other when everyone else knows they are eventually going to hook up and sparks are going to fly. Well, if sparks flew when they got together, nobody told me! *Er, what I mean was that the story wasn't exactly graphic in the detail of their sexual escapades. It was left to the readers imagination to determine if what Bonnie and Ben have is viable and long lasting.
My main complaint, and I am truly hoping this is fixed before this book releases in 3 short weeks, is that you really had to pay attention to see who was speaking and when. There are several different POV's including Bonnie, Ian, and Ben. There are no breaks between Chapters, or page breaks between who is speaking. It's often times confusing and that's why this story won't be getting my 5 star seal of awesomeness.
*ARC recvd 05/27/2012 via Netgalley.com from Harlequin. Expected publication: July 24th 2012 by Luna
July 9, 2012
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
It's been two years since Bonnie and the rest of the crew were hired to form the PUPI investigative team. There's been plenty of ups and downs, but the work is important. Never before has anyone had the capability to bring down those responsible for magical crimes, making them incredibly valuable. The team runs itself ragged trying to keep up with the caseload, but none more than Bonnie. She's been ordered to take a much needed vacation, and when Ben invites her down to Philly, she jumps at the chance. They've been dancing around each other and the magical bone that ties them since the very start and it's about time for them to get things settled. But nothing goes according to plan as shortly after her arrival, Bonnie and Ben get dragged into a murder case. And it's a bad one. Suddenly figuring out their relationship no longer seems like such a priority.
This book was a little too all over the place for my tastes, in both the perspectives and the lack of plot focus due to the many different things going on at once. Granted, it was all pretty much tied together by the end, but until that point I was left frustrated as I tried to keep everything straight in my mind. I think I would have enjoyed Dragon Justice if a little more information had been given earlier on, or even if a few of the many directions had been cut out. Less can definitely be more. My constant confusion was only compounded by the constant perspective changes. There was no warning nor indication of the change other than the switch from first person to third each time we left Bonnie's head. Granted, I did read an e-arc copy, so perhaps those perspective changes will be formatted a little better in the final print version. But even so, I can't really say that those rotations added enough to the story to compensate for the way I kept getting startled out of the book due to the abrupt changes back and forth.
After all the insane build up between Bonnie and Ben over the past few installments I was happy to see them finally start making roads to accept the bond between them. I understand that they are both incredibly stubborn people, but at some point even the most stubborn have to cave, especially when there is a magical bond involved. As much as I would have like to have seen them be head over heels for each other now that they have given in, I realize that wouldn't fit them at all. They seem to have found a balance between their work lives and personal ones, making the switch in personalities/status at the drop of a hat. It is that balance that gives me hope for them in the long run as anything less wouldn't have worked.
Despite the jumbled plot threads that threatened to overwhelm me, Dragon Justice was a pretty decent book. From what I understand, this was the last contracted book in the series. However, while it did not have a cliffhanger ending, it also didn't read like it was finishing the series, so I'm curious to see whether there will be more books in the future. I know I would like to see more of Bonnie and the rest of the PUPI team.
It's been two years since Bonnie and the rest of the crew were hired to form the PUPI investigative team. There's been plenty of ups and downs, but the work is important. Never before has anyone had the capability to bring down those responsible for magical crimes, making them incredibly valuable. The team runs itself ragged trying to keep up with the caseload, but none more than Bonnie. She's been ordered to take a much needed vacation, and when Ben invites her down to Philly, she jumps at the chance. They've been dancing around each other and the magical bone that ties them since the very start and it's about time for them to get things settled. But nothing goes according to plan as shortly after her arrival, Bonnie and Ben get dragged into a murder case. And it's a bad one. Suddenly figuring out their relationship no longer seems like such a priority.
