In my time with PUPI, formally known as Private, Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations, I've seen a lot. Learned a lot. And not all of it's been good. But what we do—make people accountable for crimes committed with magic—is important work.
Still. Even I need to take a break every now and again. Or so I've just been told (ordered).
So hey, vacation. Maybe I'll finally figure out what's going on with the "special bond" between me and the boss man, Benjamin Venec. Venec seems to like that idea—he's invited me down to join him on a jaunt to Philly. But no sooner do I arrive in the City of Brotherly Love than we're called in to look at a dead body.
And that's when life gets really complicated
My Thoughts :
I have been following this series since the beginning and couldn't resist this fourth book in the series. I am a huge fan of CSI, Bones and various other crime investigations series so this concept of a paranormal version really spoke to me. So far I have enjoyed the books, the authors style and the world she has built and Dragon Justice was no exception.
Things started off great. I managed to get back into the feel of things pretty easy and of course being set in Manhattan I felt a little at home. Memories of my trip there a few weeks ago meant I could picture the places a little better and totally understood the meaning of long walking times, smelly subway trips etc. I also felt relaxed with Bonnie. She is a really nice easy going character who doesn't feel the need to blurt out a long string of feelings all the time. It is refreshing to have a character who just gets things done.
However the plot this time around was a bit all over the place. The first part of the book concentrated on Bonnie trying to find a girl. Then suddenly she was in Philadelphia. Now the first part of the story, for me, wasn't completely finished. The second part of the story seemed to be made out of two smaller stories. It all started to get a little confusing and seeing as the version I had didn't even show the chapters or breaks between the changes of perspective it was extremely hard to keep track of everything.
Despite that it was a very good read. The author has a super imagination and you can expect, as the title suggests, dragons as well as other faeries popping up in this book. There is also a nice love interest for Bonnie. Finally. Oh and a few little surprises. Also 'Wren' pops up in this book a lot. Now I still haven't read the Retrievers series but I really need to check out Wren some more. She is pretty cool.
I heard that this fourth book is apparently the last in the series and no more books have been contracted. The author left the series pretty much wide open though so there could be, and should be, more to come. Even though this isn't one of my top favourite series it is still one I thoroughly enjoy. I wouldn't be against a few more books about Bonnie.
The name’s Torres, Bonnie Torres, and I’m a paranormal scene investigator—rooting out the truth about crimes of magic. It’s dangerous and boring and scary and fascinating. Though not everyone in the Cosa Nostradamus is happy we’re around, which can make things…tricky.
Working two cases—looking into a murder for the NYPD, and a rich man’s break-in—should be well within our abilities. But when things start getting weird in the Electric Apple, Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations is stretched to the limits, trying to keep one step ahead and out of trouble. Add in rumors of a powerful creature gunning for us and it’s not just our rep on the line this time—if we don’t solve this case, everyone will suffer.
Fortunately, around here, when the going gets weird, the weird hire us.
My Review :
Tricks of the Trade is the third installment in the Paranormal Scene Investigations Series. I really enjoyed the first two books and was looking forward to this third part. However I have to say straight off that this wasn't my favourite so far. It wasn't bad but it just didn't have that certain something that the other books had.
I don't want to give anything away about the plot but it seemed a little dull compared to the last two books. It was nice to have a slower, easier and not so complicated story but it lacked the excitement and suspense that were present in books one and two. Never the less I enjoyed Tricks of the Trade but I have to admit I was expecting something more powerful.
There is a lot to like about this series. The concept is different and unique which is always refreshing in the Paranormal Genre. I love the CSI aspect but with magic. It has been done before but the author has put her own twists on it and made it her own.
The main character is nice and easy to get along with. She doesn't try to be more than she is and just does her job. No over the top super powers or abilities. Also the location rocks. New York is an amazing city that I have had the luck to visit and it is nice to be on the streets again with the PUPI's.
Well worth checking out this series if you haven't already. If you are waiting for this new release then don't rush. Put it on your wishlist for Christmas or buy it for yourself with all those book vouchers you get for the holidays.
