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Night Owls #1
Night Owls
Night Owls book store is the one spot on campus open late enough to help out even the most practiced slacker. The employees’ penchant for fighting the evil creatures of the night is just a perk…
Valerie McTeague’s business model is simple: provide the students of Edgewood College with a late-night study haven and stay as far away from the underworld conflicts of her vampire brethren as possible. She’s lived that life, and the price she paid was far too high to ever want to return.
Elly Garrett hasn’t known any life except that of fighting the supernatural werewolf-like beings known as Creeps or Jackals. But she always had her mentor and foster father by her side—until he gave his life protecting a book that the Creeps desperately want to get their hands on.
When the book gets stashed at Night Owls for safe keeping, those Val holds nearest and dearest are put in mortal peril. Now Val and Elly will have to team up, along with a mismatched crew of humans, vampires, and lesbian succubi, to stop the Jackals from getting their claws on the book and unleashing unnamed horrors…
Valerie McTeague’s business model is simple: provide the students of Edgewood College with a late-night study haven and stay as far away from the underworld conflicts of her vampire brethren as possible. She’s lived that life, and the price she paid was far too high to ever want to return.
Elly Garrett hasn’t known any life except that of fighting the supernatural werewolf-like beings known as Creeps or Jackals. But she always had her mentor and foster father by her side—until he gave his life protecting a book that the Creeps desperately want to get their hands on.
When the book gets stashed at Night Owls for safe keeping, those Val holds nearest and dearest are put in mortal peril. Now Val and Elly will have to team up, along with a mismatched crew of humans, vampires, and lesbian succubi, to stop the Jackals from getting their claws on the book and unleashing unnamed horrors…
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2014
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2288 people want to read
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August 9, 2016
3.5 stars
I always have high hopes when I start a new urban fantasy series. Nothing makes me happier than a good book within my favorite genre so I’ve always been willing to dig very deep in order to find one. Thankfully, Night Owls was well worth the time it took to read it, and then some. That’s not to say that it was free of flaws, but there was a lot to admire, especially for a series opener.
There are two types of supernatural creatures in this world: Jackals or Creeps, vicious, bloodthirsty killing machines and vampires like Val. Val herself was a Hunter for many years. Her job was to find Jackals and kill them just as mercilessly as they killed humans everywhere. After a massacre only she survived, Val left hunting to other vampires and opened a small bookstore that she runs with the help of her Renfield, Chaz.
Flawed or not, Night Owls is a valiant attempt to introduce some changes into the urban fantasy genre. The first is a notable absence of romance, which takes us back to the early days of UF and its very roots. Secondly, the third person multiple perspectives narrative, by definition foreign to this genre and not at all well suited for it. The first attempt can easily be described as praiseworthy and mostly successful. The absence of romantic entanglements between the five core characters allowed other, some would say more important storylines to stand out and kept the focus exactly where it’s supposed to be – on the main plot. The narrative mode, however wasn’t nearly as successful, and this is where the lack of romance did some serious harm. With no couple to get emotionally invested in, the distance between reader and character, created by the author’s choice of narrative mode,
For all the novelty it brings in structure, Night School is thematically old school urban fantasy, my very favorite kind. We have a decent mythology-based world, excellent protagonists and plenty of action to keep us entertained. While there’s no romance to speak of, it is by no means an emotionally empty book. Quite the contrary: these characters give us plenty to worry about.
All things considered, Night Owls is an exciting start to what promises to be a great new urban fantasy series. Book 2 hasn’t been announced yet, but I hope we’ll have a release date soon.
I always have high hopes when I start a new urban fantasy series. Nothing makes me happier than a good book within my favorite genre so I’ve always been willing to dig very deep in order to find one. Thankfully, Night Owls was well worth the time it took to read it, and then some. That’s not to say that it was free of flaws, but there was a lot to admire, especially for a series opener.
There are two types of supernatural creatures in this world: Jackals or Creeps, vicious, bloodthirsty killing machines and vampires like Val. Val herself was a Hunter for many years. Her job was to find Jackals and kill them just as mercilessly as they killed humans everywhere. After a massacre only she survived, Val left hunting to other vampires and opened a small bookstore that she runs with the help of her Renfield, Chaz.
Flawed or not, Night Owls is a valiant attempt to introduce some changes into the urban fantasy genre. The first is a notable absence of romance, which takes us back to the early days of UF and its very roots. Secondly, the third person multiple perspectives narrative, by definition foreign to this genre and not at all well suited for it. The first attempt can easily be described as praiseworthy and mostly successful. The absence of romantic entanglements between the five core characters allowed other, some would say more important storylines to stand out and kept the focus exactly where it’s supposed to be – on the main plot. The narrative mode, however wasn’t nearly as successful, and this is where the lack of romance did some serious harm. With no couple to get emotionally invested in, the distance between reader and character, created by the author’s choice of narrative mode,
For all the novelty it brings in structure, Night School is thematically old school urban fantasy, my very favorite kind. We have a decent mythology-based world, excellent protagonists and plenty of action to keep us entertained. While there’s no romance to speak of, it is by no means an emotionally empty book. Quite the contrary: these characters give us plenty to worry about.
All things considered, Night Owls is an exciting start to what promises to be a great new urban fantasy series. Book 2 hasn’t been announced yet, but I hope we’ll have a release date soon.
March 13, 2014
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
Score one to this book for having a protagonist who is a bookseller. And bonus points for her being a vampire too. The title of this novel is actually in reference to the bookstore she runs, a quaint little place on a college campus called Night Owls which is open to 3am every night. Now why can't there be something that awesome around where I live? I'd spend all my insomnia-ridden nights there with a big mug of tea and a good book.
Meet Valerie McTeague, sleeping the sleep of the dead by day, providing the students of Edgewood a study haven by night. No more hunting Jackals for her; she's done with that life and has left it all behind, settling into a quiet routine with the help of her human servant Chaz.
But unfortunately for Val, that life isn't done with her. Trouble lands on her doorstep in the form of Elly Garrett, who has a magical book the Jackals want. However, the book manages to transfer its information into the mind of Justin, a Night Owls employee who gets more than he bargained for when he unwittingly trips the wards on the old tome. The werewolf-like shapeshifting Jackals have already killed Elly's mentor, so you can be sure nothing would stop them from killing Justin too. Val and Chaz have no choice but to seek help from the warlock Cavale, who also happens to be Elly's estranged brother.
Overall, Night Owls has a plot that is both clever and brisk, full of windy twists and turns and yet someone all those story threads manage to come together in the end. That said, the flow felt a bit disjointed until I grew more accustomed to the structure and style of storytelling. We have several perspectives in play here and with Val being a vampire, the book almost has this day-night cycle feel going on as one of our main protagonists always has to sleep away the daylight hours. You won't get a lot of rehashing as the main narrative is always picked up by the next POV right where the last one ends, so if you don't keep up you'll feel like you're missing something.
Happily, the book firmly establishes its rhythm once the characters are united and find their synergy. The story picks up considerably at this point, and the different relationships made it even better. There are clearly some serious issues between foster siblings Elly and Cavale, which causes a lot of tension in spite of the obvious love they have for each other. Something also seems to be brewing between Elly and Justin, a future romance perhaps? And unless my eyes deceive me, Val and Chaz seem to have something to work out too, in their complicated vampire-Renfield relationship.
In the end, I liked this one. Because I read so much urban fantasy though, I can't help but be a bit picky. When it comes to this genre, I don't often find myself blown away by "Book 1s", but a lot of my favorite series have started out by hooking me with the first book and only wowing me later on. This book has that feel, and as such it's definitely one I'll want to stick with.
Admittedly, you're probably not going to find anything too new in Night Owls at this early stage, but if the story description interests you and if you enjoy the genre it should settle quite comfortably. An action-filled plot, a "Scooby Gang" type ensemble cast, and a world full of supernatural creatures and beings should make the UF fan feel right at home. All things considered, it has everything to make it a promising start to a new series -- great world, great characters, and most importantly, a great story with lots of potential for more!
Score one to this book for having a protagonist who is a bookseller. And bonus points for her being a vampire too. The title of this novel is actually in reference to the bookstore she runs, a quaint little place on a college campus called Night Owls which is open to 3am every night. Now why can't there be something that awesome around where I live? I'd spend all my insomnia-ridden nights there with a big mug of tea and a good book.
Meet Valerie McTeague, sleeping the sleep of the dead by day, providing the students of Edgewood a study haven by night. No more hunting Jackals for her; she's done with that life and has left it all behind, settling into a quiet routine with the help of her human servant Chaz.
But unfortunately for Val, that life isn't done with her. Trouble lands on her doorstep in the form of Elly Garrett, who has a magical book the Jackals want. However, the book manages to transfer its information into the mind of Justin, a Night Owls employee who gets more than he bargained for when he unwittingly trips the wards on the old tome. The werewolf-like shapeshifting Jackals have already killed Elly's mentor, so you can be sure nothing would stop them from killing Justin too. Val and Chaz have no choice but to seek help from the warlock Cavale, who also happens to be Elly's estranged brother.
Overall, Night Owls has a plot that is both clever and brisk, full of windy twists and turns and yet someone all those story threads manage to come together in the end. That said, the flow felt a bit disjointed until I grew more accustomed to the structure and style of storytelling. We have several perspectives in play here and with Val being a vampire, the book almost has this day-night cycle feel going on as one of our main protagonists always has to sleep away the daylight hours. You won't get a lot of rehashing as the main narrative is always picked up by the next POV right where the last one ends, so if you don't keep up you'll feel like you're missing something.
Happily, the book firmly establishes its rhythm once the characters are united and find their synergy. The story picks up considerably at this point, and the different relationships made it even better. There are clearly some serious issues between foster siblings Elly and Cavale, which causes a lot of tension in spite of the obvious love they have for each other. Something also seems to be brewing between Elly and Justin, a future romance perhaps? And unless my eyes deceive me, Val and Chaz seem to have something to work out too, in their complicated vampire-Renfield relationship.
In the end, I liked this one. Because I read so much urban fantasy though, I can't help but be a bit picky. When it comes to this genre, I don't often find myself blown away by "Book 1s", but a lot of my favorite series have started out by hooking me with the first book and only wowing me later on. This book has that feel, and as such it's definitely one I'll want to stick with.
Admittedly, you're probably not going to find anything too new in Night Owls at this early stage, but if the story description interests you and if you enjoy the genre it should settle quite comfortably. An action-filled plot, a "Scooby Gang" type ensemble cast, and a world full of supernatural creatures and beings should make the UF fan feel right at home. All things considered, it has everything to make it a promising start to a new series -- great world, great characters, and most importantly, a great story with lots of potential for more!
Read
August 15, 2016A vampire bookstore owner. That sounded like a book for me! And it was...okay.
You know, I think I would have preferred a slice of life vampire bookstore owner, rather than an ex-Hunter dealing with all the trouble that turned up in town.
There were none of the obnoxious things that usually turn me off urban fantasy/paranormal, but at the same time...the story has two main female POV's. One's the vampire/ex-Hunter, and the other's a teen who has been raised as a monster hunter. Pretty bad-ass, you'd think, the pair of them. And yet there was a lot of being off-foot, apologetic, less knowledgeable than that guy over there kind of thing going on.
Nothing wrong with the book - I think a lot of people would like it - just wasn't what I was hoping for, I guess.
You know, I think I would have preferred a slice of life vampire bookstore owner, rather than an ex-Hunter dealing with all the trouble that turned up in town.
There were none of the obnoxious things that usually turn me off urban fantasy/paranormal, but at the same time...the story has two main female POV's. One's the vampire/ex-Hunter, and the other's a teen who has been raised as a monster hunter. Pretty bad-ass, you'd think, the pair of them. And yet there was a lot of being off-foot, apologetic, less knowledgeable than that guy over there kind of thing going on.
Nothing wrong with the book - I think a lot of people would like it - just wasn't what I was hoping for, I guess.
March 1, 2014
http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/02/...
