Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts, #2) in Q&A with Stacia Kane

Jan 01, 2012 HeatherJay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: badass-heroine, favorites

I now have a seemingly unhealthy crush on a fictional character with protruding eyebrows, scars on his face, pomade in his hair and mutton chops that would make any Elvis impersonater weak with envy.

I originally started this series right after I finished reading the Fever series.I was in a bit of a Jericho Barrons detox phase that resulted in a lot of good books being tossed aside. Luckily, I picked these up again and can say it is one of may favorite series that I have read. Chess has grown on ...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Emmy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Uh, yeah. There might be spoilers here. And I write this while listening to the Stooges. That seems appropriate.

So this was my favorite book out of the 3 out so far. The plot is crazy. There are dead prostitutes with missing eyeballs. This brings together both sides (and I'm not talking the Church) working with Chess to put a stop to it. The other storyline is her debunking a case for an actor and his family which leads to such an emotional and horrible scene with Chess going through withdrawal. ...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Jenne rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012, ghosts

I enjoyed this more than the first one. Terrible and Chess' relationship is so complex and awkard. I want to grab the two of them and shake them! I hope Ms. Kane will have Chess get clean. At one part she was going through withdrawls it was so intense and horrible. She needs some peace and needs to bury her demons. Can't wait for the next one! ...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Jenn Doyle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Unholy Magic gets a 4.5 star rating. I LITERALLY could not put this book down. While I still don't like the inclusion of the sheer amount of drugs that Chess takes to get through her daily life....you get more back story on Chess in this book that really makes it understandable as to WHY she is okay with being an addict. And if you're a fan of a Chess/Terrible hookup....holy WOW. There was a ton of emotional stuff going on here for Chess. Readers didn't get much of Edsel in this book, but the ot ...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, ghosts, witches

I have to say that while Unholy Ghosts is extremely enjoyable, UNHOLY MAGIC is in a different league all together. As well as the main two plot threads being expertly drawn, there is also significant character development, which drew me in and made me care for the cast, as well as making me feel actively involved in the story.

It was interesting to see the two drug gangs first-hand and witness the tensions which threaten to erupt between them, rather then having the characters simply talking abo I have to say that while Unholy Ghosts is extremely enjoyable, UNHOLY MAGIC is in a different league all together. As well as the main two plot threads being expertly drawn, there is also significant character development, which drew me in and made me care for the cast, as well as making me feel actively involved in the story.

It was interesting to see the two drug gangs first-hand and witness the tensions which threaten to erupt between them, rather then having the characters simply talking about it. Also; I finished book 1 with the [wrong] impression that the whole world was in some sort of global recession and drug use and other vices were rampant - but now everything has been fleshed out fully, so I see that it's the area Chess lives in (It's not the author's fault; I read quickly and sometimes fail to absorb everything).

Most importantly we learn what has caused Chess to grow up with a ton of self hatred and her finger poised over the self destruct button. We learnt in book 1 [Unholy Ghosts] that Chess is an orphan [though that's pretty common in this world] and information about her young life in various foster homes was hinted at then, but now we get the bigger picture in the form of brief flashbacks Chess suffers. It's this flashbacks and feelings she's tuning out with her growing drug use.

Speaking of her drug use; Stacia Kane has taken care to show how her addiction has affected her negatively. Book 1 didn't dig too far below the surface in this respect, but now we fully see [in Stacia's own words] the trouble her habit gets her into, how easily she can be controlled and manipulated and in seeking to regain control of her life and feelings she's actually given it up.

A well as a deeper understanding of Chess we also learn a secret about Terrible too, which is very welcome as the men in Chess' life were just mysterious secondary characters before, but now he's more likable then Chess in my eyes.

All in all despite the story being a standalone story in terms of the major plot, UNHOLY MAGIC is still a important series entry in terms of character development. ...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Nikki rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, alternant-history-realities, audio-book, rereads, urban-fantasy, pnr, 2012

Amazing. Love this series!

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May 24, 2012 Krista D rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks-in-2016

If you are on the fence about reading book #2, I would highly suggest that you give it a try. The first book only glossed over the reason for Chess's drug use, while the second book gives a lot more detail and really made me sympathetic to her problems. ...more

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