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Zoë Martinique #2
Spectre
Next in the series that's 'art paranormal whodunit, part urban fantasy' ( Publishers Weekly ) by the author of Wraith .
Zoë Martinique has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she is drawn into an investigation of a series of bizarre murders, in which the victims are missing body parts, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer-one she's sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane-without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë's mother disappears, and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her-even though Zoë knows that, in doing so, she may make herself into something no longer entirely human.
Zoë Martinique has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she is drawn into an investigation of a series of bizarre murders, in which the victims are missing body parts, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer-one she's sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane-without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë's mother disappears, and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her-even though Zoë knows that, in doing so, she may make herself into something no longer entirely human.
361 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2008
10 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
Phaedra Weldon
154 books361 followersSometimes credited as Phaedra M. Weldon.
Born in Pensacola, Florida, Phaedra is the eldest of four children. She began writing in notebooks with her best friend in middle school.
After leaving college for a job in the Graphic Arts industry, Phaedra continued her love of writing in her spare time and was lucky enough at a writer's conference to meet Dean Wesley Smith, who later became her writing mentor, along with his wife, the bestselling mystery/fantasy/romance/science fiction writer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Phaedra lives in Atlanta, Georgia. When not writing, she and her daughter spend their time playing games, letterboxing, or watching anime.
Series:
* Zoe Martinique
Born in Pensacola, Florida, Phaedra is the eldest of four children. She began writing in notebooks with her best friend in middle school.
After leaving college for a job in the Graphic Arts industry, Phaedra continued her love of writing in her spare time and was lucky enough at a writer's conference to meet Dean Wesley Smith, who later became her writing mentor, along with his wife, the bestselling mystery/fantasy/romance/science fiction writer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Phaedra lives in Atlanta, Georgia. When not writing, she and her daughter spend their time playing games, letterboxing, or watching anime.
Series:
* Zoe Martinique
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 22, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy Reading Level: Adult
Disclosure: I received the final book in this series, as well as the short story omnibus, from the author in exchange for an honest review. I purchased these earlier books for myself, but am happy to provide an honest review for them as well, as long as I’m reading them.
Synopsis: Zoë Martinique has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she is drawn into an investigation of a series of bizarre murders, in which the victims are missing body parts, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer – one she’s sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane – without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë’s mother disappears, and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her – even though Zoë knows that, in doing so, she may make herself into something no longer entirely human.
My Thoughts: This is the second full-length novel in this series, following Wraith. One thing I forgot to mention in my previous review – at one point, Zoë is musing to herself about how Atlanta is such a green city, and I had to scratch my head. Because the greenest city I’ve ever been in was Portland, OR and Atlanta doesn’t even come close. Now, admittedly, I haven’t spent much time in the core – when I go into ATL, I usually stay around the periphery, or go up to Roswell, and have only been to Buckhead once (although I need to go there and see the statue someday), but I remember driving into Portland from the ‘burbs – trees, trees, trees, with a few houses tucked up in there, and you go through a tunnel and poof there’s the city – but it’s full of little parks, everywhere. Including this tiny little park that is basically a tree. I’m not sure why they call that single tree a park, but there you go – that’s just Portland. They’re quirky that way. Anyway, that’s a bit of a tangent, I suppose, so I’ll get back to the review.
Interestingly enough, Dags’ last name changes to McKinty in this book, whereas it was McConnell in Out of the Dark. I mean, I know SPRITE’s acronym changes slightly every time it’s used, and that’s deliberate, but someone’s last name? Hmmmm. Also, I’m not quite sure, but I had it in my head that Zoë was 29 in the first book, whereas she’s 27 in this one. Speaking of Dags; maybe Zoë thinks Daniel is all that, but I think Dags is the perfect man for her, since she seems so focused on men.
Anyway, in this book, things get really dark, really fast. Many of Zoë’s ties to other people are broken – it remains to be seen whether they will be irretrievably so – in this book. I felt very badly for her by the end of the book, wondering where things will go from here. You know, I like adventure in an Urban Fantasy just as much as the next person, but just once I’d like to read a series that isn’t quite so much doom and gloom, a series that maintains a bit of lightness, for a bit longer than just the first book. It seems as though there is this... need to push things as far and as fast as they can be pushed, and personally, I’m getting a bit tired of it. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the book – nor does it mean I’ll stop reading Urban Fantasy – it just means, if any authors are reading this, can you please lighten up a bit? Please? Just for me?
Anyway, I still have three books and three short stories to go to finish this series, but will be back to my editing on Monday, so it’s likely this set of reviews will run over into next weekend. Be continue to watch for my reviews in your favorite location – Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon or my blog – and you’ll eventually see as much of it as I have reviewed! Next up, book 3, Phantasm. Thanks for reading!
