The Reckoners

The Reckoners #1

by Doranna Durgin

Ghost hunter Lisa McGarrity can't understand what's gotten into the undead recently. Ectoplasm-flinging spirits and ghouls with grudges seem to be coming out of the woodwork, and she's been run ragged trying to calm the unusually outraged spirits. Tired of dealing with the disgruntled dead, Lisa is determined to take a break from all things metaphysical. So when the mysterious and sexy Trevarr appears on her doorstep requesting her assistance in an urgent matter, Lisa is less than thrilled. Who is this man, and why is he so interested in her "kooky" hobby? What does he have to gain by visiting paranormal hot spots with her? Whatever he wants, Lisa can't help being drawn to Trevarr, and as they start working together they stumble upon a house filled to the brim with ghosts driven to the edge of madness. Now Lisa and Trevarr must figure out what's behind this ghost population explosion, before their mutual attraction causes explosions of its own.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Ghosts, Paranormal, Suspense

385 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 2, 2010

About the author

Doranna Durgin is an award-winning author (the Compton Crook for Best First SF/F/H novel) whose quirky spirit has led to an extensive and eclectic publishing journey across genres, publishers, and publishing lines. Beyond that, she hangs around outside her Southwest mountain home with horse and highly accomplished competition dogs. She doesn't believe in mastering the beast within, but in channeling its power--for good or bad has yet to be decided! She says, “My books are SF/F, mystery, paranormal romance, & romantic suspense. My world is the Southwest, and my dogs are Beagles!”

Doranna’s most recent releases encompass the three books of the Reckoners trilogy--a powerful ghostbuster raised by a spirit, her brilliantly eccentric backup team, a cat who isn't a cat, and a fiercely driven bounty hunter from a different dimension who brings them together when worlds collide.

Reviews

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm dropping it. Trevarr and his creature were interesting but Garrie and her squad were tiresome. Just so damn tiresome. I'm giving it 2 stars and not just 1 because the story did sound interesting and I would've actually liked to know what was going on but - Garrie and her people. No.

[Inara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I have no problems following the storyline of other books this book was difficult to read for me because I found the conversations hard to follow. Maybe it´s just my lacking English but the dialogues between the characters were tiresome to comprehend for me.

The plot was confusing at times and the added thoughts of a creature called Skylar didn´t enhance the clarity what was going on – or I just didn´t get. I never figured out what kind of creature Skylar was or the bond it shared with Trevarr but maybe that´s better explained in the following books of the series.

Trevarr the hero of this book is a mystery-monger to the point of being annoying and I could understand Garrie´s frustration to be left in the dark without information. The blooming attraction between the two main characters was slow and nothing really happened except some steamy kisses. I didn´t mind the slow building of their relationship I even prefer it most of the times but it didn´t ring true for me and I wasn´t really convinced about it. Plus there´s the exciting plotline of a seemingly jealous ex-lover thrown into the mix maybe to make the lovestory a bit more complicated for the future – but that´s just my assumption.

Garrie is a tough kick-ass heroine with a big mouth who often doesn´t think before she talks which is a charcater trait I´m not very fond of I admit. That´s surely one of the reasons I couldn´t warm up to her.

I suppose this book wasn´t meant for me and I´m not continuing this series because my interest in the characters and their future adventures is only minimal. Not every book is for every reader ...

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book for a while. I've picked it up and read a few pages on more than one occasion but couldn't get into it. That is probably the only reason I gave it three stars instead of four. Once I got past the first few pages, it pulled me in. If I try to put into words why I gave this book 3 stars and "A Feral Darkness" 5 stars I'd have to say its because its a rougher ride to clarity. Reading A Feral Darkness was like driving down a paved highway. Reading The Reckoners was more like a gravel road with a few potholes.

The Reckoners was a good book, I liked it. I liked it enough to look for the next book in the series. However, the introduction of the other world concepts and the motivations of the 'aliens' was not smoothly introduced. A few times through the story I felt a fit frustrated because I couldn't figure out was was going on. I think Durgin left it too late to fill in the details for the reader but, that being said, she is such a talented writer that the story, characters, action made up for it. I particularly liked Sklayne. She did a fantastic job with the 'not cat' persona.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

I gave it a 2.5/5

I found the dialogue hard to follow, I would have to go back and read over a passage I just read to try and figure out who was talking and what they were talking about. Also the POV were really jumpy and made me wonder if I missed a page in between. Its classified as a Paranormal Romance but truthfully there isn't much of a romance. Lisa (Garrie) and Trevarr are hot for each other sure but all they really share is a steamy kiss a few times in the whole book. I liked the story, the characters were like-able and there was some great action, but the execution of everything was rough around the edges. The author left a lot of things I felt I needed to know out, Maybe it will be in STORM OF RECKONING? My overall opinion? I would MAYBE borrow it from the library ,but would not purchase myself a copy.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about ghost hunters and aliens; and that is not a spoiler really. I don't intend to spoil the story for anyone.

