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Agent of Hel #2
Autumn Bones
New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey returns to the curious Midwest tourist community where normal and paranormal worlds co-exist—however tenuously—under the watchful eye of a female hellspawn…...
Fathered by an incubus, raised by a mortal mother, and liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, Daisy Johanssen pulled the community together after a summer tragedy befell the resort town she calls home. Things are back to normal—as normal as it gets for a town famous for its supernatural tourism, and presided over by the reclusive Norse goddess Hel.
Not only has Daisy now gained respect as Hel’s enforcer, she’s dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice, seemingly normal human guy. Not too shabby for the daughter of a demon. Unfortunately, Sinclair has a secret. And it’s a big one.
He’s descended from Obeah sorcerers and they want him back. If he doesn’t return to Jamaica to take up his rightful role in the family, they’ll unleash spirit magic that could have dire consequences for the town. It’s Daisy’s job to stop it, and she’s going to need a lot of help. But time is running out, the dead are growing restless, and one mistake could cost Daisy everything…...
Fathered by an incubus, raised by a mortal mother, and liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, Daisy Johanssen pulled the community together after a summer tragedy befell the resort town she calls home. Things are back to normal—as normal as it gets for a town famous for its supernatural tourism, and presided over by the reclusive Norse goddess Hel.
Not only has Daisy now gained respect as Hel’s enforcer, she’s dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice, seemingly normal human guy. Not too shabby for the daughter of a demon. Unfortunately, Sinclair has a secret. And it’s a big one.
He’s descended from Obeah sorcerers and they want him back. If he doesn’t return to Jamaica to take up his rightful role in the family, they’ll unleash spirit magic that could have dire consequences for the town. It’s Daisy’s job to stop it, and she’s going to need a lot of help. But time is running out, the dead are growing restless, and one mistake could cost Daisy everything…...
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
138 people are currently reading
2400 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Carey
65 books8,453 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.
She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.
Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.
Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.
She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.
Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.
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March 25, 2020
🔫 The MacHalos Put a Water Laser Gun to My Lovely Little Head and Forced Me to Reread this Book I'm Innocent And Stuff Buddy Read (TMPaWLGtMLLHaFMtRtBIIaSBR™) 🔫
Previous rating: 4 stars.
New rating: 3.325645469 stars. Give or take 0.235569 stars ortwo 0.5785545.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: well all that relationshipcrap stuff was bloody shrimping boring. But hey, at least there's a satyr in rut in this book. And a deliciously foulmouthed, obnoxious little shit joe-pye weed fairy. So it's not ALL bad and stuff. I guess.
A vacuumed dog is indeed me.
[February 2016]
My name is Sarah and I just gave 4 stars to a book with a Love Quadrangle of Death, Doom, Destruction, and Immediate Extinction of All Life on Earth (LQDDDIEALE™).
Scary, I now.
I wanted to trick you into thinking that it wasn't really me writing this review right now. That my account had been hacked by my evil twin. The plan was to tell you that if my evil twin hadn't taken over, I would have stamped on this book, shot it and then killed it with fire for good measure, instead of giving it 4 freaking stars. But then I thought: let's be crazy! Let's be rash! Let's be brutally honest! My reputation was ruined years ago anyway, might as well tell the awful truth and admit that I loved a book full of romantic crap and relationship drama.
Since you now all know about my disgusting mushiness and my nefarious reputation has been shattered to pieces, I shall cut the crap and get right down to business.
① Barely there plot.
Yes it's, true, the main plot is virtually non-existent. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail. Yes, it's true, the main plot is far from original. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail. Yes, it's true, the resolution of the virtually non-existent, unoriginal plot is pretty uninspired and well, virtually-non existent. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail. Yes, it's true there are too many sub-plots that add little to the story. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail.
② The Love Quadrangle of Death, Doom, Destruction, and Immediate Extinction of All Life on Earth.
Okay, the fact that I didn't HATE this particular LQDDDIEALE™, doesn't mean I LOVED it, either. Okay, so I didn't dislike it entirely *bows head in shame* Okay, so I actually kind of enjoyed it when Cody-the-aggravating-werewolf-I-want-to-punch-so-much-I'd-consider-having-his-babies was around *begs her Cold-Hearted Gods for forgiveness* Okay, so I might actually have LOVED it if the other two love-interests-that-I-will-not-name-because-I-can't-stand-them had not been total bores/pathetic hot dude wannabes/total bores/trying too hard to be sexy/total bores *finally understands that there is no redemption for the likes of her* YES, PEOPLE, THERE WAS A FREAKING LOVE QUADRANGLE IN THIS BOOK AND I FREAKING LOVED IT.
③ Relationship drama galore.
I'm no specialist, but I assume this goes hand in hand with any self-respecting LoveTriangle Quadrangle. And man, the romantic drama crap in this story really is something. This is where I remind you to look at my rating again, just in case you you'd forgotten I hadn't given this book 2 stars. Yes, Daisy-my-girl-with-the-tail is confused as hell. No, Daisy-my-girl-with-the-tail has no freaking idea who what she's freaking doing. And I LOVE her. She's complex, she's conflicted. And I LOVE her. I might not be a half Hell-spawn (then again, who knows? That might explain quite a few things) and I might not have a tail (I'm afraid you'll have to take my word for it), but I get Daisy, I really do. It's actually been a long time since I last felt such a strong connection with a character. So HA to you. Wait. I'm supposed to be talking about the cons here, not the pros, right? Oh well.
Hey, would you look at that?! It's not as bad as I thought! Only three cons! No wonder I gave this book 4 stars! What do you mean con #2 alone is worth 10 cons? Sigh. I don't have a chance with you people, do I? Here I am, trying to justify the fact that Iloved liked a book packed with romantic bullshit against my better judgement, and here you are, ruining all my desperate efforts. Damn.
① Daisy, my girl with the tail.
Oh please, don't tell me you didn't see this one coming! You might be a bunch of barnacles, but you can't be THAT clueless! Apparently you are, which means you obviously need a Daisy Refresher Course (don't bother complaining now, you brought this all on yourself).
✔ Daisy is the coolest half Hell-spawn to ever roam this multiverse. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy is awesome. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy is complex. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy struggles with her demonic emotions. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy has no freaking clue what she's doing with her love life. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy might one day unleash Armageddon. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy kicks ass. And she has a tail.
✔ I love Daisy. And she has a tail.
Oh, did I mention that Daisy had a tail? I did? Oh well. If you survived reading my review for Dark Currents (and therefore have the medal to prove it), you should remember that the description of the tail I don't obsess over is fairly inexistent in the first instalment of this series. But not in this one! YAY! We knew the tail I don't obsess over twitches and swishes whenever Daisy felt anxious/nervous/excited/whatever. We knew she sometimes (and very –hum- conveniently) tucks it between her legs to get it out of the way. But now we also know what it looks like! Daisy herself apologizes for not telling the reader sooner, actually. Yeah, she is THAT cool. But anyway. Daisy's tail kind of looks like this:
Oh will you freaks stop ewwwwing, yuccckkkking and freaking out for a minute! The tail I don't obsess over isn't creepy at all, like you all seem to be thinking right now! The tail I don't obsess over super cool! The tail I don't obsess over is super hot! Especially when a certain someone strokes it and tweaks it and scratches it and…but I digress. Hey, if you're interested I can keep digressing about Daisy's tail for hours here. No? Are you sure? Really really sure? Fine. Your loss.
② Pemkowet is still the coolest zoo on the planet.
Yep. This unassuming, small resort town boasts the mostest awesomest supernatural creature population in the known universe. I could list them all here, but you're tail-bored already and I wouldn't want to push my luck. Well, you could always go and reread my review for book 1 (in its entirety) to get a reminder of what cool creatures live in Pemkowet *ducks for cover* No? Sigh. Okay, I'll just tell you about the two mostest awesomest newest additions to the cast then.
» Jojo, the bitchy, mouthy lovelorn fairy. Poor Jojo has the hots for one of Daisy'snumerous boyfriends. And she's not Daisy's biggest fan. And she can get delightfully creative when it comes to insulting her: Daisy is in turn a “Foul, sluttish hoyden,” a “Hell-spawned, urchin-snouted doxy,” a “Mewling, milk-livered strumpet,” a “ruttish, whey-faced scullion,” a “stupid reeking slattern,” a “you beetle-brained churl” and I'm going to stop right there because you're already on the brink of homicide. So. Jojo? Coolest Shakesperean insult generator ever.
» Nico, the horny satyr in rut: until now, the coolest satyr I'd encountered was the one in Cursed Moon. Well let me tell you, he was a complete joke compared to Horny Nico here. Especially in the massive orgy department, HAHAHAHAHA! Coolest scene ever! And I particularly enjoyed Lurine the lamia's very creative way of getting Horny Nico out of the room, HAHAHAHAHA! Oh no, I'm not telling you anything else about it. You'll have to read the book to find out. But let me tell you, this alone justifies a 4-star rating, HAHAHAHAHA!
And that's it. Yep. There are a lot more mostest awesomest creatures in the book but you don't want me to tell you about them, so I won't.
So let's see, what do we have here? Three cons that count as thirteen and two pros. And a 4-star rating. Now that's my kind of logic. The kind of logic that makes me love books I should hate. The kind of logic that has the pros beat the crap out of the cons. Which takes us to the moral of this review: never underestimate the minority. The minority will kick your ass EVERY SINGLE TIME.
· Book 1: Dark Currents ★★★★
· Book 3: Poison Fruit ★★★
Previous rating: 4 stars.
New rating: 3.325645469 stars. Give or take 0.235569 stars or
➽ And the moral of this reread is: well all that relationship
A vacuumed dog is indeed me.
[February 2016]
My name is Sarah and I just gave 4 stars to a book with a Love Quadrangle of Death, Doom, Destruction, and Immediate Extinction of All Life on Earth (LQDDDIEALE™).
Scary, I now.
I wanted to trick you into thinking that it wasn't really me writing this review right now. That my account had been hacked by my evil twin. The plan was to tell you that if my evil twin hadn't taken over, I would have stamped on this book, shot it and then killed it with fire for good measure, instead of giving it 4 freaking stars. But then I thought: let's be crazy! Let's be rash! Let's be brutally honest! My reputation was ruined years ago anyway, might as well tell the awful truth and admit that I loved a book full of romantic crap and relationship drama.
Since you now all know about my disgusting mushiness and my nefarious reputation has been shattered to pieces, I shall cut the crap and get right down to business.