Disclosure: I received the final book in this series, as well as the short story omnibus, from the author in exchange for an honest review. I purchased these earlier books for myself, but am happy to provide an honest review for them as well, as long as I’m reading them.
Synopsis: Zoë Martinique has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she is drawn into an investigation of a series of bizarre murders, in which the victims are missing body parts, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer – one she’s sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane – without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë’s mother disappears, and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her – even though Zoë knows that, in doing so, she may make herself into something no longer entirely human.
My Thoughts: This is the second full-length novel in this series, following Wraith. One thing I forgot to mention in my previous review – at one point, Zoë is musing to herself about how Atlanta is such a green city, and I had to scratch my head. Because the greenest city I’ve ever been in was Portland, OR and Atlanta doesn’t even come close. Now, admittedly, I haven’t spent much time in the core – when I go into ATL, I usually stay around the periphery, or go up to Roswell, and have only been to Buckhead once (although I need to go there and see the statue someday), but I remember driving into Portland from the ‘burbs – trees, trees, trees, with a few houses tucked up in there, and you go through a tunnel and poof there’s the city – but it’s full of little parks, everywhere. Including this tiny little park that is basically a tree. I’m not sure why they call that single tree a park, but there you go – that’s just Portland. They’re quirky that way. Anyway, that’s a bit of a tangent, I suppose, so I’ll get back to the review.
Interestingly enough, Dags’ last name changes to McKinty in this book, whereas it was McConnell in Out of the Dark. I mean, I know SPRITE’s acronym changes slightly every time it’s used, and that’s deliberate, but someone’s last name? Hmmmm. Also, I’m not quite sure, but I had it in my head that Zoë was 29 in the first book, whereas she’s 27 in this one. Speaking of Dags; maybe Zoë thinks Daniel is all that, but I think Dags is the perfect man for her, since she seems so focused on men.
Anyway, in this book, things get really dark, really fast. Many of Zoë’s ties to other people are broken – it remains to be seen whether they will be irretrievably so – in this book. I felt very badly for her by the end of the book, wondering where things will go from here. You know, I like adventure in an Urban Fantasy just as much as the next person, but just once I’d like to read a series that isn’t quite so much doom and gloom, a series that maintains a bit of lightness, for a bit longer than just the first book. It seems as though there is this... need to push things as far and as fast as they can be pushed, and personally, I’m getting a bit tired of it. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the book – nor does it mean I’ll stop reading Urban Fantasy – it just means, if any authors are reading this, can you please lighten up a bit? Please? Just for me?
Anyway, I still have three books and three short stories to go to finish this series, but will be back to my editing on Monday, so it’s likely this set of reviews will run over into next weekend. Be continue to watch for my reviews in your favorite location – Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon or my blog – and you’ll eventually see as much of it as I have reviewed! Next up, book 3, Phantasm. Thanks for reading!
February 16, 2022
Thanks to the friend who likes to hang out in used bookstores :D great find !! :D
Read
December 20, 2020The second novel in the Zoe Martinique Investigations series seems just slightly less dark than the first one. Zoe has mostly recovered from her adventures in becoming a Wraith, aside from having lost her voice completely, though she's picked up enough sign language to compensate for it, mostly. She's become romantically involved with Detective Daniel Frasier, but between the injuries he sustained in the last battle and his innately chivalrous nature, they haven't consummated their attraction yet.
Her mysterious client, Maharba, contacts Zoe with a "make-up" assignment, sending her to a political fundraiser for Congressman March Knowles, asking her to listen in on any meetings he might have with a certain businessman (very similar to her first troublesome assignment for Maharba). Fortuitously, Daniel is also attending the fundraiser, to keep an eye on things for the Atlanta PD, so she gets all prettied up and it looks for a bit as if she might have a lovely night on the town with her beau.
Unfortunately, when she goes out of body to listen in on the meeting, a woman is murdered in the restroom where she's left her body resting, and things begin to be complicated.
There are a couple of magic-using factions that are vying for power, and they've begun a cycle of violence aimed at possessing for their sides five objects of power called Eidolons, which have been secretly held by five different astral travelers for decades. Zoe and Daniel, and an undercover detective named Joe, who was coincidentally the same person who helped Zoe revive after she ended up on a slab in the morgue in Wraith, must try to unravel the plots and counterplots.
Zoe gains a few new mystical abilities, finds out more than she bargained for about her family and friends, and remains sexually frustrated to the bitter end. Still a fun series.
Her mysterious client, Maharba, contacts Zoe with a "make-up" assignment, sending her to a political fundraiser for Congressman March Knowles, asking her to listen in on any meetings he might have with a certain businessman (very similar to her first troublesome assignment for Maharba). Fortuitously, Daniel is also attending the fundraiser, to keep an eye on things for the Atlanta PD, so she gets all prettied up and it looks for a bit as if she might have a lovely night on the town with her beau.