***Tricks of the Trade is due for release on the 15th November***
A collection of Occult (a.k.a supernatural) Detective stories assembled by Justin Gustainis and featuring new stories by:
Tanya Huff
C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
Simon R. Green
T. A. Pratt
Chris Marie Green
Lilith Saintcrow
Rachel Caine
Jacqueline Kessler
Carrie L. Vaughn
Julie Kenner
C.J. Henderson
Laura Anne Gilman
Justin Gustainis
Caitlin Kittredge
My Review -
I did promise to post my full review when author Justin Gustainis visits Amberkatze's Book Blog in March. However I liked this one so much that I am going to post my thoughts on this book now because it is due for release before his visit.
So anyone who visits Amberkatze's Book Blog on a regular basis will know that I rarely give anthologies a good review and usually moan about how I should stop torturing myself by reading them. Once again I took the bait. So many cool authors in one book. How could I resist? Would I get hurt again?
Well this time around I am happy to announce that this anthology could actually be the best I have read, ever! Did you see the line up? A Demon Soccer Mom Hunting story was inside as well as one of my favourite Succubi, Jezebel! An amazing Carrie Vaughn story which I hope is the start of a new series because I would totally love to read more. The best Laura Anne Gilman story I think I have ever read and of course T.A. Pratt! How I have missed you!!! And not forgetting the wonderful editor of this collection, Justin Gustianis. It has been way too long since we saw Quincy and I can't wait for more.
Worth buying! Awesome author selection with stories bursting with paranormal goodness. There are some real treasures in this one and next to no duds. Oh and to top it off the cover is pretty cool as well ;)
My name is Bonita Torres, and eight months ago I was an unemployed college graduate without a plan. Now I'm an investigator with the Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations team of New York. Pretty awesome, right?
The Cosa Nostradamus, the magical community, isn't quick to give up its secrets, though. Not even to fellow members. Not even when it's in their best interests. So we've been busting our tails, perfecting our forensic skills, working to gain acceptance. The team's tight… but we have our quirks, too. And our Big Dog, Benjamin Venec…well, he's a special case, all right.
But we can't give up. We're needed, especially when a case comes along that threatens to pit human against fatae. But one wrong move could cost us everything we've worked for….
My Review -
The Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations a.k.a PUPI came together in Hard Magic last year. Now just under a year later the second book in the series, Pack of Lies, hits the shelves and I was eager to see where the series would go. After all it has the paranormal and forensics all wrapped up together which is a must read mix for me.
I have to say I expected more from this sequel but in the end I was happy with what I got. With hardly any action or suspense this felt a little flat at times but I still wasn't put off. You see some authors try too hard to make everything special. I get fed up of characters names you can't pronounce and plots weaved into a tangled mess. This is where Pack of Lies stands out and becomes readable. It isn't trying to wow you or give you the feeling that it is something special. It is what it is. Average names, a normal story and some interesting aspects of the paranormal and forensics expertly added into the mix.
Sure this series isn't going to go on my must buy list but it is definitely on my must read list. The team is still young and they are still finding their feet. I want to see how things develop and I like the overall concept for the series. I hope the author doesn't try and jazz things up and I really hope that things don't go all complicated. Well worth checking out. You won't be lusting for more like you do when you taste the sugar filled delights that are usually offered up in the Urban Paranormal Fantasy genre but you will feel satisfied with this delightful snack.
Happy Halloween!!! The weekend continues here on Amberkatze's Book Blog with another author guest!!
Laura Anne Gilman is well known for her Retrievers series but she also pens The Vineart War and Paranormal Scene Investigations.
Get to know the author and her books and maybe even order yourself a copy or fill up your wishlist!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling my readers a little about your Retriever and PSI series?
Laura Anne- Retrievers is the series title for the books featuring Wren Valere, who is a thief who uses magic to do her job, and her business partner/lover Sergei Didier. They're very much caper novels, in that Wren is hired for one job, but there's always more going on than she knows, and things tend to get out of control pretty fast, as it will when magic and New Yorkers are involved. There are six books in that series, with each one having an individual plot, but also building on what happened before. Paranormal Scene Investigations came out of the Retrievers books, in that the characters introduced there -- Bonnie Torres and her co-workers, a private firm
Amber - The Retrievers have been around for a while. Is that series done and dusted or will there be more to come?