Garrie is bored of her job and is looking for something else for a change of routine. Then a stranger turns up at one of her jobs (with a cat) and not only messes things up, that she has to go back to finish next day, but books her and her team for a job in San Jose.

That job is not defined and, really, Garrie has no idea what she and her team are employed for.

Her client [Trevarr] has a companion; it looks like a cat, but it isn't. Trevarr and Sklayne are from another world and have a job to do that specifically needs the help of Garrie to complete. They just aren't telling her what.

Durgin tells the story from the point of view of Nevahn (Trevarr's foster father), alongside Garrie's point of view, Trevarr's and even Sklayne's.

Sklayne's way of thinking and communicating is completely different than that of this world and Durgin manages to put this across very well with the use of :: double colon marks either side of Sklayne's comments, to indicate his non-verbal communications.

Once the reader gets used to this, it is a fun read. I really liked Sklayne, even though he wasn't one of the two main characters, and hope he continues to appear in subsequent books. He is very self centred and yet still would like to be able to look out for Trevarr.

If you like paranormal, ghost hunter, alien planet -style books, then I'm sure that you will find this book engaging.

I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Malka Essock · Rating 4 out of 5]

not my usual "cup of tea"... it was Scary!
and very Heterosexual romantically inclined.
BUT, it mostly took place at Winchester Mystery House (i love Winchester Mystery House) i've even taken the Halloween tour! it was a good story, and i liked most of the people a
lot! and having one of the main characters, be a pseudo cat
was fun. all in all, i enjoyed this book a lot more than i thought i would.
i did like the comparison of her normal "ghost hunting" and the other place ghosts.

[Cheryl Montgomery-Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this story about Trevarr, Garrie and Skylane. I also love that this book takes place at the Winchester Mystery House in California - which I have personally visited. I am looking forward to reading about their further adventures!

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had originally read this some time last year, but because the ending was more open-ended then I liked my books, I waited until I had hard conclusive proof (aka book in my hands) of the sequel before I decided to review it. Which meant I had to re-read the book (what I have a memory problem).

Truth to tell I only had one real problem with the novel and that was the sometimes repetitive nature of Garrie and her Reckoners (Lucia and Drew, Quinn phoning it in for this job...literally). I'm not certain whether this was a product of their job, dealing with normal folk and trying to calm the populace at times, or the author trying to make sure we understood what they did exactly. There's only so many times I could stand to hear about Garrie 'tasting' all the breezes or Lucia commenting on Drew's sorely out-dated slang usage or heck even the general consensus that they did not trust what Trevarr was selling. For a group of people who didn't trust their client as far as they could throw him, they sure let him lead them around.

Oh I lied the other problem I had was just how far into the book it was before Garrie got any clue as to what was really going on. Trevarr literally waits until they are on death's door to explain to Garrie what exactly she's up against. And even then he's still Mr. Vague Answer, dishing out as little as possible.

Moving on to what I liked was Garrie herself, she talks a tough talk, but the bottom line was always to first protect her people. I don't doubt that if Trevarr had explained to her the exact nature of what was going on at the Winchester House, or the amount of risk involved, she would have flipped him off and marched away. Even though Garrie is thinking of retiring, or at least there's a lot of vague indication of this and some breezy discussions regarding it, she cares about her team. And herself of course, but when the cards were thrown down it was the thought of her team being killed that made her act.

I would have liked to meet Rhonda Rose. To see her interact with Garrie in a more meaningful way (random memory snippets and twice told stories don't count). I hope that further into the series we get to see her. Lucia was kind of a funny gal; glamor and glitz and shopping adoration. We mostly see the cheerful, take that! attitude, but from what Garrie says it sounded like Lucia was a wreck before the Reckoners.

I wasn't sure what to make of Drew. In comparison to the others his role is more minimal, more passive than Lucia empathic abilities even. However I would want his power, to read the history of a house or area (or even object) as clearly as if he's watching a movie, the most. And it does definitely come in handy in a place like Winchester House, which I have a keen urge to visit now, since yes its a real place.