This book was a little too all over the place for my tastes, in both the perspectives and the lack of plot focus due to the many different things going on at once. Granted, it was all pretty much tied together by the end, but until that point I was left frustrated as I tried to keep everything straight in my mind. I think I would have enjoyed Dragon Justice if a little more information had been given earlier on, or even if a few of the many directions had been cut out. Less can definitely be more. My constant confusion was only compounded by the constant perspective changes. There was no warning nor indication of the change other than the switch from first person to third each time we left Bonnie's head. Granted, I did read an e-arc copy, so perhaps those perspective changes will be formatted a little better in the final print version. But even so, I can't really say that those rotations added enough to the story to compensate for the way I kept getting startled out of the book due to the abrupt changes back and forth.
After all the insane build up between Bonnie and Ben over the past few installments I was happy to see them finally start making roads to accept the bond between them. I understand that they are both incredibly stubborn people, but at some point even the most stubborn have to cave, especially when there is a magical bond involved. As much as I would have like to have seen them be head over heels for each other now that they have given in, I realize that wouldn't fit them at all. They seem to have found a balance between their work lives and personal ones, making the switch in personalities/status at the drop of a hat. It is that balance that gives me hope for them in the long run as anything less wouldn't have worked.
Despite the jumbled plot threads that threatened to overwhelm me, Dragon Justice was a pretty decent book. From what I understand, this was the last contracted book in the series. However, while it did not have a cliffhanger ending, it also didn't read like it was finishing the series, so I'm curious to see whether there will be more books in the future. I know I would like to see more of Bonnie and the rest of the PUPI team.
August 29, 2015
I want to give 3 ½ stars, but can't since the system won't let me.
Once again, Laura Anne Gilman meanly and selfishly ends a series. What's with this? Look at all the series that go on forever, until you want to run screaming because you don't have book 6, and now the author just put out book 22.
But not Ms. Gilman, no, she cuts you off at the pass, every time.
This series is slightly related to The Retrievers, which she cruelly ended at book 6, I think. There are hints that there might be another. There are overlapping characters, but the Retrievers always seemed darker, and more serious than this one, which is the Paranormal Scene Investigators. Boy, was I wrong. She really let's you have it in this one. SHE CASUALLY KILLS SOMEONE MAJOR!!!!! No fair, this was supposed to be light-hearted!
The characters belong to PUPI (Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations). Now see, with a cute name like puppies, it has to be light-hearted. Not. I don't think I'm giving away the book to say that FINALLY Ben and Bonnie get together, but it is so low-key, you might miss it. Not hot and heavy, another surprise.
The plot involves a person or thing (I won't tell you, even in a spoiler) running around vivisecting "talents" who are the human magic types. There are also fatae, who are magic, but don't use it, like dragons, trolls, piskies, etc.
This series requires that you read it in order, too much will be missed if you start with book 4. The author's world building is complex, and without reading it in order, you will become lost.
Although I liked this book, it is 3 ½ stars because about 2/3rds of the way through, the plot lines got tangled and confusing. Too many subplots, and then everything wrapped up too fast.
I was kind of confused at the end. Do not go into this book thinking it's a light, fluffy paranormal romancy thing, as the first 3 would have you believe. Nope, POW, she goes after everyone.
Once again, Laura Anne Gilman meanly and selfishly ends a series. What's with this? Look at all the series that go on forever, until you want to run screaming because you don't have book 6, and now the author just put out book 22.
But not Ms. Gilman, no, she cuts you off at the pass, every time.
This series is slightly related to The Retrievers, which she cruelly ended at book 6, I think. There are hints that there might be another. There are overlapping characters, but the Retrievers always seemed darker, and more serious than this one, which is the Paranormal Scene Investigators. Boy, was I wrong. She really let's you have it in this one. SHE CASUALLY KILLS SOMEONE MAJOR!!!!! No fair, this was supposed to be light-hearted!
The characters belong to PUPI (Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations). Now see, with a cute name like puppies, it has to be light-hearted. Not. I don't think I'm giving away the book to say that FINALLY Ben and Bonnie get together, but it is so low-key, you might miss it. Not hot and heavy, another surprise.