So, maybe you’re like me, and there hasn’t been a ton of stuff in the urban fantasy realm lately that’s floatin’ your boat. There are a couple of standout series, but other than that…but I digress. What I’m trying to say, I guess, is that I think Lauren M Roy might be onto something with Night Owls. As the book opens, a young woman named Elly is on the run from something she calls a Creep, but their kind are also called Jackals. In her possession is a book that the Jackals want, but Elly doesn’t know why, she just knows that her mentor died for it and she can’t let it fall into their hands. What she thinks is a safe haven turns out to be just the opposite, and she finds herself asking someone she hasn’t seen for two years for help, a young man named Cavale, who she was raised with and considers her brother, if not in blood, certainly in spirit. Cavale’s friends end up getting involved too, and that’s where the real fun starts, because Cavale’s friends are actually pretty awesome. Val McTeague is a world weary vampire that runs the titular bookstore along with her friend, and Renfield, Chaz. Also in the mix are two lesbian succubi, Sunny and Lia, that delight in taking the form of your biggest crush, although they only crush on each other. And here you were thinking “oh no, not another vampire.” I like that Val is a bit of a loner and doesn’t like to call on other vampires unless absolutely necessary, and she loathes having to feed. She’s a conflicted lady, but she has a heart of gold, even if it’s not beating. Chaz is to-the-bone loyal to Val, and you’ll want to keep an eye out for a scene between him and the succubi that’s very revealing, but it’s probably not what you think. Elly is adrift without her mentor, Father Value, but she’s quite a hand with magic and she’s glad to be rebuilding a relationship with Cavale, who left her and Father Value under unhappy circumstances. There’s also a student, and Night Owl employee, Justin, who becomes involved with the book very intimately, and his sweetly awkward scenes with the tough, but somewhat naive, Elly are adorable.
So, yes, the book! This book could have the power to bring the Jackals down, if only it can be decoded, but it could also help them increase their numbers, so you can see how it’s a very big deal, and it’s up to the gang to make sure they don’t get it. Easier said than done, because the Jackals are nasty, nasty customers. There are some crackling fight scenes and plenty of action, but where this book was strongest was in how it defined a family as much more than flesh and blood. I have to admit to liking Val the best, and the last third is especially enlightening since the Boston Strigoi (those vamps that Val wants nothing to do with), is called in to help. There’s quite a history there, and it made me want to learn so much more about Val (can you say vamp politics and a painful past?). Night Owls is a solid, just plain fun urban fantasy with flawed, but interesting characters, and some very nasty baddies,and I’m looking forward to spending more time with this very peculiar group of friends.
So, maybe you’re like me, and there hasn’t been a ton of stuff in the urban fantasy realm lately that’s floatin’ your boat. There are a couple of standout series, but other than that…but I digress. What I’m trying to say, I guess, is that I think Lauren M Roy might be onto something with Night Owls. As the book opens, a young woman named Elly is on the run from something she calls a Creep, but their kind are also called Jackals. In her possession is a book that the Jackals want, but Elly doesn’t know why, she just knows that her mentor died for it and she can’t let it fall into their hands. What she thinks is a safe haven turns out to be just the opposite, and she finds herself asking someone she hasn’t seen for two years for help, a young man named Cavale, who she was raised with and considers her brother, if not in blood, certainly in spirit. Cavale’s friends end up getting involved too, and that’s where the real fun starts, because Cavale’s friends are actually pretty awesome. Val McTeague is a world weary vampire that runs the titular bookstore along with her friend, and Renfield, Chaz. Also in the mix are two lesbian succubi, Sunny and Lia, that delight in taking the form of your biggest crush, although they only crush on each other. And here you were thinking “oh no, not another vampire.” I like that Val is a bit of a loner and doesn’t like to call on other vampires unless absolutely necessary, and she loathes having to feed. She’s a conflicted lady, but she has a heart of gold, even if it’s not beating. Chaz is to-the-bone loyal to Val, and you’ll want to keep an eye out for a scene between him and the succubi that’s very revealing, but it’s probably not what you think. Elly is adrift without her mentor, Father Value, but she’s quite a hand with magic and she’s glad to be rebuilding a relationship with Cavale, who left her and Father Value under unhappy circumstances. There’s also a student, and Night Owl employee, Justin, who becomes involved with the book very intimately, and his sweetly awkward scenes with the tough, but somewhat naive, Elly are adorable.
So, yes, the book! This book could have the power to bring the Jackals down, if only it can be decoded, but it could also help them increase their numbers, so you can see how it’s a very big deal, and it’s up to the gang to make sure they don’t get it. Easier said than done, because the Jackals are nasty, nasty customers. There are some crackling fight scenes and plenty of action, but where this book was strongest was in how it defined a family as much more than flesh and blood. I have to admit to liking Val the best, and the last third is especially enlightening since the Boston Strigoi (those vamps that Val wants nothing to do with), is called in to help. There’s quite a history there, and it made me want to learn so much more about Val (can you say vamp politics and a painful past?). Night Owls is a solid, just plain fun urban fantasy with flawed, but interesting characters, and some very nasty baddies,and I’m looking forward to spending more time with this very peculiar group of friends.
February 26, 2014
I didn't get very far through the blurb for NIGHT OWLS before I knew I had to read it. Vampire bookstore owner? Yes, please. (I was ultimately a little disappointed that there wasn't more bookstore-ing.)
NIGHT OWLS has a fairly expansive cast. There's Valerie, the vampire bookstore owner, and her Renfield and another bookstore employee. There's Elly, a Creep-hunter out to avenge her mentor, and her estranged brother. (And a few allies.) You see, in the world of NIGHT OWLS there's more than one kind of human-eating monster. The Creeps are dying off, but they might've found a way to reproduce. It's up to the five good guys and their friends to stop them.
The large cast kept me from falling entirely in love. They were appealing character types, but there were so many main characters to be sold on at once. (Especially when almost all of them have at least a little mysterious past to be revealed.) I would've preferred a tighter focus in NIGHT OWLS, perhaps just on Valerie and Elly, to be expanded in the future books of the series.
NIGHT OWLS does introduce an appealing world. The Creeps are being led by a new, mysterious smart Creep. Valerie is being sucked by into vampire politics - and Elly might be getting sucked in too. There wasn't anything that particularly struck me in NIGHT OWLS; it's fairly standard urban fantasy fare. At the same time, it's not a string of bad cliches.
NIGHT OWLS doesn't reinvent the genre, but if you want a book about a vampire bookstore owner, it's the only one I know.
February 24, 2014
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
NIGHT OWLS is the start of a fun new urban fantasy series that will likely appeal to the book worm in all of us (and if you’re here, you probably like books at least as much as I do). Starring a vampire who runs a bookstore and a cast of other quirky characters, it’s quite original with a lot to like. Roy puts a spin on Urban Fantasy in this one, with a different take on shape-shifting monsters, and a Brotherhood of humans, along with vampires that hunt them.
I’ll admit that I started reading NIGHT OWLS two months before I finished it. Usually, when I take a break that long when reading a book, I’ve completely forgotten about what is going on. Not with NIGHT OWLS – it stuck with me, and I only had to backtrack few pages to get caught up on a conversation. One of my favorite things about NIGHT OWLS was the wide variety of characters. There was the vampire Val, who owned the bookstore, Elly, the young Creep fighter, and Chaz, Valerie’s Renfield, amongst many others. The relationships between the characters were great to watch- Chaz and Valerie’s relationship especially. Plus, we have Elly, the girl who’s been trained to fight Creeps her whole life contrasted with Justin, the book-smart college student who she has to spend a few hours showing how to use a stake, just to make sure he doesn’t accidentally poke himself. Getting to know the characters and their different backstories was one of the best parts.
The one issue I had with NIGHT OWLS was the weird way the point of view changed- sometimes it felt like it switched mid-paragraph. It got a little frustrating because it felt like the reader was jumping between the different character’s heads. However, it wasn’t ever an issue of being confused as to who was the focus, it was mainly the jerkiness of the transitions that bothered me.
NIGHT OWLS is a good read and lots of fun. It was action-packed, with an ending that I completely didn’t expect, and hints of more drama and mystery to come. Coupled with the humor and the interesting cast of characters (plus a bookstore!!), I know that I plan on coming back for the rest of the Night Owls series!
Sexual content: References to sex
NIGHT OWLS is the start of a fun new urban fantasy series that will likely appeal to the book worm in all of us (and if you’re here, you probably like books at least as much as I do). Starring a vampire who runs a bookstore and a cast of other quirky characters, it’s quite original with a lot to like. Roy puts a spin on Urban Fantasy in this one, with a different take on shape-shifting monsters, and a Brotherhood of humans, along with vampires that hunt them.
I’ll admit that I started reading NIGHT OWLS two months before I finished it. Usually, when I take a break that long when reading a book, I’ve completely forgotten about what is going on. Not with NIGHT OWLS – it stuck with me, and I only had to backtrack few pages to get caught up on a conversation. One of my favorite things about NIGHT OWLS was the wide variety of characters. There was the vampire Val, who owned the bookstore, Elly, the young Creep fighter, and Chaz, Valerie’s Renfield, amongst many others. The relationships between the characters were great to watch- Chaz and Valerie’s relationship especially. Plus, we have Elly, the girl who’s been trained to fight Creeps her whole life contrasted with Justin, the book-smart college student who she has to spend a few hours showing how to use a stake, just to make sure he doesn’t accidentally poke himself. Getting to know the characters and their different backstories was one of the best parts.
The one issue I had with NIGHT OWLS was the weird way the point of view changed- sometimes it felt like it switched mid-paragraph. It got a little frustrating because it felt like the reader was jumping between the different character’s heads. However, it wasn’t ever an issue of being confused as to who was the focus, it was mainly the jerkiness of the transitions that bothered me.
NIGHT OWLS is a good read and lots of fun. It was action-packed, with an ending that I completely didn’t expect, and hints of more drama and mystery to come. Coupled with the humor and the interesting cast of characters (plus a bookstore!!), I know that I plan on coming back for the rest of the Night Owls series!
Sexual content: References to sex
June 9, 2018
It was good. In fact, better than I thought it would be. The supernatural world is different from the norm which is refreshing. The story went from predominately Elly's life to Val and her crew seamlessly.
For this being the first book in the series it wasn't weighed down with a ton of backstory and getting to know the characters. This series can go in so many different and equally interesting ways. I look forward to reading the next book and learning more about the characters.
For this being the first book in the series it wasn't weighed down with a ton of backstory and getting to know the characters. This series can go in so many different and equally interesting ways. I look forward to reading the next book and learning more about the characters.
February 19, 2014
3.5 stars
See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!
I am always on the lookout for great new Urban Fantasy series and Night Owls just might fit the bill. The story started out a little rough around the edges and had some growing pains, but I was completely on board by the end. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the group of main characters and think a lot of fascinating stories could come out of this world.
Don't let the synopsis fool you; Night Owls is more than a two-woman show. I enjoyed the "Scooby Gang" feel (BtVS fans, holla!) with the different characters and thought the time dedicated to each was divided well. I think Elly was my favorite because she seems to have the most layers waiting to be pulled back, but I enjoyed learning about everyone. Vampire Val and her Renfield Chaz were both sweet and hilarious; Justin represented the naiveté of an average human; and Cavale was dark and mysterious, but I loved his awkward sibling relationship with Elly. Each character brought something unique to the group and they were all connected believably. Also, the succubi side characters, Sunny and Lia, were pretty amazing as well. They were both so empathetic but kept in light in a very humorous way. I would love the see them reappear in future novels.
The story in Night Owls was pretty straightforward -- Elly is protecting a book from the Creeps, sort of a vampire-werewolf-ghoul hybrid race, because it will tell them how to start breeding again. She ends up on the doorstep of a college professor that worked with her now deceased mentor and he takes her in. He then gives the book to one of his research students, Justin, to deliver to Val for safe keeping. Elly and the professor are attacked by Creeps and, while Elly is able to escape, the professor and his wife are killed. Elly takes shelter with her estranged brother, Cavale, who just happens to be an associate of Val and Chaz and tada... our Scooby Gang comes together. When Justin opens the book, the information plants itself in his brain and the Creeps will stop at nothing to get it back. Val, Chaz, Elly, and Cavale all have to work together to protect Justin from the Creeps and figure out a way to get the information back in the book.