Unfortunately, when she goes out of body to listen in on the meeting, a woman is murdered in the restroom where she's left her body resting, and things begin to be complicated.
There are a couple of magic-using factions that are vying for power, and they've begun a cycle of violence aimed at possessing for their sides five objects of power called Eidolons, which have been secretly held by five different astral travelers for decades. Zoe and Daniel, and an undercover detective named Joe, who was coincidentally the same person who helped Zoe revive after she ended up on a slab in the morgue in Wraith, must try to unravel the plots and counterplots.
Zoe gains a few new mystical abilities, finds out more than she bargained for about her family and friends, and remains sexually frustrated to the bitter end. Still a fun series.
July 9, 2008
"Spectre" is the 2nd book in Phaedra Weldon's series about Zoe Martinique. Zoe isn't your ordinary 20-something girl. She can travel outside her body. She discovered this talent during a traumatic event as a teenager. In the first book in the series "Wraith", Zoe is trying, with some help from her new-age Mom and good friends, to use her talent for 'good' and still earn an income. After barely escaping with her life in book one, she's back in book 2 and still discovering new and freaky things about both her talents and the world she's always lived in but never really understood. These books are more urban fantasy with not a lot of romance, but really good reads!
Zoe and her sweetheart cop, Daniel, are drawn into an investigation dealing with missing body parts (oogy!) and it appears somebody not only knows what Zoe can do, but is trying to 'cage' her and use her talents for their own ends. Zoe also discovers a few 'new' talents that she'd rather not have known about...but even those discoveries are overshadowed by what she learns about her closest friends and family.
VERY interesting series. If you like urban fantasy with not too much blood and gore...this is one for you. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which Weldon is currently working on (according to her website http://www.phaedraweldon.com/index.php ). There's also a short story called "Out of the Dark" available on her website so you can get an idea of what the series is about..
Check it out!!
Zoe and her sweetheart cop, Daniel, are drawn into an investigation dealing with missing body parts (oogy!) and it appears somebody not only knows what Zoe can do, but is trying to 'cage' her and use her talents for their own ends. Zoe also discovers a few 'new' talents that she'd rather not have known about...but even those discoveries are overshadowed by what she learns about her closest friends and family.
VERY interesting series. If you like urban fantasy with not too much blood and gore...this is one for you. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which Weldon is currently working on (according to her website http://www.phaedraweldon.com/index.php ). There's also a short story called "Out of the Dark" available on her website so you can get an idea of what the series is about..
Check it out!!
September 3, 2008
Hmm. Spectre feels less like a sequel to Wraith than a chapter two, if that makes any sense. Both books are full-sized novels, but they're so closely related that book two wouldn't make any sense without having read book 1 (and the novella in between). Unfortunately, Spectre ends on a cliff-hanger. I hate that.
At least I know (from her blog) that Weldon is working on the third book. I can only hope that it comes out soon and wraps up all the loose threads without introducing new ones that aren't left hanging again.
I do have to agree with another GR reviewer who mentioned that the main character carries on more like a 13-year-old kid than a 28-year-old woman. I have to agree. I understand that losing one parent early might, for some people, to a closer relationship with the surviving parent—but give me a break! Zoë apparently needs to move across the country to learn to live without Mommy. Or maybe Mommy should move?
At least I know (from her blog) that Weldon is working on the third book. I can only hope that it comes out soon and wraps up all the loose threads without introducing new ones that aren't left hanging again.
I do have to agree with another GR reviewer who mentioned that the main character carries on more like a 13-year-old kid than a 28-year-old woman. I have to agree. I understand that losing one parent early might, for some people, to a closer relationship with the surviving parent—but give me a break! Zoë apparently needs to move across the country to learn to live without Mommy. Or maybe Mommy should move?
September 26, 2020
Zoe has gone from Astral Traveler and semi-private investigator to Wraith and now to Spectre. She is beginning to think everyone in all the planes is out to either kill her or co-opt her into their schemes. The man she loves doesn't believe in any of this "ghost" nonsense and now she has cut herself off from her best friend--or is she? The one man who understood her has vanished, and she "finds" and loses her father all at once. It can't seem to get much worse for Zoe. But the adventure (or curse) is just beginning.
February 18, 2021
I needed a physical book to get me through the Snow storm that hit Texas so badly. It was the first time to read this author and I found her to be imaginative and creative. I had to agree with some of the previous reviews that were written years ago. Overall I enjoyed the book I think the author is very talented and writes a very twisted story that keeps you reading the book.
December 25, 2021
The story is great, but these characters! I completely hate her mom, her so-called best friend, her boyfriend.... pretty much all of the characters. They are well written, just assholes! So... I have to give it 3 stars just because the book makes me feel horrible. That's not what I'm looking for in a story, I get enough of that in real life.
September 9, 2024
I put a 3 only because I was to dumb to start with the first one so there is some things I didn't understand, but I'm hooked and want to read whats next
November 14, 2010
Actual rating 2.5 stars.
*shakes head* These books confuse me. I liked this one about as much as the first one, and wasn't planning on continuing the series. Yet, the author managed to sort of draw me back in with the last 50 pages or so. :- | I hate it when books end with a cliffhanger. The part of me that just has to know what happens next (even if I didn't particularly care for the book) apparently will not be denied.
I had many of the same problems with this book as I did the first book in the series, though this one did seem to be a bit better written. The action scenes can be a bit confusing at times and I had to go back and reread several of them to graps what was going on. The scenes where Zoe--in Wraith form--would enter the body of someone else, or fight something else for control of her own or someone else's body were especially confusing.
I find I'm just having a hard time connecting to or caring for any of the characters in these books. The only character even remotely interesting to me is Joe. The big reveal of the betrayal by someone close to Zoe? It just left me feeling kind of meh. I couldn't feel Zoe's pain and hurt because I haven't been able to connect to her. Her constant preoccupation with sex is wearing a little thin too.
Also, I'm not from Atlanta, I've only visited it once before, so the constant "So-and-so turned on This Street and then left onto That Other Street" did little to help me envision the scene in my mind. I felt like I should be using google maps or something in order to better visualize what was going on.
There were also some grammatical errors that bugged me, most notable the use of the phrase "hadn't of," as in "if I hadn't of left you alone, then this wouldn't have happened." (Not the exact phrase, I think, but close enough.) Granted, this is a pretty common turn of phrase in the south, I know. I live down here and have used it before in casual conversation myself, though it usually sounds more like 'Hadn't-ah' instead of two separate words. But I digress. The fact that the author took no other pains to show the Southern dialect makes them all the more glaring, and leads me to believe that it was just bad editing and/or writing.
All that being said, if I can find a cheap used copy of the third book, I'll probably read it, if only to satisfy that part of myself that hates not knowing what happens next. *face palm*
*shakes head* These books confuse me. I liked this one about as much as the first one, and wasn't planning on continuing the series. Yet, the author managed to sort of draw me back in with the last 50 pages or so. :- | I hate it when books end with a cliffhanger. The part of me that just has to know what happens next (even if I didn't particularly care for the book) apparently will not be denied.
I had many of the same problems with this book as I did the first book in the series, though this one did seem to be a bit better written. The action scenes can be a bit confusing at times and I had to go back and reread several of them to graps what was going on. The scenes where Zoe--in Wraith form--would enter the body of someone else, or fight something else for control of her own or someone else's body were especially confusing.
I find I'm just having a hard time connecting to or caring for any of the characters in these books. The only character even remotely interesting to me is Joe. The big reveal of the betrayal by someone close to Zoe? It just left me feeling kind of meh. I couldn't feel Zoe's pain and hurt because I haven't been able to connect to her. Her constant preoccupation with sex is wearing a little thin too.
Also, I'm not from Atlanta, I've only visited it once before, so the constant "So-and-so turned on This Street and then left onto That Other Street" did little to help me envision the scene in my mind. I felt like I should be using google maps or something in order to better visualize what was going on.
There were also some grammatical errors that bugged me, most notable the use of the phrase "hadn't of," as in "if I hadn't of left you alone, then this wouldn't have happened." (Not the exact phrase, I think, but close enough.) Granted, this is a pretty common turn of phrase in the south, I know. I live down here and have used it before in casual conversation myself, though it usually sounds more like 'Hadn't-ah' instead of two separate words. But I digress. The fact that the author took no other pains to show the Southern dialect makes them all the more glaring, and leads me to believe that it was just bad editing and/or writing.
All that being said, if I can find a cheap used copy of the third book, I'll probably read it, if only to satisfy that part of myself that hates not knowing what happens next. *face palm*
September 30, 2016
**Next in the series that?s ?part paranormal whodunit, part urban fantasy? (*Publishers Weekly*) by the author of *Wraith*.**
Zoë Martinique has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she is drawn into an investigation of a series of bizarre murders, in which the victims are missing body parts, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer? one she?s sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane?without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë?s mother disappears, and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her?even though Zoë knows that, in doing so, she may make herself into something no longer entirely human.
**
### From Booklist
The second novel in the Zoe Martinique series, following Wraith (2007), finds Zoe, an astral walker who can leave her body at will, dealing with the loss of her voice after a battle in which she and handsome detective Daniel Frasier almost lost their lives. She and Daniel have finally gotten together, but their romantic bliss is put on hold when Zoe gets an e-mail from Maharba, the mysterious employer who sent her on her last dangerous mission, demanding she attend a political fund raiser and spy on a meeting between the candidate and a businessman. With little choice in the matter, Zoe reluctantly does as Maharba asks, only to find the mission is much more than she bargained for when she encounters a dangerous Daimon and a roguish, sexy man named Joe Halloran who can see Zoe in astral form, and who realizes that her powers are greater—and potentially more dangerous—than she’d suspected. An excellent follow-up to Zoe’s first outing, and the ending will leave readers hungry for more. --Kristine Huntley
### Review
Praise for "Wraith":
aBrisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists.a
a"Publishers Weekly"
aShould appeal to fans of Tanya Huffas Vicky Nelson series and Jim Butcheras Dresden Files series.a
a"Library Journal"
Praise for "Wraith":
Brisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists.
"Publishers Weekly"
Should appeal to fans of Tanya Huff s Vicky Nelson series and Jim Butcher s Dresden Files series.
"Library Journal"
Praise for "Wraith"
?Brisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists.?
?"Publishers Weekly"
?Should appeal to fans of Tanya Huff's Vicky Nelson series and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series.?
?"Library Journal"
Zoë Martinique has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she is drawn into an investigation of a series of bizarre murders, in which the victims are missing body parts, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer? one she?s sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane?without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë?s mother disappears, and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her?even though Zoë knows that, in doing so, she may make herself into something no longer entirely human.
**
### From Booklist
The second novel in the Zoe Martinique series, following Wraith (2007), finds Zoe, an astral walker who can leave her body at will, dealing with the loss of her voice after a battle in which she and handsome detective Daniel Frasier almost lost their lives. She and Daniel have finally gotten together, but their romantic bliss is put on hold when Zoe gets an e-mail from Maharba, the mysterious employer who sent her on her last dangerous mission, demanding she attend a political fund raiser and spy on a meeting between the candidate and a businessman. With little choice in the matter, Zoe reluctantly does as Maharba asks, only to find the mission is much more than she bargained for when she encounters a dangerous Daimon and a roguish, sexy man named Joe Halloran who can see Zoe in astral form, and who realizes that her powers are greater—and potentially more dangerous—than she’d suspected. An excellent follow-up to Zoe’s first outing, and the ending will leave readers hungry for more. --Kristine Huntley
### Review
Praise for "Wraith":
aBrisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists.a
a"Publishers Weekly"
aShould appeal to fans of Tanya Huffas Vicky Nelson series and Jim Butcheras Dresden Files series.a
a"Library Journal"
Praise for "Wraith":
Brisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists.
"Publishers Weekly"
Should appeal to fans of Tanya Huff s Vicky Nelson series and Jim Butcher s Dresden Files series.
"Library Journal"
Praise for "Wraith"
?Brisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists.?
?"Publishers Weekly"
?Should appeal to fans of Tanya Huff's Vicky Nelson series and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series.?
?"Library Journal"
July 14, 2015
I liked this one better than the first probably because I sort of knew what was going on and jumped right back into the adventure. I must say that Zoe's inner monologue is highly irritating and just pulls you right out of the story.
mental note: gasp!
mental note: if Joe's testosterone screws up our date, I vote we beat him.
mental note: grab Mom by her boobs, and demand she talk to me about what the doctor said
mental note: this is fucked up
These mental notes pop up in every single chapter and are just annoying. And why is Zoe so obsessed with hot monkey sex? She's dating Daniel (and not getting any) and she's eyeing Joe and thinking about sex constantly. Isn't she a little busy trying to survive to be constantly having these thought.
Also, Zoe can't speak and uses a tablet to communication (or sign language which she isn't very good at). She's an educated 28 year-old woman yet she's writing like a two year old. WTH?
If you can get past all these small annoyances, the plot is interesting and there is so much happening that I was glued to the pages. I finished this book in 4 hours and am anxiously awaiting the third book to find out what the heck happens. Cliff hangers? I hate em!
mental note: gasp!
mental note: if Joe's testosterone screws up our date, I vote we beat him.
mental note: grab Mom by her boobs, and demand she talk to me about what the doctor said
mental note: this is fucked up
These mental notes pop up in every single chapter and are just annoying. And why is Zoe so obsessed with hot monkey sex? She's dating Daniel (and not getting any) and she's eyeing Joe and thinking about sex constantly. Isn't she a little busy trying to survive to be constantly having these thought.
Also, Zoe can't speak and uses a tablet to communication (or sign language which she isn't very good at). She's an educated 28 year-old woman yet she's writing like a two year old. WTH?
If you can get past all these small annoyances, the plot is interesting and there is so much happening that I was glued to the pages. I finished this book in 4 hours and am anxiously awaiting the third book to find out what the heck happens. Cliff hangers? I hate em!
