The Hour of Dust and Ashes by Kelly Gay + Giveaway

As far as urban fantasy series goes, the Charlie Madigan books deserve all kinds of love. I was first attracted this is exceptional series by their dynamic covers (I bow down to the genius of Chris McGrath) and have kept coming back for more after spending some time with Charlie and her family. Truly these books have so much going for them: a loyal and determined heroine, unique mythology, and a cast of quippy characters.

**SPOILER WARNING** You know the drill folks. We're onto the third book in this first-rate series so, you know, spoilers for the previous books contained herein and all that.

Special Forces Detective Charlie Madigan has never been one to sit back and let others handle her problems. She's more of a confront them head on and beat them until they lie shivering in a corner type of gal. Unfortunately that tactic isn't working too well for her at the moment. Charlie's currently juggling a precocious magic-wielding daughter who thinks a hellhound makes a excellent pet, a sarcastic revenant currently residing in her ex-husband's body (and in her house), some curious new DNA which is giving her wicked yet unpredictable magical abilities, and a very new and very unexplored relationship with her longtime siren partner Hank. Charlie's most immediate concern however is the safety of her younger sister Bryn whose inadvertent addiction to the off-world drug ash has left her susceptible to possession and even death after other ash addicts begin to commit suicide. As a last resort (frankly the only option she has left) in helping her sister, Charlie agrees to a plan that will most likely kill her if she doesn't play it safe. Too bad she's never been particularly good at toeing that line.

Well. Seeing as we are now onto book three, The Hour of Dust and Ashes certainly ups the ante as far as tension goes. Despite the non-stop action, most of my favorite scenes are the ones that focus more on Charlie's relationships. I simply never get tired of her interactions with the swaggering revenant Rex or her feisty daughter Emma. And as far as Hank is concerned, let's just say that Kelly Gay gets the sizzle juuusst right in that department.

Even though I spend every first 50 or so pages of Kelly Gay's books trying to remember the complicated names and belief systems of the opposing Elysian and Charybdon races, I am still all kinds of fascinated by the heaven/hell mythology she has created. Especially as Charlie visits Charybdon (yeah, that would be hell) for the first time in The Hour of Dust and Ashes. Suffice to say, it's one skeery place. Though our girl Charlie fits right in. I really don't see this series going stale any time soon as Ms. Gay still has so much to explore in terms of cultures and relationships. I for one want to be there with Charlie as she gets a better handle on it all.

And holy crap! Hank!! My lips are sealed on that front, but all I can say is Charlie really has her work cut out for her in book 4. Want. Now.

Thanks to Pocket Books, I have one copy of The Hour of Dust and Ashes to giveaway. Open to US residents only, giveaway will run through September 12, 2011. Fill out the form below to enter.


series reading order:
~ The Better Part of Darkness - my review
~ The Darkest Edge of Dawn - my review
~ The Hour of Dust and Ashes

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Books and Things review
RT Book Review

book source: review copy from the publisher

The Darkest Edge of Dawn by Kelly Gay

I first picked up Kelly Gay's debut urban fantasy, The Better Part of Darkness earlier this year after hearing many intriguing reviews about a single-mom cop working in a city populated by two powerful, polar-opposite alien species. After meeting Charlie for myself, I found her extremely likable even if the story itself was somewhat slow-going. But I was more than ready to pick up the sequel, The Darkest Edge of Dawn, for the incredible cover art alone. All authors should be so lucky to have Chris McGrath in their corner. The man is a genius and I will fully admit to stroking my shiny copy on multiple occasions. Come on: just check out the detail on this bad boy.

Charlie Madigan may be one of the main reasons why the city of Atlanta has endured non-stop darkness for the past few weeks, but she's also trying to desperately fix it. As a special forces cop, Charlie and her siren partner Hank, are once again called to investigate a mysterious murder only to find that the victims include several high-ranking and highly-powerful off-worlders. Desperate to keep the news of this latest threat under wraps for fear of sparking an all-out war, Charlie and Hank begin searching for clues among the trails of left-over magic. And if the deaths themselves weren't enough to spur them on, the Druid King has set a time-limit on their solving the case before he exacts vengeance for himself. Tricky and delicate.

