Trick of the Light (Trickster, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Nov 15, 2009 Larissa rated it liked it · review of another edition

I am a huge fan of Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros Series, so it was an easy decision to get Trick of the Light, the first in her new series. However, I have to say that this book came short in a few aspects and because of that I have mixed feelings about it.

Both series take place in the same world, a world full of nightmarish creatures. At first sight, Trixa is just a bar owner that kills demons on the side. Her closest friend is Leo, the bar's bartender and in very close second are Zeke and Griffin I am a huge fan of Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros Series, so it was an easy decision to get Trick of the Light, the first in her new series. However, I have to say that this book came short in a few aspects and because of that I have mixed feelings about it.

Both series take place in the same world, a world full of nightmarish creatures. At first sight, Trixa is just a bar owner that kills demons on the side. Her closest friend is Leo, the bar's bartender and in very close second are Zeke and Griffin, two demon hunters she took in when they were just teenagers.

The whole book is told on the first person, on Trixa's point a view. Trixa is an interesting character, but I have problem when trying to connect with her. After I finished the book I realized why. There are a couple of huge surprises at the end of the book and by then you realize that Trixa has been lying and hiding things about herself all through the book.

I understand her need to have the element of surprise at the end, but I believe that I would have been able to connect with her much more if her personal secret was only kept from the other characters and not the readers. There is more than one pretty shocking surprise at the
end, so having that secret in the open to use readers from the beginning would not have been detrimental to the story in anyway. Trixa came out as quite selfish at times and loyal and caring at others. Many times her actions and thoughts were very contradictory and I found that really irritating at times.

My favorite part of the book were the secondary characters. I loved Zeke and Griffin's partnership as well as Leo. The book was well written, though I felt that it got repetitive in some parts and that was tiring at times. I really enjoyed the way Angels were portrayed I found it quite original and interesting. Not the description of them, but their personalities or lack there of.

A great theme in the novel is the ever unclear line between good and evil. And it was interesting to see that even though the "heroes" were clear, no one was all the time in only one side of that line.

All in all it was not an amazing read, far from it. However, for me, the ending and potential this series has, makes me want to give a chance to the second installment of this series. I liked how the characters progressed and I got quite attached to a few of them. But, Rob Thurman's other series is still my favorite, by far of the two. ...more

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Dec 21, 2009 Steph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-ongoing, author-웃, series-book1, year-read-2011

Trick of Light introduces us to Trixa Iktomi, a "bar owner, informant, occasional demon killer, and various other things best not spread around". She's hunting for the demon that killed her little brother. The one thing that can help her is 'the Light of Life' ... "an impenetrable shield that could protect Heaven and Hell from any attack, any second war." But, the Agents of Above and Below want it just as badly.

We also meet her sexy, Native American, longtime, platonic friend and bartender, Leo ...more

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May 29, 2010 Michelle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Ugh, this book has been plaguing me ever since I got it. I couldn't get into it, but I kept reading all these reviews that said "Oh, the twist is so good, loved this book, what a great read!" For me, it was another of those instances where you have to wonder if you read the same book as everyone else. Finally I gave up and read the ending. Rob Thurman can do some good stuff, but I always have to work my way through her books. This one I couldn't even work through. ...more

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