May 11, 2011
As was with the first book, I found the second one slightly less confusing. Not having completely understood the plot of the first one I feel that I missed out on a lot because of the continuation of the story into the second book. I think that this plot was slightly less complicated and a little easier to understand. However, I still feel that there are just too many characters; every time I saw a name I couldn't remember I had to stop and think or go back and re-read to find out who they were and what their role was in the book. I like the relationship that has developed between Zoe and Daniel but I want to scream at how stubborn the two of them are. A good author holds off on doing what they know the readers want because it keeps them in suspense and coming back for more. However, in this situation, I hate it. I'm starting to also get miffed at how often the main character is in the hospital and keeps going into coma's. Even in a fictional book if a person were to be in multiple comas within months of each other they wouldn't be able to play PI and snoop around. I know it's a sci-fi book, but I still want it to be believable. While I think this book was better than the first, I'm not sure I would read the next one if I didn't already own it.
January 20, 2012
The second book in the Zoe Martinique series, Spectre, continues to explore her developing Wraith powers and her budding relationship with Daniel, her love interest from the first novel.
I ended up reading this book in two stages because I got busy with school. This may be the reason I didn’t enjoy the story as much as the first one. It’s still a great story, though! Zoe’s a little less quippy but the story’s a lot more serious so that’s to be expected. The mystery in Spectre is a bit more elaborate than the one in Wraith, which isn’t a bad thing. It was hard for me to follow but that’s probably because I put the book down for two weeks halfway through.
I really like that Weldon is adding a lot of depth to her supporting cast, although Daniel now feels a bit one-dimensional, since we’re provided with so much information about characters like Rhonda and Joe. I also like that the book’s problem was solved but there are still things to look forward to in the next installment (things which I will not mention since they would most definitely be spoilers).
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I ended up reading this book in two stages because I got busy with school. This may be the reason I didn’t enjoy the story as much as the first one. It’s still a great story, though! Zoe’s a little less quippy but the story’s a lot more serious so that’s to be expected. The mystery in Spectre is a bit more elaborate than the one in Wraith, which isn’t a bad thing. It was hard for me to follow but that’s probably because I put the book down for two weeks halfway through.
I really like that Weldon is adding a lot of depth to her supporting cast, although Daniel now feels a bit one-dimensional, since we’re provided with so much information about characters like Rhonda and Joe. I also like that the book’s problem was solved but there are still things to look forward to in the next installment (things which I will not mention since they would most definitely be spoilers).
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December 21, 2025
In this first-person novel the narrator can no longer ‘talk’ to most people in the room. This had me immediately sit up and pay more attention. WTF? We’re soon exchanging notes, hand signs and inevitably thoughts. Amid all this, the protagonist-narrator is still capable of communicating ‘I LOVE YOU’ (yes, I’m looking at you in the corner there, Harry Dresden). A demonstrated desire to communicate to nearest and dearest is the standard that I measure all heroes against.
OMG… Zoe also flies! I admit that her ‘voice’ on the page can be a bit ‘out there.’ This character is a rebel. She is unfettered by the poisonous control freaks who rule the worlds. Zoe must become her own master. The plot weaves through startling twists and turns- its wheels within wheels for several chapters- as Zoe struggles to understand who around her is responsible for what.
The novel is another remarkable case of finding a series I’m not looking for, in that genre that I didn’t originally read. I’ve had this in the ‘unknown’ pile for close to a year, its #2 and I finally gave in and read it. Now I’ll have to scrounge the entire series online from the usual sources.
OMG… Zoe also flies! I admit that her ‘voice’ on the page can be a bit ‘out there.’ This character is a rebel. She is unfettered by the poisonous control freaks who rule the worlds. Zoe must become her own master. The plot weaves through startling twists and turns- its wheels within wheels for several chapters- as Zoe struggles to understand who around her is responsible for what.
The novel is another remarkable case of finding a series I’m not looking for, in that genre that I didn’t originally read. I’ve had this in the ‘unknown’ pile for close to a year, its #2 and I finally gave in and read it. Now I’ll have to scrounge the entire series online from the usual sources.
November 20, 2008
Zoe Martinique is back, still trying to find out about her heritage while playing working as a detective using her unusual ability to leave her body and spy on people. This time it seems she is hired to spy on people who are aware of her ability, and therefore are ready to thwart her at every turn.
I actually did read the first book in the series ("Wraith" where she discovered her talent)and liked it, but it was a few years ago and I don't remember the details well. That's unfortunate because this book alludes to many events from that book without actually reminding you of which ones are important to know for this book, overtly or otherwise. If you didn't read the first book, it is likely that half of this book won't make any sense at all since it failed to even refresh the memory of someone who did read it. Worse, unlike the first book, the ending of this book isn't really an ending, but a stop in the story line, presumably until the next book can pick it back up. The main character is a lot of fun, but this one was too heavy on the mythology for me to enjoy.
