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Arcane Underworld #2
Splintered
Anna Ruiz is on a mission: Help her friend and partner-in-crime, Karyn Ames, break free of the tangle of hallucinations and premonitions that have cut her off from reality. With the aid of her crew — ex-soldier Nail and sorcerer Genevieve — she’ll do whatever it takes to get Karyn help, even if it means tracking down every lowlife informant and back alley magic practitioner in the occult underworld of Los Angeles.
But since a magical heist went to hell, the crew has been working for crimelord and doomed magus Enoch Sobell. Between fighting Sobell’s battles with some seriously scary demonic forces and tangling with a group of violent fanatics who want to manipulate Karyn’s abilities for their own gains, Anna, Nail, and Genevieve are beginning to realize they’re in way over their heads.
And now that Karyn’s secret about seeing the future is out, even more unpleasant parties — human and otherwise — are about to come knocking...
But since a magical heist went to hell, the crew has been working for crimelord and doomed magus Enoch Sobell. Between fighting Sobell’s battles with some seriously scary demonic forces and tangling with a group of violent fanatics who want to manipulate Karyn’s abilities for their own gains, Anna, Nail, and Genevieve are beginning to realize they’re in way over their heads.
And now that Karyn’s secret about seeing the future is out, even more unpleasant parties — human and otherwise — are about to come knocking...
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 3, 2015
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/02/b...
The Arcane Underworld series has it all. Demons. Fanatical cultists. Dark magic. Now throw in a group of down-on-their-luck thieves working for one Enoch Sobell, possibly the scariest and most powerful crime lord that ever lived. So what does it tell you when even the big boss man is rattled by a new threat entering the playing field?
If you like your urban fantasy dark with a touch of horror, Splintered and its predecessor Premonitions will be perfect for you. This sequel picks up shortly after the events of the first book, following the lives of Karyn Ames’ crew in the wake of their big heist to steal an ancient occult artifact. Ever since Karyn’s affliction has taken her out of the picture though, Anna Ruiz has stepped up to lead the gang, hoping to help her friend break free of the debilitating visions that have cut her off from reality.
Enoch Sobell, however, has further plans for the crew. No longer are Anna and her friends carrying out mere thefts for the crime lord. His demands have gotten more disturbing and extreme in recent weeks, as evidenced by their latest job, which involves shadier deals like kidnapping. But what they didn’t count on is that their target has a loyal following of acolyte mages who will stop at nothing to get him back. Now Anna, Genevieve and Nail find themselves in way over their heads, tangled in a web of violence and blood magic.
Like the first book, this one also features a great mix of urban fantasy, mystery and psychological thrills, but it takes off in some new directions as well. I love heist books, which is why I enjoyed Premonitions so much, but as it turned out, there’s a lot less thieving action this time around in Splintered. Still, the story makes up for this by being much darker, which suited me just fine. Many parts of the book even bordered on horror, including a bunch of messy scenes that featured demonic possession, the summoning of nightmarish monsters, as well as the brutal consequence of black magic.
Also, now that Karyn has gotten lost in her hallucinations, Anna has taken over as the head of the crew as well as de facto main protagonist. As a result we see a lot less of Karyn, which was slight disappointment since she was my favorite character in book one, as well as the member of the crew that I found most interesting. Because of the frightening and unpredictable nature of Karyn’s visions, Premonitions was a real head-trip, and I thought Jamie Schultz did a really good job giving readers a glimpse into the scary world that is her mind. Sadly, we lose much of that in this book.
The bright side though? This development gives us the opportunity to know the other crew members better. And what fascinating characters they are. Anna is doing her best to lead the group, but is finding that hard to do with Sobell breathing down her neck. Karyn’s plight is also always on the back of Anna’s mind, quite possibly affecting her job as well as her relationship with fellow thief and girlfriend Genevieve, whose loyalties are still on the fence. As the newest member of the crew, Gen is still a big question mark for me. I’m not willing to trust her fully just yet, and after this book things should get even more interesting.
But perhaps the biggest star of the story for me is Nail, the crew’s muscle and the guy who brings the big guns. In spite of this, he clearly has a soft side. Nail is the kind of man who would do anything for family – in this case, that’s his crew as well as his older brother DeWayne, whose gambling problem has gotten him in debt with the wrong people. For such a minor character, DeWayne stole the show for the brief moments he appeared, and I loved his interactions with Nail. I really hope we’ll see more of him in future books.
Now, here’s the deal: Splintered was a great sequel. But as much as I enjoyed it, I think I still have to give the edge to the first book. I love the darker, grittier feel of this book but I just have to confess, I simply love heist stories way too much, so Premonitions will always have a special place in my heart. I also thought Splintered faltered with a plot that was difficult to follow at times, especially when I was trying to figure out how all the different plot threads – the search for Karyn’s cure, Van Horn’s kidnapping, and Sobell’s job on Mona Gorow’s house, etc. – were supposed to fit together. In the long run though, I suppose it mattered little because the conclusion tied it all up, not to mention the final show down was all kinds of awesome.
With the stakes remaining this high, you can count me in for book three – especially if it means getting to find out whether or not Karyn gets back in the game. I’m burning for more dark urban fantasy in my reading, and Jamie Schultz definitely knows how to bring it.
The Arcane Underworld series has it all. Demons. Fanatical cultists. Dark magic. Now throw in a group of down-on-their-luck thieves working for one Enoch Sobell, possibly the scariest and most powerful crime lord that ever lived. So what does it tell you when even the big boss man is rattled by a new threat entering the playing field?
If you like your urban fantasy dark with a touch of horror, Splintered and its predecessor Premonitions will be perfect for you. This sequel picks up shortly after the events of the first book, following the lives of Karyn Ames’ crew in the wake of their big heist to steal an ancient occult artifact. Ever since Karyn’s affliction has taken her out of the picture though, Anna Ruiz has stepped up to lead the gang, hoping to help her friend break free of the debilitating visions that have cut her off from reality.
Enoch Sobell, however, has further plans for the crew. No longer are Anna and her friends carrying out mere thefts for the crime lord. His demands have gotten more disturbing and extreme in recent weeks, as evidenced by their latest job, which involves shadier deals like kidnapping. But what they didn’t count on is that their target has a loyal following of acolyte mages who will stop at nothing to get him back. Now Anna, Genevieve and Nail find themselves in way over their heads, tangled in a web of violence and blood magic.