Night Owls started off a little slow as we were being introduced to the main characters, Elly and Val most heavily. I wanted everyone to just hurry up and start working together! Once that happened, the story ramped up and the pace was much quicker. I liked learning about Elly and Cavale's upbringing on the fringes of the Brotherhood, a secret Creep hunting society, and I enjoyed learning more about Val's vampire life before she settled in New England. Chaz's life before Val is still much of a mystery, but his current care and concern for her shone through in everything he did. Justin was a sweet heart and took everything pretty well in stride, but I am very eager to see how he acclimates in the next book to the changes he undergoes in Night Owls. I think that he and Elly could have a very interesting dynamic as well; it should be interesting (to say the least) to see it play out.
One aspect that I am very excited to learn more about is the connection between Elly and Cavale. They were raised as siblings even though they aren't by blood. They were trained to fight and some of their magic was on display here, but I want to know more about them. I want to know just what they can do and how powerful they truly are. It seems like they each have their specialties, but I wonder what else they can do. I also want to know more about the mystery behind Elly's parents. No spoilers, but I see her parentage playing a big part in the next book.
Overall, I thought Night Owls was a good start to the series though it had a slightly shaky beginning. Power through the first 100 or so pages and I think you will find a delightful UF storyline with wicked awesome characters. I only see them growing in future books and can't wait to see how Lauren M. Roy develops and diversifies each character.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ace for providing an ARC copy of this book!
See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!
I am always on the lookout for great new Urban Fantasy series and Night Owls just might fit the bill. The story started out a little rough around the edges and had some growing pains, but I was completely on board by the end. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the group of main characters and think a lot of fascinating stories could come out of this world.
Don't let the synopsis fool you; Night Owls is more than a two-woman show. I enjoyed the "Scooby Gang" feel (BtVS fans, holla!) with the different characters and thought the time dedicated to each was divided well. I think Elly was my favorite because she seems to have the most layers waiting to be pulled back, but I enjoyed learning about everyone. Vampire Val and her Renfield Chaz were both sweet and hilarious; Justin represented the naiveté of an average human; and Cavale was dark and mysterious, but I loved his awkward sibling relationship with Elly. Each character brought something unique to the group and they were all connected believably. Also, the succubi side characters, Sunny and Lia, were pretty amazing as well. They were both so empathetic but kept in light in a very humorous way. I would love the see them reappear in future novels.
The story in Night Owls was pretty straightforward -- Elly is protecting a book from the Creeps, sort of a vampire-werewolf-ghoul hybrid race, because it will tell them how to start breeding again. She ends up on the doorstep of a college professor that worked with her now deceased mentor and he takes her in. He then gives the book to one of his research students, Justin, to deliver to Val for safe keeping. Elly and the professor are attacked by Creeps and, while Elly is able to escape, the professor and his wife are killed. Elly takes shelter with her estranged brother, Cavale, who just happens to be an associate of Val and Chaz and tada... our Scooby Gang comes together. When Justin opens the book, the information plants itself in his brain and the Creeps will stop at nothing to get it back. Val, Chaz, Elly, and Cavale all have to work together to protect Justin from the Creeps and figure out a way to get the information back in the book.
Night Owls started off a little slow as we were being introduced to the main characters, Elly and Val most heavily. I wanted everyone to just hurry up and start working together! Once that happened, the story ramped up and the pace was much quicker. I liked learning about Elly and Cavale's upbringing on the fringes of the Brotherhood, a secret Creep hunting society, and I enjoyed learning more about Val's vampire life before she settled in New England. Chaz's life before Val is still much of a mystery, but his current care and concern for her shone through in everything he did. Justin was a sweet heart and took everything pretty well in stride, but I am very eager to see how he acclimates in the next book to the changes he undergoes in Night Owls. I think that he and Elly could have a very interesting dynamic as well; it should be interesting (to say the least) to see it play out.
One aspect that I am very excited to learn more about is the connection between Elly and Cavale. They were raised as siblings even though they aren't by blood. They were trained to fight and some of their magic was on display here, but I want to know more about them. I want to know just what they can do and how powerful they truly are. It seems like they each have their specialties, but I wonder what else they can do. I also want to know more about the mystery behind Elly's parents. No spoilers, but I see her parentage playing a big part in the next book.
Overall, I thought Night Owls was a good start to the series though it had a slightly shaky beginning. Power through the first 100 or so pages and I think you will find a delightful UF storyline with wicked awesome characters. I only see them growing in future books and can't wait to see how Lauren M. Roy develops and diversifies each character.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ace for providing an ARC copy of this book!
February 15, 2014
Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy is a new urban fantasy series starring a new take on werewolves (adding in some creepy zombie elements), a couple of awesome heroines, solid friendships and sibling bonds, and an all-around intriguing new world! Night Owls borrows from more traditional fantasy in that it has several characters who all tell the story through multiple points of view, making it a well-rounded book with primary and secondary characters with surprising depth. I’m generally a bit stingy when it comes to urban fantasy since I’m such a fan girl of my favorite series, but Night Owls has managed to convince me to add another UF series to my must-read list! So when is book two coming out???? >.> Make sure to enter the giveaway (US only, sorry!) at the bottom of the post so you can enjoy this new series too!
Note: I received Night Owls from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Strengths:
Night Owls is so much fun! The writing is fast, the characters are witty, the ending left me wanting more. Night Owls definitely captured the addictive quality of the urban fantasy genre.
In the world of Night Owls, there aren’t your typical werewolves. Instead, there are Jackals, which are kind of a mix of werewolves and zombies! I’m suspicious there will be some Egyptian mythology thrown in in the future as we figure out more about Jackals, and I’m freaking pumped :D. I love it when urban fantasy stories manage to take familiar elements and add a new twist to them.
The plot of Night Owls is exciting and interesting. Right from the start we are wondering what is so important about this book that the Jackals are hunting our heroine for. I really enjoyed finding the answers alongside the characters and really never felt things lagged.
Urban fantasy traditionally focuses on one main character right? Well, Night Owls has multiple PoVs including a number of chapters from secondary characters’ perspectives. I thought this worked great to convey more depth for each of the characters (seeing them from other perspectives was cool) and what all was going on in the plot.
Weaknesses:
Night Owls didn’t provide quite as much information as I expect from a first in series. Sure we don’t want to be overwhelmed, but I don’t like having too many basic world-building questions left over. One of the main questions I had while reading was the title of Renfield for the vampire’s assistant. Obviously if you are familiar with Dracula, you will catch this reference, but if you aren’t then you will probably be pretty confused. In any case, that’s the name of Dracula’s servant, but Night Owls doesn’t actually explain that. I’m also still wondering a lot about the Jackals’ origins and kind of expect a new critter to be explained more since we can’t make as many assumptions about them.
The Jackals have another nickname, “Creeps” which just really felt out of place to me. I don’t really see the need for this species to have two names and whenever Elly used the word, I got thrown out of the story a bit.
Night Owls uses a dialogue technique from time to time that just didn’t work for me. At times, the characters will use sentence fragments where ellipses or commas seemed more appropriate. I ended up saying the dialogue in my head to see if I was missing some special emphasis but came to the conclusion that I wasn’t. There is also some slang that I don’t think is common day slang but also seemed odd to be newly created. Though perhaps I’m just not hip ;-).
Summary:
Night Owls has a couple of quirks but is otherwise an excellent new addition to the urban fantasy genre. I’m a huge Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs fan, so I highly recommend you check out Night Owls if you like those two urban fantasy writers. Night Owls is a bit interesting for an urban fantasy since it has almost no romance, though room for a slow burn later in the series makes me happy. I’m thinking this is going to be another favorite urban fantasy series for my list! And seriously, when is book two coming out??
Note: I received Night Owls from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Strengths:
Night Owls is so much fun! The writing is fast, the characters are witty, the ending left me wanting more. Night Owls definitely captured the addictive quality of the urban fantasy genre.
In the world of Night Owls, there aren’t your typical werewolves. Instead, there are Jackals, which are kind of a mix of werewolves and zombies! I’m suspicious there will be some Egyptian mythology thrown in in the future as we figure out more about Jackals, and I’m freaking pumped :D. I love it when urban fantasy stories manage to take familiar elements and add a new twist to them.
The plot of Night Owls is exciting and interesting. Right from the start we are wondering what is so important about this book that the Jackals are hunting our heroine for. I really enjoyed finding the answers alongside the characters and really never felt things lagged.
Urban fantasy traditionally focuses on one main character right? Well, Night Owls has multiple PoVs including a number of chapters from secondary characters’ perspectives. I thought this worked great to convey more depth for each of the characters (seeing them from other perspectives was cool) and what all was going on in the plot.
Weaknesses:
Night Owls didn’t provide quite as much information as I expect from a first in series. Sure we don’t want to be overwhelmed, but I don’t like having too many basic world-building questions left over. One of the main questions I had while reading was the title of Renfield for the vampire’s assistant. Obviously if you are familiar with Dracula, you will catch this reference, but if you aren’t then you will probably be pretty confused. In any case, that’s the name of Dracula’s servant, but Night Owls doesn’t actually explain that. I’m also still wondering a lot about the Jackals’ origins and kind of expect a new critter to be explained more since we can’t make as many assumptions about them.
The Jackals have another nickname, “Creeps” which just really felt out of place to me. I don’t really see the need for this species to have two names and whenever Elly used the word, I got thrown out of the story a bit.
Night Owls uses a dialogue technique from time to time that just didn’t work for me. At times, the characters will use sentence fragments where ellipses or commas seemed more appropriate. I ended up saying the dialogue in my head to see if I was missing some special emphasis but came to the conclusion that I wasn’t. There is also some slang that I don’t think is common day slang but also seemed odd to be newly created. Though perhaps I’m just not hip ;-).
Summary:
Night Owls has a couple of quirks but is otherwise an excellent new addition to the urban fantasy genre. I’m a huge Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs fan, so I highly recommend you check out Night Owls if you like those two urban fantasy writers. Night Owls is a bit interesting for an urban fantasy since it has almost no romance, though room for a slow burn later in the series makes me happy. I’m thinking this is going to be another favorite urban fantasy series for my list! And seriously, when is book two coming out??
September 8, 2016
Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks
Night Owls is the first book in a shiny new urban fantasy series by Lauren M. Roy. It can’t be easy writing a new urban fantasy series these days because really, most things have been done. Crazy blood sucking vampires – done. Werewolves who are…wolfish – done. Witches, hunters, fighter, protectors – done. So where authors can’t really find new stuff to include in their books anymore, they do have to find a way to present it in a new and interesting way. I feel Lauren did that in her debut. Nothing is so farfetched that you are left wondering why she went there but they are just unique enough to keep you captivated.
Night Owls is a college area bookstore owned by a vampire, Val. I actually really liked Val and I really enjoyed her Renfield (daytime human helper) Chaz. They have been friends for five years and have grown to depend on each other. There is nothing romantic there (‘yet’ I’m hoping) but their friendship-chemistry is really well written. Val has decided to redefine herself not long ago but what she is not wanting to face may be coming back to find her. She is a strong character, very loyal and with tons of integrity, as is Chaz, and I look forward to reading more about them in future installments.
Elly is the other main lady in this series. She is a Hunter of sorts and in possession of a book that the bad guys, the Creeps, really want. The Creeps are pretty much werewolves and they are not nice. At all. I did feel for Elly and her circumstance but I can’t say I felt much for her as a character. Not sure why, honestly. It’s not that we didn’t get enough back info about her and she wasn’t annoying or anything of the sort. I just didn’t click with her. But I am not against reading more of her so I guess that is a good sign.
Cavale was a very interesting character as well as Lia and Sunny. A warlock and two succubi. They are strong supporting characters that really bring something special to the story. Justin is another supporting character who goes through a whole lot in this book and who I found was well written. In fact, there is a pretty impressive twist or ten that involve him.
As for the story, it was very well paced and interesting. The book Elly has is finally given to the Creeps but there is one thing wrong – something is missing from it. So basically, where did it go and how to get to it once it’s found… You meet people here and there, bad guys and good guys, to keep things interesting as you are brought along from one twist to another. I liked the story, a lot. I thought I was well planned out and felt just different enough to keep me engrossed.
All in all, I was very pleased with Night Owls. An impressive debut that promises at more exciting things to come. The way it ended was not expected and left me even more curious about what will happen in the next book. Hoping it’s release date isn’t too far away.
