Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, #1) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Jun 14, 2011 Duchess Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012, recommendations, love-triangles, e-pcs, favorite-heroes, genre-urban-fantasy, genre-paranormal-other

Phenomenal start to this series!!!! From the comments that I had read prior to picking this up, I knew it was something that interested me. The way some of my friends gushed over it made me nervous, though. Sometimes I build a series up in my head and then I’m disappointed in the first book. I hate that, I hate that. So I waited for a long time to read this one. The low(er) ratings for Unholy Ghosts also led me to believe that this was a world building bummer. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I Phenomenal start to this series!!!! From the comments that I had read prior to picking this up, I knew it was something that interested me. The way some of my friends gushed over it made me nervous, though. Sometimes I build a series up in my head and then I’m disappointed in the first book. I hate that, I hate that. So I waited for a long time to read this one. The low(er) ratings for Unholy Ghosts also led me to believe that this was a world building bummer. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I will try to address the issues that I’ve come across from other readers. I think that if you are prepared, like I was, going into the series, you’ll get so much more out of it and not be on the constant look out for more of your normal expectations.

First of all, the drug use is rampant. Especially for Chess, the heroine of the Downside Ghosts series. In fact, much of the story centers around her dependency. It’s hard to write about an addict without centering much of their time and effort on their drug of choice. And the thing is, Chess didn’t necessarily seem to have a certain preference for any one thing. It seemed more as if she is running away from life in general; her past and present. Any escape will do as long as it helps her separate enough to be consistently numb. In fact, that part in the Pink Floyd song that says "I have become comfortably numb..." kept running through my head. Chess is always popping some sort of pill, trying to forget just enough, but still be able to function in a world in which she really needs her wits about her.

Second, the romance aspect is definitely NOT one of the focal points of this story. While its obvious that Chess could have her pick of a handful of men, her self disgust is evident in the way that she is completely oblivious to the attention. She either ignores the attention, blows it off as men just being men, or twists the situation into something so much less than it could be. My heart just aches for her!! There is one scene that was particularly poignant for me. Chess sees a couple embracing in a bar, exhibiting a major makeout session. Her reaction to witnessing the gentle way the man holds the woman is empty sadness, and this innate knowledge that she will never have or deserve that interaction. The saving grace to this downer of the story is that the reader is led to understand that a romance is budding between Chess and a certain somebody, whether she realizes it or not. He’s just as lost as she is. And once I realized what was happening here, I READ FASTER! One smoking hot kiss later, and I fell in love. This book is all about the beginnings of this relationship and how they come to trust each other. Not only does he protect Chess while endangering his own life, but they become friends…something Chess has never really had. So we are literally watching what I firmly wish will become a strong, stable, lasting relationship between two broken people. I’m not sure if two people have needed each other more.

Okay, no more gush-fest about the love story, because it really isn’t a huge deal here. The world building took quite a bit, but it was never boring. From the first couple of pages, I was completely drawn in. My curiosity was constantly peaked about what was coming up next. And just as soon as I’d have a question about one aspect of the storyline, I’d turn the page and get my answer, only to stumble upon two more questions. The scenery changes constantly, and Ms Kane does a fabulous job of straddling the fine line between descriptive and too much information. She sets the stage for the Downside world, but lets you fill in the extras. You know it’s like a futuristic ghetto; dirty streets, hungry people, and ramshackle buildings overlaid with the magic abilities of this new post apocalyptic world. Chess works for the Church, the new government/enforcement agency that controls magic and therefore controls the people.

Someone compared this series to the Fever series, and I have to agree to the same feeling that you get during the last couple of books, after the Unseelie are residing in Dublin. This is a very dark book. Our hero, Terrible, is not a very nice guy. But you still end up rooting for him because he’s still the good guy, too. He has a gentleness that he doesn’t let people see, and that is one of the most endearing qualities to find in a hero. He’s a drug lord’s enforcer, but wait! A tender look, a smoking hot kiss, and he’s at the top of the anti-hero list. He’s ruthless when he needs to be and that ruthlessness comes out most strongly when he has a need to protect the tiny little witch that he has somehow become paired up with.

And Chess, oh Chess! The girl needs a hug, and some good sleep, and she needs someone (ahem, Terrible…) to tell her that she’s a good person no matter her past; that life is worth living, and that she needs to protect herself from everyone who tries to keep her down…including herself. All in all, I was fascinated with this book. I’m so GLAD that I had low expectations going in, because I was floored when I picked it up and got sucked in on page two. If you have been waiting because of mixed reviews, if you love Urban Fantasy, if you love powerful stories that play out over multiple books, START this series. I, for one, am stoked to get to the rest of them!

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Sep 25, 2012 Holly rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-posted, 2012, e-book, obsessively-readable, kick-ass-heroes, dark-and-twisted, books-everyone-should-read, friend-recommendations, book-boyfriends, non-traditional-heroes

I am SO grateful to have found this series.
Completely original and addictive storytelling. Deeply flawed characters that I still managed to care about.

This book also features several characters who speak with what can only be described as a kind of intensely grammatically incorrect dialect that would normally be a deal breaker for me when it comes to reading and enjoying a book. I'm not sure if it was just the fact that the dialect made sense in the scope of the story, or if I have gotten more ...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Jenny rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, series, demons, witches, magic-paranormal, mystery

I want to rate this as 3.5 Stars
It took me a while to get into this book. I don't quite know why, partly I think was the way some of the characters talked in the book, but once I got just over half way and I was getting the pattern of the language down it was a good read. I enjoyed it enough that I will pick up the next one.
It was an interesting take with the fact that Chess is a drug addicit, I had read that about her before I even picked up the book. She is still able to function but she is al ...more

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May 29, 2011 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: michelle-mcm-s-2012-reading-list, read-february-2012, stacia-kane

I had issues with this book but saying that I liked the second half - well more than the first half.

I'm not sure about the language or names, it took me a while to get used to that and I'm not convinced I liked Chess at all. I didn't find anything attractive about Terrible or Doyle or...

She's a functioning Junkie. Plain & simple, although with the amount of drugs she puts away I'm surprised she didn't OD in the first half of the book let alone be able to pick locks and accomplish a fraction of ...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Stacie rated it it was amazing

Starting reading this book because my friend told me i should and i could not put it down!

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Sep 12, 2011 Merita rated it really liked it

*** 3.5 stars ***

I have no idea how to write this review. The book was a little boring to begin with but got better as you read along. I think i started to like it when Lex came along. I think he is a little dodgy but I guess i'll find out more once i read the other books. The thing that put me off in the book is the street talk. Sometimes i would have to read the sentence twice to understand what the heck i was reading. But i havent given up and will start the next book asap. ...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Mitzi Taylor rated it it was amazing

OK. Took me awhile to get into this one - what with the drugs and the thugs that I couldn't understand what the heck they were talking about. After the 1st 2 or 3 chapters, however, I couldn't put it down. This is a series that I can't wait to continue reading to see where Chess will end up. Absolutely love it!!! ...more

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