Sister Hoods

Portals #4

by P.L. Blair

A bank robbery in Rockport, Texas, plunges Corpus Christi police detectives Kat Morales, Tevis McLeod and their allies into a battle of wits and magic to save the most magical woodlands on the Texas coast. Because if those woodlands are destroyed, not just nymphs, satyrs and a herd of unicorns will be left homeless. A wyvern will also be released – a less intelligent relative of dragons, whose sole imperatives are to sleep, to breed ... to eat. Wyverns will eat anything. But they prefer humans.

Genres: Fantasy

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2010

About the author

Born and grew up in Texas, have lived in Sheridan, Wyo., for 20-plus years. After playing Winter Texan down in Rockport (where I used to live) for a while, I am now a full-time Sheridanite. I am companion to three dogs, and slave to one cat.
Spent most of my life writing for newspapers, but in 2006 decided it was time to write the fantasy/detective novels that were nagging at me. Shadow Path was the first, followed by Stormcaller, Deathtalker and Sister Hoods. More books are in the works.
I love series books, because I hate to give up characters that have become old friends.

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.L. Blair, author of fantasy/detective novels, has written her fourth book in the Portal series, Sister Hoods. Readers will be delighted to discover intrigue and mystery in a world of nymphs, satyrs and a herd of unicorns in - of all places - magical woodlands on the Texas coast. Characters, Kat and Tevis, form a band of heroes in an attempt to save the woodlands from devastation -- and their inhabitants from becoming homeless.

All of Blair's books are based on the perception that there are magic worlds adjacent to our own which exist in "portals." Before time as we know it existed, the portals were open and free, permitting their inhabitants to access the "real" world. Our ancestors were at liberty to hang out with wizards, elves, trolls, hobgoblins, thus creating the legends that we know of today.

If you've read Blair's Portal books, you know that her characters, Kat (a human) and her partner, Tevis (an elf) are detectives with the Corpus Christi, Texas police department and go about solving crimes caused by magic gone awry. In Sister Hoods, Kat and Tevis catch up with magical nymphs who have just robbed a bank.

Why did the nymphs need to rob a bank for money? Because the woodlands in which they live are being threatened by forces they must deal with - or lose their home. If they don't do something about the situation, a wyvern will be released when the woodlands are destroyed. Wyverns are the less intelligent relative of dragons, and their sole requirements are to sleep, breed and eat. Wyverns will eat anything - but, they prefer humans!

It's clear to Kat and Tevis that something must be done to help the woodland creatures, but what and how will lead them into a run of fantasy and mystery they never expected. The woodlands they must save are a wondrous land of magic that turns out to be ancient, powerful and dangerous in a way that could threaten the world in which humans live.

The plot thickens as Kat and Tevis realize that the woodlands are also threatened by a developer who wants to bulldoze these fragile lands and build condominiums. Even worse - the developer is backed by a group of menacing wizards who would like to seize the land and its magic and use it for their own sinister purposes.

Sister Hoods will appeal to a wider group of readers than simply fans of fantasy novels. Those who enjoy detective, mystery and suspense novels will also find Sister Hoods a wild and thought-provoking read. The Portal series books focus as much on building characters and interactions between the characters as it does on plots, and readers will find that the characters in Sister Hoods will remain in their minds long after the book is closed.

It's easy to see why readers of Blair's books range from children to senior citizens. There's something for everyone in the magical land that lies somewhere between fantasy and reality, and the action-packed and mysterious drama keeps readers wanting to keep turning pages until the surprise ending.

Fantasy novels are evolving into a cross-genre that everyone can enjoy, and Sister Hoods, by P.L. Blair is a book that has something for fantasy, detective, mystery and intrigue fans -- and anyone else who wants a well-written and entertaining read.

Review by Lauren Smith

Sister Hoods by P.L. Blair

Article Source: Sister Hoods - The Battle to Save a Magic Forest

[Mistress of the Dark Path · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the plot for this installment of the Portal Series. Nymphs and satyrs robbing a bank was an exciting beginning and then finding out why they did it and where things go from there kept me in suspense. P.L. Blair is great at crafting stories where you can't predict where they'll go easily. There are always a few twists you don't see coming and Sister Hoods is no exception.

The world-building is fascinating as well. There is no doubt in my mind the author puts in a lot of time to research the backgrounds of the various races, plus developing her own creative slant to make things even more interesting. With every book, this builds and I'm always excited to see what she'll throw in next.

The cast of characters is diverse as well. Kat (the main character) might be human, but most of the others aren't. Tevis, her partner, is an immortal elf. Arvandus is a very old wizard and leader of their small task force. Gairth is a mix of races with one half of him being a love-talker, but he's also training to develop his magical skills. Achmed is a djinn and bound to Arvandus (there's a story behind that but you'd have to read the earlier books to learn about that). And the newest member of their group, Jorge, who is a Hobgoblin. I'm growing to really like him. Despite the diversity, these are all "good" characters who get along very well together. Sometimes I think it's almost too well, other than Achmed who is always looking to cause trouble as any djinn would, but considering the powerful bad guys they must face it's a good thing there isn't much conflict between them.

The pacing in this novel is done well. There was so much new lore introduced. It should have felt like it dragged when the characters got into long discussions about various topics, but instead I was caught up in the story and enjoyed learning about the histories of these interesting races and "objects of power" that cause no end to their troubles. PL Blair really knows how to weave a good tale.