Like the first book, this one also features a great mix of urban fantasy, mystery and psychological thrills, but it takes off in some new directions as well. I love heist books, which is why I enjoyed Premonitions so much, but as it turned out, there’s a lot less thieving action this time around in Splintered. Still, the story makes up for this by being much darker, which suited me just fine. Many parts of the book even bordered on horror, including a bunch of messy scenes that featured demonic possession, the summoning of nightmarish monsters, as well as the brutal consequence of black magic.
Also, now that Karyn has gotten lost in her hallucinations, Anna has taken over as the head of the crew as well as de facto main protagonist. As a result we see a lot less of Karyn, which was slight disappointment since she was my favorite character in book one, as well as the member of the crew that I found most interesting. Because of the frightening and unpredictable nature of Karyn’s visions, Premonitions was a real head-trip, and I thought Jamie Schultz did a really good job giving readers a glimpse into the scary world that is her mind. Sadly, we lose much of that in this book.
The bright side though? This development gives us the opportunity to know the other crew members better. And what fascinating characters they are. Anna is doing her best to lead the group, but is finding that hard to do with Sobell breathing down her neck. Karyn’s plight is also always on the back of Anna’s mind, quite possibly affecting her job as well as her relationship with fellow thief and girlfriend Genevieve, whose loyalties are still on the fence. As the newest member of the crew, Gen is still a big question mark for me. I’m not willing to trust her fully just yet, and after this book things should get even more interesting.
But perhaps the biggest star of the story for me is Nail, the crew’s muscle and the guy who brings the big guns. In spite of this, he clearly has a soft side. Nail is the kind of man who would do anything for family – in this case, that’s his crew as well as his older brother DeWayne, whose gambling problem has gotten him in debt with the wrong people. For such a minor character, DeWayne stole the show for the brief moments he appeared, and I loved his interactions with Nail. I really hope we’ll see more of him in future books.
Now, here’s the deal: Splintered was a great sequel. But as much as I enjoyed it, I think I still have to give the edge to the first book. I love the darker, grittier feel of this book but I just have to confess, I simply love heist stories way too much, so Premonitions will always have a special place in my heart. I also thought Splintered faltered with a plot that was difficult to follow at times, especially when I was trying to figure out how all the different plot threads – the search for Karyn’s cure, Van Horn’s kidnapping, and Sobell’s job on Mona Gorow’s house, etc. – were supposed to fit together. In the long run though, I suppose it mattered little because the conclusion tied it all up, not to mention the final show down was all kinds of awesome.
With the stakes remaining this high, you can count me in for book three – especially if it means getting to find out whether or not Karyn gets back in the game. I’m burning for more dark urban fantasy in my reading, and Jamie Schultz definitely knows how to bring it.
August 1, 2015
~3.5
If you've been searching for truly grimdark urban fantasy, then I've found the perfect book for you. In terms of gritty, graphic violence and unrelenting darkness, Splintered is out to give Abercrombie and Lawrence a run for their money.
Anna Ruiz keeps promising herself that this will be her last job for Enoch Sobell, but they've been promising themselves that for a long time. Once the sorcerous criminal overlord gets his claws into you, it's not so easy to escape. And so at Sobell's order, Anna and her team find themselves escalating from thievery to kidnapping, and it isn't long before they find themselves trapped in a magical battle that leaves kidnapping the least of their problems.
As I said, if you're into grimdark, then this book will be a perfect fit. My problem? While I take my urban fantasy with plenty of grit and grime, grimdark is too depressing for me. At least from what I've seen, one theme that unites true grimdark is the lack of agency. The characters, are, of course, stuck in a bad situation within an already hostile world, but in grimdark, the characters can't divert from a course that will lead to their destruction. In Splintered, the characters have been drawn into a situation that they don't understand and will never comprehend completely. They know they're being played, yet they can do nothing except fall right into the trap. At each turn, the consequences of their previous actions transform any new decision into a forced choice. As one character puts it:
Part of the allure was the worldbuilding. Anna's world has a fascinating magic system. In the end, all magic comes from demons and is thus inherently destructive. Using magic is like "burning one's soul up with a candle," and each spell leaves the caster just a little less human. Part of it was the characters. No matter how stifling and frustrating they were, my heart broke for Anna, who is trying to save her friend, and Nate, the self-proclaimed "king of enablers," who can't seem to stop himself from bailing out his worthless brother again and again. While I jumped into the series at the second book, Schultz did a great job in pulling new readers into the world. The writing, too, reeled me in. The violence is impressively graphic. I don't consider myself particularly squeamish, but parts of the book had me hyperventilating. I found so much of the story agonizing, yet I simply couldn't disengage. If you're a fan of Abercrombie or Richard K Morgan and looking to branch out, or you're looking for a truly dark, intense read, then this series is definitely worth a look.
~~I received this ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Penguin Group, in exchange for my honest review. Quotes are taken from an uncorrected advanced reader copy and may not reflect the final version; however, I think they speak to the spirit of the book as a whole.~~
If you've been searching for truly grimdark urban fantasy, then I've found the perfect book for you. In terms of gritty, graphic violence and unrelenting darkness, Splintered is out to give Abercrombie and Lawrence a run for their money.
Anna Ruiz keeps promising herself that this will be her last job for Enoch Sobell, but they've been promising themselves that for a long time. Once the sorcerous criminal overlord gets his claws into you, it's not so easy to escape. And so at Sobell's order, Anna and her team find themselves escalating from thievery to kidnapping, and it isn't long before they find themselves trapped in a magical battle that leaves kidnapping the least of their problems.
As I said, if you're into grimdark, then this book will be a perfect fit. My problem? While I take my urban fantasy with plenty of grit and grime, grimdark is too depressing for me. At least from what I've seen, one theme that unites true grimdark is the lack of agency. The characters, are, of course, stuck in a bad situation within an already hostile world, but in grimdark, the characters can't divert from a course that will lead to their destruction. In Splintered, the characters have been drawn into a situation that they don't understand and will never comprehend completely. They know they're being played, yet they can do nothing except fall right into the trap. At each turn, the consequences of their previous actions transform any new decision into a forced choice. As one character puts it:
"I don't even know what we're in the middle of now, and I don't know how we get out of it."I wanted the characters to break free, to escape the vicious cycles of self-destruction. And yet even as I wanted to pull away, I was sucked into the plot. The compulsion was as strong as it was unwelcome. It was like watching a car ahead skid on ice and veer off the road, knowing that the crash is inevitable and unable to tear your eyes away. The weight of suffering is suffocating, yet I couldn't put down the book.
