Shadows Before the Sun ( Charlie Madigan 4) by Kelly Gay

Hello to all,

       A new week start and September is slowly reaching its end...which start to make me stress at the idea of not being ready on time for Christmas. However i need to stay calm and go one step after the other so let's finish september before thinking october and even worse December.

The read-a-thon hosted by Tressa is now finished and i was able to read a little more as to surpass my goal and before i give you a complete wrap up that i'm sharing with you my opinion on one of the book i've read during this event: Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay.

 This book was in my TBR pile for a long time but i couldn't decide to start it after learning it was the last of the series because the publishers didn't want to continue it....such a disappointment as i really loved the series but i was afraid  to read it. Lately, i saw that there was a cover for a book 5 so  knowing the author wasn't giving up  i couldn't delay any longer and this read-a-thon was the perfect solution to give me the little additional push i needed.

Happy Reading!!

Publisher: Pocket Books

Publication: 2012

ISBN: 1451625480

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: mild
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 The electrifying sequel to the acclaimed urban fantasies The Better Part of Darkness, The Darkest Edge of Dawn, and The Hour of Dust and Ashes!


After filling out mountains of paperwork, Detective Charlie Madigan sets out for a death-defying trip into heavenly Elysia to rescue her partner Hank and bring the siren home. Of course, she doesn’t expect to leave behind an all out siren revolution or return home to find that jinn crime boss, Grigori Tennin, has begun a massive search for the divine being, Ahkneri. Tennin’s tactics set off a chain reaction that puts Charlie in the crosshairs of the shadowy creature known as Death and awakens Ahkneri from her long sleep. And when Vengeance rises, Atlanta will never be the same

My opinion:

          Very good! I has been ages since i’ve read the precedent book but i was only confused for a few pages before getting completely immersed again in the universe. But i do recommend you to read this in order as it’s not a stand alone.

In this story we visit places of Elysia and i really enjoyed that part iit was interesting to see and even more knowing what we knew about the dark secrets hidden there... and the elysian ( adonai especially are so full of themselves!)

The plot is very well structured and the pace is just perfect... it could never be too slow wxith Charlie after all she can’t stay in one place or keep silent for too long ;) but it wasn’t too fast either. Sandra is a good friend for Charlie and her knowledge really vast while at the same time she is staying so mysterious and alone... foreseen part of the futur isn’t a power i would like to have.

Charlie stayed true to herself and i loved to see how deep her loyalty run. Emma is also as funny as she is intelligent and Charlie can be glad to have her. The plot is grpping all your attention as each element can have a role in this story or in the future which is something that is usual with this series but is also a reason why we love it so much.

Now  i must tell you that this book  doesn’t answer all the questions we had in the previous installments, we get a few hints, part of answers and... more questions and mysteries.  This book wasn’t written to be the last of the series that’s for sure to much is left unsaid like... who is Leander! What he wants etc.. we do get a kind of  conclusion yes even if the ending is a kind of cliffhanger it can also be saw as  the fact they continue their job so  i was both unsatified and glad it wasn’t an ending putting you on edge either.

 I do hope though that the book 5 which has a cover now will really come into existence and answer all our interrogation once and for all however with this one i can wait without being on edge so  i’m happy.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

The Hour of Dust and Ashes (Charlie Madigan 3) by Kelly Gay

Hello everybody!

                      So September has started and this week was extremely hot , it was great to have a little more sun yes but 25°C would have been enough and we were a lot about that i had to adjust but happiness was high and general. Now the temperatures have dropped, rain is back and it does affect the mood more than necessary..because yes in my country is generally all or nothing... but back to reading topic.

While checking my TBR pile trying to decide what to read for this month, with the topic of dragon, i discovered that i forgot the 3rd book of the Charlie Madigan  i had prepared for the siren theme last month. I felt so stupid until i remembered that there is a dragon too in this^^ even a druid dragon king to be precise so "contre fortune bon coeur" i've read it for this month and i was happy with this decision because i enjoyed it!

I won't read only dragon books of course, after all there are other challenges i must complete but better start somewhere^^ so here is my opinion on The Hour of Dust and Ashes by Kelly Gay

happy reading!

Publisher: Pocket

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  1451625472

Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought
 

Short description from goodreads :

 To save her sister, she must stop a silent killer. . . .