① Barely there plot.
Yes it's, true, the main plot is virtually non-existent. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail. Yes, it's true, the main plot is far from original. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail. Yes, it's true, the resolution of the virtually non-existent, unoriginal plot is pretty uninspired and well, virtually-non existent. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail. Yes, it's true there are too many sub-plots that add little to the story. But I don't care, because I've got Daisy, my girl with the tail.
② The Love Quadrangle of Death, Doom, Destruction, and Immediate Extinction of All Life on Earth.
Okay, the fact that I didn't HATE this particular LQDDDIEALE™, doesn't mean I LOVED it, either. Okay, so I didn't dislike it entirely *bows head in shame* Okay, so I actually kind of enjoyed it when Cody-the-aggravating-werewolf-I-want-to-punch-so-much-I'd-consider-having-his-babies was around *begs her Cold-Hearted Gods for forgiveness* Okay, so I might actually have LOVED it if the other two love-interests-that-I-will-not-name-because-I-can't-stand-them had not been total bores/pathetic hot dude wannabes/total bores/trying too hard to be sexy/total bores *finally understands that there is no redemption for the likes of her* YES, PEOPLE, THERE WAS A FREAKING LOVE QUADRANGLE IN THIS BOOK AND I FREAKING LOVED IT.
③ Relationship drama galore.
I'm no specialist, but I assume this goes hand in hand with any self-respecting Love
Hey, would you look at that?! It's not as bad as I thought! Only three cons! No wonder I gave this book 4 stars! What do you mean con #2 alone is worth 10 cons? Sigh. I don't have a chance with you people, do I? Here I am, trying to justify the fact that I
① Daisy, my girl with the tail.
Oh please, don't tell me you didn't see this one coming! You might be a bunch of barnacles, but you can't be THAT clueless! Apparently you are, which means you obviously need a Daisy Refresher Course (don't bother complaining now, you brought this all on yourself).
✔ Daisy is the coolest half Hell-spawn to ever roam this multiverse. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy is awesome. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy is complex. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy struggles with her demonic emotions. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy has no freaking clue what she's doing with her love life. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy might one day unleash Armageddon. And she has a tail.
✔ Daisy kicks ass. And she has a tail.
✔ I love Daisy. And she has a tail.
Oh, did I mention that Daisy had a tail? I did? Oh well. If you survived reading my review for Dark Currents (and therefore have the medal to prove it), you should remember that the description of the tail I don't obsess over is fairly inexistent in the first instalment of this series. But not in this one! YAY! We knew the tail I don't obsess over twitches and swishes whenever Daisy felt anxious/nervous/excited/whatever. We knew she sometimes (and very –hum- conveniently) tucks it between her legs to get it out of the way. But now we also know what it looks like! Daisy herself apologizes for not telling the reader sooner, actually. Yeah, she is THAT cool. But anyway. Daisy's tail kind of looks like this:
Oh will you freaks stop ewwwwing, yuccckkkking and freaking out for a minute! The tail I don't obsess over isn't creepy at all, like you all seem to be thinking right now! The tail I don't obsess over super cool! The tail I don't obsess over is super hot! Especially when a certain someone strokes it and tweaks it and scratches it and…but I digress. Hey, if you're interested I can keep digressing about Daisy's tail for hours here. No? Are you sure? Really really sure? Fine. Your loss.
② Pemkowet is still the coolest zoo on the planet.
Yep. This unassuming, small resort town boasts the mostest awesomest supernatural creature population in the known universe. I could list them all here, but you're tail-bored already and I wouldn't want to push my luck. Well, you could always go and reread my review for book 1 (in its entirety) to get a reminder of what cool creatures live in Pemkowet *ducks for cover* No? Sigh. Okay, I'll just tell you about the two mostest awesomest newest additions to the cast then.
» Jojo, the bitchy, mouthy lovelorn fairy. Poor Jojo has the hots for one of Daisy's
» Nico, the horny satyr in rut: until now, the coolest satyr I'd encountered was the one in Cursed Moon. Well let me tell you, he was a complete joke compared to Horny Nico here. Especially in the massive orgy department, HAHAHAHAHA! Coolest scene ever! And I particularly enjoyed Lurine the lamia's very creative way of getting Horny Nico out of the room, HAHAHAHAHA! Oh no, I'm not telling you anything else about it. You'll have to read the book to find out. But let me tell you, this alone justifies a 4-star rating, HAHAHAHAHA!
And that's it. Yep. There are a lot more mostest awesomest creatures in the book but you don't want me to tell you about them, so I won't.
So let's see, what do we have here? Three cons that count as thirteen and two pros. And a 4-star rating. Now that's my kind of logic. The kind of logic that makes me love books I should hate. The kind of logic that has the pros beat the crap out of the cons. Which takes us to the moral of this review: never underestimate the minority. The minority will kick your ass EVERY SINGLE TIME.
· Book 1: Dark Currents ★★★★
· Book 3: Poison Fruit ★★★
September 9, 2017
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
For years now, it's seemed that nine out of ten UF series must have at least one gratuitous “Voodoo” installment. I say “Voodoo” b/c it might not actually be Voodoo. It may be Hoodoo or Santeria or any number of other folk magic traditions that are necromantic in nature, for instance–Obeah. Anyway, as frequent an occurrence as this is (roughly nine out of ten), lots of people out there in the book-reading universe are obviously down with the zombies and the Voodoo.
I, sadly, am not one of those people. Zombies freak my shit out. I don’t care if they’re raised-from-the-dead zombies, or the product of some science-experiment-gone-horribly-awry zombies, I don’t. Like. Zombies.
*shudder*
So if you’re one of the multitudes who clearly does like zombies, you’ll probably like AUTUMN BONES more than I did, and that is my disclaimer.
Our second installment of the AGENT OF HEL series picks up directly where DARK CURRENTS left off, with one exception: Daisy is, and has for several weeks, been dating SINCLAIR PALMER.
Who is SINCLAIR PALMER? you may ask, and that would be an excellent question. But first, I’ll tell you who he is not:
Sinclair Palmer is not Cody the Werewolf.
Sinclair Palmer is not Stefan the Ghoul.
Sinclair Palmer is the random guy that recently relocated to Pemkowet and bought a tour bus. You may (or may not) remember him from one of Daisy’s trips to what’s-her-face-whose-responsible-for-good-publicity’s office. I guess he was there a few other times as well, specifically when he asked Daisy out at the tail-end of book 1, but who cares about that, b/c Daisy is clearly supposed to be hooking up with CODY the Werewolf or STEFAN the Ghoul.
Not Sinclair of-the-crazy-Obeah-practicing-family-members Palmer.
BUT Carey wanted a gratuitous “Voodoo” segment of AGENT OF HEL, so here we are. And that’s not just my prejudice speaking either, b/c as soon as the stage is set for “Voodoo” of a gratuitous nature, Daisy realizes, “Aw shucks, I just don’t think we’re right for each other,” and Sinclair nodding in agreement, parts amicably.
*flares nostrils*
This irks me for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is my being relieved that the whole Sinclair shenanigans was over quickly—I’m happy, and yet at the same time, so very not happy. I don’t like it; it’s confusing.
SO. Sinclair is back in the periphery (WHERE HE BELONGS) and Daisy is left trying to track down the ghost that his mom and sister let loose. And she has to find it before Samhain, or else the gate between the living and the dead will remain open FOR-EH-VER Ver ver . . . (fades out). And there we go with the dramatics again, but it’s not so funny this time b/c there are ZOMBIES involved.
*shudder*
I still maintain my previous statement that lots-o-foreshadowing predicts the up-and-coming kick-assery of Daisy, but this book did not do it for me. I mean really . . . if you have to have zombies, the least you can do is put some effort into it.
My other reviews for this series:
Dark Currents (Agent of Hel, #1)
For years now, it's seemed that nine out of ten UF series must have at least one gratuitous “Voodoo” installment. I say “Voodoo” b/c it might not actually be Voodoo. It may be Hoodoo or Santeria or any number of other folk magic traditions that are necromantic in nature, for instance–Obeah. Anyway, as frequent an occurrence as this is (roughly nine out of ten), lots of people out there in the book-reading universe are obviously down with the zombies and the Voodoo.
I, sadly, am not one of those people. Zombies freak my shit out. I don’t care if they’re raised-from-the-dead zombies, or the product of some science-experiment-gone-horribly-awry zombies, I don’t. Like. Zombies.
*shudder*
So if you’re one of the multitudes who clearly does like zombies, you’ll probably like AUTUMN BONES more than I did, and that is my disclaimer.
Our second installment of the AGENT OF HEL series picks up directly where DARK CURRENTS left off, with one exception: Daisy is, and has for several weeks, been dating SINCLAIR PALMER.
Who is SINCLAIR PALMER? you may ask, and that would be an excellent question. But first, I’ll tell you who he is not:
Sinclair Palmer is not Cody the Werewolf.
Sinclair Palmer is not Stefan the Ghoul.
Sinclair Palmer is the random guy that recently relocated to Pemkowet and bought a tour bus. You may (or may not) remember him from one of Daisy’s trips to what’s-her-face-whose-responsible-for-good-publicity’s office. I guess he was there a few other times as well, specifically when he asked Daisy out at the tail-end of book 1, but who cares about that, b/c Daisy is clearly supposed to be hooking up with CODY the Werewolf or STEFAN the Ghoul.
Not Sinclair of-the-crazy-Obeah-practicing-family-members Palmer.
BUT Carey wanted a gratuitous “Voodoo” segment of AGENT OF HEL, so here we are. And that’s not just my prejudice speaking either, b/c as soon as the stage is set for “Voodoo” of a gratuitous nature, Daisy realizes, “Aw shucks, I just don’t think we’re right for each other,” and Sinclair nodding in agreement, parts amicably.
*flares nostrils*
This irks me for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is my being relieved that the whole Sinclair shenanigans was over quickly—I’m happy, and yet at the same time, so very not happy. I don’t like it; it’s confusing.
SO. Sinclair is back in the periphery (WHERE HE BELONGS) and Daisy is left trying to track down the ghost that his mom and sister let loose. And she has to find it before Samhain, or else the gate between the living and the dead will remain open FOR-EH-VER Ver ver . . . (fades out). And there we go with the dramatics again, but it’s not so funny this time b/c there are ZOMBIES involved.