Laura Anne- The wonderful thing about that series is that it's open-ended: the first story arc, covering Wren and Sergei's involvement in that particular period of Cosa History, is done, but their relationship goes on -- and we will, in fact, see Wren appear periodically in the PSI series, as their storylines cross over. As to there being another specifically Wren and Sergei novel to come -- If I said "absolutely not," the very next day I'd wake up with the perfect story to tell. But for now, I'm telling Bonnie's story.
Amber - I was lucky enough to read Hard Magic and I loved it. Will there be more books in that series?
Laura Anne- Absolutely -- the second book, PACK OF LIES, is already written, and scheduled for early 2011, and there are two more under contract. After that -- well, I'm not done with the Cosa Nostradamus universe, so like Wren, Bonnie could appear anywhere.
Amber - You have two new releases coming up. 'Flesh and Fire' and 'Weight of Stone' come out within weeks of each other. What is this new series about?
Laura Anne- FLESH AND FIRE is actually the mass market reprint of last year's hardcover, while WEIGHT OF STONE is book 2 of three books, overall (the third book will be out in 2012). The overall title of the trilogy is THE VINEART WAR, and it's an epic fantasy based very loosely on a 14th Century where an entirely different religious, political and magical system has formed, where magic is based in wine. The main character, Jerzy, is born into a very traditional world of Vinearts, or vine-mages, but comes of age in a world that's being torn apart by an unknown enemy, and has to adapt to a new world order, to save what he can of the old. In many ways, although it has the feel of "traditional" high fantasy, it's deeply influenced by the much more modern global fears...
FLESH AND FIRE was not only Library Journal's "best books of the year" list, but a Nebula nominee for best SF/F of the year. I was, needless to say, thrilled.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for your books? Is it usually a long process or does it just come to you?
Laura Anne- The idea is the easy part! No writer ever lacks for ideas -- they drop into your brain at a rather disconcerting rate, born off something you see or hear or wonder about. It's discovering if they're actually viable as more than an idea -- if there's actually enough story there to support a book, if the characters are interesting, if they're going to grow or learn in the course of the story, if something catches fire out of the idea and drives you to a need-to-know-what-happens -- that is the hard part. That's the actual writing part. For me, the writing is both structured and organic: I have to sit down at my desk or my laptop every day, and say "okay, time to work now," but the brain never stops chewing over it, until the story is done. So in that regard, it's a long process -- it takes me anywhere form 6-12 months to get a book into proper shape, depending on how complicated the plot becomes.
Amber - Your books have a lot of danger and action in them. How do you decide what to throw at your characters in each book?
Laura Anne- That totally depends on how the plot grows. Danger is a way of forcing a character to deal with issues quickly, with a lot of drama, so it's very useful in storytelling. The story drives the action, but the character's REaction is what develops the story. That said, I try to match the action to the character; what worked for Wren, a thief, isn't the same sort of thing that, for example, Jerzy (the hero of The Vineart War) would face.
Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?
Laura Anne - Names are chosen within the framework of the world around them: if you have a modern setting, naming someone "Fred" would make sense -- "G'rbzzzt wouldn't, unless they were from a culture where that was a common name. For example, in THE VINEART WAR, each character's name tells you what part of the world they're from: Jerzy (pronounced "yehr-zee") was born in a very different land than his friend Ao, or the princeling Kainam. In the same way, Wren Valere (Retrievers) has a different background than Bonita Torres (PSI). It all has to be internally consistent. But I've never picked a name because it has a specific meaning, no. Usually, by the time I've found their voice, the proper name comes to me.
Amber - What kind of research have you done for your books? Anything interesting or is the research boring?
Laura Anne- There's no such thing as boring research. Which just proves I'm a geek, I suppose. I've done everything from read books on Edison and Tesla (for the electrical-based magic in the Cosa Nostradamus) to spend two weeks in Burgundy to get a real feel for the land there, for The Vineart War. And, of course, when creating a wine-based magical system...well, drinking wine is research!