Part of the allure was the worldbuilding. Anna's world has a fascinating magic system. In the end, all magic comes from demons and is thus inherently destructive. Using magic is like "burning one's soul up with a candle," and each spell leaves the caster just a little less human. Part of it was the characters. No matter how stifling and frustrating they were, my heart broke for Anna, who is trying to save her friend, and Nate, the self-proclaimed "king of enablers," who can't seem to stop himself from bailing out his worthless brother again and again. While I jumped into the series at the second book, Schultz did a great job in pulling new readers into the world. The writing, too, reeled me in. The violence is impressively graphic. I don't consider myself particularly squeamish, but parts of the book had me hyperventilating. I found so much of the story agonizing, yet I simply couldn't disengage. If you're a fan of Abercrombie or Richard K Morgan and looking to branch out, or you're looking for a truly dark, intense read, then this series is definitely worth a look.
~~I received this ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Penguin Group, in exchange for my honest review. Quotes are taken from an uncorrected advanced reader copy and may not reflect the final version; however, I think they speak to the spirit of the book as a whole.~~
July 27, 2015
The nitty-gritty: A gritty follow-up that delivers on action and chills, with plenty of awesome characters.
Sunrise came slow, preceded by an uptick in the distant sound of traffic, honking horns, and sirens. Anna wondered if there was anywhere you could go in L.A. and not hear it. The city’s circulatory system, as clogged and dysfunctional as it was. Omnipresent, like the blood rushing in her ears, like the sound of her own breath. It had its own rhythms, locked tighter to the clock than to the sun or the stars.
I would definitely call Jamie Schultz’s Arcane Underworld series urban fantasy, but if you’re also a horror fan, then you shouldn’t miss these books. Schultz infuses his story with black magic and evil creatures born of blood sacrifice, all of which scream “horror” to me. And if you’re looking for diversity in your reading material, you seriously couldn’t find any better. Splintered has diversity and then some, with a multi-race cast of characters and a really well done lesbian relationship as well. And let’s not forget about the guns. Yes, lots of guns!
This time around, the focus shifts from Karyn, the main character in the first book, Premonitions, to Anna, Karyn’s best friend, who takes on the lead role in this book. Karyn has gone into a sort of fugue state without the drug that enables her to keep her visions of the future in check. Now she’s seeing multiple scenarios play out in her head and is unable to communicate with anyone. (This totally reminded me of Buffy Season 5, when Dawn’s been kidnapped and Buffy just shuts down for a while. Anyone?) And even though I loved her character in the last book, I really enjoyed seeing more of Anna and Nail and Genevieve. Karyn is still in the story, but we only see glimpses of her.
When the story begins, Anna and the gang are still doing heist jobs for money, and once again they’ve hooked up with the dangerous crime lord Enoch Sobell. This time he wants them to kidnap a man named Van Horn, who lives in a sketchy part of town and has gathered together a motley group of followers who surround him at all times, making it difficult to snatch him. When Anna gets wind of a magical item that could help—even cure—Karyn, she sets her sights on stealing it. But Anna and her crew didn’t count on the fanaticism of Van Horn’s followers, and it doesn’t take long before everyone is in danger.
I think my favorite thing about this series is Schultz’s ability to create realistic characters that feel like someone you might meet on the street. OK, maybe that street is in a bad part of town, littered with broken glass and a dead body or two, but even though his characters might be into the dark arts and traffic with demons, at heart they come across as down-to-earth. Take the character of Nail, for instance. I loved Nail in this book, mostly because he plays a bigger role and his personality really shone through. Nail is the muscle of the crew and fearless in every way, but he’s also loyal to his brother DeWayne, a man who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. I enjoyed seeing both sides of Nail, and I hope he has just as complex a role in the next book.
Anna and Genevieve are still a couple, but Genevieve’s magic habit is starting to erode their relationship. Anna can clearly see that magic is not good for Gen, but Gen doesn’t think she’s got a problem at all, and so she won’t listen to any of Anna’s pleas to stop. Sound familiar? This isn’t the first time magic use has been substituted for drugs (I’m looking at you, Buffy!), but I liked the way it was handled. It made their relationship very uncomfortable, but sometimes that’s the way relationships are.
There’s a fair amount of graphic violence and just plain “yuk” factor in Splintered. and I admit to feeling queasy during a few scenes. But if you’re OK with that kind of horror, don’t worry. You’ll be rewarded in the end. All of Schultz’s decisions in the violence department fit the plot very nicely and didn’t seem gratuitous at all. And get ready for some very creepy scenes. At one point, Anna and Genevieve go into the house of a witch to steal something, and their experiences in that house were pretty scary.
As far as what didn’t quite work for me, well, there is a lot going on in Splintered, almost more than I could keep track of. You’ve got multiple groups of people in different locations, going back and forth, chasing each other, looking for missing members of their groups, and so on. I guess if I had to pin down my thoughts on this, I would say the plot wasn’t quite as tight as it was in Premonitions. Eventually, however, everything does come together, and all the parts make sense. And something happens to Anna near the end of the story, and I’m dying to find out how the author is going to resolve it in book three!
I haven’t heard the title for the next book, but there is a short sampler of it at the end of Splintered to whet your appetite. If you love your urban fantasy dark and your characters complex and unpredictable—and at times unsavory—you really should be reading this series. With solid writing, snappy dialogue and tons of exciting action, Splintered is a well-done “middle” book that makes me anxious for the next one.
Big thanks to the author for supplying a review copy.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
Sunrise came slow, preceded by an uptick in the distant sound of traffic, honking horns, and sirens. Anna wondered if there was anywhere you could go in L.A. and not hear it. The city’s circulatory system, as clogged and dysfunctional as it was. Omnipresent, like the blood rushing in her ears, like the sound of her own breath. It had its own rhythms, locked tighter to the clock than to the sun or the stars.