*shudder*
I still maintain my previous statement that lots-o-foreshadowing predicts the up-and-coming kick-assery of Daisy, but this book did not do it for me. I mean really . . . if you have to have zombies, the least you can do is put some effort into it.
My other reviews for this series:
Dark Currents (Agent of Hel, #1)
November 23, 2013
We read this book for my book club last month, Vaginal Fantasy. It's the sequel to "Dark Currents" the first in the series. I really loved this followup, somehow even more than the first. Daisy was a lot more compelling a character, I felt like she was proactive, competent, vulnerable when she needed to be, and really connected to the fabric of this really interesting town, where fairies and supernatural creatures are "out and about".
There were some interesting explorations with the various love interests in Daisy's life, and I have to say, as a fan of a CERTAIN character, the ending left some things in the realm of possibility that I really enjoyed. ;) Doors were closed as well that I thought NEEDED to be closed, and new characters were added to really fill out the texture and population of an already interesting world.
I will be reading along with the next one for sure! But, as this is one of my favorite authors, that's pretty predictable :) If you like Ilona Andrews or the Sookie Stackhouse books, you will really appreciate this series.
There were some interesting explorations with the various love interests in Daisy's life, and I have to say, as a fan of a CERTAIN character, the ending left some things in the realm of possibility that I really enjoyed. ;) Doors were closed as well that I thought NEEDED to be closed, and new characters were added to really fill out the texture and population of an already interesting world.
I will be reading along with the next one for sure! But, as this is one of my favorite authors, that's pretty predictable :) If you like Ilona Andrews or the Sookie Stackhouse books, you will really appreciate this series.
February 19, 2016
*** 3.66 ***
A tiny buddy read with my MacHalo Freaks!
The second book in this Urban Fantasy Trilogy turned out to be almost as much fun as the first! The demon spawn Daisy, the Wolf next door, the new vampire, the cursing pixie, the IT genius, the rutting Satir, the sexy Lamia, and the local goddess of death are only the core of characters trying to keep the law and sanity in the little town on the lake Michigan. As we well learned in the previous book, this town is a smorgasbord of human and aesoteric creatures, with a generous sprinkling of various undead and immortals and variations there of. So, keeping it balanced is something of a hassle...
The book is suffering somewhat of the middle book syndrome - it is a bit scattered, the plot is all over the place, but you can tell it is setting us up for something to come, which I am guessing will be resolved in the last book of the series. Here we mostly dealt with Daisy's personal relationships and her trying to figure out what exactly does she want and how to work that out with what she can actually have... The romantic musings of a confused half demon with an inconvenient tail...That was a big part of the book. The rest was dealing with spirits, vamps, and a cranky goddess...
Although this was not as strong as the first book, I still enjoyed the heck out of it! Daisy is very likable and this crazy town she calls home is spooky and entertaining at the same time! I am going to finish up couple of things, and then I can not wait to get my hands on the next volume!!! Just for the fun of it:-)
I hope you all have good books and happy time reading!!!
A tiny buddy read with my MacHalo Freaks!
The second book in this Urban Fantasy Trilogy turned out to be almost as much fun as the first! The demon spawn Daisy, the Wolf next door, the new vampire, the cursing pixie, the IT genius, the rutting Satir, the sexy Lamia, and the local goddess of death are only the core of characters trying to keep the law and sanity in the little town on the lake Michigan. As we well learned in the previous book, this town is a smorgasbord of human and aesoteric creatures, with a generous sprinkling of various undead and immortals and variations there of. So, keeping it balanced is something of a hassle...
The book is suffering somewhat of the middle book syndrome - it is a bit scattered, the plot is all over the place, but you can tell it is setting us up for something to come, which I am guessing will be resolved in the last book of the series. Here we mostly dealt with Daisy's personal relationships and her trying to figure out what exactly does she want and how to work that out with what she can actually have... The romantic musings of a confused half demon with an inconvenient tail...That was a big part of the book. The rest was dealing with spirits, vamps, and a cranky goddess...
Although this was not as strong as the first book, I still enjoyed the heck out of it! Daisy is very likable and this crazy town she calls home is spooky and entertaining at the same time! I am going to finish up couple of things, and then I can not wait to get my hands on the next volume!!! Just for the fun of it:-)
I hope you all have good books and happy time reading!!!
May 3, 2015
I devoured this one and the one before, and will probably be doing the same with the next one too. What can I say? They're fun, they're well written... can I have more like these please?!
Daisy is still an awesome character, I have to say I'm pretty much in love with her by now. I love that she's exploring the romance angles at a nice pace and that's there no drama in that front.
The plot was a bit weaker (it was pretty obvious who the bad guy was) but still really entertaining.
And now, to the next!
Daisy is still an awesome character, I have to say I'm pretty much in love with her by now. I love that she's exploring the romance angles at a nice pace and that's there no drama in that front.
The plot was a bit weaker (it was pretty obvious who the bad guy was) but still really entertaining.
And now, to the next!
August 13, 2020
How did I not know that I already tried to read this series before?
Yup, it's pretty bad, I still don't like it. Wouldn't recommend it.
Also, I'm hoping not to forget about this again and try to read it one more.
Yup, it's pretty bad, I still don't like it. Wouldn't recommend it.
Also, I'm hoping not to forget about this again and try to read it one more.
October 18, 2014
4 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: "Jacqueline Carey and Urban Fantasy? Yes, please!" Being a big fan of Ms. Carey's epic Kushiel Universe, it didn't take much convincing for me to dive into the first Agent of Hel novel when I found out she was working on this new UF series. And I was not disappointed; the first book called Dark Currents can stand on its own next to all of the great urban fantasy and paranormal titles I've ever read, and in many ways it even sets itself apart.
Now comes the sequel Autumn Bones, and in my opinion it is even better than the first. I loved returning to our half-demon protagonist Daisy Johanssen and revisiting her role as an agent of Hel, the Norse goddess who presides over an eldritch underworld located in the quaint Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet. As ever, Daisy is busy with her duties as the liaison between the local police department and the supernatural community, but at the moment her love life is proving even more complicated than keeping faeries, hobgoblins and vampires in line.
Thinking it would be nice to settle down into a normal relationship for once, Daisy is shocked when it turns out her new beau Sinclair Palmer is more than he seems. Descended from a long line of Obeah sorcerers, Sinclair has been keeping his past and his family a secret, but it all blows apart when his twin sister breezes into town bent on making her brother leave Pemkowet and come home to Jamaica with her. Emmeline Palmer badly wants Sinclair to take up his rightful role in their family, so badly that threatening Daisy and her beloved town is only the first step.
Apart from this main story line, there are also many other sub plots, and I like how something crazy is always happening in Daisy's life but she juggles everything from supernatural disasters to personal dramas without missing a beat. Her half-demon background and the dire consequences that would result if she ever gave in to the temptation to claim her birthright is a constant worry that hangs above her head, but this aspect of Daisy is also a point of uniqueness about her and served as a main interest for me as a reader.
Strangely enough, though, while Daisy struggles hard every day not to fall prey to any of the seven deadly sins, the one vice she does not seem too concerned about is lust! Still, the potential suitors for Daisy are all equally fascinating, sexy, well-written and fun to read about, and there's a powerful yet effective undercurrent of romance and sexual tension in this series which makes me think it would be an awesome choice for fans of paranormal romances. Even I was a bit addicted to this book, and I'm generally ambivalent towards romantic drama in my urban fantasy.
But of course, the best things about Jacqueline Carey's books are her characters and world-building. I adore Daisy, who is wonderfully flawed and all too human, despite her dodgy demonic heritage. Her personality annoys me sometimes, but I also feel her naivete, inexperience, and the fact she's prone to distraction and self-doubt only serve to emphasize her internal conflict to be a good person and stay on the right path. As well, she's surrounded by a diverse cast of friends and family, making these books not just about her, but actually the whole living, breathing eldritch community in Hel's domain and Pemkowet. Using a cozy little tourist town as a setting gives these books a whole different flavor than other series that take place in big cities, not to mention Carey has always been great at writing fantasy worlds, blending history, mythology, and eschatology (yes, I did as the book said and looked it up!) while doing it. Her unique take on the genre first impressed me in Dark Currents with the introduction of her version of ghouls, or the Outcast, and I'm happy to see her unconventional yet intriguing ideas continue in Autumn Bones.
A very enjoyable, fast-paced and action-filled read overall, and exactly what I'd been looking for when I picked this up. I think Jacqueline Carey is on the right track with this series, and I have a feeling she has a lot more planned for it just based on how much is already currently happening in these books. I thought pacing was an issue in the first book, but with this sequel I see her getting more into the urban fantasy rhythm of things, and I'm amazed at her versatility.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: "Jacqueline Carey and Urban Fantasy? Yes, please!" Being a big fan of Ms. Carey's epic Kushiel Universe, it didn't take much convincing for me to dive into the first Agent of Hel novel when I found out she was working on this new UF series. And I was not disappointed; the first book called Dark Currents can stand on its own next to all of the great urban fantasy and paranormal titles I've ever read, and in many ways it even sets itself apart.
Now comes the sequel Autumn Bones, and in my opinion it is even better than the first. I loved returning to our half-demon protagonist Daisy Johanssen and revisiting her role as an agent of Hel, the Norse goddess who presides over an eldritch underworld located in the quaint Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet. As ever, Daisy is busy with her duties as the liaison between the local police department and the supernatural community, but at the moment her love life is proving even more complicated than keeping faeries, hobgoblins and vampires in line.
Thinking it would be nice to settle down into a normal relationship for once, Daisy is shocked when it turns out her new beau Sinclair Palmer is more than he seems. Descended from a long line of Obeah sorcerers, Sinclair has been keeping his past and his family a secret, but it all blows apart when his twin sister breezes into town bent on making her brother leave Pemkowet and come home to Jamaica with her. Emmeline Palmer badly wants Sinclair to take up his rightful role in their family, so badly that threatening Daisy and her beloved town is only the first step.
Apart from this main story line, there are also many other sub plots, and I like how something crazy is always happening in Daisy's life but she juggles everything from supernatural disasters to personal dramas without missing a beat. Her half-demon background and the dire consequences that would result if she ever gave in to the temptation to claim her birthright is a constant worry that hangs above her head, but this aspect of Daisy is also a point of uniqueness about her and served as a main interest for me as a reader.