The only thing that came as a bit of a shocker is the romance. Anyone who has read the previous books knows minimal progress has been made toward Kat and Tevis hooking up, though that's what I've been hoping for all along. There was always a slight simmer of attraction, but both characters vehemently resisted it to the point they never discussed it with each other or had any "almost" moments. That changes with this book, but it still felt like there wasn't much progress until perhaps the last third. Then things went at warp speed. I'm not going to spoil how, but I would have liked to see a stronger build-up and transition. More stolen moments perhaps. There was a great opportunity when Tevis invited Kat over to dinner, but the reader doesn't get to see the actual date, only a summary of it after the fact. Nothing happened between them anyway and I'd really wished they could have shown some of their feelings for each other that night.

Despite the sudden change of direction with the romance element, I was happy with the end result and look forward to seeing how it goes. There were also some big changes that took place with the group as a whole and I can't wait to see where this leads in future books. For contemporary fantasy fans, this is a great series to try. Just make sure you start with the first novel, Shadow Path. It's well worth the read!

[Sandy Wolters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: Sister Hoods
Series: Portals - Book 4
Author: P.L. Blair
Genre: Fantasy/Crime Drama
Length: Approximately 292 Pages

P.L. BLAIR has done it again with her fourth novel in the Portals Series, SISTER HOODS.

I'd like to start this review out by stating that I am a true lover of fantasy novels. One reason for that is the Portals Series and the very imaginative author, P.L. Blair. One of the very first fantasy novels I ever read was the first book in the Portals Series, Shadow Path, and I was hooked from the very first paragraph.

I was thrilled to receive Sister Hoods for review and not unlike the first book in the series, I was hooked from the very first page. I've come to know the characters in this series and bonded with them.

The Portals Series crosses genres flawlessly from fantasy to crime drama, with characters that include all of those in our imaginations from wizards, both good and evil, nymphs, satyrs, unicorns and humans (just to name a few), all interacting together on the Texas coast in our world and the other side of the Portal to the other world.

Because I've come to really care about the characters in this series, Sister Hoods includes edge of your seat action with battles that are heart-stopping page-turners. Death is around every corner, and not just your average death in crime dramas, but death and torture by creatures such as powerful evil wizards and a nasty wyvern, a two-legged winged dragon that is part serpent with a barbed poisonous tail.

For readers, the Portals Series crosses all ages and is a good read from YA to mature audiences. The artistry and creativity that P.L. Blair writes these novels has the reader on a journey that will take them on an escape from reality and leave them reeling from the journey. For those of you that love to get lost in a book, Sister Hoods, as well as any of the Portals Series books, by P.L. Blair is perfect for you. I highly recommend all of the books in the Portals Series.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fantasy genre is by far my most favorite. I find the creativity fascinating and I'm always excited to see where an author’s imagination will take me. The possibilities are endless! "Sister Hoods" caught my attention for two reasons. The first is obvious - it fit in the fantasy genre and second, it was located in Texas. Then I noticed it was a fantasy/mystery book, which is a first for me. And lastly, that it's the fourth book of the Portals series, which really threw the experience completely off balance for me.

The beginning of Sister Hoods starts off with a bang, enchanting the reader with the introduction of magical creatures (Nymphs) robbing a bank with help from a group of satyrs. I was spellbound and ready for a gripping magical tale. The energy was high and just fell flat suddenly, never recovering for me.

The characters were colorful and well developed but something was lacking for me. I noticed half way through the book that I didn’t care which characters lived and which died. I know that sounds quite harsh but it’s true. The reader to character connection just wasn’t there. I fought to stay engaged in their magical adventure but couldn’t do it.

The adventure itself was interesting; a magical group working as part of the police department in the human world. Fascinating! Reading on, it became obvious to me that the main characters had a history with one another. As a reader, I felt like I had missed vital information that could have better connected me to them.

Overall, Sister Hoods could be a really great read; after all it is book four of the Portal series. This fact could be the reason I felt separated from the main characters and their situation. The missing history and background of the characters put distance between them and me. I cannot say that “Sister Hoods” is not a worthy read, as I could not finish it. To me, it is always best to read a series in order to gain the history of each of the characters.

[Barbara Ebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Hoods by P.L. Blair was my first introduction to this author’s Portals series. This book stood alone just fine and was an excellent sample of the imaginary world that must lurk in the other Portal books.

Although we’re not in Middle Earth with Elves and Wizards and other mythical creatures reading Sister Hoods, this novel delivers that type of superb imagination and blends it into a modern world with two detectives on the chase. It strikes the right balance between attacks and clashes with tasteful romance, suspense, and ingenious magic.

If this were a 10 star rating, I’d give Sister Hoods a 9. Although it was smooth as silk, the word “breath” was over abundantly used, and I felt like plucking it out of my Kindle. That rounds out my honest critique. For sure, consider plugging into this creative story with some way cool nymphs, satyrs, wyverns, wizards, elves and a few human beings, too!

[Ch'kara SilverWolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kat Morales, human detective and her Elven partner Tevis Mac Leod, and once again, they are taking us on an adventure of beings from the other realms. They must contend with Nymphs, Satyrs, evil wizards and corrupt humans, as they pursue a robbery that unfolds into something much larger and more dangerous to the human world.

Being a cat lover, I absolutely loved the magikal protection the cats gave to Tevis and Kat.

I am not going to go into great detail, because I do not want to give away any spoilers. One of the things I love about P.L. Blair’s writing is her ability to transport me into her worlds. I am so immersed in the story that at times I have to shake myself to remind me that I am in this mundane world.

I would say do yourself a favor and read this and others in the Portals series, you will not be disappointed.