4.5 stars
Night Owls is the first book in a shiny new urban fantasy series by Lauren M. Roy. It can’t be easy writing a new urban fantasy series these days because really, most things have been done. Crazy blood sucking vampires – done. Werewolves who are…wolfish – done. Witches, hunters, fighter, protectors – done. So where authors can’t really find new stuff to include in their books anymore, they do have to find a way to present it in a new and interesting way. I feel Lauren did that in her debut. Nothing is so farfetched that you are left wondering why she went there but they are just unique enough to keep you captivated.
Night Owls is a college area bookstore owned by a vampire, Val. I actually really liked Val and I really enjoyed her Renfield (daytime human helper) Chaz. They have been friends for five years and have grown to depend on each other. There is nothing romantic there (‘yet’ I’m hoping) but their friendship-chemistry is really well written. Val has decided to redefine herself not long ago but what she is not wanting to face may be coming back to find her. She is a strong character, very loyal and with tons of integrity, as is Chaz, and I look forward to reading more about them in future installments.
Elly is the other main lady in this series. She is a Hunter of sorts and in possession of a book that the bad guys, the Creeps, really want. The Creeps are pretty much werewolves and they are not nice. At all. I did feel for Elly and her circumstance but I can’t say I felt much for her as a character. Not sure why, honestly. It’s not that we didn’t get enough back info about her and she wasn’t annoying or anything of the sort. I just didn’t click with her. But I am not against reading more of her so I guess that is a good sign.
Cavale was a very interesting character as well as Lia and Sunny. A warlock and two succubi. They are strong supporting characters that really bring something special to the story. Justin is another supporting character who goes through a whole lot in this book and who I found was well written. In fact, there is a pretty impressive twist or ten that involve him.
As for the story, it was very well paced and interesting. The book Elly has is finally given to the Creeps but there is one thing wrong – something is missing from it. So basically, where did it go and how to get to it once it’s found… You meet people here and there, bad guys and good guys, to keep things interesting as you are brought along from one twist to another. I liked the story, a lot. I thought I was well planned out and felt just different enough to keep me engrossed.
All in all, I was very pleased with Night Owls. An impressive debut that promises at more exciting things to come. The way it ended was not expected and left me even more curious about what will happen in the next book. Hoping it’s release date isn’t too far away.
4.5 stars
April 20, 2014
Okay, how could I resist that blurb? Roy had me at 'book store" and "late night"; heck she had me at the title as I'm a night owl myself. Throw in vampires, succubi and werewolf-type beings and I was sold. :D There wasn't nearly enough time in the book store but maybe in future books.
The werewolf-type beings, known as Jackals or Creeps, are a cross, sort of, between vampires and weres with some zombie thrown in, but are closest to vamps. I actually didn't find them all that creepy but I did like seeing them in their different forms and how they are capable of conning and hypnotizing humans. They were interesting beings promise to be strong foils for future stories.
Roy sets up several threads - Val's history as a hunter, her conflict with the nearest group or coven of vampires, Elly's devotion to her foster father and her hunger for a home, Chaz's unrequited feelings for Val and his devotion to her, the war between vampires and Creeps, and the oh-so-interesting secret semi-religious group, the Brotherhood - some of which are resolved in this book and some are left open-ended. I found the beginning of the book to be slow despite starting with a bang. I almost gave up on it a few times but then somewhere around a hundred pages in, I was hooked. I wanted to know more, find out what happened, and spend time with the cast. There's a good-sized with a sort of Scooby Doo gang feel. We get a mix of clichés and originality, some predictable events and some genuine twists.
Being a first book, there's a lot of laying the foundation, though as I mentioned, Roy doesn't answer every question. The pacing is slow at first and the head hopping (there are multiple POVs) might be too much for some readers but if you stick with it, the story is worth it. There are secrets galore, lots of action, humor, a hint of romance, and a nice mixing of mythologies. "Night Owls" is a good start to a new series and I’m looking forward to the next book.
The werewolf-type beings, known as Jackals or Creeps, are a cross, sort of, between vampires and weres with some zombie thrown in, but are closest to vamps. I actually didn't find them all that creepy but I did like seeing them in their different forms and how they are capable of conning and hypnotizing humans. They were interesting beings promise to be strong foils for future stories.
Roy sets up several threads - Val's history as a hunter, her conflict with the nearest group or coven of vampires, Elly's devotion to her foster father and her hunger for a home, Chaz's unrequited feelings for Val and his devotion to her, the war between vampires and Creeps, and the oh-so-interesting secret semi-religious group, the Brotherhood - some of which are resolved in this book and some are left open-ended. I found the beginning of the book to be slow despite starting with a bang. I almost gave up on it a few times but then somewhere around a hundred pages in, I was hooked. I wanted to know more, find out what happened, and spend time with the cast. There's a good-sized with a sort of Scooby Doo gang feel. We get a mix of clichés and originality, some predictable events and some genuine twists.
Being a first book, there's a lot of laying the foundation, though as I mentioned, Roy doesn't answer every question. The pacing is slow at first and the head hopping (there are multiple POVs) might be too much for some readers but if you stick with it, the story is worth it. There are secrets galore, lots of action, humor, a hint of romance, and a nice mixing of mythologies. "Night Owls" is a good start to a new series and I’m looking forward to the next book.
December 18, 2013
I received this as an eARC from NetGalley. This first book in a new urban fantasy series gleefully mixes vampires, friendly demons, psychics, and evil were-jackals with everyday college town life. I was delighted to find one of the main characters, a vampire, owned a bookstore. Plus a very dangerous rare book is a catalyst for the plot. Fair warning, this is not a cozy tale. There's real danger, nice people die, there are some major fight scenes, and there are some scary implications for the next book in the series. I very much enjoyed this tale and am looking forward to that next book. Definitely recommended.
March 18, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Cannibalistic shapeshifters are after a book, one that happens to be in the hands of a group of humans, vampires, and a pair of lesbian succubi. This should prove to be an interesting confrontation…
Opening Sentence: Father Value had taught Elly everything she knew about living to see another day.
The Review:
I always go into first books in series with a little trepidation. With world building, character introduction, etc., they can sometimes be a bit rough. While Night Owls did have some issues, especially in regards to some of the character development, overall, it ended up being an enjoyable first book in a series that manages to wrap the main plot up while leaving enough open to instill a sense of excitement about the next book.
Elly doesn’t remember her parents. The only life she has ever known has involved being raised by a man known as Father Value. He taught her everything she knows about hunting Creeps, vicious cannibalistic shapeshifters. When Father Value is killed by the Creeps after stealing a book that holds the key to reviving Creeps’ ability to create more creatures like them, Elly takes the book and runs to the one person Father Value told her she could go to if something ever happened: a college professor named Clearwater.
Val is a vampire. She used to be a Hunter, specially trained to hunt and kill Jackals (vampires’ codename for Creeps), until a mission went terribly wrong. Now, she owns a college bookstore, running it with her Renfield, Chaz. One night, she discovers that Jackals are in town, but she has no idea why. The next day, one of her employees shows up with a book his professor asked him to bring to Val to keep safe. That night, Jackals attack, telling Val she has three days to deliver the book, or they will bring their entire nest to the bookstore. There’s just one problem: some of the pages in the book are blank, and the information seems to have transferred to her employee Justin’s head. Now, she, Elly, Chaz, and Justin must work together, along with Elly’s brother Cavale and a pair of lesbian succubi, to get the information out of Justin’s head and back into the book before the three days are up. Will they succeed, or will they have to fight?
While I largely enjoyed most of the book, I did have some trouble connecting to a few of the characters. Elly was the hardest for me to connect to, and I found myself not enjoying the chapters from her point of view as much as I enjoyed chapters from Val or Chaz’s point of view. While we learn a lot about Elly’s past, I just could never get a feel for her character, other than she’s had a hard life and isn’t very good socially. Chaz and Val, on the other hand, were much easier for me to connect to, and I loved their chapters. I loved seeing how their relationship as vampire and Renfield works. There is a lot of unspoken emotion between them, and I can’t wait for the day that it all comes out. Of the other characters who don’t act as narrators, I’m most interested in Justin. He goes through a lot of changes in this book, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how he adjusts.
The book moves very quickly. This is largely a good thing, but there were times that I felt I was missing something, almost as if there should have been a prequel. All of the information I was missing gets explained, but I didn’t like feeling lost in the beginning. It should also be mentioned that romance lovers might want to look elsewhere. This is definitely old school urban fantasy, with no romance going on, at least not in this first book. As much as I love romance, I don’t think this book suffered for not having any.
Overall, this is a promising first book in a series, filled with action and moments of humor. The issues I had were not enough to make me want to give up on the series. In fact, the way it ended left me very curious to see what’s going to happen in the next book. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Lauren M. Roy has to offer!
Notable Scene:
“Call me Helen. If things are as bad as I think they are, we may as well dispense with the formalities.”
“What do you mean, as bad as they are?”
Helen pursed her lips, as though searching for a delicate way to put it. “He kept Henry at a distance these last few years. For his ward to show up at our door in the middle of the night, I’d imagine the situation has to be particularly dire.”
She stepped back so Elly could get past her, then shut the door and turned the lock. Her hand fell gently on Elly’s shoulder.
“Otherwise…tell me, Elly. Is Father Value…?”
“Dead,” she said, and the weight of the last two nights crashed down on her at last. She tried taking a deep breath, but it turned into a sob. Another followed, then another. All she could see were Father Value’s eyes, cold and staring–the only part of his face she could even recognize under the blood and bruises.
Then Mrs. Clearwater–Helen–was there, pulling her into an embrace and murmuring nonsense words as she stroked Elly’s hair. That set off another spate of tears. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had held her like that, not even Father Value. No, that wasn’t true. She could remember, but it only dredged up a deeper hurt.
“I’m sorry,” she said after a while. She wrangled hold of the sadness and fear coursing through her and gave Helen a watery smile.
“Don’t be. Let’s get you some tea, and you can give me the short version before Henry gets home.”
Elly lifted her pack from where she’d dropped it and followed Helen further into the house. The pack felt heavier than it had before. I thought burdens were supposed to get lighter when you shared them.
Only, she wasn’t feeling any relief. Elly looked out a window into the night. Somewhere out there, the Creeps were coming. A day, maybe two, and they’d find her here. They wouldn’t be kind to anyone aiding her.
Burdens might get lighter, but guilt? guilt bears down harder.
First thing in the morning, I’ll go.
FTC Advisory: Ace/Penguin provided me with a copy of Night Owls. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Cannibalistic shapeshifters are after a book, one that happens to be in the hands of a group of humans, vampires, and a pair of lesbian succubi. This should prove to be an interesting confrontation…
Opening Sentence: Father Value had taught Elly everything she knew about living to see another day.
The Review:
I always go into first books in series with a little trepidation. With world building, character introduction, etc., they can sometimes be a bit rough. While Night Owls did have some issues, especially in regards to some of the character development, overall, it ended up being an enjoyable first book in a series that manages to wrap the main plot up while leaving enough open to instill a sense of excitement about the next book.
Elly doesn’t remember her parents. The only life she has ever known has involved being raised by a man known as Father Value. He taught her everything she knows about hunting Creeps, vicious cannibalistic shapeshifters. When Father Value is killed by the Creeps after stealing a book that holds the key to reviving Creeps’ ability to create more creatures like them, Elly takes the book and runs to the one person Father Value told her she could go to if something ever happened: a college professor named Clearwater.
Val is a vampire. She used to be a Hunter, specially trained to hunt and kill Jackals (vampires’ codename for Creeps), until a mission went terribly wrong. Now, she owns a college bookstore, running it with her Renfield, Chaz. One night, she discovers that Jackals are in town, but she has no idea why. The next day, one of her employees shows up with a book his professor asked him to bring to Val to keep safe. That night, Jackals attack, telling Val she has three days to deliver the book, or they will bring their entire nest to the bookstore. There’s just one problem: some of the pages in the book are blank, and the information seems to have transferred to her employee Justin’s head. Now, she, Elly, Chaz, and Justin must work together, along with Elly’s brother Cavale and a pair of lesbian succubi, to get the information out of Justin’s head and back into the book before the three days are up. Will they succeed, or will they have to fight?