Strangely enough, though, while Daisy struggles hard every day not to fall prey to any of the seven deadly sins, the one vice she does not seem too concerned about is lust! Still, the potential suitors for Daisy are all equally fascinating, sexy, well-written and fun to read about, and there's a powerful yet effective undercurrent of romance and sexual tension in this series which makes me think it would be an awesome choice for fans of paranormal romances. Even I was a bit addicted to this book, and I'm generally ambivalent towards romantic drama in my urban fantasy.
But of course, the best things about Jacqueline Carey's books are her characters and world-building. I adore Daisy, who is wonderfully flawed and all too human, despite her dodgy demonic heritage. Her personality annoys me sometimes, but I also feel her naivete, inexperience, and the fact she's prone to distraction and self-doubt only serve to emphasize her internal conflict to be a good person and stay on the right path. As well, she's surrounded by a diverse cast of friends and family, making these books not just about her, but actually the whole living, breathing eldritch community in Hel's domain and Pemkowet. Using a cozy little tourist town as a setting gives these books a whole different flavor than other series that take place in big cities, not to mention Carey has always been great at writing fantasy worlds, blending history, mythology, and eschatology (yes, I did as the book said and looked it up!) while doing it. Her unique take on the genre first impressed me in Dark Currents with the introduction of her version of ghouls, or the Outcast, and I'm happy to see her unconventional yet intriguing ideas continue in Autumn Bones.
A very enjoyable, fast-paced and action-filled read overall, and exactly what I'd been looking for when I picked this up. I think Jacqueline Carey is on the right track with this series, and I have a feeling she has a lot more planned for it just based on how much is already currently happening in these books. I thought pacing was an issue in the first book, but with this sequel I see her getting more into the urban fantasy rhythm of things, and I'm amazed at her versatility.
October 7, 2013
3.5
Autumn Bones left me in exactly the same predicament Dark Currents did.
This is a fun, light(ish) UF that hints at possible gritty dangers, while always keeping to the light (but at least not fluffy) side.
Again I'm hooked by the world or the idea behind the book, but the novel in itself doesn't scream "love this series".
Daisy is still a character I can't root for. Young, inexperienced, unskilled. Even the "root of Armageddon" angle sounds false to me. I never really see her struggling with temptation and her heritage. In this sequel we add whiner or crybaby to her personality. (Guilt trip)
The fact that she behaves as a horny teen struggling with hormones doesn't help. In the beginning we don't have a love triangle, we have a square. (At least Lee is diverted towards Jen...)
And at the end we reverts toward the triangle. It may be linked to her half succubus status. But then she's also blinds to the dangers and her heritage.
Characters.
The town is both set and character. Her friends/love interests are a bit cliqued, if nice to read about. But I can't say they're "deep", from the bland Sinclair, the easygoing "sistah" speaking Jamaican guy, to the possessive werewolf who can't/won't take her as a mate, but doesn't have that many problems in having sex with her, and be "alpha" when one other suitor gets near Daisy.
Lee the nerd who was bullied at school and now has come back rich.
The plot.
It's good, even if the villains and their tools were crystal clear. But I think this is a choice by the author, given the emphasis on Daisy's mistakes.
At this moment in the series Daisy is for me a hole in world building/plot. Why would she be the cause for Armageddon, while the other hell-spawns are not?
I'm sure it'll be explained later on, but now all this "uniqueness" sounds again clichéd (UF), given without reasons.
Reading Autumn Bones was a pleasure, even with the eyebrow raising moments. But it's nothing more than this.
Autumn Bones left me in exactly the same predicament Dark Currents did.
This is a fun, light(ish) UF that hints at possible gritty dangers, while always keeping to the light (but at least not fluffy) side.
Again I'm hooked by the world or the idea behind the book, but the novel in itself doesn't scream "love this series".
Daisy is still a character I can't root for. Young, inexperienced, unskilled. Even the "root of Armageddon" angle sounds false to me. I never really see her struggling with temptation and her heritage. In this sequel we add whiner or crybaby to her personality. (Guilt trip)
The fact that she behaves as a horny teen struggling with hormones doesn't help. In the beginning we don't have a love triangle, we have a square. (At least Lee is diverted towards Jen...)
And at the end we reverts toward the triangle. It may be linked to her half succubus status. But then she's also blinds to the dangers and her heritage.
Characters.
The town is both set and character. Her friends/love interests are a bit cliqued, if nice to read about. But I can't say they're "deep", from the bland Sinclair, the easygoing "sistah" speaking Jamaican guy, to the possessive werewolf who can't/won't take her as a mate, but doesn't have that many problems in having sex with her, and be "alpha" when one other suitor gets near Daisy.
Lee the nerd who was bullied at school and now has come back rich.
The plot.
It's good, even if the villains and their tools were crystal clear. But I think this is a choice by the author, given the emphasis on Daisy's mistakes.
At this moment in the series Daisy is for me a hole in world building/plot. Why would she be the cause for Armageddon, while the other hell-spawns are not?
I'm sure it'll be explained later on, but now all this "uniqueness" sounds again clichéd (UF), given without reasons.
Reading Autumn Bones was a pleasure, even with the eyebrow raising moments. But it's nothing more than this.
February 17, 2015
Update:February 2015
I finally managed to get through this book, partly because the third one looks interesting. Carey finally got through the slut shaming to have her vampire character become an actual person after being changed, so that is something; but I can't find it in my heart to feel like it was enough. The inter-racial romance was shut down by family members, but at least the female lead is being allowed to explore multiple relationships and take pleasure from unlikely sources without censure. I just can't believe some of the places Carey went with this book after how socially aware of gendered power dynamics and rape culture the first book was.
June 2014: I so rarely don't finish a book. Especially urban fantasy, no matter how much it relies on over used conventions. While this book (second in a trilogy) actually has some interesting variance in genre conventions, I have some problems with the sexual politics.
We all know that Carey has written some of the most sex positive high fantasy out there with her Kushiel series. It is really amazing stuff, touching on love, kink, consent and alternative relationship arrangements. Which is why this book is such a let down for me. I know Carey can write sex positive characters and relationships, so why this book sets up a non-consensual mass orgy is beyond me. What this means is that no one is consenting to what is going on. Carey makes it very obvious that people would not choose to be having this sex. And Daisy, riding the wave of the eldritch funk, goes to have sex with her new boyfriend for the first time, thus also bringing consent issues for her onto the scene.
Sometimes, this kind of rhetorical move is made to explore or to highlight problematic aspects of our society. But the opening scene seems to have little to do with the rest of the book or its themes. Worse, Daisy struggles with whether, or to what extent, this makes her "slutty," using the term several times to describe herself and reflecting that she will have to do the "walk of shame" past her boyfriend's buddies in the morning.
I don't know if this is a reflection of midwestern ideas about sexuality, or an attempt at characterization via that ideology, but it grates on my nerves and disappoints me profoundly as a fan of Carey's work. If I wanted to read about self righteous sexual denial and guilt, I'd go for the Sookie books.
Several reviews describe this book as light urban fantasy reading, and I can agree with that assessment, this isn't the gritty gray-lined world of Hamilton or Butcher. But the first book had some really heavy stuff going on behind the veil of that lightness regarding who counts as human and the ramifications of sexual consent that fall from where one draws that line. Dealing with issues of rape and humanity is not light, and I was impressed by how Carey handled the material in the first book of this series. Which, again, leaves me disappointed by this installment. One of the best conventions in urban fantasy are the ways that protagonists often can enjoy their desires and their bodies and re-write those larger social conventions without guilt, and without narratives about true love getting in the way. I can appreciate the multiple relationship interests that Carey is setting up, and I would like to find out more about Stephan. But I don't want it enough to subject myself to interior monologues fraught with sex-negativity.
I finally managed to get through this book, partly because the third one looks interesting. Carey finally got through the slut shaming to have her vampire character become an actual person after being changed, so that is something; but I can't find it in my heart to feel like it was enough. The inter-racial romance was shut down by family members, but at least the female lead is being allowed to explore multiple relationships and take pleasure from unlikely sources without censure. I just can't believe some of the places Carey went with this book after how socially aware of gendered power dynamics and rape culture the first book was.
June 2014: I so rarely don't finish a book. Especially urban fantasy, no matter how much it relies on over used conventions. While this book (second in a trilogy) actually has some interesting variance in genre conventions, I have some problems with the sexual politics.
We all know that Carey has written some of the most sex positive high fantasy out there with her Kushiel series. It is really amazing stuff, touching on love, kink, consent and alternative relationship arrangements. Which is why this book is such a let down for me. I know Carey can write sex positive characters and relationships, so why this book sets up a non-consensual mass orgy is beyond me. What this means is that no one is consenting to what is going on. Carey makes it very obvious that people would not choose to be having this sex. And Daisy, riding the wave of the eldritch funk, goes to have sex with her new boyfriend for the first time, thus also bringing consent issues for her onto the scene.
Sometimes, this kind of rhetorical move is made to explore or to highlight problematic aspects of our society. But the opening scene seems to have little to do with the rest of the book or its themes. Worse, Daisy struggles with whether, or to what extent, this makes her "slutty," using the term several times to describe herself and reflecting that she will have to do the "walk of shame" past her boyfriend's buddies in the morning.
I don't know if this is a reflection of midwestern ideas about sexuality, or an attempt at characterization via that ideology, but it grates on my nerves and disappoints me profoundly as a fan of Carey's work. If I wanted to read about self righteous sexual denial and guilt, I'd go for the Sookie books.
Several reviews describe this book as light urban fantasy reading, and I can agree with that assessment, this isn't the gritty gray-lined world of Hamilton or Butcher. But the first book had some really heavy stuff going on behind the veil of that lightness regarding who counts as human and the ramifications of sexual consent that fall from where one draws that line. Dealing with issues of rape and humanity is not light, and I was impressed by how Carey handled the material in the first book of this series. Which, again, leaves me disappointed by this installment. One of the best conventions in urban fantasy are the ways that protagonists often can enjoy their desires and their bodies and re-write those larger social conventions without guilt, and without narratives about true love getting in the way. I can appreciate the multiple relationship interests that Carey is setting up, and I would like to find out more about Stephan. But I don't want it enough to subject myself to interior monologues fraught with sex-negativity.
March 7, 2016
2.5 stars
How did this series go so wrong so fast? Dark Currents was awesome, but the things I liked about it weren’t in this. The romance played a big role, and lots of drama ensued. None of which was remotely interesting. I hate love triangles, but I would have been soooo much happier if this had been a love triangle. But no, this was a love quadrangle. Yeah that’s right; there were three love interests. I only really like one of them. I might have been okay with the relationship drama if it were in the background like in Dark Currents. Daisy’s constant confusion and indecision about the three men consumed her thoughts.