Amber - How much say do you have in the book publishing process? Eg. Do you get to pick the cover?
Laura Anne- *laughs* The writer controls what is put BETWEEN the covers. The text is ours. That's about it. The cover -- the artwork, the copy -- that's all designed by specially trained people: the copywriter and the art director, who chooses an artist and tells them what kind of 'look' they want. I've gotten a say in what I'd like, but it's just one voice, and not the most important one. Fortunately I've had great people doing really wonderful work at both Luna and Pocket. The covers might not always look what I would have imagined, but they've been striking and 'jump' off the shelves, which is exactly what you want.
Amber - What are the good times and bad times of being an author?
Laura Anne- They're two sides of the same coin: when the writing is going well, you feel amazing. When the writing is going slow/poorly... you feel like hell.
Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?
Laura Anne- What's up next for now is more PSI novels, and then a spin-off series featuring Danny, the half-faun PI who appears in earlier books. Poor Danny. I'm about to make his life...Interesting. I'm also working on a new, rather different project called DRAGON VIRUS, which is darker, more SFnal, and should see print in Spring 2011. After that -- well, the one thing about being a writer is that you never know where your next project will lead you. Like I said earlier, the idea is the easy part.
Amber - There are a lot of online sites taking up peoples time lately. Are you on Facebook or any other sites? Do you think the sites are useful or do they just take up too much of your time?
Laura Anne- I think social networking can eat your available hours, if you're not careful -- but so can anything else, including television and sleeping! I'm on Facebook, Livejournal and Twitter, because I find that each one of those services suits a different need, but I limit how much time I spend on them (I use a software program that simply won't let me log on when I'm supposed to be working). I'm also a big fan of getting out of the office and writing longhand. Changing format makes me look at material differently, changing or shaking things up if I'm getting stale or writing into a rut.
Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?
Music... I'm eclectic in my tastes, but I tend to write in silence most of the time; living in NYC you get a lot of ambient city noise that becomes a surprisingly soothing backdrop, like working in a tropical forest. Music, by contrast, is intrusive, and asks me to focus on IT rather than the words. Also, I tend to listen to music that makes me want to dance, and it's tough to boogie and type at the same time...
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Laura Anne- a griffin. Something with wings, and yet catlike at the same time... that's about my idea of perfection.
Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will stop by again!
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If you would like to buy one of Laura's books then please use the links below, above or around the site. More sales equals more contests on Amberkatze's Book Blog
College grad, magic user and unemployed Bonnie Torres gets an interesting but strange call for what she hopes is a job interview. She has no idea what the job is for or if she even applied for it. The message was short and the only details she is given is a time and place. Her mentor J isn't really happy about her even contemplating going to the meeting but Bonnie needs a job.
After a very unusual interview, Bonnie finds herself being a part of the Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations or PUPI for short. The team is made up of 5 people who are expected to mix magic and forensics to solve cases that the normal police can't. Their first job isn't easy. Trying to prove that a double suicide was in fact murder has them stumped and with their combined lack of experience it makes things even harder. Also there are people who don't want to see PUPI exist in any way shape or form. That makes this job more interesting that Bonnie could ever imagine.
I have to admit that my knowledge of this author is practically zilch. I remember picking up one of her Retriever books a few years ago and for some reason it didn't grab my interest. However this new series did capture my attention. Magic combined with forensics totally caught my eye and I had to give this one a try.
Hard Magic wasn't a bad read. Being the first in a series the first half of this book was really laying the foundations and I admit I enjoyed discovering this new concept and character. The author has managed to create something different and although I believe this series links to the Retrievers in some way it made no difference to this story that I haven't read the other books.
A little slower that I expected I did really like the forensics and magical aspect of this book. The writing style, characters and location also kept me reading this to the end but I think I need a second book in this series to make a final judgement. This was certainly worth reading but I felt like Hard Magic is just the start of something bigger and that there are more greater things to come.
One thing I have to say about this book is that it has reawakened my interest in the Retrievers series. If they are anything like Hard Magic then I definitely want to try them again. Off to add the first one to my wishlist!