I actually did read the first book in the series ("Wraith" where she discovered her talent)and liked it, but it was a few years ago and I don't remember the details well. That's unfortunate because this book alludes to many events from that book without actually reminding you of which ones are important to know for this book, overtly or otherwise. If you didn't read the first book, it is likely that half of this book won't make any sense at all since it failed to even refresh the memory of someone who did read it. Worse, unlike the first book, the ending of this book isn't really an ending, but a stop in the story line, presumably until the next book can pick it back up. The main character is a lot of fun, but this one was too heavy on the mythology for me to enjoy.
January 29, 2010
Zoe seems to be coming to terms with her new abilities and recovering from the disaster of the last book. As she settles back into her life an old client that she failed to complete as assignment pops back up forcing her into a new assignment she'd rather not take. With the threat against her loved ones Zoe starts to investigate a congressman who looks to be heading for the senate. During her investigation she runs into people who have helped her before, allowing her to learn all sorts of new things, finds people she should be able to trust not trustworthy, and people close to her end up in peril. While she does get to the bottom of the investigation she looses several key people around her and her world is rocked to it's core making her re-evaluate everything and everyone around her.
The best fun things about this book are her obsession with slippers and all the goofy shapes she has them in. Also her ongoing conversations about sex with herself in her head and how easily she is distracted with it. Makes for some great light moments in the book.
The best fun things about this book are her obsession with slippers and all the goofy shapes she has them in. Also her ongoing conversations about sex with herself in her head and how easily she is distracted with it. Makes for some great light moments in the book.
June 17, 2008
2.5
I'd originally rated it three, but I can't remember why I rated this three stars... except, perhaps, in that while it's not a 3 star book, per se, it is better than the first one which I rated 2 stars. (I tend to rate books in series against each other instead of as stand alone ratings... )
Anyway... the inner monologue still painfully annoying... the premise and actual plot still interesting.
And I hate cliffhangers. Now I have to read the next one... because I'm a completionist psycho person, or something. I just hope the next one wraps things up... because, obvious masochism aside, I don't think I have it in me for a fourth unless the next seriously improves...
*edited to add, the more I think about this character the more it annoys me, and since I don't remember the cliffhanger and clearly don't care for the series, I am officially stopping with this one. If I ever decide I care I'll read the summary on wikipedia...
I'd originally rated it three, but I can't remember why I rated this three stars... except, perhaps, in that while it's not a 3 star book, per se, it is better than the first one which I rated 2 stars. (I tend to rate books in series against each other instead of as stand alone ratings... )
Anyway... the inner monologue still painfully annoying... the premise and actual plot still interesting.
And I hate cliffhangers. Now I have to read the next one... because I'm a completionist psycho person, or something. I just hope the next one wraps things up... because, obvious masochism aside, I don't think I have it in me for a fourth unless the next seriously improves...
*edited to add, the more I think about this character the more it annoys me, and since I don't remember the cliffhanger and clearly don't care for the series, I am officially stopping with this one. If I ever decide I care I'll read the summary on wikipedia...
Want to read
December 1, 2008Zoë Martinique hasn't been your ordinary still-single-but-looking twentysomething girl ever since she learned she has the extraordinary ability to travel outside of her body at will.
As if that wasn't weird enough, she gained additional powers that not only freak her out but have done damage to her budding relationship with Atlanta Homicide detective Daniel Frasier.
Zoë and Daniel are thrown back together when she's drawn into the investigation of a series of bizzare murders (the sort where body parts are missing). She hopes to help Daniel stop the killer—one she's sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane—without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë's mom disappears—and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her, even though she knows doing so miight permanently ruin her love life and turn her into something no longer entirely human...
As if that wasn't weird enough, she gained additional powers that not only freak her out but have done damage to her budding relationship with Atlanta Homicide detective Daniel Frasier.
Zoë and Daniel are thrown back together when she's drawn into the investigation of a series of bizzare murders (the sort where body parts are missing). She hopes to help Daniel stop the killer—one she's sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane—without letting him find out about her special abilities.
Then danger strikes close to home when Zoë's mom disappears—and Zoë must use all the powers at her command to save her, even though she knows doing so miight permanently ruin her love life and turn her into something no longer entirely human...
July 5, 2009
That was some truly awful grammar. So awful, it was incredibly distracting. This is the sequel to Wraith, which I believe I reviewed by merely outlining the plot of a stereotypical paranormal romance book. The series is a bit different, or at least started that way, because the main character is merely someone with the ability of astral travel... and diabetes. That's about as 3-dimensional as you get for any of the characters, though. I decided to give it a second go with book 2, but I'm definitely done with this series now. The characters are almost all stereotypes of some kind, but even when they start to break away or flesh out from there, it's in a predictable way. I found it more annoying than enjoyable.