I would definitely call Jamie Schultz’s Arcane Underworld series urban fantasy, but if you’re also a horror fan, then you shouldn’t miss these books. Schultz infuses his story with black magic and evil creatures born of blood sacrifice, all of which scream “horror” to me. And if you’re looking for diversity in your reading material, you seriously couldn’t find any better. Splintered has diversity and then some, with a multi-race cast of characters and a really well done lesbian relationship as well. And let’s not forget about the guns. Yes, lots of guns!
This time around, the focus shifts from Karyn, the main character in the first book, Premonitions, to Anna, Karyn’s best friend, who takes on the lead role in this book. Karyn has gone into a sort of fugue state without the drug that enables her to keep her visions of the future in check. Now she’s seeing multiple scenarios play out in her head and is unable to communicate with anyone. (This totally reminded me of Buffy Season 5, when Dawn’s been kidnapped and Buffy just shuts down for a while. Anyone?) And even though I loved her character in the last book, I really enjoyed seeing more of Anna and Nail and Genevieve. Karyn is still in the story, but we only see glimpses of her.
When the story begins, Anna and the gang are still doing heist jobs for money, and once again they’ve hooked up with the dangerous crime lord Enoch Sobell. This time he wants them to kidnap a man named Van Horn, who lives in a sketchy part of town and has gathered together a motley group of followers who surround him at all times, making it difficult to snatch him. When Anna gets wind of a magical item that could help—even cure—Karyn, she sets her sights on stealing it. But Anna and her crew didn’t count on the fanaticism of Van Horn’s followers, and it doesn’t take long before everyone is in danger.
I think my favorite thing about this series is Schultz’s ability to create realistic characters that feel like someone you might meet on the street. OK, maybe that street is in a bad part of town, littered with broken glass and a dead body or two, but even though his characters might be into the dark arts and traffic with demons, at heart they come across as down-to-earth. Take the character of Nail, for instance. I loved Nail in this book, mostly because he plays a bigger role and his personality really shone through. Nail is the muscle of the crew and fearless in every way, but he’s also loyal to his brother DeWayne, a man who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. I enjoyed seeing both sides of Nail, and I hope he has just as complex a role in the next book.
Anna and Genevieve are still a couple, but Genevieve’s magic habit is starting to erode their relationship. Anna can clearly see that magic is not good for Gen, but Gen doesn’t think she’s got a problem at all, and so she won’t listen to any of Anna’s pleas to stop. Sound familiar? This isn’t the first time magic use has been substituted for drugs (I’m looking at you, Buffy!), but I liked the way it was handled. It made their relationship very uncomfortable, but sometimes that’s the way relationships are.
There’s a fair amount of graphic violence and just plain “yuk” factor in Splintered. and I admit to feeling queasy during a few scenes. But if you’re OK with that kind of horror, don’t worry. You’ll be rewarded in the end. All of Schultz’s decisions in the violence department fit the plot very nicely and didn’t seem gratuitous at all. And get ready for some very creepy scenes. At one point, Anna and Genevieve go into the house of a witch to steal something, and their experiences in that house were pretty scary.
As far as what didn’t quite work for me, well, there is a lot going on in Splintered, almost more than I could keep track of. You’ve got multiple groups of people in different locations, going back and forth, chasing each other, looking for missing members of their groups, and so on. I guess if I had to pin down my thoughts on this, I would say the plot wasn’t quite as tight as it was in Premonitions. Eventually, however, everything does come together, and all the parts make sense. And something happens to Anna near the end of the story, and I’m dying to find out how the author is going to resolve it in book three!
I haven’t heard the title for the next book, but there is a short sampler of it at the end of Splintered to whet your appetite. If you love your urban fantasy dark and your characters complex and unpredictable—and at times unsavory—you really should be reading this series. With solid writing, snappy dialogue and tons of exciting action, Splintered is a well-done “middle” book that makes me anxious for the next one.
Big thanks to the author for supplying a review copy.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
January 29, 2018
Splintered is second in the unique and compelling crime drama, urban fantasy series. Expertly weaving an exciting story with interesting characters similar in style to Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden books, Schultz is an author to watch, breathing fresh life into an overworked genre. This one will go on my keeper shelf to re-read and show to friends.
Summary:
Karyn Ames is held hostage by hallucinations and premonitions that have cut her off from reality. Anna Ruiz and her sorcerer friend, Genevieve and ex-soldier Nail will do anything to get Karyn help, including shaking down every shady magic practitioner in the occult underworld of LA. After a magical heist went all wrong, the crew has been working for Enoch Sobell, crime lord and failed magus. Coming to the realization that they are in over their heads, the crew’s battles with evil forces and fanatics who want to take advantage of Karyn’s abilities come to a head.
Summary:
Karyn Ames is held hostage by hallucinations and premonitions that have cut her off from reality. Anna Ruiz and her sorcerer friend, Genevieve and ex-soldier Nail will do anything to get Karyn help, including shaking down every shady magic practitioner in the occult underworld of LA. After a magical heist went all wrong, the crew has been working for Enoch Sobell, crime lord and failed magus. Coming to the realization that they are in over their heads, the crew’s battles with evil forces and fanatics who want to take advantage of Karyn’s abilities come to a head.
July 8, 2015
An expanded version of this is posted at my blog, The Irresponsible Reader. It's likely that I cut too much for this version, so just go over there and read the whole thing.
------
It's been a few weeks since the events of Premonitions, most wounds and injuries have healed, Karyn's still overcome by an onslaught of visions and is unable to care for herself, Anna's dividing her time between caring for her and running around for Enoch Sobell (while suffering emotional damage from Premonitions), Sobell's just about finished piecing his organization back together, and everything else is returning to normal. Now, Anna and the team aren't exactly sure what Sobell's got them running around doing -- but they're not crazy about it.
Then things get serious -- Sobell "asks" the team to do something for him that's another level of criminality than they've engaged in before -- with yet another inevitably following. This involves a handful of magic users in a class beyond what they're used to. In the middle of all this, the FBI raids Sobell's headquarters (making it difficult for him to keep the team on task). Oh, and someone's looking for a Karyn. Someone Anna's never heard of, and isn't so sure about. Things get complicated, twisted, and disturbing from here -- hopeful steps and/or events, are tarnished by failure or corruption; every victory looks Pyrrhic, and defeat seems inevitable.