While I largely enjoyed most of the book, I did have some trouble connecting to a few of the characters. Elly was the hardest for me to connect to, and I found myself not enjoying the chapters from her point of view as much as I enjoyed chapters from Val or Chaz’s point of view. While we learn a lot about Elly’s past, I just could never get a feel for her character, other than she’s had a hard life and isn’t very good socially. Chaz and Val, on the other hand, were much easier for me to connect to, and I loved their chapters. I loved seeing how their relationship as vampire and Renfield works. There is a lot of unspoken emotion between them, and I can’t wait for the day that it all comes out. Of the other characters who don’t act as narrators, I’m most interested in Justin. He goes through a lot of changes in this book, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how he adjusts.
The book moves very quickly. This is largely a good thing, but there were times that I felt I was missing something, almost as if there should have been a prequel. All of the information I was missing gets explained, but I didn’t like feeling lost in the beginning. It should also be mentioned that romance lovers might want to look elsewhere. This is definitely old school urban fantasy, with no romance going on, at least not in this first book. As much as I love romance, I don’t think this book suffered for not having any.
Overall, this is a promising first book in a series, filled with action and moments of humor. The issues I had were not enough to make me want to give up on the series. In fact, the way it ended left me very curious to see what’s going to happen in the next book. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Lauren M. Roy has to offer!
Notable Scene:
“Call me Helen. If things are as bad as I think they are, we may as well dispense with the formalities.”
“What do you mean, as bad as they are?”
Helen pursed her lips, as though searching for a delicate way to put it. “He kept Henry at a distance these last few years. For his ward to show up at our door in the middle of the night, I’d imagine the situation has to be particularly dire.”
She stepped back so Elly could get past her, then shut the door and turned the lock. Her hand fell gently on Elly’s shoulder.
“Otherwise…tell me, Elly. Is Father Value…?”
“Dead,” she said, and the weight of the last two nights crashed down on her at last. She tried taking a deep breath, but it turned into a sob. Another followed, then another. All she could see were Father Value’s eyes, cold and staring–the only part of his face she could even recognize under the blood and bruises.
Then Mrs. Clearwater–Helen–was there, pulling her into an embrace and murmuring nonsense words as she stroked Elly’s hair. That set off another spate of tears. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had held her like that, not even Father Value. No, that wasn’t true. She could remember, but it only dredged up a deeper hurt.
“I’m sorry,” she said after a while. She wrangled hold of the sadness and fear coursing through her and gave Helen a watery smile.
“Don’t be. Let’s get you some tea, and you can give me the short version before Henry gets home.”
Elly lifted her pack from where she’d dropped it and followed Helen further into the house. The pack felt heavier than it had before. I thought burdens were supposed to get lighter when you shared them.
Only, she wasn’t feeling any relief. Elly looked out a window into the night. Somewhere out there, the Creeps were coming. A day, maybe two, and they’d find her here. They wouldn’t be kind to anyone aiding her.
Burdens might get lighter, but guilt? guilt bears down harder.
First thing in the morning, I’ll go.
FTC Advisory: Ace/Penguin provided me with a copy of Night Owls. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 5, 2015
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
While I enjoyed Night Owls, I have to admit there was a good deal of frustration involved while reading this book. It suffers from very slow, yet extensive world building, something that unfortunately plagues many series starting books. Don't get me wrong I realize that these books have to introduce a whole new world to the reader, so there's a lot of set up involved, but the pacing more often than not seems to suffer in series openers, and that's exactly what happened here. I think a lot of those pacing issues were exasperated by the rotating third person perspectives. I just felt like I was in too many heads especially as the transitions were rather abrupt. First person narrative will always be my first love, but I don't necessarily mind third person , even rotating ones as long as there's only 2-3 total different voices in a book. In the case of Night Owls there were at least five, maybe more. I lost count. Granted it wasn't like I was ever confused as to whose head I was in, which is an impressive feat considering, it's just that I never really got the chance to settle into anyone and really enjoy things as it was constantly switching to the next person, making it really hard to connect with anyone.
Speaking of connection, I'm not shy about admitting that I really prefer there to be at least a hint of romance or at least the potential for some in my reading choices. Have I enjoyed Urban Fantasies without romance? Absolutely, but in those cases the rest of the book and/or character connection has to be incredibly strong to carry me without that romance element I love. Unfortunately that just wasn't the case here as there wasn't even a hint of romance (sure one character has a crush on another, but I honestly can't see it going anywhere.) and due to the rotation, I didn't grow attached to any of the characters.
Now that my complaints are out of the way, let's talk about why I did enjoy this book and despite the flaws, it earns a solid 3 from me. Remember me talking about the world building up there, how it was slow but heavy? Well despite the slowness, the world building probably was the best part of this book. I'm really fascinated with the different angles, factions, and species that are intertwined into this book. Between the Brotherhood, the Creeps/Jackals, the vamps, demons, and humans, there's a whole lot going on, yet it's woven together well. Add in the uniqueness, which is something that's not frequently able to be said about vampire novels, and it's a very intrigue and entertaining world. I do have high hopes for this series, as I'll largely admit I've felt rather mediocre to a lot of series opening books, and wound up loving the sequels immensely. So all in all, issues aside, Night Owls is a pretty decent start to a unique urban fantasy world that I'll be looking for more from.
While I enjoyed Night Owls, I have to admit there was a good deal of frustration involved while reading this book. It suffers from very slow, yet extensive world building, something that unfortunately plagues many series starting books. Don't get me wrong I realize that these books have to introduce a whole new world to the reader, so there's a lot of set up involved, but the pacing more often than not seems to suffer in series openers, and that's exactly what happened here. I think a lot of those pacing issues were exasperated by the rotating third person perspectives. I just felt like I was in too many heads especially as the transitions were rather abrupt. First person narrative will always be my first love, but I don't necessarily mind third person , even rotating ones as long as there's only 2-3 total different voices in a book. In the case of Night Owls there were at least five, maybe more. I lost count. Granted it wasn't like I was ever confused as to whose head I was in, which is an impressive feat considering, it's just that I never really got the chance to settle into anyone and really enjoy things as it was constantly switching to the next person, making it really hard to connect with anyone.
Speaking of connection, I'm not shy about admitting that I really prefer there to be at least a hint of romance or at least the potential for some in my reading choices. Have I enjoyed Urban Fantasies without romance? Absolutely, but in those cases the rest of the book and/or character connection has to be incredibly strong to carry me without that romance element I love. Unfortunately that just wasn't the case here as there wasn't even a hint of romance (sure one character has a crush on another, but I honestly can't see it going anywhere.) and due to the rotation, I didn't grow attached to any of the characters.
Now that my complaints are out of the way, let's talk about why I did enjoy this book and despite the flaws, it earns a solid 3 from me. Remember me talking about the world building up there, how it was slow but heavy? Well despite the slowness, the world building probably was the best part of this book. I'm really fascinated with the different angles, factions, and species that are intertwined into this book. Between the Brotherhood, the Creeps/Jackals, the vamps, demons, and humans, there's a whole lot going on, yet it's woven together well. Add in the uniqueness, which is something that's not frequently able to be said about vampire novels, and it's a very intrigue and entertaining world. I do have high hopes for this series, as I'll largely admit I've felt rather mediocre to a lot of series opening books, and wound up loving the sequels immensely. So all in all, issues aside, Night Owls is a pretty decent start to a unique urban fantasy world that I'll be looking for more from.
February 7, 2014
Val is a vampire, running her bookshop with Chaz, her Renfield and living a normal life – very normal, away from all the messiness of vampire politics or of her past
Until Elly enters her life. Elly, protégé of the great hunter, Father Value, has a book that the old hunter gave his life to acquire – a book that may hold the key to the Jackals (or Creeps) increasing their dwindling numbers. Since the Jackals are monsters who eat human flesh with a special taste for virgins, no-one really wants that.
But the Jackals are very eager to get their prize back and as they amass in greater and greater numbers, Val and Elly have to take greater risks and make some dubious deals to keep the book safe.
Especially since the book has decided to lodge part of itself in a college student that they’d both rather didn’t die.
That was fun.
Which is odd, because this book is also pretty involved with several well developed characters who are interesting and nuanced, more than a few difficult and fuzzy situation and a decent plot that draws all of them together. Such books tend to be deep or interesting or fascinating or exciting – but they don’t tend to be fun. They don’t usually have the lightness to them to be fun.
Night Owls is fun. It manages to hit that balance that keeps all the dark, heavy scenes and all their impact – while still keeping a lightness that is fun which is really really hard to do. Usually one or other has to be sacrificed
The star of the book – and this balance – was the characters. We had a number of characters and I honestly can’t pick a protagonist – either Val or Elly are prime candidates. But all characters have some depth and motivation behind them giving them a strong history and strong presence and motivation. There’s Val with her past as a hunter, bad experience with vampire clans and general wish to lead a nice, peaceful life – which is so much BETTER than a legion of Musty vampires we’ve seen who randomly decide to normalise for some random, ill-defined and ill-explained guilt. Elly has just forcibly been ripped from under the shadow of Value, her mentor and a truly great hunter; she has an excellent mindset of finding her future, her chosen past while at the same time having her hero-worship of her former father-figure slowly chipped away. Both these character’s experiences and growth are showcased through others – Chaz, the Renfield and in many ways the very avatar of Val’s normality and Cavale, another former student of Value’s whose anger brings home to Elly their mentor’s flaws as well as underscoring how ill prepared she is for the world. But even these characters have their own motivations and issues that go beyond mere extensions of the characters they complete.
Read More
Until Elly enters her life. Elly, protégé of the great hunter, Father Value, has a book that the old hunter gave his life to acquire – a book that may hold the key to the Jackals (or Creeps) increasing their dwindling numbers. Since the Jackals are monsters who eat human flesh with a special taste for virgins, no-one really wants that.
But the Jackals are very eager to get their prize back and as they amass in greater and greater numbers, Val and Elly have to take greater risks and make some dubious deals to keep the book safe.
Especially since the book has decided to lodge part of itself in a college student that they’d both rather didn’t die.
That was fun.
Which is odd, because this book is also pretty involved with several well developed characters who are interesting and nuanced, more than a few difficult and fuzzy situation and a decent plot that draws all of them together. Such books tend to be deep or interesting or fascinating or exciting – but they don’t tend to be fun. They don’t usually have the lightness to them to be fun.
Night Owls is fun. It manages to hit that balance that keeps all the dark, heavy scenes and all their impact – while still keeping a lightness that is fun which is really really hard to do. Usually one or other has to be sacrificed
The star of the book – and this balance – was the characters. We had a number of characters and I honestly can’t pick a protagonist – either Val or Elly are prime candidates. But all characters have some depth and motivation behind them giving them a strong history and strong presence and motivation. There’s Val with her past as a hunter, bad experience with vampire clans and general wish to lead a nice, peaceful life – which is so much BETTER than a legion of Musty vampires we’ve seen who randomly decide to normalise for some random, ill-defined and ill-explained guilt. Elly has just forcibly been ripped from under the shadow of Value, her mentor and a truly great hunter; she has an excellent mindset of finding her future, her chosen past while at the same time having her hero-worship of her former father-figure slowly chipped away. Both these character’s experiences and growth are showcased through others – Chaz, the Renfield and in many ways the very avatar of Val’s normality and Cavale, another former student of Value’s whose anger brings home to Elly their mentor’s flaws as well as underscoring how ill prepared she is for the world. But even these characters have their own motivations and issues that go beyond mere extensions of the characters they complete.
Read More
May 2, 2014
Why did it take me so long to pick this up? The author was at a panel I was going to at C2E2 so I thought I should get the book. I was maybe 20% of the way through by the time of the panel. So glad I went, because I know she's working on a second one.
Night Owls is a nice change from most urban fantasy. The most powerful MC is a woman and she's not hopelessly pining for a man or about to meet her long-ago lover. She's a badass, but readers don't learn that for a while (I don't think this is a spoiler...hope not). She's a book seller and she likes it that way. Her Renfield is a friend and they're both good people. I liked them.