August 16, 2008
Awesome and hysterical. I love the way Zoe thinks! I love her new complication, you know the one she really doesn't want to think about, you know, THAT kiss! OMG! Awesome again. This leaves a definite cliff hanger and I'm drooling for the next book. Leave me hanging desperately! And Phaedra only just finished chapter 19 in the next one...pout! We have so long to wait, drat!
Oh and quotes, there weren't any, but she had plenty of thoughts that were wicked amazing but to actually get them you would also have to read around them and I'm not up to writing them so I suggest to just read it. It is well worth the money!
Oh and quotes, there weren't any, but she had plenty of thoughts that were wicked amazing but to actually get them you would also have to read around them and I'm not up to writing them so I suggest to just read it. It is well worth the money!
November 5, 2008
Zoe Martinique is a wraith, an entity that can switch back and forth from the corporeal world. The author has created a world a little difficult to follow with all the different terms and eidelons which give people power and friends/family whose loyalty is hard to determine. It appears I jumped into the second book of the series so there are numerous references to events which occurred in the first book. There are numerous mentions of "hot monkey sex" which Zoe desires which made me think she must be related to Stephanie Plum. Although my head is still spinning with Zoe's confusing world, I will read Wraith, the first book in the series, to see if it sheds any light.
December 19, 2012
Well, I liked this one better, MUCH BETTER, than the first. I didn't find Zoe nearly as irritating. Oh, she still got her body kidnapped a couple of times, and her soul was kidnapped and controlled, but it was easier to digest.
The mystery part still had me saying WTH? There was a group, and a faction of that group, which both groups were originally part of another group that were doing experiments with astral travel and stones, but you didn't realize all the groups were after the stones and Zoe's "spirit" until almost the end. Did you get that? :)
Will I continue on with this series? I just can't say. Maybe if I need a Z for a challenge I might.
The mystery part still had me saying WTH? There was a group, and a faction of that group, which both groups were originally part of another group that were doing experiments with astral travel and stones, but you didn't realize all the groups were after the stones and Zoe's "spirit" until almost the end. Did you get that? :)
Will I continue on with this series? I just can't say. Maybe if I need a Z for a challenge I might.
July 25, 2012
I am hesitant about rating this book. It was redundant and explained everything using pop references that will date the book. She established certain things that the beginning of the book that suddenly changed at the end. One example is Zoe's ability to be solid while out of her body. In the beginning she had to really think about it. At the end it suddenly became something she did naturally without thought. There was no lead up to it.
I did really enjoy the characters, the fast pace of the story and the plot.
I did really enjoy the characters, the fast pace of the story and the plot.
July 26, 2011
It's been over a year since I read the first book (Wraith) in Phaedra Weldon's series about a young woman who can travel out of body. I liked this book a lot, it had some surprises, a bit of sexual tension (but no sex), murders,astral travelers, mysterious characters. There are at least two more in the series, so this book leaves open issues, but that's OK, it ties up the current mystery and leaves you looking forward to the next adventure.
December 18, 2013
I didn't like this book as much as the first one because, frankly, it bored me at times. Also, the author just throws things into the story, with a by the way, that made me feel like I missed an entire book or 2. I still wish that Zoe would wise up and stop just walking into stupid things to make the plot go along. I also wish that there were more clue gathering that the reader found out about, instead of just learning things about 3/4 into the book.
January 5, 2009
So, it had been long enough since I read the first one that I had a tough time remembering all of the details in the series; normally that doesn't happen to me, so I guess something about it was generic enough to blend into all of the other series I read. On the other hand, it kept me entertained while I read it, provoked some thought, and really, that's all that I ask of a fun book.
May 27, 2009
Bought this off bargain table for beach read. I didn't realize it was part of a series. Will go back and read the first one. Zoe lives in Atlanta and has special abilities that allow her OOB experiences. There are good guys and bad guys and sometimes it's hard to tell who is which, but that's what makes it interesting. It was a fun, fast read - a little different than my usual fluff.
April 2, 2015
I don't know why the average for this book is so low. I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed most of the >4 books. The protagonist is a bit annoying when she writes, considering it's highly abnormal for a 28yo to have the written english skill of a 4yo, but aside from that and a few continuity problems (which you usually don't notice) the book is very interesting.
July 6, 2011
Still love Zoe's spunk. Hate that I waited 3 years to read this book after reading the first one.
Cliff hanger ending. Really need to find the the third book in the series and not wait so long to read it.
Cliff hanger ending. Really need to find the the third book in the series and not wait so long to read it.
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