Which is not to say that this book is all doom and gloom, a read only fit for the masochistic or self-loathing. On the contrary, there's a lot of life in these characters, hope, gumption and devotion. You want to know what's happening to them, you want to see them prevail in some small way (at least). This world may not be filled with blue skies, but there are patches of blue in the smog.
There's something about the L.A. of these books that make me think Schultz is depicting a near-future dystopian city. But I'm so glad that Nail's around so we get references to 9/11 and the Iraq War, and I can be reminded that this is taking place roughly now and that what I consider to by a dystopian future is simply a dystopian present for far too many people.
At some point -- if not several points -- every character in this book is on their own, splintered off from the rest and looking out for their own interest with no attention or care about any one else. Occasionally, it's in opposition to anyone else (even those they're supposed to be aligned with). This cuts across all the various relationships depicted; from the purely financial, to the heartfelt, to the creepy and cultic. Each individual makes a deal with someone along the way -- almost always for short-term gain (shorter than many expect, it should be added) and potentially long-term loss (longer than many expect). Sometimes, the characters can think that there might not actually be consequences to the deal, but they feel dirty just thinking about making it. Even those characters who start out at least partially altruistic or team/family/friend-centered in their approach to a problem, end up cutting a deal with someone. Anna, for example, primarily makes deals to help -- or at least give her a chance at helping -- Karyn. That act of caring doesn't shield either one from the price to be paid for it.
Throughout Splintered (but not a stranger to Premonitions) is the deep sense that there are always consequences for one's actions. Most serialized fiction will deal with consequences for "the big stuff" -- X killed Y, so in 3 books, Y's family will come for revenge. Or some seemingly insignificant event will turn out 5 books from now to have significant effects on the world/characters/etc. But here, every single time someone does anything magical, there are consequences, potentially (probably?) eternal consequences. This alone sets the Arcane Underworld books apart from the crowd. But it's not just the magical actions; it's conversations, it's the past, it's these deals, it's being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What these characters do matters. Sometimes it matters for them, sometimes it matters for their loved ones, sometimes it's their enemies. Horrifically (and realistically), sometimes, it's complete and utter strangers. Some of his characters see the consequences and shrug them off before acting, others see the consequences and accept them, others figure they can find a way to get out of them (or have someone else rescue them).
But at the end of the day -- if not before noon -- no one comes out unscathed. Well, okay, some tertiary (or quaternary) characters do -- but most of even them don't. I don't think there's a single thing that remains the same from beginning of the book to the end -- health, relationship, financial status, legal situation, family, soul -- I think every character takes a hit on at least two of those, if not all. Not many authors can achieve that in 350 pages.
With Premonitions, Jamie Schultz promised something new to the genre. Splintered shows us that he's keeping that promise. I have no idea what book three of the Arcane Underworld is going to bring, but I can't wait for it.
------
It's been a few weeks since the events of Premonitions, most wounds and injuries have healed, Karyn's still overcome by an onslaught of visions and is unable to care for herself, Anna's dividing her time between caring for her and running around for Enoch Sobell (while suffering emotional damage from Premonitions), Sobell's just about finished piecing his organization back together, and everything else is returning to normal. Now, Anna and the team aren't exactly sure what Sobell's got them running around doing -- but they're not crazy about it.
Then things get serious -- Sobell "asks" the team to do something for him that's another level of criminality than they've engaged in before -- with yet another inevitably following. This involves a handful of magic users in a class beyond what they're used to. In the middle of all this, the FBI raids Sobell's headquarters (making it difficult for him to keep the team on task). Oh, and someone's looking for a Karyn. Someone Anna's never heard of, and isn't so sure about. Things get complicated, twisted, and disturbing from here -- hopeful steps and/or events, are tarnished by failure or corruption; every victory looks Pyrrhic, and defeat seems inevitable.
Which is not to say that this book is all doom and gloom, a read only fit for the masochistic or self-loathing. On the contrary, there's a lot of life in these characters, hope, gumption and devotion. You want to know what's happening to them, you want to see them prevail in some small way (at least). This world may not be filled with blue skies, but there are patches of blue in the smog.
There's something about the L.A. of these books that make me think Schultz is depicting a near-future dystopian city. But I'm so glad that Nail's around so we get references to 9/11 and the Iraq War, and I can be reminded that this is taking place roughly now and that what I consider to by a dystopian future is simply a dystopian present for far too many people.
At some point -- if not several points -- every character in this book is on their own, splintered off from the rest and looking out for their own interest with no attention or care about any one else. Occasionally, it's in opposition to anyone else (even those they're supposed to be aligned with). This cuts across all the various relationships depicted; from the purely financial, to the heartfelt, to the creepy and cultic. Each individual makes a deal with someone along the way -- almost always for short-term gain (shorter than many expect, it should be added) and potentially long-term loss (longer than many expect). Sometimes, the characters can think that there might not actually be consequences to the deal, but they feel dirty just thinking about making it. Even those characters who start out at least partially altruistic or team/family/friend-centered in their approach to a problem, end up cutting a deal with someone. Anna, for example, primarily makes deals to help -- or at least give her a chance at helping -- Karyn. That act of caring doesn't shield either one from the price to be paid for it.
Throughout Splintered (but not a stranger to Premonitions) is the deep sense that there are always consequences for one's actions. Most serialized fiction will deal with consequences for "the big stuff" -- X killed Y, so in 3 books, Y's family will come for revenge. Or some seemingly insignificant event will turn out 5 books from now to have significant effects on the world/characters/etc. But here, every single time someone does anything magical, there are consequences, potentially (probably?) eternal consequences. This alone sets the Arcane Underworld books apart from the crowd. But it's not just the magical actions; it's conversations, it's the past, it's these deals, it's being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What these characters do matters. Sometimes it matters for them, sometimes it matters for their loved ones, sometimes it's their enemies. Horrifically (and realistically), sometimes, it's complete and utter strangers. Some of his characters see the consequences and shrug them off before acting, others see the consequences and accept them, others figure they can find a way to get out of them (or have someone else rescue them).
But at the end of the day -- if not before noon -- no one comes out unscathed. Well, okay, some tertiary (or quaternary) characters do -- but most of even them don't. I don't think there's a single thing that remains the same from beginning of the book to the end -- health, relationship, financial status, legal situation, family, soul -- I think every character takes a hit on at least two of those, if not all. Not many authors can achieve that in 350 pages.
