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Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts, #2)

Stacia Kane

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Aug 24, 2010 AH rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, favorites, ghosts, witches, zzread-jan-2012

Nobody writes dark urban fantasy like Stacia Kane. The author creates a world where ghosts wreak havoc and people turn to the Church to protect them. The Church provides people specially trained to get rid of ghosts. This is a world where summoning a ghost results in the death penalty. Ghosts kill and steal energy.

Part of the allure of this series is the way that the characters are written. Almost every character is flawed and yet, the reader feels invested in that character’s well-being. The m ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 26, 2010 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-urban-fantasy, books-read-2011, read-audio-books, ghost-spirit-necromancer

This review was posted at Under The Covers

After reading book one, and being shocked by the storyline in this series, I find myself a lot more comfortable with Chess and her issues in this book. Don't ask me why. I get it. It didn't bother me as much.

Now that being said... Chess is a lot more vulnerable in this book. She is trying to do her job, which now consists in going to a celebrity's house to prove that he doesn't really have a ghost problem.

Well, that is her mission with the Church. But of This review was posted at Under The Covers

After reading book one, and being shocked by the storyline in this series, I find myself a lot more comfortable with Chess and her issues in this book. Don't ask me why. I get it. It didn't bother me as much.

Now that being said... Chess is a lot more vulnerable in this book. She is trying to do her job, which now consists in going to a celebrity's house to prove that he doesn't really have a ghost problem.

Well, that is her mission with the Church. But of course, she has to do side jobs for her "friends". Terrible asks her to investigate something going on at an abandoned airport. Lex on the other hand also has interests in that same investigation. So she ends up working for both behind both backs.

And there in lays the problem. This book was a royal mess! A big fuck up. A WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING???? I mean, if the fact that she keeps getting high, especially when she's on the job, is not enough to make you think she's missing a few screws, then her actions in this book have made her certifiably nuts.

Here is a wonderful guy, Terrible. Yeah, I know, he's ugly, he works for a drug dealer/pimp. Not your standard hero material. But I can't help but feel an attraction to him. It's in the way he cares for Chess. How he's always there for her, and would give his life (and almost does) for her. He can look pass her issues and see the good inside of her that she can't see herself. And what she does to him in this book, well, it simply puts her on my bad side. Yes, I cried. I wanted to scream at her! How could she do this? This is not going to be an easy fix.

Can I bitch some more about that? Because it really got to me. Yeah? OK, how can you have a guy open up his heart and serve it on a platter for you the way he did, and you just stomp all over it. And tap dance on it. Damn! It just broke my heart.

But at least Chess was on her game with her investigations! I loved the story! This series is dark and intense. Ms. Kane has created a very unique world an I'll be back for more!

Favorite Quote:

"But I ain't, I ain't think I can take it. Waking up next to you on the morn, have you fake like nothing happened. Or say, aight thanks, maybe we can try that again on the sometime. I know how you run it. Keepin' it cool and no repeats, and I dig it aight? Got your reasons. So I figured...I figured you'd really wanted me, you'd say. Like now, maybe, if you dig. I'll fucking carry you down to your place on a run if you tell me aight. Get you on your back before the next word comes out your mouth. But you oughta have yourself certain, 'cuz I ain't looking for charity, and I ain't letting you go after. Once? Once ain't enough for me. Dig?" ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 27, 2010 Regina rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-kindle, urban-fantasy-uf, 2010-reads, favorites

4.5 stars. Just fantastic. Review to come.

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Maybe it wasn't a happy ending. But it was a hell of a lot better than she'd expected. You and me both, Chess. I can honestly say I thought she was going to overdose, commit suicide or something...I didn't see how it was going to work out. I like stories that I can't figure out until the end. This book improved on the first and definitely gave us something to look forward to. I was so scared around chapter 18...I certainly saw that coming from the very first chapter - but still totally shocked m ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2011 Mariya rated it it was ok

Shelves: magic-users, urban-fantasy

UNHOLY MAGIC is most definitely the better read than the previous UNHOLY GHOSTS, but apparently this will have to be categorized as the series everyone loves but me.

After UNHOLY GHOSTS I was greatly let down, and from recommendations that the series does get better I took a shot at the second, UNHOLY MAGIC. I admit that I was able to understand what was going on better and understood the Downside talk more which was a plus, but I was unable to really get into the book. Reading this book still fe ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Tammy rated it it was amazing

Wow! The problem with giving books a 5 star review is that when the next book tops the previous book you have no higher to go! This installment in the Downside Ghosts series was unbelievable! I couldn’t put it down. The was not one slow part in the entire book. The action starts from the first page and never stops. The emotional rollercoaster the author pulls you on is amazing. I laughed and I cried, BOY did I cry. This is becoming one of my all time favorite series. My “book friends” are all re ...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Vivian rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2010

I want to give it more stars, I really really do, but throughout a lot of the book I had to tell myself not to quit so that's not exactly 4 star material.

I'm used to the way they speak, I've accepted the drug use, the way the storylines are all tied together is clever, the world is interesting. But I thought the book just dragged on and on and on...it was just so slow.

The best part of the book: Terrible :) If it wasn't for him, I think I may have stopped reading. I only want to read the next one ...more

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