I loved the relationship between Val (the vampire) and Elly (the young hunter [lower case h] with her on the book cover). They could have hated each other, they could have killed each other. But they each found something appealing in the other and worked together because they had to. I would have expected them to be catty or hurt each other but they both adapted.
Have you ever wanted to throw a book because the damn characters wouldn't grow up and deal with the big problems instead of focusing on their less important personal ones? I have--plenty of times. But not with Night Owls. It was everything I want when it comes to character interaction.
I hope to see a lot more of Val, Chaz, Elly, Cavale, and Justin and see how they deal with their situations.
Night Owls is a nice change from most urban fantasy. The most powerful MC is a woman and she's not hopelessly pining for a man or about to meet her long-ago lover. She's a badass, but readers don't learn that for a while (I don't think this is a spoiler...hope not). She's a book seller and she likes it that way. Her Renfield is a friend and they're both good people. I liked them.
I loved the relationship between Val (the vampire) and Elly (the young hunter [lower case h] with her on the book cover). They could have hated each other, they could have killed each other. But they each found something appealing in the other and worked together because they had to. I would have expected them to be catty or hurt each other but they both adapted.
Have you ever wanted to throw a book because the damn characters wouldn't grow up and deal with the big problems instead of focusing on their less important personal ones? I have--plenty of times. But not with Night Owls. It was everything I want when it comes to character interaction.
I hope to see a lot more of Val, Chaz, Elly, Cavale, and Justin and see how they deal with their situations.
July 30, 2016
When Father Value dies trying to protect a book from the Creeps, his ward Elly runs away with it and asks for help from a colleague and lecturer Henry. Henry hides the book in his favourite bookshop, run by Val the vampire and her Renfield Chaz. When the Creeps discover where the book is, Val becomes the next target.
There wasn't really anything wrong with the book as such but I just could not get into it at all. I feel that the plot was jumping around a lot and seemed to concentrate on mundane details instead of telling us about the murders which were pretty important to the plot! I wasn't greatly excited by the plot or the characters and struggled to find something of interest in it to get me to read on. However it became clear that I was never going to connect to the book and I stopped reading.
Fans of urban fantasy with more patience than me might well like this book so don't be put off by the low rating.
There wasn't really anything wrong with the book as such but I just could not get into it at all. I feel that the plot was jumping around a lot and seemed to concentrate on mundane details instead of telling us about the murders which were pretty important to the plot! I wasn't greatly excited by the plot or the characters and struggled to find something of interest in it to get me to read on. However it became clear that I was never going to connect to the book and I stopped reading.
Fans of urban fantasy with more patience than me might well like this book so don't be put off by the low rating.
September 17, 2015
Night Owls: 1
This book has several shifting POV characters, the main ones being Elly, Val, and Val's Renfield, Chaz. However, the author has done an excellent job of moving the plot forward, even when bouncing between characters. Transitions are done very well and don't detract from forward momentum. The story feels like it has a lot of Supernatural (TV) influences. The author has a few standard supernatural creatures - vampires and succubi, but saw fit to introduce her own kind - the Jackals, which seem to be more of a vampire-werewolf-ghoul hybrid (only active at night, have a pack-like structure, and eat human flesh). This is an engrossing read from start to finish. There weren't any scenes that dragged down the plot, however the ending felt weak and rushed with the main threat left un-neutralized and a rescue not attempted. Perhaps this will be addressed in the sequel.
This book has several shifting POV characters, the main ones being Elly, Val, and Val's Renfield, Chaz. However, the author has done an excellent job of moving the plot forward, even when bouncing between characters. Transitions are done very well and don't detract from forward momentum. The story feels like it has a lot of Supernatural (TV) influences. The author has a few standard supernatural creatures - vampires and succubi, but saw fit to introduce her own kind - the Jackals, which seem to be more of a vampire-werewolf-ghoul hybrid (only active at night, have a pack-like structure, and eat human flesh). This is an engrossing read from start to finish. There weren't any scenes that dragged down the plot, however the ending felt weak and rushed with the main threat left un-neutralized and a rescue not attempted. Perhaps this will be addressed in the sequel.
June 21, 2014
I loved reading this book. It was a delightful modern fantasy of monsters and survivors, hunters and hunted. The story surprised me in an unusually high number of pleasant ways (e.g. unique and novel monsters, magic that feels understandable without losing its mystery) and avoided all of my too-often-triggered pet peeves (e.g. the vampires aren't painfully cliche like some nameless others, no bone-headed decisions by characters for the sake of manufacturing plot twists). And any story featuring badass booksellers automatically gets a point in its favor with me. Highly recommended for anyone likes a good, modern fantasy adventure.
June 5, 2014
I am going to write a longer review very soon, but for now here is what you need to know if you've seen this book:
1. ALL of the characters have strengths -- regardless of their genders, and their genders are not restrictive to their strengths
2. Conversely, all of the characters have weaknesses -- they are helped by others along the way because support is important.
3. Everyone is responsible for his/her/their endings here.
4. Not everyone's decisions are in line with each other, but they are all respected.
Holy shit. I think this book was written by an actual adult.
1. ALL of the characters have strengths -- regardless of their genders, and their genders are not restrictive to their strengths
2. Conversely, all of the characters have weaknesses -- they are helped by others along the way because support is important.
3. Everyone is responsible for his/her/their endings here.
4. Not everyone's decisions are in line with each other, but they are all respected.
Holy shit. I think this book was written by an actual adult.
March 11, 2014
Really enjoyed this book. Fast paced and exciting. Great depth of characters.
Read
December 11, 2013I snagged a copy of NIGHT OWLS off of Netgally but after reading half of it I just couldn't get into the story or the characters so I am filing it as did not finish.
March 17, 2014
Three and a half stars: An engaging and exciting intro to a new UF series.
Val and Chaz are getting ready to close up The Night Owl Bookstore. Dawn is approaching and Val, the vampire, must get home before daylight. As the pair head to the parking lot, Val catches a whiff of something foul and rotten on the breeze. She shoves Chaz into his car and orders him to leave. Val tracks down the scent and is horrified to discover it is just as she feared, the Jackals have entered her town. The next night, trouble hits home when Justin, one of Val's employees, brings a very old book that was entrusted to him by his professor an expert on valuable books. Later, they receive word that the professor and his wife were murdered at their home by the Jackals. It seems the Jackals are after the book and it is up to Valerie and company to make sure it doesn't fall into their hands. Can Valerie and her friends stop the Jackals?
What I Liked:
*I was immediately sucked into this book due to its fast pace and exciting characters. This is a true Urban Fantasy book in that it features plenty of paranormal entities in a small city and it doesn't delve into a romance. Even though I enjoy a romance, I was pleased to see that none of the five main characters became entangled with one another. That doesn't mean that there weren't plenty of possibilities, and I have my fingers crossed that down the road a romance might come about, but in the meantime it was refreshing to just stick to the main conflict. I have been on the lookout for a great new UF series, and while this one wasn't perfect, I liked it well enough that I will definitely be continuing the series.
*This novel has five main characters, I know five sounds like a lot, but I found that I was drawn to all of them, and I appreciated that they were very different. You have Elly, a teenage jackal hunter who was raised by a fanatic man who taught her everything she knows about killing jackals. Elly is fierce, courageous and a bit lonely. Val is a vampire and she has the typical vampire traits: can't tolerate daylight, able to do mind control, can't enter a building without being invited, etc. Even though I am over the whole vampire thing, I actually enjoyed Val's character because she is a traditional type vampire. She isn't overbearing, for the most part, she is just one of the gang. Chaz is her friend and keeper. Chaz helps look after Val and attends to the things that need to be handled during the day. He is loyal and fun. Carvale is Elly's counterpart, they were raised by the same man, but the two have been estranged for the past two years. Cavale is not only skilled in hunting jackals, he is also adept at spells and flushing out other paranormal creatures. Finally, Justin, the college student and employee at Night Owls. He is smart and naive, and also a bit endearing. The five characters work together for a common goal, and I not only loved seeing them come together, but I also enjoyed watching them interact. This is a fun cast of characters and I am looking forward to watching them grow.
*This book presents a new type of paranormal creatures called Jackals or Creeps. They are canine type creatures who, like vampires, can't tolerate daylight or holy water. They feast on human flesh, and they are smelly and foul. These creatures are scary and nasty. I liked that they were something unique.
*The story is packed full of action and danger from the opening pages to the finale. There is hardly a dull moment as the group ends up in a war against the jackals. There are numerous fight scenes and quite a bit of suspense.
*I loved the setting of the bookstore. Val runs an all night bookstore on a college campus. I thoroughly enjoyed the bookstore and can't wait to spend more time there.
And The Not So Much:
*For me, one of the biggest downfalls of this book was that the author didn't take the time to explain things. For instance, I never had a clear idea as to exactly what a Jackal was. They are this canine type creature that can transform back and forth from creature to human. They feast on flesh and sleep during the day. I wanted to know how did they turn into a jackal? Why were they in a war with the vampires? What exactly was in that book that they wanted? I was wishing that more time was spent on the details. Then the author introduces some other paranormal entities such as succubi and a clan of vampires called Stregoi. I had no idea what exactly a Stregoi was, but I had plenty of guesses since I have read a lot of paranormal books. However, not all readers are avid readers of paranormal, so it is best to explain. The succubi are not clearly explained either. For someone who has never encountered a succubus, it is confusing. Finally, Chaz is referred to as Val's Renfield a nod to Dracula, but once again for the average reader, they would be clueless if they had not read Dracula. I think the author assuming that everyone is in the know when it comes to the paranormal hurts the story. Bottom line: the world building needs a bit of work.
*The first half of the book the plot was tight and exciting, but somewhere after the midway point, the book became a bit scattered and I wasn't quite as engaged. It felt like the plot presented too many story lines and at the end, I was left with so many unanswered questions. Even though there isn't a cliffhanger, there wasn't a lot of resolution. I still didn't know what was in the book and whether the information was lost, I didn't understand what was going on with the other vampires, I wanted desperately to know what happened in the past between Cavale and Elly, and I wanted to know more about the relationship between Chaz and Val. There were far too many loose threads for my taste.
*This story is told in shifting third person narratives. I didn't have trouble between the view points and the change in voice, but I think it would have been better to tell the story in first person narrative.
Night Owls is a promising beginning to a new UF series. This book stays true to the UF format in that it doesn't involve a romance. There is plenty of action surrounding a solid group of likable characters. I enjoyed the book despite a having a few issues and I can say that I will definitely be continuing this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
Val and Chaz are getting ready to close up The Night Owl Bookstore. Dawn is approaching and Val, the vampire, must get home before daylight. As the pair head to the parking lot, Val catches a whiff of something foul and rotten on the breeze. She shoves Chaz into his car and orders him to leave. Val tracks down the scent and is horrified to discover it is just as she feared, the Jackals have entered her town. The next night, trouble hits home when Justin, one of Val's employees, brings a very old book that was entrusted to him by his professor an expert on valuable books. Later, they receive word that the professor and his wife were murdered at their home by the Jackals. It seems the Jackals are after the book and it is up to Valerie and company to make sure it doesn't fall into their hands. Can Valerie and her friends stop the Jackals?
What I Liked:
*I was immediately sucked into this book due to its fast pace and exciting characters. This is a true Urban Fantasy book in that it features plenty of paranormal entities in a small city and it doesn't delve into a romance. Even though I enjoy a romance, I was pleased to see that none of the five main characters became entangled with one another. That doesn't mean that there weren't plenty of possibilities, and I have my fingers crossed that down the road a romance might come about, but in the meantime it was refreshing to just stick to the main conflict. I have been on the lookout for a great new UF series, and while this one wasn't perfect, I liked it well enough that I will definitely be continuing the series.