With Premonitions, Jamie Schultz promised something new to the genre. Splintered shows us that he's keeping that promise. I have no idea what book three of the Arcane Underworld is going to bring, but I can't wait for it.
-----
Note: I was provided a copy of this novel by the author, which didn't alter my opinion of the work -- I can be bought, but not that cheaply.
August 21, 2015
Drama, demons and dark magic, oh my! This was a very good sequel to Premonitions. It feels like a thoroughly modern urban fantasy with the LA setting and the mix of the people in the book, but it's done very naturally, it doesn;t feel fussy or preachy, it's just how it is in modern LA and the book reflects it. But it's what I've been longing to see in urban fantasy and sci-fi, I get so tired of white-washed books where there should be many shades. This one even had the African American member of the crew, Nail, on the cover, a stunning choice by the publisher, when they'll usually do anything to avoid putting people of color on covers, especially since the crew does have two white women and a Latina they can feature. If you're on the fence about the book or series I say you should buy it just because of that, show them that we like cover art that shows the actual characters in the book and that people of color can sell books just as much as caucasians. And if you like gritty, dark books with desperate choices, schemes gone wrong, blackmail at it's worst, what we'll do for love, and more, it's a very good book for you and you should give it a try.
October 26, 2021
Awesome. A nice tall glass of cold water after a long drought.
It's been years since I read book 1, but I finally tracked down a used copy of this one (doesn't seem to be in many book stores I visit, thank you library sale) and I blazed through it in just a couple days.
This series is SO RAD. I am not into much popular fantasy and modern magic series- any book with a "magic system" can feel offputting to me. Too formulaic and ordered and clean. This shit Jamie Schultz is writing, on the other hand, is dank. The occult is something scraped over cement in sharpie over graffiti, it's cutting off your fingers, it's something that could immolate you if you write a sigil wrong, it's half made up in any given moment and it's always bad news. Even the demons can't force it, have to follow rules even they don't know, and it's messy. Oh boy is it messy- there is so much rotting meat, thinning skin, and blood in these pages it's kinda crazy. Not to mention the setting; Los Angeles, California. Somewhere warm, sunny, urban/city sprawl. Way too many people. Too many cars. It's just fucking nice to not be in some faux-European setting, or faux-New York for that matter. What a breath of fresh air.
Book one, Premonitions, had Karyn as the main POV character. Her confusing, gloopy, shadowy visions of the future slowly overwhelming her gave the impression of watching this all play out on a black and white television. It was bleak and mysterious, and primarily focused on the heist, the thrill of a con. Splintered is a slightly different flavor of horror. It has Anna, dedicated best friend and determined professional thief, as the primary POV character, and Anna can see much more clearly- and now the bright sun of L.A. seems to shine over everything, from the piles of dead locusts to the aforementioned chopped off fingers, all of the rotting bodies, the abandoned architecture, the trails of blood, the Twilight Zone eerie suburbs. Splintered leans less in the heist direction and harder into horror- the soaked in red kind. There are whole chapters of blood and slime and chunks, and it's delightful. Both books were cool, and I hope the next book offers another slightly new perspective.
The main characters are still just as interesting. I have a lot of respect for this series giving us some lesbians (or at least wlw) as primary characters, and for how many women are in these books period. Characters in the "Arcane Underworld" series are all sorts of shades of grey, but in a believable, needs-driven way that is a lot more nuanced than the usual "theif with a heart of gold" type characters who seem to be dicks for no reason. Everyone has their own motivations, which are less "good and evil" and more "what are my needs, and what am I willing to do to others to achieve them, and how bad do I feel about it after the fact." And from every side and every faction there are women. Cult leaders, cult followers, burglars, kidnappers, FBI, practicing occultists, murderers, ones who do violence and ones who avoid it and ones who care about others and ones who don't. Women who have romantic ambitions and women who have other ambitions, some women who have no ambitions. You might say this book passes the Bedchel test several times over, and honestly, it's fucking refreshing. Just letting women exist in this crazy world shouldn't be such a notable thing, but once you notice how little that happens in media in general, you really start to crave it. And this book delivers!
Anyway, if you like heist/crime thrillers where you root for the criminals, or where every character is a criminal, and you like the setting to be somewhat horrifying, and you want something different than a lot of the more popular dark urban fantasy series out there, I recommend this series very highly. A great one for any avid genre fiction reader.
It's been years since I read book 1, but I finally tracked down a used copy of this one (doesn't seem to be in many book stores I visit, thank you library sale) and I blazed through it in just a couple days.
This series is SO RAD. I am not into much popular fantasy and modern magic series- any book with a "magic system" can feel offputting to me. Too formulaic and ordered and clean. This shit Jamie Schultz is writing, on the other hand, is dank. The occult is something scraped over cement in sharpie over graffiti, it's cutting off your fingers, it's something that could immolate you if you write a sigil wrong, it's half made up in any given moment and it's always bad news. Even the demons can't force it, have to follow rules even they don't know, and it's messy. Oh boy is it messy- there is so much rotting meat, thinning skin, and blood in these pages it's kinda crazy. Not to mention the setting; Los Angeles, California. Somewhere warm, sunny, urban/city sprawl. Way too many people. Too many cars. It's just fucking nice to not be in some faux-European setting, or faux-New York for that matter. What a breath of fresh air.
Book one, Premonitions, had Karyn as the main POV character. Her confusing, gloopy, shadowy visions of the future slowly overwhelming her gave the impression of watching this all play out on a black and white television. It was bleak and mysterious, and primarily focused on the heist, the thrill of a con. Splintered is a slightly different flavor of horror. It has Anna, dedicated best friend and determined professional thief, as the primary POV character, and Anna can see much more clearly- and now the bright sun of L.A. seems to shine over everything, from the piles of dead locusts to the aforementioned chopped off fingers, all of the rotting bodies, the abandoned architecture, the trails of blood, the Twilight Zone eerie suburbs. Splintered leans less in the heist direction and harder into horror- the soaked in red kind. There are whole chapters of blood and slime and chunks, and it's delightful. Both books were cool, and I hope the next book offers another slightly new perspective.