Protecting Atlanta from the off-world criminals of Underground is tough enough, but now Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner, Hank, learn that the addicts of the offworld drug ash have begun taking their own lives. Ash makes humans the perfect vessels for possession, and something or someone is leading them to their deaths. Charlie is desperate to save her addicted sister, Bryn, from a similar fate. As New Year’s Eve approaches and time runs out, Charlie makes a deadly bargain with an ancient race of beings and embarks on a dangerous journey into hellish Charbydon with Hank and the Revenant Rex to save Bryn and make it back before it’s too late. Only, for one of them, coming home means facing a fate worse then death. . . .

My opinion:

          I was surprised to be so happy to find myself this universe once again and in a matter of minutes I was immersed in the story…now it was only possible since I’ve read book 1 and 2 already (and not that long ago) because even if there are some recaps of what happened it’s really a series you must read in order to really get into it.

Charlie is still experiencing some changes and trying to get used to them when she must cope with the consequences of the events on the Helios Tower. Some enemies doesn’t believe what the officials said and they don’t hesitate to attack Charlie to get information.  Now some attacks she is used to it but the problem are the complications inherent to these new fights…as soon as she use her powers a strange shadowy creature appears and she can’t understand it. Then Bryn her sister and all the other ash victims must be put under surveillance and more because they start to commit suicide without logical reason.

For Charlie it means they must still be possessed but then all the exorcists have fled the city or were killed, without any other solution available she must accept the help of the Sylphs, long thought extinct or a myth. However such a gift doesn’t come without a big price and a limited time.

 Now I must admit that I was really surprised by the different twists in this story so I enjoyed greatly how the author managed to put me on edge. I didn’t know what to expect until the final page and I still have a lot of question that I hope will be answered in book 4.  Here we discover that the sylphs are really strange and powerful, but I was even more surprised by the sirens. I though I liked Hank because he was a siren but in fact…he is more just a siren by look and power than personality.  Really those are so cruel despite they looks it’s frightening… I guess they are not all bad but at least they don’t question their leaders’ acts….never and believe without trying to put thing into perspective…for nearly immortal creatures that sounds quite stupid… I do pity Hank.

Another really fun element in this book is that we finally got to see one of the other world: Charbydon, and it does look strange I would be happy to learn more. We have learned about Elysian more but we still haven’t put a foot on it (though with what we learned it’s getting more and more difficult to see it as a paradise).

The romance between Hank and Charlie is growing to and they finally admit it even if they don’t act on it yet. He trusts her enough to tell her about his past and she accept to appears weak in front of him.. a few kisses are exchanged but that’s all.  Rex is showing more his past talents, gifts and he is teaching Brim,… we see that he was really a great jinn but at the same time he really changed too.

I can’t wait to jump into book 4 but at the same time I’m afraid because I’m not sure when book 5 is scheduled so I will see if I can resist and not read it immediately but it’s only in fear of a cliffhanger in next book..; only for that. It’s really an excellent book if you love urban fantasy series with intrigues and action ^^ to recommend.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan2) by Kelly Gay

Hi!

 I won't be long because i really need to be resting, this winter is a little too long and too harsh for me. Sometimes life is strange... i wanted to take a book that wasn't entering a specific challenge (apart the 2013 tbr reading pile) and i nerly forgot what this series was about...Anna told me sometimes ago that i shouldn't stop at the first book that it was just getting better in the next one so i decided to take this one from my shelf... as soon as i started it i remembered all book 1 and that this series does have fae in it so it was good one for this month ... so i did read for pleasure AND for the challenge for once ;) ( but i really need to pick some books i just want to read without having a reason to do so)

Enjoy Reading!

Publisher: Pocket

Publication: 2010

ISBN:  1439110042

Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal, romance
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: mild
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 It takes a strong woman to keep the peace in a city of endless night. . . .
Deep beneath Underground, a cunning bid for power and revenge has begun—one that threatens to make Atlanta the new battleground in the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. The powers of hellish Charbydon have the upper hand after plunging the city into primordial night. And under the cover of darkness, a serial killer targets the most powerful Elysians in the city, the angelic Adonai. For Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank, tracking deadly predators is all in a day’s work . . . but this case will test the limits of their strength and friendship as it draws them into a deadly world of power plays, ancient myths, explosive secrets, and a race against time that risks all that Charlie holds dear.

