Shaman, Healer, Heretic (Olivia Lawson, Techno-Shaman, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Mar 01, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Green turns tradition on it’s head with her debut novel that combines technology with ancient spirituality. Olivia Lawson is a young techno -shaman, a spirit healer who uses electronic glasses to gain access to the Multiverse, rather than chants or drugs. Livvy is called to help restore a person’s soul, when all other methods have failed, but something strange is happening in the Underworld. A destructive Sumerian God is roaming the lanndscape putting souls in jeopardy and the Shaman’s are being Green turns tradition on it’s head with her debut novel that combines technology with ancient spirituality. Olivia Lawson is a young techno -shaman, a spirit healer who uses electronic glasses to gain access to the Multiverse, rather than chants or drugs. Livvy is called to help restore a person’s soul, when all other methods have failed, but something strange is happening in the Underworld. A destructive Sumerian God is roaming the lanndscape putting souls in jeopardy and the Shaman’s are being blamed for the sudden increase in sickness by an ignorant public. Olivia knows that the only way to defeat the monster is to join forced with the others of her kind, no matter the risk.
Olivia is an appealing protagonist, we don’t learn a lot about her outside of her Shaman role, but Green defines her personality well. She is a heroine who is not averse to risk but considers the consequences and behaves authentically. I liked that the author developed a culturally diverse cast and brought them together in a natural way. I would have liked a little more background on SK and his relationship to the Shaman and Olivia, but there are some interesting teasers which I assume Green will follow up on later. He has the potential to be a unique character in the series, particularly as a romantic interest.
The plot combines action, mystery and a light touch of romance to involve the reader in Livvy’s world. I like the idea of modern technology enhancing ancient practice, and Green provides an original and realistic method of doing so. I do think that there is potential for the author to have presented the belief systems of Shamanism in more detail but it’s not something essential to the story. The action that takes place in both worlds is the story’s strength. The events where confrontations take place, in both worlds, were well written and provided tension and excitement.
The plot does have some weak points however. The idea of discovering who could be responsible for the release of the Sumerian God was ignored when it could have provided a richer storyline. I also felt some ideas were unfinished, for example, the spirits being brought into our world was never followed up on. Nevertheless, I thought generally the story flowed smoothly with good pace.

The premise of Shaman, Healer, Heretic is an intriguing one, providing a fresh angle in the Urban Fantasy genre. The strengths in plot and character demonstrate the author has the potential to create a strong and original series and I look forward to the next installment. ...more

Like · see review