Quinn on the other hand I felt nothing from. He decided to stay home for this adventure, for personal reasons (which were tied in with a past affair with Garrie, though I'm not sure if he was trying to prove he was over her or trying to prove that she needed him or what) and other than some awkward conversations via the phone not much else could be said of him. He kept pressing Garrie for some sort of conversation, which Garrie was reluctant to have. He was jealous of Trevarr. He was the research guy. That's...the size of it for Quinn.

Trevarr at first bugged me because of his whole stoic silent act. He kept the fact he had secrets so out into the open that I'm surprised they didn't suffocate him. He was just a shade too precise. A little too much vague and not quite superior sounding. I love Sklayne, the not!cat energy bond-mate of Trevarr's. He spoke and thought in fragments, jagged sentences that were all impulse and no censorship. He flitted between ideas and feelings like a hummingbird. I wanted to know more about his geas with Trevarr, more than little hints at how it came to be. More about his kind in general.

The end, when things finally come to a head at the Winchester House, a lot happened real quick. Then we had a lull as Trevarr explained things and then wham bam back into the action ma'am. Some interesting matters to consider, in regards to the exact nature of Trevarr's 'half blood' status and world, no to mention Garrie's...abilities and connection. And Rhonda Rose. She's truly a meddlesome person.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

eBook provided by Library Thing Early Reviewers. This is an honest review given for receipt of the free copy.
*****Some spoilers******
I feel like I have been blessed by a lucky streak with books lately. They have been good, and this was no exception. I was unfamiliar with the author, but I know about Book View Cafe, and have read other books by some of their authors, so when I picked this one (hoping to win) I did have high hopes. I wasn’t disappointed.
There are so many books about ghosts and ghost hunters out there, and this one is delightfully different. Garrie is a Reckoner, trained by a ghost named Rhonda Rose. She heads a team with specific talents; Drew, with an innate ethereal knowledge of the history of a building–not just an innate knowledge, but the love of it like a child with legos; Lucie, an empath who is a barometer of ghostie emotional distress and needs, and Quinn, the research guy. Trevarr is the mysterious man who is their employer on this job, at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. He has a guest with him, Sklayne, who is a really cool not-cat.
Durgin combines traditional elements of ethereal spirtual powers with wonderful home-made ghost traps, alien powers/magic and other creatures–others worlds–and she makes it all work, and adds in a really nice romance that is believable and heart wrenching at times, but doesn’t overpower the story. The alternating views between Trevarr and Garrie allow Trevarr’s story to unfold and give more understanding as to what is behind his character and makes him tick.
I really liked her writing style. Some people may find it choppy, but I found that it fit with the characters and with the story, especially the way Garrie reacts/interacts with the world. I also liked it because it was different and interesting. I enjoyed the way Sklayne talked and thought, his world of sensation and being. He may have been one of my favorite parts of the book, because he made me smile with his view of things. And how very cat-like he was in his not-catness.
Not having read the not-author’s cut, I can’t imagine how it must have been before, because I found this length to be just right. It’s not a cliffhanger ending, but I’m glad there are more books, because I like these characters and want to go on more adventures with them. I am so glad that there are places where an author can write the book the author wants to write; not out of vanity, but out of a sense that the story just doesn’t feel right the way it was. Being told by someone else that you need to do this or that stifles one’s creativity; yes, editors are necessary (fully and very much so) but sometimes the way a story is molded by others' impressions begs the question of what is the author’s and what is the story the publisher thinks will sell. I am happy I read this version. The author’s dream and vision of the story is where the magic is, and I didn’t find it too long, or confusing, or any of the things I might have found if I thought the author was merely “padding” the book or adding unnecessary things in . Everything fit, and I thought everything was essential. I don’t know why I feel I need to add this. I suppose because we live in a society inundated with “Director’s Cuts” of movies and such, and sometimes they do seem unnecessary. Not so here.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes paranormal, urban fantasy, strong female characters, angsty heroes (who have good cause to be), really interesting secondary characters, bugs, goo…

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always loved Doranna Durgin's work, although I miss her earlier fantasy novels. Her latest paranormal romance, The Reckoners, hearkens back a bit to those even as it's squarely targeted at the paranormal romance crowd.

The book starts off a bit shakily, introducing us to Lisa "Garrie" McGarrity and her team of ghost hunters, who call themselves "reckoners". We learn that Garrie was befriended in her childhood by an actual ghost, Rhonda Rose, whose wisdom is frequently quoted by the team, and we get a general idea of the abilities and personalities of the various team members. What we don't get, though, is a scenario like unto the blurb that appears on the back of the novel, which would lead you to believe that Garrie and her team are trying to handle a huge upsurge of ghost activity when our hero Trevarr shows up. The scenario that actually happens is that the Reckoners have been quite hard pressed for serious cases as of late--and mysterious Trevarr, with a minimum of explanation and a jaw-dropping amount of cash, shows up and offers to pay their way if they'll come with him to Winchester House to deal with strange goings-on with the ghosts trapped there.