The main characters are still just as interesting. I have a lot of respect for this series giving us some lesbians (or at least wlw) as primary characters, and for how many women are in these books period. Characters in the "Arcane Underworld" series are all sorts of shades of grey, but in a believable, needs-driven way that is a lot more nuanced than the usual "theif with a heart of gold" type characters who seem to be dicks for no reason. Everyone has their own motivations, which are less "good and evil" and more "what are my needs, and what am I willing to do to others to achieve them, and how bad do I feel about it after the fact." And from every side and every faction there are women. Cult leaders, cult followers, burglars, kidnappers, FBI, practicing occultists, murderers, ones who do violence and ones who avoid it and ones who care about others and ones who don't. Women who have romantic ambitions and women who have other ambitions, some women who have no ambitions. You might say this book passes the Bedchel test several times over, and honestly, it's fucking refreshing. Just letting women exist in this crazy world shouldn't be such a notable thing, but once you notice how little that happens in media in general, you really start to crave it. And this book delivers!
Anyway, if you like heist/crime thrillers where you root for the criminals, or where every character is a criminal, and you like the setting to be somewhat horrifying, and you want something different than a lot of the more popular dark urban fantasy series out there, I recommend this series very highly. A great one for any avid genre fiction reader.
October 19, 2017
Penguin Group and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Splintered. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
Anna Ruiz, along with her friends Nail and Genevieve, have been forced to work for crime lord Enoch Sobell after disaster ended their last job. Their fourth team member, Karyn, was injured psychically during the operation and Anna will do anything to help her. The crew must take whatever missions that Sobell deems necessary, even ones that are dangerous. Edgar Van Horn is deranged and has an entourage that is wreaking havoc. When Sobell directs the team to kidnap Van Horn, giving the group more than they bargained for, will they be able to finish the job without anyone getting hurt? Will getting help for Karyn end up costing the team everything?
I put myself at a disadvantage by not reading the previous novel first, but it did not take too long to get into the action of this book. The story is a little light, with very small amounts of character development and not much of a plot. The cliffhanger ending was too abrupt and added nothing to the book itself. Anna would not have been as naive as she is portrayed and would have done a better job of self preservation. Despite the fact that there were very few dull moments in Splintered, I did not think there was enough here to warrant another book. I am not sure if I would recommend Splintered, as I do not feel that there was a strong enough plot or characterization.
Anna Ruiz, along with her friends Nail and Genevieve, have been forced to work for crime lord Enoch Sobell after disaster ended their last job. Their fourth team member, Karyn, was injured psychically during the operation and Anna will do anything to help her. The crew must take whatever missions that Sobell deems necessary, even ones that are dangerous. Edgar Van Horn is deranged and has an entourage that is wreaking havoc. When Sobell directs the team to kidnap Van Horn, giving the group more than they bargained for, will they be able to finish the job without anyone getting hurt? Will getting help for Karyn end up costing the team everything?
I put myself at a disadvantage by not reading the previous novel first, but it did not take too long to get into the action of this book. The story is a little light, with very small amounts of character development and not much of a plot. The cliffhanger ending was too abrupt and added nothing to the book itself. Anna would not have been as naive as she is portrayed and would have done a better job of self preservation. Despite the fact that there were very few dull moments in Splintered, I did not think there was enough here to warrant another book. I am not sure if I would recommend Splintered, as I do not feel that there was a strong enough plot or characterization.
did-not-finish
January 6, 2019I really enjoyed the first book but got bogged down in all the grimness this time around. Calling it quits about halfway through, after having it in my in-process pile for about 3 years. No rating because there's nothing wrong with the book, it's just me wanting lighter fare.
August 4, 2015
If you like your urban fantasy dark and gruesome with an added touch of horror, Splintered and its predecessor Premonitions are right up your alley. This sequel picks up shortly after the first book, following Anna Ruiz and the rest of the crew. Since the events of the previous novel, Karyn is out of commission and Anna has stepped up to play leader. But Anna’s real mission is to help Karyn break free of the premonitions and hallucinations that have cut her off from reality.
Enoch Sobell, however, has other plans for her and the crew. His demands have grown increasingly extreme, and the book opens with their current job: kidnapping. The crew finds themselves in over their heads, tangled in a web of demonic forces and violent fanatics.
Splintered is a fantastic mix of urban fantasy, psychological twists and turns, and horror. I thought that the first book was dark, but its sequel takes dark to a whole new level. Though I enjoyed the heightened gore and grit, I felt that the sequel was missing a lot of what made the first book so unique. I missed Karyn as a narrator, I missed actual heists. The plot had a few of those typical horror movie scenes—the ones where you scream “DON’T GO IN THERE” at the screen—which didn’t impress. The novel wasn’t quite predictable, but it also didn’t engage me like the first one did.
I wavered between giving this book three or four stars. I’d give three stars to plot, which I never got emotionally involved in, and four to characterization.
Read the rest of my review here: https://sfbook.com/splintered.htm
Enoch Sobell, however, has other plans for her and the crew. His demands have grown increasingly extreme, and the book opens with their current job: kidnapping. The crew finds themselves in over their heads, tangled in a web of demonic forces and violent fanatics.
Splintered is a fantastic mix of urban fantasy, psychological twists and turns, and horror. I thought that the first book was dark, but its sequel takes dark to a whole new level. Though I enjoyed the heightened gore and grit, I felt that the sequel was missing a lot of what made the first book so unique. I missed Karyn as a narrator, I missed actual heists. The plot had a few of those typical horror movie scenes—the ones where you scream “DON’T GO IN THERE” at the screen—which didn’t impress. The novel wasn’t quite predictable, but it also didn’t engage me like the first one did.
I wavered between giving this book three or four stars. I’d give three stars to plot, which I never got emotionally involved in, and four to characterization.
Read the rest of my review here: https://sfbook.com/splintered.htm
December 31, 2015
From my blog: http://serialdistractions.com
Ever since their last heist went to hell, Anna Ruiz has been trying to hold her band of thieves together for the sake of her best friend, Karyn Ames. Karyn is lost in an hallucinogenic hell of prophetic visions and the gang is in the clutches of Enoch Sobell, underworld kingpin and arcane sorcerer. Anna is desperate to find a cure for Karyn and a way out for her friends, but neither seem to be near at hand. And Sobell’s machinations may just have gotten them in over their heads–again.