The plot involves a person or thing (I won't tell you, even in a spoiler) running around vivisecting "talents" who are the human magic types. There are also fatae, who are magic, but don't use it, like dragons, trolls, piskies, etc.
This series requires that you read it in order, too much will be missed if you start with book 4. The author's world building is complex, and without reading it in order, you will become lost.
Although I liked this book, it is 3 ½ stars because about 2/3rds of the way through, the plot lines got tangled and confusing. Too many subplots, and then everything wrapped up too fast.
I was kind of confused at the end. Do not go into this book thinking it's a light, fluffy paranormal romancy thing, as the first 3 would have you believe. Nope, POW, she goes after everyone.
November 16, 2012
Urban Fantasy Meets Forensic Investigations
Gilman created an amazing world in her Retrievers series, then made fans like me thrilled with a spin-off series. The story takes place in NYC and parallels our everyday world. What most of us Nulls don't know is that there is magic in the world. But rather than just stick to secret magic people in a non-believing world, Gilman added science. What her characters can do mimic many of the elements of electricity - they get a boost from generators and lightning storms, among other things. And in the spin-off series, a cast of characters attempt to do something completely new to this magic world: they create a form of magical forensics to solve magical crimes. This group is called PUPI, or Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations.
The series follows Bonita "Bonnie" Torres, introduced in the Retriever series, as a young woman who couldn't find her "fit" in her post-academic world. Then she's called to join PUPI and combine her particular strengths and gifts to the organization. It's difficult work, but rewarding. They manage to solve the crimes, with the occasional threat to their own well-beings, and in the process they make both allies and enemies. The story delves into the politics of this world, the relationships between the PUPI investigators, as well as the science of the crimes. Gilman's world-building is both detailed and engaging - it drags the reader in and makes them itchy for the next book!
In the fourth installment in this series, Bonnie is due for a break, and just because she leaves for one, doesn't mean she's going to get it. This story takes us through the regular series' haunts, like The Wren's appartment, the PUPI headquarters, and an intriguing story in Central Park, but then it takes a detour to Philadelphia. Here Bonnie finds herself figuring some things out with her relationship to one of the Big Dogs, Ben, with whom she has a unique relationship, and she also gets thrown into a new mystery. Both of these things end up changing things for Bonnie and the Pups; some of these changes involve growing closer together and creating new bonds, while others lead to loss and heartache.
I highly recommend this series to any urban fantasy fan, or anyone who appreciates solid world-building or forensic mysteries. I would recommend starting with the Retriever series, though - you'll understand Bonnie's world much better that way, and the forensic elements will make more sense with the foundation of the original series behind it.
Gilman created an amazing world in her Retrievers series, then made fans like me thrilled with a spin-off series. The story takes place in NYC and parallels our everyday world. What most of us Nulls don't know is that there is magic in the world. But rather than just stick to secret magic people in a non-believing world, Gilman added science. What her characters can do mimic many of the elements of electricity - they get a boost from generators and lightning storms, among other things. And in the spin-off series, a cast of characters attempt to do something completely new to this magic world: they create a form of magical forensics to solve magical crimes. This group is called PUPI, or Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations.
The series follows Bonita "Bonnie" Torres, introduced in the Retriever series, as a young woman who couldn't find her "fit" in her post-academic world. Then she's called to join PUPI and combine her particular strengths and gifts to the organization. It's difficult work, but rewarding. They manage to solve the crimes, with the occasional threat to their own well-beings, and in the process they make both allies and enemies. The story delves into the politics of this world, the relationships between the PUPI investigators, as well as the science of the crimes. Gilman's world-building is both detailed and engaging - it drags the reader in and makes them itchy for the next book!