I found the order of scenes explaining how Quinn (Garrie's former boyfriend) opts to stay behind a little jerky, and I kept wanting to smack Trevarr for his stubborn insistence on not telling Garrie and the others any serious detail about what they were walking into. Likewise, I periodically wanted to smack Garrie too for only putting forth token insistence on these details until later on in the plot. Some of the worldbuilding I found a bit sparse, too--such as why Garrie and her team call themselves "reckoners" to begin with. Another review I saw said that this felt kind of like it should have been a third or fourth book in a series establishing this characters, and I have to say I concur; I almost feel like I was introduced to these characters too swiftly, without enough to really orient me with them.

But. All that aside, I did find the book fun. Once you get past the roadblock of Trevarr flat refusing to give up details until they're pried forcibly out of him, the pace picks up considerably. Winchester House, the site Garrie's team goes to investigate, does actually exist; scenes set there make good use of random tourists as well as the site staff. Glimmers of what I miss about Durgin's fantasy days come to the fore with the big reveals about what's going on in Winchester House as well as with Trevarr himself. The last stretch of the novel felt much more like a fantasy novel to me than a paranormal romance, and the few details given about Trevarr's background are the best worldbuilding in the book, piqueing my interest about what might be written about him and Garrie later.

All in all, not my favorite Durgin, but pleasant nonetheless. Three stars.

[Bookmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part paranormal and part science fiction. A ghost hunter and her team are approached by a man when he needs her help at the Winchester House, renowned for the number of ghosts it has and the purposely difficult layout that requires a guide to get through it. Garrie needs some excitement and decides the team is going. Little does she know that this sexy guy with the scary vibes is a bounty hunter from another world and what she’s needed for is, in essence, to save her own world.

The story is told from three points of view. The main one is Garrie, or Lisa McGarrity, who as we are reminded of often, is a small person with a whole lot of power. Exactly what Garrie does with ghosts isn’t quite clear. We do see two or three captured, but what happens to them from there? Other than that, we see her talking to, attempting to negotiate with them or use her power to push them back when they become unruly.

Trevaar is the off-world bounty hunter who in order to keep Garrie safe from the notice of a council on his world who would be very interested in her abilities, is keeping a whole lot of secrets from her. The only thing we know about his past is told from the point of view of Nevahn, his grandfather who raised him once his daughter died. This is done via scattered chapters and you don’t realize if it’s the past or present until quite a ways into each of those chapters.

The third voice is the most entertaining, although Sklayne, another off-world entity who often takes form as a cat, is somewhat difficult to follow at first. The fact that he’s not from around here and doesn’t think like a human is showcased by very different thought and speech patterns. But you soon get used to it.

I like the idea of the storyline and the different threats that were faced, but there were just too many places where I didn’t know what was going on. Some of it is explained later. Some of those flow okay from there but others are rather jarring, especially when the scene changes between one paragraph and the next. And for much of it I was never really clear on what Garrie was doing when using her abilities.

It took effort to keep reading and it did get somewhat easier about a quarter of the way in. It especially got more interesting in the last quarter. There is a love interest that is just beginning to take hold and I liked how that was being handled. But it never really sucked me in and it was too easy to set aside a number of times.

A copy was provided by the publisher to read in exchange for a review via LibraryThing.

[Connie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book intrigued me. A young girl comes into a village of sorts on another planet. The group claims she is trouble, yet she is the daughter of one of them, her deceased mother. Then you have a ghost hunting team in the Winchester Mystery House. This was equally fascinating, but what does the one have to do with the other? Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the book. Fortunately for me, I stayed with the book. After all, it was good, funny in parts, scary in others. And it seems to have something for everyone.

If you like science fiction/fantasy, then you should have no trouble with liking this good book! What I love most about this book IS the Winchester House, the psychic ghost hunters, and the ghosts......I would dare to call some poltergeists. Some even crap ghost poo on the hunters! You have to love the humor in that!

You have Lisa McGarrity (the lead protagonist and psychic who heads the ghost hunting team). She seems to be falling for the guy who requests help at the Winchester House. This gentleman is keeping secrets from Garrie...and doesn't let on that he is a bounty hunter from that other planet (see above). He needs her help to help him save her own planet. He tells her things on a need to know basis.