And if that wouldn't keep a girl busy enough, Charlie's facing some growing pains in her home life as well. Still clueless as how to tell her young daughter Emma that her ex chose to bargain his life with a revenant (who has since taken control of said body), she's flat-out shocked to discover her baby girl wielding some hefty magic of her own. Add in a vivacious sister who has suddenly gone off the deep-end after involuntarily becoming addicted to ash and a partner who'd like to turn their relationship to more than just a professional one and you've got a mess. Charlie's keeping it all together - but only just.

Once again, I was utterly enthralled by the myriad descriptions of the two alien races - the Elysians and Charybdons - and their mythologies. Kelly Gay has crafted an intensely detailed culture for both races and even though I was frantically trying to refresh my memory as to their names/beliefs for the first 50 pages or so, I was still fascinated by all the descriptions. Due to her newly altered DNA, Charlie's got a little bit of both races in her and the constant warring of the disparate magics would be enough to drive anyone crazy but she explains her confusion and self-doubt beautifully. That said, the pacing was still not what I would have liked - usually on the too slow side - but I did like the added bonus of a love-interest for Charlie. Romantic tension was basically zilch in The Better Part of Darkness and I was happy to see that was fixed for The Darkest Edge of Dawn. In all, a decidedly intriguing urban fantasy with characters to love; you know I'll be watching for book three.

series reading order:
~ The Better Part of Darkness - my review
~ The Darkest Edge of Dawn

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
All Things Urban Fantasy review 
The Fiction Enthusiast review
Fiction Kingdom review
Lorri Jeanne review 
Reading with Tequila review

book source: review copy from publisher

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

After divorcing her childhood sweetheart and trying to raise a somewhat precocious daughter about to enter that feared stage known as “teenager” Charlie Madigan has had a rough year. At work, she’s the tough Atlanta cop, ready to service Justice no matter who (or what) stands in her way. Especially after she technically died a year ago. After she was brought back, Charlie has been experiencing strange symptoms – headaches, nightmares, and a smattering magical powers that keep popping up that Charlie can’t even begin to figure out. Charlie’s about to be hit with her toughest case yet after a string of individuals surface who have been dosed with an off-world potent drug, leaving users in a coma-like state and on the verge of death without continued use. As Charlie digs deeper, she finds not only herself but her family caught up in the strange politics and danger of the mysterious off-world societies of Elysia and Charybdon, with corruption extending all the way to the top.

The Better Part of Darkness is another one of those new Urban Fantasy novels that has been generating a lot of buzz. I’m a sucker for a tough heroine and Charlie Madigan seemed to fit the bill nicely. Charlie is tough, believable as a single-mom stretched too thin with the added stress of magic wrecking havoc with her life. I quickly became intrigued with Charlie's story despite the fact that her narrative could have used a little bit more editing to cut out about 100 pages of unnecessary descriptions and rambling IMO. Overall The Better Part of Darkness has a lot of good things going for it. Kelly Gay's Atlanta is rock solid in terms of world building - a city full of excitement with a whiff of danger and magic around every corner. The inclusion of the parallel worlds of Elysia and Charybdon has also given Ms. Gay countless options since both worlds were left mainly a mystery. Not to mention the great set-up of relationships between Charlie, her sister, her partner and countless other folks she meets in her unique line of work.

Although I am not one to complain about my home-town getting some deserved attention, what is up with the recent trend of setting every new UF series in a magic-saturated Atlanta? I've read no less than three new books recently that call Hotlanta home, which is not really a problem but something of a strange coincidence. Thankfully Atlanta is so diverse that the stories don't cross over much, but it's still a bit of a coincidence - maybe Atlanta is kind of like the new New York for dark urban fantasies.

And please isn't this cover for the next Charlie Madigan novel The Darkest Edge of Dawn simply abso-frickin-perfect? Edgy, dynamic: I love it. Just check out those expressive eyebrows! And the smoking gun! And the shattered glass! I need this one for the cover alone.

series reading order:
~ The Better Part of Darkness
~ The Darkest Edge of Dawn (August 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Discriminating Fangirl review
Literary Escapism review
Magical Musings review
Night Owl Reviews
Tempting Persephone review 

book source: my local library