I was really disappointed in Daisy. She had been independent. Roughly one to two months elapsed between this book and the last. How did Daisy go from being a character I admired to one who was pathetic? She was desperate to have a relationship, and apparently it overrode her rational thought. Her dad was a demon, so she was highly susceptible to the 7 deadly sins, one of them being lust. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she were just lusting after the men, but she convinced herself that she had actual feelings for all of them.
Sinclair was the obnoxious douchebag who showed up at the end of the last book. He and Daisy started dating in between books. It was weird because Daisy was all about Cody and Stefan in the last one. I would have expected her to be with one of them instead of throwing in a random relationship with some relatively unknown character. Sinclair appealed to Daisy because he was human, which equated to normal in her mind. But he wasn’t normal. He could see auras and came from a long line of witchy voodoo people. He wasn’t technically otherworldly, but he may as well have been. At least it didn’t take Daisy long to see the error of her ways.
Stefan the ghoul was still around and trying to siphon off of Daisy’s emotions whenever he could. He is a useful ally to have since he is knowledgeable about supernatural creatures and is powerful. Something is off about him. He’s the nicest creeper ever! I’d probably like him if he didn’t withhold vital info from Daisy. I find it damn creepy that he can constantly be in tune with Daisy’s emotions. It’s even weirder how he has to check on her every time there is a spike in them. Daisy’s main interest in him seems to be his ability to take away her emotional spikes. It’s not a good reason to be with him.
Cody is the guy I ship. He is a werewolf, but he acts more normal than any of the other guys. He’s a good guy and doesn’t hide important shit from Daisy. They get along well too. They have a better personal relationship than Daisy has with the other two. It’s complicated because they are different species, and he needs to be with one of his own.
There wasn’t a major plot for the book. Instead there were a several minor ones. Most of them were boring. The issue with the satyr was amusing. The subplot with Bethany wasn’t believable. Jojo was fun. I loved her mouthy antiquated slurs. I just didn’t care about Sinclair’s family drama. Although I didn’t like this book, I’m still finishing out the trilogy. I still think the series can be redeemed.
How did this series go so wrong so fast? Dark Currents was awesome, but the things I liked about it weren’t in this. The romance played a big role, and lots of drama ensued. None of which was remotely interesting. I hate love triangles, but I would have been soooo much happier if this had been a love triangle. But no, this was a love quadrangle. Yeah that’s right; there were three love interests. I only really like one of them. I might have been okay with the relationship drama if it were in the background like in Dark Currents. Daisy’s constant confusion and indecision about the three men consumed her thoughts.
I was really disappointed in Daisy. She had been independent. Roughly one to two months elapsed between this book and the last. How did Daisy go from being a character I admired to one who was pathetic? She was desperate to have a relationship, and apparently it overrode her rational thought. Her dad was a demon, so she was highly susceptible to the 7 deadly sins, one of them being lust. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she were just lusting after the men, but she convinced herself that she had actual feelings for all of them.
Sinclair was the obnoxious douchebag who showed up at the end of the last book. He and Daisy started dating in between books. It was weird because Daisy was all about Cody and Stefan in the last one. I would have expected her to be with one of them instead of throwing in a random relationship with some relatively unknown character. Sinclair appealed to Daisy because he was human, which equated to normal in her mind. But he wasn’t normal. He could see auras and came from a long line of witchy voodoo people. He wasn’t technically otherworldly, but he may as well have been. At least it didn’t take Daisy long to see the error of her ways.
Stefan the ghoul was still around and trying to siphon off of Daisy’s emotions whenever he could. He is a useful ally to have since he is knowledgeable about supernatural creatures and is powerful. Something is off about him. He’s the nicest creeper ever! I’d probably like him if he didn’t withhold vital info from Daisy. I find it damn creepy that he can constantly be in tune with Daisy’s emotions. It’s even weirder how he has to check on her every time there is a spike in them. Daisy’s main interest in him seems to be his ability to take away her emotional spikes. It’s not a good reason to be with him.
Cody is the guy I ship. He is a werewolf, but he acts more normal than any of the other guys. He’s a good guy and doesn’t hide important shit from Daisy. They get along well too. They have a better personal relationship than Daisy has with the other two. It’s complicated because they are different species, and he needs to be with one of his own.
There wasn’t a major plot for the book. Instead there were a several minor ones. Most of them were boring. The issue with the satyr was amusing. The subplot with Bethany wasn’t believable. Jojo was fun. I loved her mouthy antiquated slurs. I just didn’t care about Sinclair’s family drama. Although I didn’t like this book, I’m still finishing out the trilogy. I still think the series can be redeemed.
February 14, 2022
Original Review 5/16/14:
3.5 Stars
These books leave me so confused! This book was like a cross of an early Sookie Stackhouse and an early (But Lighter) Anita Blake. And whereas I enjoyed both of those, it's NOT what I've come to expect from Jacqueline Carey.
I LOVED the Kushiel Series', these were deep and multilayered, and vibrant, and the characters were intimately painted. (Not to mention 3 times as long).
I feel almost as if the author thought "why am I spending so much time on these deep long books, when I could write some light Urban Fantasy and get them out 3 times as fast."
And yet, the world here is fascinating, I just feel like the deep exploration and descriptions are missing.
I like these books, but I can't love them.
3.5 Stars
These books leave me so confused! This book was like a cross of an early Sookie Stackhouse and an early (But Lighter) Anita Blake. And whereas I enjoyed both of those, it's NOT what I've come to expect from Jacqueline Carey.
I LOVED the Kushiel Series', these were deep and multilayered, and vibrant, and the characters were intimately painted. (Not to mention 3 times as long).
I feel almost as if the author thought "why am I spending so much time on these deep long books, when I could write some light Urban Fantasy and get them out 3 times as fast."
And yet, the world here is fascinating, I just feel like the deep exploration and descriptions are missing.
I like these books, but I can't love them.
June 24, 2018
I enjoyed this more than the first installment. Not that the first installment was bad, but this is better.
Daisy has problems, but they aren't romantic, at least not really. The attempted triangle doesn't feel forced, it just feels perfunctionally. The best selling point about this series is Daisy's relationships with other women - the true friendship and love that exists in those networks. Not many UF authors showcase this, but Carey does.
There are some nice touches on race and abuse, but the overall tone is light. I particularly love how Carey never, ever forgets that Daisy has a tail. That's cool.
Daisy has problems, but they aren't romantic, at least not really. The attempted triangle doesn't feel forced, it just feels perfunctionally. The best selling point about this series is Daisy's relationships with other women - the true friendship and love that exists in those networks. Not many UF authors showcase this, but Carey does.
There are some nice touches on race and abuse, but the overall tone is light. I particularly love how Carey never, ever forgets that Daisy has a tail. That's cool.
March 24, 2015
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I had a good time with the first volume and it’s true that I was curious to see how the history of our beloved Daisy would continue. Oh yes because Once upon a time was a heroine who had three lovely pretenders, or is it finally two? And she does not know exactly the one she wants. What a dilemma would you say? Oh yes very difficult thing! So of course, the « lived happily ever after » is not close to being there. How could this be the case between a ghoul who can not age and a werewolf who can only create a relationship with a person of his kind. But besides all this, dear Daisy has to manage her city. And with a temperament like hers, it will not be easy.
We find our heroine early in the novel with Sinclair, a character discovered in the first volume. They set a pretty cute relationship and at the same time it is true that it is the character with whom I saw her the least with. He is kind and gentle, but he is too smooth for me. We learn a little more about him, including that he hides more than he wants to say. It was interesting to see what this Jamaican keeps to himself and at the same time, while the situation is quite serious, I think he takes it a bit too lightly. It’s not a problem at all by the way, it’s part of the character but it’s also why I do not really see him with our heroine. Luckily for her, our two other heroes are there too. Two slightly darker characters, more complicated and more intriguing that we find with pleasure. But it’s true that it would be quite difficult to choose between the two as the purpose can never be happy anyway.
This story focuses particularly on Sinclair and his troubled past. Oh yes because his origins makes him different, not quite human and when his family wants him to return to take his right place, this poses a major impact on the city, and Daisy is forced to take part. Yet our liaison officer can not always do what she wants and the consequences are quite catastrophic. Ghosts, zombies, and other creatures come into play in the story. We also have new characters like Cooper, a Stephan’s lieutenant, or Lee, a computer genius. This is two characters that we quickly appreciate and that we discover with pleasure. I was quite surprised by the Jen’s sister here. I did not expect at all to such a turnaround from her behavior and it is true that I was glad to see that she was finally more than what she shows.
Of course, all the other characters we know are present here as well and it was a real pleasure to see them again. This is a really nice series to discover and I admit that I’m really curious to know more about Daisy although nothing will be easy for her. Oh yes, because whatever she does or chooses, the consequences are very important. A new enemy is appearing and I am looking forward to learning more about him now. A good second book, and I hope to read the next one soon.
My English review
I had a good time with the first volume and it’s true that I was curious to see how the history of our beloved Daisy would continue. Oh yes because Once upon a time was a heroine who had three lovely pretenders, or is it finally two? And she does not know exactly the one she wants. What a dilemma would you say? Oh yes very difficult thing! So of course, the « lived happily ever after » is not close to being there. How could this be the case between a ghoul who can not age and a werewolf who can only create a relationship with a person of his kind. But besides all this, dear Daisy has to manage her city. And with a temperament like hers, it will not be easy.
We find our heroine early in the novel with Sinclair, a character discovered in the first volume. They set a pretty cute relationship and at the same time it is true that it is the character with whom I saw her the least with. He is kind and gentle, but he is too smooth for me. We learn a little more about him, including that he hides more than he wants to say. It was interesting to see what this Jamaican keeps to himself and at the same time, while the situation is quite serious, I think he takes it a bit too lightly. It’s not a problem at all by the way, it’s part of the character but it’s also why I do not really see him with our heroine. Luckily for her, our two other heroes are there too. Two slightly darker characters, more complicated and more intriguing that we find with pleasure. But it’s true that it would be quite difficult to choose between the two as the purpose can never be happy anyway.
This story focuses particularly on Sinclair and his troubled past. Oh yes because his origins makes him different, not quite human and when his family wants him to return to take his right place, this poses a major impact on the city, and Daisy is forced to take part. Yet our liaison officer can not always do what she wants and the consequences are quite catastrophic. Ghosts, zombies, and other creatures come into play in the story. We also have new characters like Cooper, a Stephan’s lieutenant, or Lee, a computer genius. This is two characters that we quickly appreciate and that we discover with pleasure. I was quite surprised by the Jen’s sister here. I did not expect at all to such a turnaround from her behavior and it is true that I was glad to see that she was finally more than what she shows.
Of course, all the other characters we know are present here as well and it was a real pleasure to see them again. This is a really nice series to discover and I admit that I’m really curious to know more about Daisy although nothing will be easy for her. Oh yes, because whatever she does or chooses, the consequences are very important. A new enemy is appearing and I am looking forward to learning more about him now. A good second book, and I hope to read the next one soon.
March 21, 2016
Pemwoket es un pequeño centro de actividad eldritch sustentado por la magia provista por el inframundo nórdico de la diosa Hel, y su agente Daisy, y que es punto turistico paranormal.
Bueno, Daisy sigue con esa noción de no poner todos los huevos en un solo canasto, o algo asi....
De modo que nos la encontramos citándose con (1) Sinclair
This is a culture pop blender
-Tentacle Hentai.
-Bachanallian show.
-Buffy references (y no me digan nada del abrigo de cuero de Lee :rolleyes:) Y btw, good for you, Bethany!
-To Kill a Mockingbird references --> Bo Railey, sort of.
-SPN --> daga que mata a los no-muertos.
-possesive mother-in-laws
-Textual references to Romy and Michele movie characters.
-The good: she likes old blues. love her mother. is a good friend.
-The not-so-good: even if she has not problem with the no-forever-love-but-sex , this sort of fluttering heart not sure of what guy to choose is teen-ish.
Entretiene.
January 7, 2015
I really loved the first book and have been super excited to start the second, so when I finally got my hands on the audiobook for this I was totally ready to delve back into Daisy's world. But I was let down by this installment big time. There was too much of everything going on all at once - romance, plot (there were like three different plot-lines going on and they were all so vague!), supernatural elements. It just felt like a jumble of a bunch of random shit the author put together and called it a novel, instead of shaping out an actual plot-line and developing the characters more. I'm not saying this was terrible, because it wasn't, but it definitely didn't live up to the awesome that I think the first book was. I'll read the next one, but with caution.
PS: If Diasy mentions another fucking vocabulary word she learned from Mr. Leary I'm going to shove it down her damn throat with her own dagger :)
PS: If Diasy mentions another fucking vocabulary word she learned from Mr. Leary I'm going to shove it down her damn throat with her own dagger :)
December 8, 2016
Trilogy Review: “Agent of Hel” is a trilogy about a half-human, half-demon woman named Daisy, whose heritage earned her the job of liaison between the human world and the supernatural kingdom. It’s a job that gets particularly complicated when citizens start showing up dead by supernatural causes…
Jacqueline Carey is one of my top authors, specifically for her “Kushiel’s” and “Imriel’s” Trilogies (which contain some of the best writing I’ve ever read, although I’d recommend it with a strong disclaimer of sexual content… particularly of the S&M variety). I’ve come to love her for her rich character development, expansive world/culture building, beautiful love stories, and epic storytelling. Many of these elements you don’t normally see within urban fantasies, whose storylines typically revolve around mystery, action, and instant gratification. As you can imagine, after reading Carey’s epic fantasies, I was intrigued to see how she would tackle a new genre.
And the verdict? “Agent of Hel” was anything but typical… And I really dug it.
My favorite things about this series were the world building and quirky cast of characters. Both of which I thought were developed expansively enough to merit more than just a trilogy. Carey’s supernatural world was one of the most conceptual and well-imagined of any I’ve ever read. Everything from creature creation to the political hierarchy went one or two steps above what I would consider necessary for a good urban fantasy. It was a lot of fun. Carey’s characters also had a lot of depth and backstory, but there wasn’t enough time within such a short series to explore them all thoroughly. I wanted more, which is more or less a positive way to finish a series. I don’t think Carey has any plans to write more, but one can dream.
Anyway, despite the series ending before I was ready for it to, “Agent of Hel” had great pacing that kept me engaged from start to finish. It had a nice balance of action, mystery, romance, and humor, which are ingredients for an awesome read.
As with many urban fantasies, “Agent of Hel” contained a prominent romance – one which I thought did a good job of balancing the action without overwhelming the plot. As with everything else, the love story was a bit atypical. For starters, it wasn’t always clear who the love interest was supposed to be. Also, the romantic story arc didn’t follow the usual formula. Both were things I actually liked about the series and, at the risk of sounding redundant, I also found myself craving another book to keep it going by the time the series ended. I should clarify that my slight dissatisfaction was because I was really enjoying what I was reading and wanted more, but Carey did do a nice job wrapping up her plot points with clear resolutions.
Overall, I’d rank “Agent of Hel” as one of the better urban fantasies and would recommend it to anyone familiar with the genre. Fair warning though, the series contains sexual content.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Jacqueline Carey is one of my top authors, specifically for her “Kushiel’s” and “Imriel’s” Trilogies (which contain some of the best writing I’ve ever read, although I’d recommend it with a strong disclaimer of sexual content… particularly of the S&M variety). I’ve come to love her for her rich character development, expansive world/culture building, beautiful love stories, and epic storytelling. Many of these elements you don’t normally see within urban fantasies, whose storylines typically revolve around mystery, action, and instant gratification. As you can imagine, after reading Carey’s epic fantasies, I was intrigued to see how she would tackle a new genre.
And the verdict? “Agent of Hel” was anything but typical… And I really dug it.
My favorite things about this series were the world building and quirky cast of characters. Both of which I thought were developed expansively enough to merit more than just a trilogy. Carey’s supernatural world was one of the most conceptual and well-imagined of any I’ve ever read. Everything from creature creation to the political hierarchy went one or two steps above what I would consider necessary for a good urban fantasy. It was a lot of fun. Carey’s characters also had a lot of depth and backstory, but there wasn’t enough time within such a short series to explore them all thoroughly. I wanted more, which is more or less a positive way to finish a series. I don’t think Carey has any plans to write more, but one can dream.
Anyway, despite the series ending before I was ready for it to, “Agent of Hel” had great pacing that kept me engaged from start to finish. It had a nice balance of action, mystery, romance, and humor, which are ingredients for an awesome read.
As with many urban fantasies, “Agent of Hel” contained a prominent romance – one which I thought did a good job of balancing the action without overwhelming the plot. As with everything else, the love story was a bit atypical. For starters, it wasn’t always clear who the love interest was supposed to be. Also, the romantic story arc didn’t follow the usual formula. Both were things I actually liked about the series and, at the risk of sounding redundant, I also found myself craving another book to keep it going by the time the series ended. I should clarify that my slight dissatisfaction was because I was really enjoying what I was reading and wanted more, but Carey did do a nice job wrapping up her plot points with clear resolutions.
Overall, I’d rank “Agent of Hel” as one of the better urban fantasies and would recommend it to anyone familiar with the genre. Fair warning though, the series contains sexual content.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
October 21, 2013
This is a light, easy, and fun read. And that's really all I can say about it. It's not epic fantasy like Jacqueline Carey's other works. Its really a typical urban fantasy sort of book. A love triangle, a special type of character, ghouls, vampires, and all that. For people who are fans of the genre thats probably what they want. I do like some of the books in urban fantasy. I am actually disappointed in this book. I just felt it tried to cover to many things in a short amount of time. And I guess what does it for me is that it really isn't up to the standards I expect from Jacqueline Carey. I admit that she is my favorite writer, I have read all her books and liked almost all of them. Just this one like I said from the start is a light, easy, and fun read. And really I want more from her because I know she is capable of more. The book isn't bad, just not what I expect from Jacqueline Carey. I will still read the next book, and it will probably be the same as this one. I guess this review doesn't really make sense or sends a clear message of how I feel about the book, but thats really how it is for me. I just felt disjointed reading this book. It's not bad and its not great. I guess I just expected more from my favorite writer.
May 20, 2014
I enjoyed this one a lot, and found it quick and easy to get through. I think this was partly because I read it straight after the first one, so I was already 'in the world' of this book. Could do without the cliche love triangle but otherwise, I really liked it.
February 3, 2018
This is one of those "if you liked the first book, you'll probably like this" books. And one of those four stars for me where the book is pretty good and I wasn't tempted to stop reading, but neither did it keep me up past my bedtime.
The romance story
Anyway, I'll read the next one, but yeah. If I was reading this as the books came out, I would probably lose track of the series.
The romance story
Anyway, I'll read the next one, but yeah. If I was reading this as the books came out, I would probably lose track of the series.
December 13, 2018
Two steps forward, one step back. A lot of the mature, healthy characterization/relationships have devolved, and the "consent good/rape bad" from the first book is seemingly gone.
The book opens with a literal orgy at a gay club, evoked by the pheromones of a satyr going into rut. (Dear other reviewers: Females go into heat. Males go into rut. Biology!) The pheromones essentially compel sex (it should be noted that none of this was protected sex) with whomever is 1) closest, and 2) desirable. The text re-iterates many, many times that desire can't be forced, as if the fact that the victims found each other attractive means its no longer a gross sexual assault for both parties. The event is mostly played for humor and as a catalyst to which seems really lazy and sketch as hell. She then goes to see Sinclair while covered in 'satyr funk' and they have sex, with it never being clear if she goes to Sinclair while under the influence, and/or if the residual pheromones were enough to put him under the influence. Sinclair's father is revealed to have been coerced into a relationship with a love spell cast by Sinclair's mother, in a bid to have a family with the man she wanted. Again, Daisy 'refrains from mentioning that real desire can't be compelled' as if the man wasn't essentially drugged and raped into a relationship. Daisy just doesn't show more than a minuscule fraction of the compassion and concern from the previous books, and it makes her look like a monster.
Daisy also becomes much more catty, petty, and regressive. Her best friend's sister is constantly referred to as a skank and slut because she is with a vampire. Daisy's attitude towards her only barely improves when she discovers that the underlying motivation for everything the sister did was a desire to protect her family and have a support system. What a Stacey!
The book introduces Lee, a man Daisy knows from high school that was bullied constantly for being a nerd. Daisy admits (to herself/the reader) she was only nice to him to get him to do her homework and basically faked a friendship with him when it was useful and talked shit about him behind his back the rest of the time. In other words, she was a shit person to him. She mocks his clothing, mocks his profession, mocks his paranoia. Not saying the leather duster was a good fashion choice, but it makes Daisy look so superficial and, well, mean. For all that she hates her childhood bully, Daisy is not above being a bully herself when it suits her needs.
Daisy just turns into an asshole in this book. She is possessive about every man in the story, even those she’s dumped or otherwise rejected. She doesn’t think things through. She does own up to her mistakes, but doesn’t apparently learn much from them.
When you take away the humanity, communication, thoughtfulness, and compassion of the first book, all you’re left with is a hot young woman with magic powers fighting monsters and trying to decide between the hot-blooded sexy werewolf and the brooding sexy vampire. And that, friends, is about as bog-standard urban fantasy/paranormal romance as they come.
The book opens with a literal orgy at a gay club, evoked by the pheromones of a satyr going into rut. (Dear other reviewers: Females go into heat. Males go into rut. Biology!) The pheromones essentially compel sex (it should be noted that none of this was protected sex) with whomever is 1) closest, and 2) desirable. The text re-iterates many, many times that desire can't be forced, as if the fact that the victims found each other attractive means its no longer a gross sexual assault for both parties. The event is mostly played for humor and as a catalyst to which seems really lazy and sketch as hell. She then goes to see Sinclair while covered in 'satyr funk' and they have sex, with it never being clear if she goes to Sinclair while under the influence, and/or if the residual pheromones were enough to put him under the influence. Sinclair's father is revealed to have been coerced into a relationship with a love spell cast by Sinclair's mother, in a bid to have a family with the man she wanted. Again, Daisy 'refrains from mentioning that real desire can't be compelled' as if the man wasn't essentially drugged and raped into a relationship. Daisy just doesn't show more than a minuscule fraction of the compassion and concern from the previous books, and it makes her look like a monster.
Daisy also becomes much more catty, petty, and regressive. Her best friend's sister is constantly referred to as a skank and slut because she is with a vampire. Daisy's attitude towards her only barely improves when she discovers that the underlying motivation for everything the sister did was a desire to protect her family and have a support system. What a Stacey!
The book introduces Lee, a man Daisy knows from high school that was bullied constantly for being a nerd. Daisy admits (to herself/the reader) she was only nice to him to get him to do her homework and basically faked a friendship with him when it was useful and talked shit about him behind his back the rest of the time. In other words, she was a shit person to him. She mocks his clothing, mocks his profession, mocks his paranoia. Not saying the leather duster was a good fashion choice, but it makes Daisy look so superficial and, well, mean. For all that she hates her childhood bully, Daisy is not above being a bully herself when it suits her needs.
Daisy just turns into an asshole in this book. She is possessive about every man in the story, even those she’s dumped or otherwise rejected. She doesn’t think things through. She does own up to her mistakes, but doesn’t apparently learn much from them.
When you take away the humanity, communication, thoughtfulness, and compassion of the first book, all you’re left with is a hot young woman with magic powers fighting monsters and trying to decide between the hot-blooded sexy werewolf and the brooding sexy vampire. And that, friends, is about as bog-standard urban fantasy/paranormal romance as they come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2013
Daisy Johanssen is back in "Autumn Bones" the second supernatural urban fantasy adventure in Jacqueline Carey's Agent of Hel series. It is a read to you drop off to sleep, wake up and read again until done type of book. Especially if you like action, romance and things that go bump in the night.
Daisy lives in Pemkowet, a town in the Midwest that has become monster central - werewolves, vampires, sprites, demons, ghosts and gods all make their home there, including Daisy's liege, the Norse Goddess Hel. Daisy, who acts as an enforcer for Hel with the supernatural inhabitants of Pemkowet, also helps out the cops, with her partner Cody Fairfax, a werewolf, when an investigation take a supernatural turn. Daisy herself is the daughter of a demon.
While Daisy has been dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice normal human guy from Jamaica, she still has the hots for Fairfax, a boy she had a crush on in school. But Fairfax has to marry a were so is supposedly not interested in Daisy. Or is he? Then again Daisy could also end up with a ghoul, a supernatural undead being who has been rejected by both Hell and Heaven and feeds on human emotion. It seems that Stefan, the 600 year old leader of the ghouls is linked to Daisy, and also has the hots for her. Its a classic supernatural plot line -- who will Daisy end up with - the wolf, the ghoul or the human.
Hold everything, because Sinclair's sister Emmy visits Pemkowet with a threat to Daisy and the inhabitants. It seems that Sinclair is the scion of a powerful sorceress and Emmy -- is the evil yin to her twin brother's good yang. She needs him back in Jamaica to reach her potential. She and her mother threaten to use black spirit magic to wreck ruin on Pemkowet and force Sinclair to return to Jamaica.
Daisy is also involved in creating a computer list to keep track of all of the various supernatural beings and the debts she owes them and vice versa. She teams up with Lee, a computer wunderkind from high school in a fun side note to the main story. Lee will get more than he bargained when he teams up with Daisy.
Throw in Daisy's best friend's sister who has been made into a vampire, a suspicious character in town, who is using demon skills to influence the human inhabitants to sell property, a jealous little sprite who attacks Daisy over her affair with Sinclair and a local coven of witches, who will have to fight Jamaican magic, and you have a veritable witchy brew of magic, mayhem and supernatural characters to dine on. Add in Carey's distinctive writing and its bound to be good.
It is fun. Some may think the story is marred a bit by the romance angle. Somehow, a lot of these supernatural books turn to romance as an essential part of the plot. But this book is too good. It is such a fast read, and Carey has got good characters, good action and a good heroine.
I will be visiting Pemkowet again and often. So should you.
Daisy lives in Pemkowet, a town in the Midwest that has become monster central - werewolves, vampires, sprites, demons, ghosts and gods all make their home there, including Daisy's liege, the Norse Goddess Hel. Daisy, who acts as an enforcer for Hel with the supernatural inhabitants of Pemkowet, also helps out the cops, with her partner Cody Fairfax, a werewolf, when an investigation take a supernatural turn. Daisy herself is the daughter of a demon.
While Daisy has been dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice normal human guy from Jamaica, she still has the hots for Fairfax, a boy she had a crush on in school. But Fairfax has to marry a were so is supposedly not interested in Daisy. Or is he? Then again Daisy could also end up with a ghoul, a supernatural undead being who has been rejected by both Hell and Heaven and feeds on human emotion. It seems that Stefan, the 600 year old leader of the ghouls is linked to Daisy, and also has the hots for her. Its a classic supernatural plot line -- who will Daisy end up with - the wolf, the ghoul or the human.
Hold everything, because Sinclair's sister Emmy visits Pemkowet with a threat to Daisy and the inhabitants. It seems that Sinclair is the scion of a powerful sorceress and Emmy -- is the evil yin to her twin brother's good yang. She needs him back in Jamaica to reach her potential. She and her mother threaten to use black spirit magic to wreck ruin on Pemkowet and force Sinclair to return to Jamaica.
Daisy is also involved in creating a computer list to keep track of all of the various supernatural beings and the debts she owes them and vice versa. She teams up with Lee, a computer wunderkind from high school in a fun side note to the main story. Lee will get more than he bargained when he teams up with Daisy.
Throw in Daisy's best friend's sister who has been made into a vampire, a suspicious character in town, who is using demon skills to influence the human inhabitants to sell property, a jealous little sprite who attacks Daisy over her affair with Sinclair and a local coven of witches, who will have to fight Jamaican magic, and you have a veritable witchy brew of magic, mayhem and supernatural characters to dine on. Add in Carey's distinctive writing and its bound to be good.
It is fun. Some may think the story is marred a bit by the romance angle. Somehow, a lot of these supernatural books turn to romance as an essential part of the plot. But this book is too good. It is such a fast read, and Carey has got good characters, good action and a good heroine.
I will be visiting Pemkowet again and often. So should you.
June 27, 2018
Autumn Bones follows Dark Currents in the Agent of Hel trilogy, and while it’s been a while since I read Dark Currents, I think this second book is a vast improvement over the first. Rather than spending a lot of time developing the world, culture, and mythology of the story, this book had a lot more focus, so it read more like a thriller than a meandering fantasy. We see Daisy flourish in her role as Hel’s liaison; she’s starting to learn the ropes and make important connections for her future conflicts.
I really love Jacqueline Carey’s ability to create believable fantastical settings with characters I want to be friends with. She has created a rich world deeply rooted in mythology that looks so much like our own; she integrates the mythic with the modern and even has Daisy experiment with using modern technology to her best advantage.
And while there’s sexual content and strong romantic interests, this mostly focuses on Daisy dealing with her own struggles of being a good liaison, working out what she needs and wants from a relationship, and (of course) keeping her town safe from a destructive, overbearing witch. This book focuses on dealing with the past; how what we’ve experienced affects our actions later in life, and the guilt we may have from not being kinder, stronger, better, etc. in our younger years. While Carey puts a magical spin on this idea, it’s something we can all relate to and reflect on within ourselves while reading about different characters’ emotional baggage due to their high school years.
Book 1 didn’t wow me, but now that I’ve read this book, I’d say stick with the series. It’s a fast-paced urban fantasy with loveable characters and a mythology a bit different than the norm, which is fun. I can’t wait to read book 3!
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I really love Jacqueline Carey’s ability to create believable fantastical settings with characters I want to be friends with. She has created a rich world deeply rooted in mythology that looks so much like our own; she integrates the mythic with the modern and even has Daisy experiment with using modern technology to her best advantage.
And while there’s sexual content and strong romantic interests, this mostly focuses on Daisy dealing with her own struggles of being a good liaison, working out what she needs and wants from a relationship, and (of course) keeping her town safe from a destructive, overbearing witch. This book focuses on dealing with the past; how what we’ve experienced affects our actions later in life, and the guilt we may have from not being kinder, stronger, better, etc. in our younger years. While Carey puts a magical spin on this idea, it’s something we can all relate to and reflect on within ourselves while reading about different characters’ emotional baggage due to their high school years.
Book 1 didn’t wow me, but now that I’ve read this book, I’d say stick with the series. It’s a fast-paced urban fantasy with loveable characters and a mythology a bit different than the norm, which is fun. I can’t wait to read book 3!