It is kind of hard keeping track of who is narrating, as there are three. The different narrations are peppered in between each other. Once you get into the book, it all unfolds nicely. This is going to be a series, so you could say that Ms. Durgin is setting it up for future books while slowly introducing you to very fascinating and interesting characters. I think I love Sklayne, also from another place and is in the form of a cat. He talks different from humans.

This book seems to have the whole package. It is clearly refreshing, keeps you involved, and there will be plenty more coming for us to enjoy. I know you will be blown away from the great writing style, too.

Thank you, Ms. Durgin and the Library Thing Early Reviewers for giving me a free copy to read and give my honest review.

[E · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really *wanted* to like this book... I mean, shape-changing cats, ghost hunters, and the famous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, Ca--it should be fascinating, right?

Unfortunately, I was wrong. The Reckoners has oddly flat prose and almost reads like a first-time, self-published book...which is really strange, considering the author has apparently published several other books and won some awards. I also kept feeling like I was reading the 3rd or 4th book in a series and the author was assuming I already knew about a number of plot points, therefore having no need to extrapolate on what was happening. This problem lead to cardboard thin characters and the most boring ghost story I think I've ever come across. And don't get me started on the romantic aspects, which were clumsy at best, as the characters were written with absolutely no chemistry to speak-of.

I put this book down for a day-or-two several times, in an attempt to come at it with a different attitude (or find something nice to say), but it just didn't happen.

Unless you are a fan of her previous writing or can find The Reckoners at a library, I'd say save your money and buy something else.

[Lynn Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a wonderful book. Durgin always delivers the best, but this is a brilliant return to the more textured stories of her earlier work while keeping herself solidly in the romance friendly world of her recent categories.

Don't get me wrong, I love categories, but it's nice when there is a little more room to stretch.

I particularly liked the way in which the slow reveal of the hero's story is part of what was recently described elsewhere as the "protocols of reading sf and fantasy." Handling the presence of someone who is "not from here" in a believable way is a harder trick than you might think. Striking just the right note of "otherness" was pulled off perfectly.

In a completely separate note, the "not-cat" (not really a spoiler since it's in the cover blurb) is a fully realized character as well, with motivations and conflicts.

And of course and excellent heroine and secondary characters, but that goes without saying.

Oh, and I gather that there may be sequels, if all goes well - so I'm promoting this a lot because I *want* them.

[TINNGG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm… Classified as a paranormal romance but really more of a UF.

Really interesting concept, although having the tune to Ghostbusters playing in my head from time to time was a bit… yeah.

So our h is a bit beyond "sensitive" in that she can make ghosts go away. And…the H rather insistently hires her to help him. Except…the H is not entirely human. Actually, he never says what he is, but he's a halfbreed of whatever it is that he is. Errr… something like that. And he has a familiar that is "not-cat".

So… they all eventually congregate (she has a team, though a former boyfriend refuses to participate in this one) at Winchester House, lots of things happen, some sort of rogue aliens are captured (though a few are killed), and he goes home. Book ends with his return as apparently the tribunal was not happy the aliens weren't captured in one piece.

Now… whether I'll read it again… probably not, though if a book 3 comes out, I will hunt it down (I peeked at the end of book 2 - he's captured and dragged home).

[Daffodil · Rating 2 out of 5]

It absolutely kills me to only give this 2 stars, but there were parts of the book that I had to force myself to read through. I love Durgin's Feral Darkness and was expecting so much more out of this book.

I didn't feel the connection between the main characters. In fact I would say that they each had a better relationship with not-cat Sklayne than they did with each other.

And the writing. How should I put this? Clunky, it was. Warning: reading this book may cause you to flashback to a wise green alien. I felt like Yoda was being channeled quite a bit in the writing of this book.

I don't think I'll be picking up the next book anytime soon.

[Jacqie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for one of Doranna Durgin's cross-world fantasies. I really liked her perspective on animal characters. This one feels like a throwaway with all the earmarks of urban fantasy. Tough heroine, check. Sidekick who loves shopping and can toss around couture names, check. Mysterious hero, check. There just isn't much there, there.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! If you like Patricia Briggs or Karen Marie Moning this author is for you! Paranormal,mystery, humor and romance make for a great time. Thrilled to have received this for early review from LibraryThing!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read full of twists and turns!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will always be one of my favorite authors, Doranna!

[Aaron Polish · Rating 2 out of 5]

tried to get into the story but had a hard time with the tree shadows and so therefore I stopped on chapter 7, luckily it was on the comp.