In this sequel to the Schultz’s previous entry, Premonitions, the stakes are higher and the tone is decidedly darker. With graphic depictions of the price and results of dark magic and the dramatic toll it takes on one’s sanity, Splintered definitely delves more into horror than its predecessor, but that is no criticism. Schultz handles these scenes with a deft hand and leaves a chill down the spine. Further, as he did in the first book, he handles the action with an equally adept skill. All of the supporting characters get a chance to shine and are well-developed, allowing us to get the know them even more than we did from the first novel in the series.
Overall, Splintered, is a very satisfying entry in Arcane Underworld series.
Ever since their last heist went to hell, Anna Ruiz has been trying to hold her band of thieves together for the sake of her best friend, Karyn Ames. Karyn is lost in an hallucinogenic hell of prophetic visions and the gang is in the clutches of Enoch Sobell, underworld kingpin and arcane sorcerer. Anna is desperate to find a cure for Karyn and a way out for her friends, but neither seem to be near at hand. And Sobell’s machinations may just have gotten them in over their heads–again.
In this sequel to the Schultz’s previous entry, Premonitions, the stakes are higher and the tone is decidedly darker. With graphic depictions of the price and results of dark magic and the dramatic toll it takes on one’s sanity, Splintered definitely delves more into horror than its predecessor, but that is no criticism. Schultz handles these scenes with a deft hand and leaves a chill down the spine. Further, as he did in the first book, he handles the action with an equally adept skill. All of the supporting characters get a chance to shine and are well-developed, allowing us to get the know them even more than we did from the first novel in the series.
Overall, Splintered, is a very satisfying entry in Arcane Underworld series.
September 7, 2015
Anna lives in the underbelly of a secret world of magic. She and her team survived their last job, but it left them under the control of Enoch Sobel, who is not known for his kind and generous nature. The team is damaged to. Karyn, their prophet and Anna's oldest friend is lost in the myriad world's of the future. The source of the herbs which kept her sane has vanished.
Sobel has set them to abduct Van Horne, a man with a manic group of followers who are not only able to do things like throw fire around, but who have a questionable hold on sanity. They are also connected with the group who was the cause of their situation.
Life is hard, and it is going to get a whole lot harder before tbis job is done.
If you like your urban fantasy gritty and hard edged, this book is for you. Anna is well drawn as a woman at the edge of her resources, but who has no option but to keep going anyway. Everyone on her team has their own secrets and their own agenda.
The villains in the book are well developed as well, and are much more complex than being just 'the bad guys. Splintered is a good solid read.
Sobel has set them to abduct Van Horne, a man with a manic group of followers who are not only able to do things like throw fire around, but who have a questionable hold on sanity. They are also connected with the group who was the cause of their situation.
Life is hard, and it is going to get a whole lot harder before tbis job is done.
If you like your urban fantasy gritty and hard edged, this book is for you. Anna is well drawn as a woman at the edge of her resources, but who has no option but to keep going anyway. Everyone on her team has their own secrets and their own agenda.
The villains in the book are well developed as well, and are much more complex than being just 'the bad guys. Splintered is a good solid read.
July 13, 2015
I received this book for free from (Publisher) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3-3.5
*My Thoughts*
Splintered is the second installment in the Arcane Underworld series by Jamie Schultz. Anna Ruiz and her best friend Karyn Ames have been stealing dubious occult items from their rightful owners for 10 years now. Two months ago, things changed when they met Enoch Sobell and became his indentured servants. With Karyn checked out from reality, Anna, Nail, and Genevieve have found themselves doing more and more bizarre jobs for Sobell who has a bunch of his own issues. Anna has taken over the reins of leadership of their little group, while also searching for the missing Adelaide, and a way to help bring Karyn back to reality.
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews July 20, 2015 - Link Shall Follow
*Recvd via NetGalley* Published July 7th 2015 by Roc
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3-3.5
*My Thoughts*
Splintered is the second installment in the Arcane Underworld series by Jamie Schultz. Anna Ruiz and her best friend Karyn Ames have been stealing dubious occult items from their rightful owners for 10 years now. Two months ago, things changed when they met Enoch Sobell and became his indentured servants. With Karyn checked out from reality, Anna, Nail, and Genevieve have found themselves doing more and more bizarre jobs for Sobell who has a bunch of his own issues. Anna has taken over the reins of leadership of their little group, while also searching for the missing Adelaide, and a way to help bring Karyn back to reality.
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews July 20, 2015 - Link Shall Follow
*Recvd via NetGalley* Published July 7th 2015 by Roc
February 26, 2016
3.5 stars
This is dark, gritty urban fantasy. There is no big, epic romance going on. There is a female-female romance but it's by no means a main focus so readers looking for their next passion fix will be disappointed. This is more about a group of extremely world weary people sinking deeper and deeper into their own personal hell, quite literally in some cases. There is a lot of weird stuff, crazy stuff, and flat out gross stuff spread out over lots of tense filled pages as our band of beaten down misfits tries to work their way out of the muck. And the crime lord? Well, he's seen better days too and even though he's a right rat bastard involved in some messed up stuff, I can't help but sort of root for him to get what he wants.
This is dark, gritty urban fantasy. There is no big, epic romance going on. There is a female-female romance but it's by no means a main focus so readers looking for their next passion fix will be disappointed. This is more about a group of extremely world weary people sinking deeper and deeper into their own personal hell, quite literally in some cases. There is a lot of weird stuff, crazy stuff, and flat out gross stuff spread out over lots of tense filled pages as our band of beaten down misfits tries to work their way out of the muck. And the crime lord? Well, he's seen better days too and even though he's a right rat bastard involved in some messed up stuff, I can't help but sort of root for him to get what he wants.
July 16, 2015
This seems to be the book where things go from bad to worse and I really wish the next book was out so I could keep reading and find out what happens next and if the characters will ever find a way out from their new problems or any of the old ones for that matter.
Looking forward to the next installment, which I believe is due out next summer.
Looking forward to the next installment, which I believe is due out next summer.
July 6, 2015
This is book 2 of a series. I advise starting with book 1 (Premonitions) which I did not. Reading this book before reading Premonitions leads to character confusion, uncertain motives and general frustration since the reader needs all the back story contained in the 1st book. I was disappointed in the lack of real ending in the book and could not rate it higher.
November 14, 2015
Best urban fantasy I've read all year. Really dark and gritty and totally dug the demons and cults. Like the last book in the series, enjoyed the strong female leads and how truly urban and authentic the characters were.
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