*This novel has five main characters, I know five sounds like a lot, but I found that I was drawn to all of them, and I appreciated that they were very different. You have Elly, a teenage jackal hunter who was raised by a fanatic man who taught her everything she knows about killing jackals. Elly is fierce, courageous and a bit lonely. Val is a vampire and she has the typical vampire traits: can't tolerate daylight, able to do mind control, can't enter a building without being invited, etc. Even though I am over the whole vampire thing, I actually enjoyed Val's character because she is a traditional type vampire. She isn't overbearing, for the most part, she is just one of the gang. Chaz is her friend and keeper. Chaz helps look after Val and attends to the things that need to be handled during the day. He is loyal and fun. Carvale is Elly's counterpart, they were raised by the same man, but the two have been estranged for the past two years. Cavale is not only skilled in hunting jackals, he is also adept at spells and flushing out other paranormal creatures. Finally, Justin, the college student and employee at Night Owls. He is smart and naive, and also a bit endearing. The five characters work together for a common goal, and I not only loved seeing them come together, but I also enjoyed watching them interact. This is a fun cast of characters and I am looking forward to watching them grow.
*This book presents a new type of paranormal creatures called Jackals or Creeps. They are canine type creatures who, like vampires, can't tolerate daylight or holy water. They feast on human flesh, and they are smelly and foul. These creatures are scary and nasty. I liked that they were something unique.
*The story is packed full of action and danger from the opening pages to the finale. There is hardly a dull moment as the group ends up in a war against the jackals. There are numerous fight scenes and quite a bit of suspense.
*I loved the setting of the bookstore. Val runs an all night bookstore on a college campus. I thoroughly enjoyed the bookstore and can't wait to spend more time there.
And The Not So Much:
*For me, one of the biggest downfalls of this book was that the author didn't take the time to explain things. For instance, I never had a clear idea as to exactly what a Jackal was. They are this canine type creature that can transform back and forth from creature to human. They feast on flesh and sleep during the day. I wanted to know how did they turn into a jackal? Why were they in a war with the vampires? What exactly was in that book that they wanted? I was wishing that more time was spent on the details. Then the author introduces some other paranormal entities such as succubi and a clan of vampires called Stregoi. I had no idea what exactly a Stregoi was, but I had plenty of guesses since I have read a lot of paranormal books. However, not all readers are avid readers of paranormal, so it is best to explain. The succubi are not clearly explained either. For someone who has never encountered a succubus, it is confusing. Finally, Chaz is referred to as Val's Renfield a nod to Dracula, but once again for the average reader, they would be clueless if they had not read Dracula. I think the author assuming that everyone is in the know when it comes to the paranormal hurts the story. Bottom line: the world building needs a bit of work.
*The first half of the book the plot was tight and exciting, but somewhere after the midway point, the book became a bit scattered and I wasn't quite as engaged. It felt like the plot presented too many story lines and at the end, I was left with so many unanswered questions. Even though there isn't a cliffhanger, there wasn't a lot of resolution. I still didn't know what was in the book and whether the information was lost, I didn't understand what was going on with the other vampires, I wanted desperately to know what happened in the past between Cavale and Elly, and I wanted to know more about the relationship between Chaz and Val. There were far too many loose threads for my taste.
*This story is told in shifting third person narratives. I didn't have trouble between the view points and the change in voice, but I think it would have been better to tell the story in first person narrative.
Night Owls is a promising beginning to a new UF series. This book stays true to the UF format in that it doesn't involve a romance. There is plenty of action surrounding a solid group of likable characters. I enjoyed the book despite a having a few issues and I can say that I will definitely be continuing this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
October 31, 2018
"Night Owls" ist der Debütroman von Lauren M. Roy, aber das merkt man dem Buch nicht an. Er ist gut geschrieben, die Charaktere sind gut entwickelt, haben ihre Eigenheiten und Vorgeschichten, sodass man nicht nur die drei Perspektivfiguren - die Vampirin und Buchhändlerin Val, die Monsterjägerin Elly und Vals menschlichen Helfer Chaz - gut voneinander unterscheiden konnte. Die Urban-Fantasy-Story bietet nicht wirklich neue Fantasyelemente: Vampire, Nachtwesen wie die Creeps, ein Monster jagender Geheimorden namens Brotherhood, Magier und ein paar erwähnte Werwölfe kennt man zur Genüge aus anderen Romanen des Genres. Dennoch fühlte ich mich gut unterhalten, was vor allem an den Figuren lag. Ich bin schon gespannt auf den 2. Band "Grave Matters".
PS: Ich merke erst jetzt, dass ich unbeabsichtigt ein Buch gelesen habe, das gut zu Halloween passt. ^^
PS: Ich merke erst jetzt, dass ich unbeabsichtigt ein Buch gelesen habe, das gut zu Halloween passt. ^^
October 25, 2021
This probably would have been a four but the amount of stuff that never gets explained is super frustrating
April 19, 2014
I grabbed Night Owls the first book in the new urban fantasy series by Lauren M. Roy for the setting. The tale takes place in the college town of Edgewood at a bookstore called Night Owls. Roy offered an engaging tale with a motley crew of supernatural and human characters. Mini review: With a new supernatural creature and interesting characters, it holds the promise of an exciting new series.
Valerie McTeague is the proud owner of the Night Owls bookstore and a vampire. Her Renfield, Chaz, helps her by running the business during the day, along with Jason an undergrad student from the local college. Elly, is a young girl of sixteen who hunts Jackals or Creeps; flesh devouring creatures, with her guardian Father Value. When Value is killed after stealing a book, she takes matters into her own hands. The book causes Valerie and Elly to cross paths and team up to stop the Jackals. The tale that unfolds has us conjuring up spells, hang out with Succubus and learning more about this world.
Roy shared this tale using third person with multiple perspectives. It was a unique attempt and gave us insight into the characters. There are five characters who work against the Jackals or Creeps. Why the two names? Elly Garrett was raised by the Brotherhood under the guidance of Father Value, and this little girl is one tough cookie. Roy showed us Elly’s bad-ass skills but also revealed the child beneath. Valerie our store owner and the local vampire has an interesting history. She is fearless, and for the most part avoids interaction with the supernatural world. When one her “own” is in danger she quickly steps into action. I liked Valerie, and her Renfield, Chaz (who clearly has a crush on her). The author skimmed the surface of how they came to be, and I am anxious to learn more. Justin Kennedy the undergrad who works for Val unwittingly gets himself in trouble and becomes a target. Cavale was a fascinating character. He does odd jobs like removing poltergeists and casting spells. He is also connected to Elly, and I found the thread interesting. The succubus; Lia and Sunny were funny, and could kick-butt.
Night Owls, was a fast read, and I quickly consumed it. The world-building was solid but not as in depth as first books in this genre typically are. Roy still managed to give us enough details to keep me engaged, and the shorter length will appeal to some readers. There isn’t a romance, although one character has hidden feelings for another. The perspective helped flesh out the characters, and they worked well together as a team. Each offers different strengths, and I am anxious to see how they develop. I loved the blending of spells, myth, secret societies and the paranormal creatures we encounter. The casting of circles, wards and secret archives gave the tale a vibe similar to the television show Supernatural. The tale was not without flaws; there were a few minor inconsistencies but didn’t deter from my overall enjoyment and fascination with the story. Night Owls could have taken on a darker tone with the Jackals and that element missed the mark. Whether by intent or not, it is one I would have preferred. We aren’t given much of a history on these new supernatural creatures leaving them shrouded in mystery. I have it on good authority that the next book will provide some of those answers. Intense moments where infused with humor making this a lighter tale.
Night Owls offered a solid start to this new urban fantasy series. Fans of old school urban fantasy will find this appealing. I look forward to reading the next book in the Night Owls series.
Valerie McTeague is the proud owner of the Night Owls bookstore and a vampire. Her Renfield, Chaz, helps her by running the business during the day, along with Jason an undergrad student from the local college. Elly, is a young girl of sixteen who hunts Jackals or Creeps; flesh devouring creatures, with her guardian Father Value. When Value is killed after stealing a book, she takes matters into her own hands. The book causes Valerie and Elly to cross paths and team up to stop the Jackals. The tale that unfolds has us conjuring up spells, hang out with Succubus and learning more about this world.
Roy shared this tale using third person with multiple perspectives. It was a unique attempt and gave us insight into the characters. There are five characters who work against the Jackals or Creeps. Why the two names? Elly Garrett was raised by the Brotherhood under the guidance of Father Value, and this little girl is one tough cookie. Roy showed us Elly’s bad-ass skills but also revealed the child beneath. Valerie our store owner and the local vampire has an interesting history. She is fearless, and for the most part avoids interaction with the supernatural world. When one her “own” is in danger she quickly steps into action. I liked Valerie, and her Renfield, Chaz (who clearly has a crush on her). The author skimmed the surface of how they came to be, and I am anxious to learn more. Justin Kennedy the undergrad who works for Val unwittingly gets himself in trouble and becomes a target. Cavale was a fascinating character. He does odd jobs like removing poltergeists and casting spells. He is also connected to Elly, and I found the thread interesting. The succubus; Lia and Sunny were funny, and could kick-butt.
Night Owls, was a fast read, and I quickly consumed it. The world-building was solid but not as in depth as first books in this genre typically are. Roy still managed to give us enough details to keep me engaged, and the shorter length will appeal to some readers. There isn’t a romance, although one character has hidden feelings for another. The perspective helped flesh out the characters, and they worked well together as a team. Each offers different strengths, and I am anxious to see how they develop. I loved the blending of spells, myth, secret societies and the paranormal creatures we encounter. The casting of circles, wards and secret archives gave the tale a vibe similar to the television show Supernatural. The tale was not without flaws; there were a few minor inconsistencies but didn’t deter from my overall enjoyment and fascination with the story. Night Owls could have taken on a darker tone with the Jackals and that element missed the mark. Whether by intent or not, it is one I would have preferred. We aren’t given much of a history on these new supernatural creatures leaving them shrouded in mystery. I have it on good authority that the next book will provide some of those answers. Intense moments where infused with humor making this a lighter tale.
Night Owls offered a solid start to this new urban fantasy series. Fans of old school urban fantasy will find this appealing. I look forward to reading the next book in the Night Owls series.
September 3, 2014
It’s not very often that you read an urban fantasy these days without a ‘hunky/sexy/mysterious/dark’ male lead. That is just the nature of the beast since authors like Laurell K. Hamilton got big. Vampires and werewolves in urban settings are just synonymous with romance. Even those books not meant to be romance have some in them for the sake of being urban fantasy, especially those with female protagonists. There are some exceptions to that rule, and I’ve found that usually those have solid and interesting male protagonists. It’s nice then that Night Owls has an interesting male and female protagonists.
The story revolves around Elly, a young woman who has lost everything to protect a strange book, Valerie, a vampire who owns a bookstore/late-night study haven, and Chaz, Val’s right hand man. Elly comes stumbling into Edgewood and behind her is a trail of murder and violence as those chasing her, the Jackals, seek her and what she carries out. She gets thrown in with Val and Chaz when the book is placed with them for safekeeping. From there on we meet a fantastic cast of characters like Elly’s estranged ‘brother’, two lesbian succubi, and some particularly endearing humans. The book is a constant ride, it doesn’t deviate from the plot and any rabbit trails, no matter how small they seem, all tie together in the end. It jumps between our three protagonists viewpoints. Chaz is the only male voice we hear and I enjoyed his parts the most. He’s smart, and human. He reminds me of the some of my favorite characters that my tabletop gaming GM makes, he has qualities that make him seem real. Elly was possibly the second best voice, she has her baggage like any person, but it doesn’t define her. Val was the weakest of the voices, I honestly can’t recall very many scenes that stuck out to me. I liked her, but she was very overshadowed by Chaz and Elly.
I really enjoyed the plot, the villains, and the world that Lauren M. Roy has built. It feels very different to me. Vampires aren’t inherently bad guys, nor are they good ones for that matter. Vampires are not glamorized by any means though one of our lead voices is of that nature, in fact she seems fast to avoid and ignore her own kind. Again, there is something about them that just seems human. My favorite part of the entire book was the decided lack of romance, in fact one of the first things I told my husband was how much I loved the lack of ‘feelings’. There is a hint, a tease at some feelings one person has for another and briefly we see some 18 or 19 year old awkwardness with bodies but otherwise the book was ‘feelings’ free.
For some reason however there were parts of the book that just did not stick out to me. There were points where the story slacked off just a bit, or slowed down. It felt like there was something missing. It wasn’t a glaring, huge issue and one I suspect is due mostly to this being the first in a series as well as a debut novel for Mrs. Roy. Besides that one weak and nearly ignorable flaw I am definitely sold on the series. I’ll be stalking her author page and eagerly awaiting news of the sequels. This is a book I would recommend to anyone, especially those who don’t normally enjoy urban fantasy. It was a great new story and voice.
The story revolves around Elly, a young woman who has lost everything to protect a strange book, Valerie, a vampire who owns a bookstore/late-night study haven, and Chaz, Val’s right hand man. Elly comes stumbling into Edgewood and behind her is a trail of murder and violence as those chasing her, the Jackals, seek her and what she carries out. She gets thrown in with Val and Chaz when the book is placed with them for safekeeping. From there on we meet a fantastic cast of characters like Elly’s estranged ‘brother’, two lesbian succubi, and some particularly endearing humans. The book is a constant ride, it doesn’t deviate from the plot and any rabbit trails, no matter how small they seem, all tie together in the end. It jumps between our three protagonists viewpoints. Chaz is the only male voice we hear and I enjoyed his parts the most. He’s smart, and human. He reminds me of the some of my favorite characters that my tabletop gaming GM makes, he has qualities that make him seem real. Elly was possibly the second best voice, she has her baggage like any person, but it doesn’t define her. Val was the weakest of the voices, I honestly can’t recall very many scenes that stuck out to me. I liked her, but she was very overshadowed by Chaz and Elly.
I really enjoyed the plot, the villains, and the world that Lauren M. Roy has built. It feels very different to me. Vampires aren’t inherently bad guys, nor are they good ones for that matter. Vampires are not glamorized by any means though one of our lead voices is of that nature, in fact she seems fast to avoid and ignore her own kind. Again, there is something about them that just seems human. My favorite part of the entire book was the decided lack of romance, in fact one of the first things I told my husband was how much I loved the lack of ‘feelings’. There is a hint, a tease at some feelings one person has for another and briefly we see some 18 or 19 year old awkwardness with bodies but otherwise the book was ‘feelings’ free.
For some reason however there were parts of the book that just did not stick out to me. There were points where the story slacked off just a bit, or slowed down. It felt like there was something missing. It wasn’t a glaring, huge issue and one I suspect is due mostly to this being the first in a series as well as a debut novel for Mrs. Roy. Besides that one weak and nearly ignorable flaw I am definitely sold on the series. I’ll be stalking her author page and eagerly awaiting news of the sequels. This is a book I would recommend to anyone, especially those who don’t normally enjoy urban fantasy. It was a great new story and voice.
May 1, 2015
This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.
==
The idea behind NIGHT OWLS is genius . A vampire running a late-night book store for college students? Sign me up, because those are two things that go together perfectly.
NIGHT OWLS is the first in a new urban fantasy series. And it’s urban fantasy all the way -- there are no swoony heroes to fall in love with. Or, in my case, want to slap -- which is why I loved that the characters focused on kicking butt, taking names, and doing their thing.
Val, the owner of Night Owls book store, is a vampire who likes the quiet life. Elly is an orphan raised by the member of a secret brotherhood, and she likes nothing more than a good fight and killing Jackals. When their paths collide, Val is drawn back into a life she thought she’d put behind her, and Elly learns that trusting others isn’t such a bad thing.
One of the things I liked most about NIGHT OWLS was the worldbuilding/creature mythology. Roy’s vampires are real vampires: they can’t go out in sunlight, can’t eat or drink human food, and need blood to survive. No sparkling here. Val has a Renfield, Chaz, to do the things she can’t during the day, and to be her servant when the old world vamps show up. The Jackals are sort of like werewolves; they are creepy and disgusting. Add in warlock magic, secret brotherhoods of monster fighters, and two lesbian succubi, and you’ve got quite a combination.
NIGHT OWLS is a solid debut. When one of Val’s employees, innocent human Justin, gets something the Jackals want, Val does everything possible to keep him safe. In the process, there’s lots of action and danger. Characters get hurt. Creepy stuff happens. I wasn’t sure how Val and the others would get out of their predicament, and while I’m not going to spoil the ending, I will say that I am super pleased the author didn’t take any easy or predictable routes.
I did feel a bit disconnected from the book, because for some reason, I was expecting Val to be the only main character. Once I realized that Val and Elly are BOTH main characters, the book gelled for me. Aside from Val and Elly, there are a couple of other characters, but they were all developed enough to feel unique. I particularly enjoyed Sunny and Lia, and I’d sort of like a novella about the two of them.
If, like me, you’re tired of romance overtaking the buttkicking, I’d recommend NIGHT OWLS. I’m eager to see what the author has in store next for these characters.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
==
The idea behind NIGHT OWLS is genius . A vampire running a late-night book store for college students? Sign me up, because those are two things that go together perfectly.
NIGHT OWLS is the first in a new urban fantasy series. And it’s urban fantasy all the way -- there are no swoony heroes to fall in love with. Or, in my case, want to slap -- which is why I loved that the characters focused on kicking butt, taking names, and doing their thing.
Val, the owner of Night Owls book store, is a vampire who likes the quiet life. Elly is an orphan raised by the member of a secret brotherhood, and she likes nothing more than a good fight and killing Jackals. When their paths collide, Val is drawn back into a life she thought she’d put behind her, and Elly learns that trusting others isn’t such a bad thing.
One of the things I liked most about NIGHT OWLS was the worldbuilding/creature mythology. Roy’s vampires are real vampires: they can’t go out in sunlight, can’t eat or drink human food, and need blood to survive. No sparkling here. Val has a Renfield, Chaz, to do the things she can’t during the day, and to be her servant when the old world vamps show up. The Jackals are sort of like werewolves; they are creepy and disgusting. Add in warlock magic, secret brotherhoods of monster fighters, and two lesbian succubi, and you’ve got quite a combination.
NIGHT OWLS is a solid debut. When one of Val’s employees, innocent human Justin, gets something the Jackals want, Val does everything possible to keep him safe. In the process, there’s lots of action and danger. Characters get hurt. Creepy stuff happens. I wasn’t sure how Val and the others would get out of their predicament, and while I’m not going to spoil the ending, I will say that I am super pleased the author didn’t take any easy or predictable routes.
I did feel a bit disconnected from the book, because for some reason, I was expecting Val to be the only main character. Once I realized that Val and Elly are BOTH main characters, the book gelled for me. Aside from Val and Elly, there are a couple of other characters, but they were all developed enough to feel unique. I particularly enjoyed Sunny and Lia, and I’d sort of like a novella about the two of them.
If, like me, you’re tired of romance overtaking the buttkicking, I’d recommend NIGHT OWLS. I’m eager to see what the author has in store next for these characters.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
July 6, 2015
Well this book surprised the hell out of me!
I will begin at the beginning. I got a free copy of this book and at least a dozen others at C2E2 over a year ago. This one floated to the bottom of the pile for no particular reason, so it's the... second-to-last one I've read from that mess. 90% of the books I picked up at that time were... pretty bad. Dull. All variations on the same theme - urban fantasy detective novels, but wait, there's a twist! The main character is half-fae, or half-druid, or half-werewolf, or half-Chihuahua or WHATEVER. It got old pretty quick, and I was expecting more of the same from this one.
The summary on the back did not inspire confidence. Oh, they're *lesbian* succubi, are they? Well by gum, I'm just titillated enough to read this now, I'm so glad you specified. Because more demons that prey specifically on women in a male-gazey way is just what my reading diet needed.
I was worried my initial impressions would prove accurate based on the first chapter or two. But look, that's not how it went. I kind of feel like some editor told the author "Hey, this book isn't sexy enough for how we want to market it, so if you could just... fluff up those first chapters?" And so she did. The first chapters have what I guess is a typical noir attitude about what's sexy and dark and crap, but don't worry - that all clears right up soon enough, and you actually get to meet a well-developed, don't-rely-on-sexy-times-to-be-interesting cast of characters.
Oh, and those lesbian succubi? It's not what I thought. They are awesome, and in a healthy non-gazey relationship. So relieved, and also delighted.
I like the characters, I like the mythology of this world. I especially like that the two main characters are women and very different from each other.
I did *not* like the inclusion of the old virginity-means-purity trope. It wasn't *too* bad here, and was applied equally to both guys and gals, and didn't come with a side of shaming people who have sex, but it was still there in a way that left kind of a bad taste in my mouth.
Recommended for people who like Supernatural. A lot of the characters can be compared pretty easily to characters on that show.
I will begin at the beginning. I got a free copy of this book and at least a dozen others at C2E2 over a year ago. This one floated to the bottom of the pile for no particular reason, so it's the... second-to-last one I've read from that mess. 90% of the books I picked up at that time were... pretty bad. Dull. All variations on the same theme - urban fantasy detective novels, but wait, there's a twist! The main character is half-fae, or half-druid, or half-werewolf, or half-Chihuahua or WHATEVER. It got old pretty quick, and I was expecting more of the same from this one.
The summary on the back did not inspire confidence. Oh, they're *lesbian* succubi, are they? Well by gum, I'm just titillated enough to read this now, I'm so glad you specified. Because more demons that prey specifically on women in a male-gazey way is just what my reading diet needed.
I was worried my initial impressions would prove accurate based on the first chapter or two. But look, that's not how it went. I kind of feel like some editor told the author "Hey, this book isn't sexy enough for how we want to market it, so if you could just... fluff up those first chapters?" And so she did. The first chapters have what I guess is a typical noir attitude about what's sexy and dark and crap, but don't worry - that all clears right up soon enough, and you actually get to meet a well-developed, don't-rely-on-sexy-times-to-be-interesting cast of characters.
Oh, and those lesbian succubi? It's not what I thought. They are awesome, and in a healthy non-gazey relationship. So relieved, and also delighted.
I like the characters, I like the mythology of this world. I especially like that the two main characters are women and very different from each other.
I did *not* like the inclusion of the old virginity-means-purity trope. It wasn't *too* bad here, and was applied equally to both guys and gals, and didn't come with a side of shaming people who have sex, but it was still there in a way that left kind of a bad taste in my mouth.
Recommended for people who like Supernatural. A lot of the characters can be compared pretty easily to characters on that show.
October 24, 2015
Night Owls. What do I want to say about you? It took me a few days to get into the book, reading a chapter here and there. I think it's because it is told from a rotating third person point of view which initially kept me from really immersing myself into the story.
There are two "main" characters in this ensemble cast. Elly is a young girl trying to protect a book her mentor died for, Val runs a bookstore while trying to live a low key existence away from the drama of the supernatural world. Their paths cross and with an odd assortment of characters, they work together to fight off the jackals and save a bookstore employee. I like that while Elly and Val have a rocky start to their relationship, it didn't turn into unnecessary drama. Lack of stupidity yay!
While there is a full story with resolution and some fairly fleshed out characters, I feel like this is closer to a prequel than a full book. It's like a teaser into the world but you gotta keep reading to find out more. My biggest issue is probably the lack of information. There is a world rich with different creatures: vampires and their Renfields, jackals (supposedly werewolf like creatures but I totally didn't see it), humans who can work magic. And lesbian succubi thrown in for kicks. It's all interesting but so many things are never explained and if you're going to make the jackals the villains, you gotta give me a little history.
I see potential and I am interested in reading more of this series(trilogy?). There are many loose threads and unanswered questions that will hopefully be addressed in book 2.
There are two "main" characters in this ensemble cast. Elly is a young girl trying to protect a book her mentor died for, Val runs a bookstore while trying to live a low key existence away from the drama of the supernatural world. Their paths cross and with an odd assortment of characters, they work together to fight off the jackals and save a bookstore employee. I like that while Elly and Val have a rocky start to their relationship, it didn't turn into unnecessary drama. Lack of stupidity yay!
While there is a full story with resolution and some fairly fleshed out characters, I feel like this is closer to a prequel than a full book. It's like a teaser into the world but you gotta keep reading to find out more. My biggest issue is probably the lack of information. There is a world rich with different creatures: vampires and their Renfields, jackals (supposedly werewolf like creatures but I totally didn't see it), humans who can work magic. And lesbian succubi thrown in for kicks. It's all interesting but so many things are never explained and if you're going to make the jackals the villains, you gotta give me a little history.
I see potential and I am interested in reading more of this series(trilogy?). There are many loose threads and unanswered questions that will hopefully be addressed in book 2.
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