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
November 19, 2017
2.5
There's nothing especially wrong with this series. There's just...nothing that I'm grabbing onto. I don't care as much as I should for the characters, I'm not particularly pulling for them and so I'm just on the edge of entertained. It's fun, and I can see maybe others liking it more, but personally, it's just this side of cliche, especially the heroine and her love problems.
UNPOPULAR OPINION:
Also my fav character is hands down
I did have fun though, and if I could just shut my brain up I bet I'd have had MORE fun.
Alas. I will probably finish it though. More because I love the concepts in this story than the actual execution.
There's nothing especially wrong with this series. There's just...nothing that I'm grabbing onto. I don't care as much as I should for the characters, I'm not particularly pulling for them and so I'm just on the edge of entertained. It's fun, and I can see maybe others liking it more, but personally, it's just this side of cliche, especially the heroine and her love problems.
UNPOPULAR OPINION:
Also my fav character is hands down
I did have fun though, and if I could just shut my brain up I bet I'd have had MORE fun.
Alas. I will probably finish it though. More because I love the concepts in this story than the actual execution.
May 11, 2015
I couldn't help myself, I sped through this. Even after having been less than thoroughly impressed with the first, I suddenly found myself wanting to read the next. Once I started, I could hardly stop. This would make excellent television. Ms. Carey has truly mastered the art of making a reader want to continue for just one more chapter, again and again.
Still, I can't bring myself to give it more than 3 stars. It feels as if this is a dumbed-down version of Carey's usual writing. Sometimes I like our protagonist Daisy, but overall she is lackluster, which of course taints the entire novel, being from her point of view. She's an idiot. One would think that a goddess would have included extensive training of various sorts for her liaison, to avoid utter embarrassment and disaster. I may have already complained about this, but I REALLY don't need her pointing out how proud of herself she is every time she uses something resembling a high school vocabulary word. She's supposed to be 24 years old, but at 25 myself, I think she sounds like a child too much of the time. This series often borders on young-adult quality literature.
But again, if you like urban fantasy, this has a lot of fantastic (pun intended) elements. There are unique takes on common mythological creatures, and unusual beings featured in interesting roles. I tried to find the 3rd book at my local bookstore before I even finished this one, and now I'm going to have to search harder for it.
Still, I can't bring myself to give it more than 3 stars. It feels as if this is a dumbed-down version of Carey's usual writing. Sometimes I like our protagonist Daisy, but overall she is lackluster, which of course taints the entire novel, being from her point of view. She's an idiot. One would think that a goddess would have included extensive training of various sorts for her liaison, to avoid utter embarrassment and disaster. I may have already complained about this, but I REALLY don't need her pointing out how proud of herself she is every time she uses something resembling a high school vocabulary word. She's supposed to be 24 years old, but at 25 myself, I think she sounds like a child too much of the time. This series often borders on young-adult quality literature.
But again, if you like urban fantasy, this has a lot of fantastic (pun intended) elements. There are unique takes on common mythological creatures, and unusual beings featured in interesting roles. I tried to find the 3rd book at my local bookstore before I even finished this one, and now I'm going to have to search harder for it.
February 13, 2016
This is the second book in Carey's 'Agent of Hel' series. I really enjoyed the first one so I was really excited to get to this. I loved getting to see more about the various potential romantic interests in Daisy Johanssen's life - all of whom have a lot of complications! Particularly this book focuses on Sinclair, who is her sort-of boyfriend for most of the book. I've heard a very little bit about obeah magic, and it was really interesting to learn more. I haven't read many books with supernatural elements that utilise magic from Caribbean culture.
I found the mystery of this book - who was responsible for setting the evil spirit on the town - quite interesting. There are two big enemies facing and her friends in the story, the person setting the evil spirit, and Sinclair's family. I think that made it more interesting. It wasn't just a two strand story, mixing Daisy's personal life with a fight against one bad guy. It made it a more complex story, which is always good.
My favourite of Daisy's potential romantic partners is Stefan the ghoul, who can feed on her enhanced, otherworldly emotions and help balance her out. I loved the glimpses of him in this book and the progression in their friendship and working relationship. I finished the book really hoping that more would happen between the two of them soon.
I found the mystery of this book - who was responsible for setting the evil spirit on the town - quite interesting. There are two big enemies facing and her friends in the story, the person setting the evil spirit, and Sinclair's family. I think that made it more interesting. It wasn't just a two strand story, mixing Daisy's personal life with a fight against one bad guy. It made it a more complex story, which is always good.
My favourite of Daisy's potential romantic partners is Stefan the ghoul, who can feed on her enhanced, otherworldly emotions and help balance her out. I loved the glimpses of him in this book and the progression in their friendship and working relationship. I finished the book really hoping that more would happen between the two of them soon.
January 25, 2014
Another YA book from Ms. Carey. Will it be similar to Santa Olivia ones? Those were fabulous. The grittiness of it. This one, I'm mixed about. Full disclosure, I didn't read the first book. I have it but I'm reading out of order by accident.
Daisy is slightly ditzy. I don't mean as dumb. I mean as clueless and just not with the program. She's landed a job which is pretty important yet she constantly goofs up. She's also torn between three different men - all of them unsuitable. Not sure I like this romantic twist to it.
I'm a huge fan of Ms. Carey. Ever since her first trilogy came out, I've been entranced. When she wrote the provocative The Sundering series, I fell head over heels again. She once again displayed a wealth of creativity and characters I adore. While her Kushiel series petered out for me, I figured she'd continue to churn out stories with her trademark complexity. This book fell quite short. It didn't even have her flavour to it. It's not edgy. It's tame and rather flat. Disappointing. Still she is a good writer and the story flowed fine. It's just completely forgettable. And if there is one thing about Ms. Carey, is that neither she nor her writing is forgettable. This is why I'm so surprised and a bit let down.
Daisy is slightly ditzy. I don't mean as dumb. I mean as clueless and just not with the program. She's landed a job which is pretty important yet she constantly goofs up. She's also torn between three different men - all of them unsuitable. Not sure I like this romantic twist to it.
I'm a huge fan of Ms. Carey. Ever since her first trilogy came out, I've been entranced. When she wrote the provocative The Sundering series, I fell head over heels again. She once again displayed a wealth of creativity and characters I adore. While her Kushiel series petered out for me, I figured she'd continue to churn out stories with her trademark complexity. This book fell quite short. It didn't even have her flavour to it. It's not edgy. It's tame and rather flat. Disappointing. Still she is a good writer and the story flowed fine. It's just completely forgettable. And if there is one thing about Ms. Carey, is that neither she nor her writing is forgettable. This is why I'm so surprised and a bit let down.
March 19, 2020
Read for the MacHalo Splendiferous Book Bingo: "Moonsong" category.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
I was disappointed right off the bat because the writer employed one of my least favorite tricks: a romance developed off the page. I understand why she did it, but I was so annoyed by it for the first few chapters of the book that it took me quite awhile to get into the story.
Aside from that disappointment, and some small problems I had with the quality of the writing, this book was just as entertaining as the first one. I really like Daisy, the main character, and her "Scooby gang." And I enjoyed the development of some of the other relationships, as well. I look forward to reading the final installment to see where everyone ends up, and to see how some of the mysteries are resolved that were left hanging in this book.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
I was disappointed right off the bat because the writer employed one of my least favorite tricks: a romance developed off the page. I understand why she did it, but I was so annoyed by it for the first few chapters of the book that it took me quite awhile to get into the story.
Aside from that disappointment, and some small problems I had with the quality of the writing, this book was just as entertaining as the first one. I really like Daisy, the main character, and her "Scooby gang." And I enjoyed the development of some of the other relationships, as well. I look forward to reading the final installment to see where everyone ends up, and to see how some of the mysteries are resolved that were left hanging in this book.
November 27, 2025
This was a lot of fun. Possibly even more so than book 1. The story is good, the writing likewise, and though the romance angle isn't my favourite part, and none of them are Joscelin, I guess I like the Cody situation best. There is definite tension and chemistry there (never really got that with Sinclair), but I guess it's mostly because I like his character better than Stefan.
Anyway... Good read, looking forward to book 3!
Anyway... Good read, looking forward to book 3!
October 28, 2014
Unfortunately I didn't really feel the connection between the characters this time round. Conversations fell flat and eye rolling behavior was everywhere.
April 2, 2016
This book was really, really disappointing. Carey can write, really write, but you wouldn't know it by reading Autumn Bones.
I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Dark Currents. It had some interesting premises, an interesting heroine (Daisy Johannsen, demonspawn and file clerk), and an interesting plot. I had high hopes for the sequel.
Unfortunately, this book completely failed to deliver.
In conclusion, I think Carey was aiming for the "ordinary heroine", but where I think she failed was by not having Daisy learn from her mistakes. She was just as ditzy and incompetent in book 2 as she was in book 1, but with much less excuse. Daisy doesn't grow or develop - she just lurches from screw-up to screw-up, being rescued by hot guys.
The hot guys, unfortunately, have no personality. We don't know why they're attracted to Daisy, or what makes them tick. While this seems to be increasingly run-of-the-mill in urban fantasy, where hot guys fighting over the heroine are de rigour, and personality is deemed superfluous, it's still disappointing from an author as capable as Carey.
And the plot fell flatter than a very flat thing. There was no sense of danger or risk; no sense that the characters were afraid of the consequences of failure. It was more like reading about a disaster drill: everybody going through the motions, but not with any real conviction.
A real pity, because Jacqueline Carey is capable of so much more.
I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Dark Currents. It had some interesting premises, an interesting heroine (Daisy Johannsen, demonspawn and file clerk), and an interesting plot. I had high hopes for the sequel.
Unfortunately, this book completely failed to deliver.
In conclusion, I think Carey was aiming for the "ordinary heroine", but where I think she failed was by not having Daisy learn from her mistakes. She was just as ditzy and incompetent in book 2 as she was in book 1, but with much less excuse. Daisy doesn't grow or develop - she just lurches from screw-up to screw-up, being rescued by hot guys.
The hot guys, unfortunately, have no personality. We don't know why they're attracted to Daisy, or what makes them tick. While this seems to be increasingly run-of-the-mill in urban fantasy, where hot guys fighting over the heroine are de rigour, and personality is deemed superfluous, it's still disappointing from an author as capable as Carey.
And the plot fell flatter than a very flat thing. There was no sense of danger or risk; no sense that the characters were afraid of the consequences of failure. It was more like reading about a disaster drill: everybody going through the motions, but not with any real conviction.
A real pity, because Jacqueline Carey is capable of so much more.
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