In the fourth installment in this series, Bonnie is due for a break, and just because she leaves for one, doesn't mean she's going to get it. This story takes us through the regular series' haunts, like The Wren's appartment, the PUPI headquarters, and an intriguing story in Central Park, but then it takes a detour to Philadelphia. Here Bonnie finds herself figuring some things out with her relationship to one of the Big Dogs, Ben, with whom she has a unique relationship, and she also gets thrown into a new mystery. Both of these things end up changing things for Bonnie and the Pups; some of these changes involve growing closer together and creating new bonds, while others lead to loss and heartache.
I highly recommend this series to any urban fantasy fan, or anyone who appreciates solid world-building or forensic mysteries. I would recommend starting with the Retriever series, though - you'll understand Bonnie's world much better that way, and the forensic elements will make more sense with the foundation of the original series behind it.
June 9, 2012
WE KNEW THE JOB WAS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN WE TOOK IT...
In my time with PUPI, formally known as Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations, I’ve seen a lot. Learned a lot. And not all of it’s been good. But what we do—make people accountable for crimes committed with magic—is important work.
Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I’ve just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I’ll finally figure out what’s going on with the “special bond” between me and the bossman, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he’s invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we’re called in to look at a dead body.
And that’s when life gets really complicated....
* * * * *
I love Bonita 'Bonnie' Torres. She doesn't have a lot of diplomacy but that means that you know exactly where you stand with her. She straddles the line between being Council and being a lonejack as well as being a pup. She is also a perfectionist and will do almost anything to get the job done.
DRAGON JUSTICE is what I can brain candy. It is the perfect book to curl up with and let the storytelling carry you away. It is well written and there is nothing, well except for the need to sleep, that pulls you away from the world Ms.Gilman has created.
The characters, most of who you meet in earlier books, are well developed. I was very happy to see that Bonnie and Ben are finally starting to pay attention to the huge white elephant that's in the room with them and discovering that it does have its good sides. We are also given more glimpses of what causes the other Pups to tick. Some of them would be very mentors when the time comes.
The case that comes up when Bonnie tries to take a vacation is deeper and darker then the PUPI norm yet watching the pack work together is a true joy. And it keeps the readers on their toes as they discover more information.
DRAGON JUSTICE is a great addition to the Paranormal Scene Investigation series and I can hardly wait to see what the next book holds. I recommend this book to any readers who enjoy urban fantasy.
I rate this book a 3.75.
*** I did receive this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. No money exchanged hands and all opinions are my own.
In my time with PUPI, formally known as Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations, I’ve seen a lot. Learned a lot. And not all of it’s been good. But what we do—make people accountable for crimes committed with magic—is important work.
Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I’ve just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I’ll finally figure out what’s going on with the “special bond” between me and the bossman, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he’s invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we’re called in to look at a dead body.
And that’s when life gets really complicated....
* * * * *
I love Bonita 'Bonnie' Torres. She doesn't have a lot of diplomacy but that means that you know exactly where you stand with her. She straddles the line between being Council and being a lonejack as well as being a pup. She is also a perfectionist and will do almost anything to get the job done.
DRAGON JUSTICE is what I can brain candy. It is the perfect book to curl up with and let the storytelling carry you away. It is well written and there is nothing, well except for the need to sleep, that pulls you away from the world Ms.Gilman has created.
The characters, most of who you meet in earlier books, are well developed. I was very happy to see that Bonnie and Ben are finally starting to pay attention to the huge white elephant that's in the room with them and discovering that it does have its good sides. We are also given more glimpses of what causes the other Pups to tick. Some of them would be very mentors when the time comes.
The case that comes up when Bonnie tries to take a vacation is deeper and darker then the PUPI norm yet watching the pack work together is a true joy. And it keeps the readers on their toes as they discover more information.
DRAGON JUSTICE is a great addition to the Paranormal Scene Investigation series and I can hardly wait to see what the next book holds. I recommend this book to any readers who enjoy urban fantasy.
I rate this book a 3.75.
*** I did receive this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. No money exchanged hands and all opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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