My opinion:

         Globally, I enjoyed this book more than the first one; this series still isn’t my favourite but I do want to read it without waiting so long.

It was really an enjoyable read and in this book we get new creatures like nymph and a dragon…I guess I’m in a diversity phase because I really prefer those to the book on one kind of paranormal creatures only. I enjoy seeing the alliances, treaties, conflicts between all these groups and how they adjust differently in our universe. I really loved this arrogant but loyal dragon, druid and also ruler. I hope we will see more of him.

Kelly Gay manages to create a really good story with each book so far having its own and complete investigations and conclusion while staying in a perfect continuity of the general plot. It’s not always easy to be done but the advantage is that you can read each book without worry if you have to wait for the next one even if you really want to read it and continue following those characters you are not left hanging.

Now, that Charlie knows what has been done to her she is showing some changes, some that terrifies her other that can seem useful. For example she is starting to see sometimes a few seconds in the future, can see invisible things or under glamour. The trouble is she isn’t mastering those news “gifts” and when she is needing them the most for healing for example she has trouble concentrating. I loved to see her discovering them and how she was affected but those. Her daughter is also proving to have inherited special talents whose she is keeping secret from her mother.

I really loved to see more of Hank and learning little bits of his past… still a lot of secrets yes but we see another side of him and the romance is heating up quite a lot in this second book. This time, Hank confesses his attraction but even if Charlie is sharing it she is trying to avoid admitting it and succumbing to it….though Hank isn’t the kind of siren to give up. I also enjoyed to see more about his powers, thing I regretted in book 1 where the siren’s part was nearly off immediately, this time we get to see how his “voice” influence his life and relationship with other sirens, why kind of powers he has without his voice and what is linked to that specific powers.

We get to learn more about Brym and the “ash” drug from book 1 too so the primary plot thickens, seems like the Adonai  have some embarrassing secret, one real enemy makes himself now etc. In the same time, we get the investigations about the adonais ‘murders which constitutes the main plot of this book. Solving this mystery gives Charlie clues to solving her main goal: make the darkness disappear from the city. And we do learn a lot even if a large part is still speculations.

 This is really an excellent dark urban fantasy and I recommend it to lovers of this genre. I can’t wait to jump on book3

Score:  3,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Do you get sometimes the feeling that you don't read what you really want to? That the pressure in the selection of your books is too strong?

The Better Part of Darkness ( Charlie Madigan 1) by Kelly Gay

Hello to all,

          For my choice of urban fantasy book to share with you today, i've picked a new author for me Kelly Gay and the first book of her Charlie Madigan's series: The better Part of Darkness.

Happy reading!

Publisher: Pocket Books fantasy

Publication: 2009

ISBN: 1439109656

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil....

Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

My opinion:

          The Better part of Darkness is an original story; I enjoyed seeing a main heroine who was also a mom; it‘s the first time I come across this kind of character and I loved it. I was also intrigued but her partner a male siren.  The fact that the non human come from other dimensions connected to our world is also well thought.

Now I must also say that’s a dark urban fantasy book more than what I expected. The rhythm is rapid, action packed but around that all is manipulation, treachery, secret organisation. Charlie Madigan is a cop, especially selected to be part of the police dealing with off-worlders, species non human coming from a different dimension, like all members of said police she has followed an intensive and really hard training, physical but not only that. She had to learn the different species, their history, political system, weaknesses and powers etc, then following another rule, she was partnered with an off-worlder officer to take the better of both world in a way since this partner has a deeper knowledge of these other dimensions and inhabitant. The police have special equipment but still have to act with a lot of diplomacy .Why? Because a lot of treaties have been signed between the political hierarchies of the different dimensions. Some groups even have their own laws by which the police must abide. So in the end, the officer like Charlie have and harder work even when they have a culprit depends on the kind and power of his species he could go free, really frustrating.

I spend a good time with this book, Kelly Gay writing style is captivating and while it was not what I intended I’ve read this book without break however it was not the book I needed at the moment. It was a bit too dark and I was a bit disappointed: I didn’t get to see the power of Hank the siren, and the ending is really not an happy one. I would not mind reading the next book and I will perhaps love this series but at the moment I only liked this  one I need to see if the author will keep the dark part in the rest of the series or not.

A really interesting and good book to recommend to the fan of dark urban fantasy.

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

 

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge