[Blog Tour] Early Review: An Import of Intrigue by Marshall Ryan Maresca + Giveaway

I am so happy to take part in Maresca's Blog Tour for An Import of Intrigue, the second book in The Maradaine Constabulary series; which releases next Tuesday, November 1st! This is an amazing series you guys, one that should be on everyone 'Must Read' list! And one lucky reader will be going home with their very own set of the series (so far)! See below for more details.

Title: An Import of Intrigue
Author: Marshall Ryan Maresca
Genre: Fantasy-Mystery
Series: a #2

Mass Market Paperback, 389 pages
Publication: November 1, 2016 by Daw

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a review/blog tour.

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The neighborhood of the Little East is a collision of cultures, languages, and traditions, hidden away in the city of Maradaine. A set of streets to be avoided or ignored. When a foreign dignitary is murdered, solving the crime falls to the most unpopular inspectors in the Maradaine Constabulary: exposed fraud Satrine Rainey, and uncircled mage Minox Welling.

With a murder scene deliberately constructed to point blame toward the Little East, Rainey is forced to confront her former life, while Welling’s ignorance of his own power threatens to consume him. And these few city blocks threaten to erupt into citywide war unless the constabulary solves the case.

An Import of Intrigue is the second book in The Maradaine Constabulary Series and his second series in the World of Maradaine following Constables Welling and Rainey. The book takes place approximately two months after the events in A Murder of Mages. Welling is still trying to understand and train himself in using his gifts and Rainey is adjusting to her job, officially as an Inspector. However, after the truth of her stunt was made public, there were a lot of coworkers still unhappy with how Rainey procured her position…the nontraditional way. But the life of a Constable is no easy-going job, as both inspectors are constantly on their feet and investigating crimes; whether it is human trafficking, illegal bear fights or grisly murders.

The world of Maradaine is very complex and meticulously thought out and once again Maresca takes readers on another adventure but this time through the streets of Little East, a hodge podge city where different cultures collide. After reading three books in the world of Maradaine, I thought I was getting a grasp on all the cities that make up Maradaine and its inhabitants…but nope. Little East is on the edge of The Maradaine River between Keller Cove and Inemar and home to foreigners such as Imachs, Racquins, and Fuergans; people with exotic appearance, food and languages. I’ll be honest, the Little East’s inhabitants’ name pronunciations was seriously hard and confusing and it didn’t get any easier as the back progress. It literally felt like entering an entirely new world, even Welling, Rainey and the gang were astounded to find a place like that existed just a few blocks from where they lived.

In this stellar sequel, a murder of a nobleman takes Inemar finest but least liked duo across the way to Little East in search of a killer. Welling and Rainey hit a bunch of dead ends and are left with more questions than answers. And to make matters worse Rainey encountered an old foe from her past and Welling’s power gets cut off leaving him out-of-sorts and confused. In An Important of Intrigue readers delved deeper into Maradaine but we also got to learn more about Rainey and her past; especially during her time as an undercover princess and after with her stint in the Druth Intelligence. I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks but I really enjoyed learning more of Rainey’s history. And the more I read about Rainey’s heyday and the feisty child she used to be, I loved her character even more. Welling on the other hand felt less developed this time around. He was having his own battles to deal with. While we learn a great deal more about Rainey, we didn’t learn anything new/or significant when it came to Welling. Which I hope will be fixed later in subsequent books.

All in all, An Import of Intrigue is an excellent follow up in The Maradaine Constabulary Series and addition to the Maradaine world. I love the world, the characters and the mystery and can’t wait to see what’s in store for my two favorite constables! One thing I can say with certainty is Maresca never disappoints and I can always expect a unique, fun and engaging fantasy adventure full of magic and mayhem! Can’t get enough of Maresca’s Maradaine? Good news! I was ecstatic to learn that Maresca will be publishing a third, yes, THIRD series in the world of Maradaine featuring a ragtag bandit group / vigilantes. I’ll be honest, in my last review I mentioned how difficult it must be to write two series in the same world simultaneously…but a third just sounds ludicrous! Am I Right? With that beings said, I can’t freakin’ wait to read it…more Maradaine? Yes, please!

GIVEAWAY

US/CA ONLY

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Penguin Random House, I have 1 (one) Set of The Maradaine Constabulary series to giveaway! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marshall Ryan Maresca grew up in upstate New York and studied film and video production at Penn State.  He now lives Austin with his wife and son.  His work appeared in Norton Anthology of Hint Fiction and Rick Klaw’s anthology Rayguns Over Texas. He also has had several short plays produced and has worked as a stage actor, a theatrical director and an amateur chef. His novels The Thorn of Dentonhill and A Murder of Mages each begin their own fantasy series, both set in the port city of Maradaine. For more information, visit Marshall’s website at www.mrmaresca.com.

A Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca

Title: A Murder of Mages
Author: Marshall Ryan Maresca
Genre: Fantasy-Mystery
Series: The Maradaine Constabulary #1

Mass Market Paperback, 352 Pages
Publication: July 7, 2015 by Daw

Source: Purchased

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Satrine Rainey—former street rat, ex-spy, mother of two, and wife to a Constabulary Inspector who lies on the edge of death, injured in the line of duty—has been forced to fake her way into the post of Constabulary Inspector to support her family.

Minox Welling is a brilliant, unorthodox Inspector and an Uncircled mage—almost a crime in itself. Nicknamed “the jinx” because of the misfortunes that seem to befall anyone around him, Minox has been partnered with Satrine because no one else will work with either of them.

Their first case together—the ritual murder of a Circled mage— sends Satrine back to the streets she grew up on and brings Minox face-to-face with mage politics he’s desperate to avoid. As the body count rises, Satrine and Minox must race to catch the killer before their own secrets are exposed and they, too, become targets.

Last year I had the opportunity to read Maresca’s debut novel The Thorn of Dentonhill and I absolutely loved it. Maresca expands on the world of Maradaine with a companion series, set in new cities, with new characters. Maresca takes readers away from the pristine ground of Maradaine University to the grim, poverty, crime-ridden areas of Maradaine and introduces readers to the Constables that protect the streets. The book is centered on two of Inemar constables, Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling, but the truth of the matter is; only one of them is a constable and the other one a fake. Satrine was a former street rat and now, a stay-at-home mom of two but due to a work related accident leaving her husband paralyzed and unable to care for himself, it’s up to Satrine to keep the household going. Concocting a haphazard plan to keep her family afloat, Satrine doctored fake credentials to get her a high paying position as a Third Class Inspector in the Ienmar Constabulary House. Satrine not thinking much of the job but a means to an end found herself plunged head first into a murder case involving dead mages, circle feuds; all while trying to watch her back and not blow her cover.

Now that I’ve read both of Maresca’s series, I have to say that I liked this series a bit more! A Murder of Mages like The Thorn of Dentonhill is exceptionally well written, with a solid and engaging plot and wonderful world building, but I am a sucker for mysteries and police procedural…and A Murder of Mages had both! I was immediately taken with Satrine and Minox, they made the perfect pair and complemented each other wonderfully like Sherlock and Watson! I especially adored Satrine, I found her to be an interesting and multifaceted character. Satrine used to be a scrappy street rat turned uncover spy turned stay at home mom; she was definitely full of surprises having lived and experienced a hard life. Then there’s Minox, a Third Class Inspector who was special in his own peculiar way. He’s what I’d call antisocial, who always worked alone because no one understood his personality and behavior. What made it even more difficult for Minox was being an un-circled mage, something that's feared and frowned upon. It also didn’t help that he lives, breathes and consumes work (and a whole lot of food) making him an outcast not only from the other mages but also the constables. Though they couldn’t be more different, I really loved the dynamic between Minox and Satrine. They just brought out the best in each other. And while I don’t mind reading about partners whose relationship goes from work to intimate, I thought it was refreshing to see their relationship as nothing but platonic which was a nice unexpected change.

It’s rare to have an author write two brand new series alongside each other, in the same world and pull it off…it should be somewhat impossible but Maresca does it brilliantly and successfully. A Murder of Mages is a fantastic new series that expands on the world of Maradaine, with a clever murder mystery and realistic and relatable characters that will have readers coming back for more once they turn the last page. If you haven’t read any of Maresca’s books yet, do yourself a favor and put A Murder of Mages on your list ASAP!

Nightshades by Melissa F. Olson

Title: Nightshades
Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Paranormal Thriller, Urban Fantasy 
Series: N/A

Trade Paperback, 208 Pages
Publication: July 19, 2016 by Tor

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Alex McKenna is the new Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigations―the division tasked with investigating crimes involving shades.

Or vampires, as they’re more widely known.

Children have been going missing, and agents are routinely being slaughtered. It’s up to McKenna, and some unlikely allies, to get to the bottom of the problem, and find the kids before it’s too late.

I’ve been a fan of Olsen’s work since the debut of her first novel Dead Spots. What I’ve come to notice from Olsen’s work is her characters are realistic and well developed, her writing is always engaging and she puts a spin on vampires like no one else. Vampires have saturated the market for years and for some it’s become too familiar and monotonous. However, Olsen always finds a way to breathe new life into the overused supernatural creature of the undead, making it fresh and exciting; which is what readers will find when they pick up Nightshades.

New series means new location. Olsen opts for a change of scenery for her vampires in Heavenly, Chicago. Unlike her Scarlett Bernard Series, the vampires of Nightshades are undomesticated and are looking to over throw the human population. And they’re freakin’ scary and ruthless as hell. If you’re looking for the sparkly, glorified, domesticated kind of vamps then you’ll need to look elsewhere. Olsen’s vampires A.K.A Shades are dangerous hunters who believe they shouldn’t remain in the shadows anymore and that they’re the superior species, and that humans are nothing but blood bags for the taking. Which takes us to the main issue at hand; teenagers are being snatched all over Chicago and the BPI, Bureau of Paranormal Investigation is taking lead on the case with Alex, a newbie Agent at its helm.

I thought Alex and Lindy were both great leads. The book is pretty short, less than 200 pages but Olsen did a great job at building the world and foundation for subsequent books. And what little I saw of Alex and Lindy, I thought they worked well as partners, and hinting that there may be more to their relationship other than work, but again, it’s too early to tell. Alex is a typical male lead, he knows when to play and when to work and when to be a friend and boss. The most interesting character of the bunch is definitely Lindy. I don’t want to spoil the fun for anyone, but let me just say there’s more than meets the eye and at a glance readers might find Lindy a demure introvert but she is full of surprises. That ending, was just…WOW. Character crush!

Overall, I really liked Nightshades. The story wrapped up nicely but the ending left a lot open for future books. I’m crossing my fingers that this is the start of a new series and that the next book will be longer because this book felt way too short. I didn’t want it to be over yet, especially when things were getting so good! I highly recommend Nightshades to all Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and police procedural readers. And if you haven’t tried any of Olsen’s books yet, Nightshades would be a great place to start!

Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells

Title: Deadly Spells
Author: Jaye Wells
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Series: Prospero's War #3

Trade Paperback, 400 pages
Publication: February 10, 2015

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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After the grisly murder of a dirty magic coven leader, Kate Prospero and The Magical Enforcement Agency team up with the local police to find the killer. But as the infighting between covens turns ugly, an all-out war brews in the slums of Babylon.

When a tenacious reporter sticks her nose in both the investigation and Prospero's past in the covens, old ghosts resurface. The team will have to use all the weapons in their arsenal to stop the coven war and find the killer before the case brings down all their careers - and their lives.

Kate and the gang are back in Deadly Spells, the third installment in the Prospero’s War series. Kate and the MEA team are once again called in to help the BPD on a homicide investigation when the victim turns out to be an important Votary Member. The first two Prospero’s War books focused on the Babylon Covens but in Deadly Spells the main focus is an outside party; a Brazilian Cartel/Coven who is scheming to make the Covens turn on one another. The Brazilian Cartel/Coven, A Morte, wants to get into the dirty potion business and they sent their most deadly assassin to ensure they get what they came for. But things aren't what they seem when secrets are reveals and motives come to light that turns everything that Kate believes in and stands for on its head.

Deadly Spells didn't feel quite as heavy in terms of action or shocking revelations like the previous two books. As it was hinted in the last book, there’s a lot more to Kate’s mom death than what we already knew and readers finally learn the truth in book 3. We also learn a lot more about Kate’s MEA boss Garner, about her past and her involvement with this book’s villain, Pantera. Then on the home front, Danny is having problems at school that gets him expelled for using potion on another student. Poor Kate, she can never catch a break.

Anyone that has already read this series knows there are two main guys vying for Kate, her partner Drew and Mayor John Volos. Even though Kate knows that both men are interested in her and surely sees all the signs…she is in total denial because she ends up going on a date with Danny’s teacher Mr. Hart. Mr. Hart really surprised me! Who knew under that nerdy exterior he was such a douche bag. The brief date scene made me so mad for Kate, and I wished that she decked him in the face. Dude really needs to get smacked a few times. I love Drew and think he’s perfect for Kate, so I’m glad with how the book ended. As for John, I still don’t know what to make of him and what his motives are. He’s really confusing. I know he still loves Kate, but he’s from her past…and in my opinion the past needs to stay in the past.

I thought Deadly Spell was an excellent follow up to Curse Moon, not much action as I would like but still entertaining nonetheless. I pray that there will be more novels in this series (since there hasn't been any word yet on whether there will/will not be more books in the series), because it certainly still has a lot to give. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Reckoning by S.J. Harper

Title: Reckoning
Author: S.J. Harper
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Fallen Siren #2

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Publication: October 7, 2014 by Roc

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Special Agent Emma Monroe has a secret. She’s a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. As an FBI agent she saves the lives of others believing redemption could be one rescue away.

Her partner Zack is a werewolf and former Black Ops sniper who once carried out a string of questionable assignments. Now he’s determined to atone for his past. Ironically, there’s a portion of his past Zack doesn’t remember—an affair with Emma. Giving into their attraction for one another almost led to their undoing. Now it’s back to business as usual.

While trying to unravel the mystery behind a series of kidnappings in Southern California, Emma and Zack become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, they come to realize the only thing they can really count on is one another…or can they?

Reckoning is a great follow-up to last year’s debut Cursed, an Urban Fantasy with a perfect combination of mystery, romance, and paranormal. Reckoning picks up 5 months after the events of Cursed. Emma our heroine was cursed never to find love or happiness by the Goddess Demeter when she failed to save Demeter’s daughter from the clutches of Hades. As penance Emma must save those that are lost/or missing and bring them home safely; hence her working in the FBI’s missing unit. Like the first book Emma and her partner Zack are on another case, this time involving three missing girls all from the same academy. Unlike the first book, there is a big subplot interconnected with their current case that involves the weres and vampires.

As much as I enjoyed the first book, I thought Reckoning was even better especially since readers are seeing more of the paranormal side. In the first book besides knowing Emma was a siren and Zack a werewolf, readers didn’t see so much of the paranormal; at least not till the very end when it was revealed that vampires were being taken which in turn introduced readers to the Vampire King Kallistos. I was so happy that I got to see more of Kallistos, like I mentioned in my review of Cursed I was super intrigued by Kallistos even if he was only in 4 or 5 pages. So Emma is in a no-strings –attach relationship (but not a relationship) with Kallistos which is both fine by them. I really like Kallistos and seeing him with Emma. Of course I haven’t forgotten about Zack, even though his intimate memories of Emma are wiped; they still have plenty of banter and chemistry between them. I love both of the guys; they’re great in completely different ways and I’m torn on who Emma should be with now.

I know that Emma is still in love with Zack, but it really bugged me that for most of the book she kept prying and grumbling about what Zack did in his own time or if it involved his Ex Sarah. I mean there were also times where she’d sabotage her own plan to keep them apart. I honestly think if she’s spending the majority of the book regretting her choice and consciously trying to jump start Zack’s memories then she should have never given him the potion in the first place(yes, which mean I think they should of just taken a chance and try to find a way around Demeter). The more Emma thought about not being able to be with Zack, she started to direct that frustration out on Kallistos who has been nothing but caring and protective of her. Yes, he enchanted a tracking device on her without her knowedge but I think it was all within reasons as he is the Vampire King with lots of enemies (who would target what he cared for the most, which is Emma). Emma would accuse him of being unethical in some aspect of his life but he was always upfront about himself. Emma knew all of this of course but she was finding any/all reasons to end their current arrangement.

The ending was pretty horrible (in terms of what Demeter did) but not surprising. Did I feel bad for Emma? Not really. Demeter gave Emma a short reprieve in the love department, and of course she jumped on that ASAP. Any thoughts of Kallistos went straight out the door, I mean, wow you’ve been sleeping with the guy for 5 months…the least you can do is give the guy a heads-up right? Nope. Then the twist comes, the horrible thing I mentioned and who comes in to pick her up when her world is crashing down? Kallistos, of course. I know Emma said from the start that her arrangement with him is only physical but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

Overall I enjoyed Reckoning, the book grabbed me immediately from the first page and kept me glued to the very end. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, and I love that the authors expanded on the world. My only issue with this book is that I wasn’t happy with Emma and how she handled her relationship with Kallistos and Zack. My complaint about Emma in the first book about how she was a hypocrite (when she was mad Zack didn’t want to tell her he was a were even though she knew, and yet she wasn’t willing to tell him what she was) reared its ugly head again in this book. I would have rated this book a 5 but because of those two reasons I deducted a star. With how things ended, I am curious to see how everything will play out in the next book…I just hope Emma will give Kallistos a fair shot and not just use him.

Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells

Title: Cursed Moon
Author: Jaye Wells
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Series: Prospero's War

Trade Paperback, 370 pages
Publication: August  12, 2014 by Orbit

Source: I received a review copy from the publicist in exchange for a honest review.

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When a rare Blue Moon upsets the magical balance in the city, Detective Kate Prospero and her Magical Enforcement colleagues pitch in to help Babylon PD keep the peace. Between potions going haywire and everyone's emotions running high, every cop in the city is on edge. But the moon's impact is especially strong for Kate who's wrestling with guilt over falling off the magic wagon.

After a rogue wizard steals dangerous potions from the local covens, Kate worries their suspect is building a dirty magic bomb. Her team must find the anarchist rogue before the covens catch him, and make sure they defuse the bomb before the Blue Moon deadline. Failure is never an option, but success will require Kate to come clean about her secrets.

Hi my name is Van, and I’m an addict.  

Addicted to the Prospero’s War series that is! 

Wells hits another homerun with Cursed Moon, her sequel to Speculative Fiction police procedural Dirty Magic that debuted earlier this year. I love, love Dirty Magic, so it comes as no surprise that I ended up loving the sequel just as much. Wells expands on her world of wizards, potions, and adepts with another case dealing with one of The Cauldron’s most powerful wizard, and a manic Raven (rouge wizard) running loose in Babylon hell-bent on causing destruction during the Blue Moon which also happens to be Halloween. There’s a whole lotta snark, nonstop action, secrets and sexual tensions that will have readers begging for the next book! 

In Dirty Magic, we were introduced to Ramses Bane leader of the Sanguinarian coven who specializes in blood magic. Since the main case of book 1 involved the Sanguinarian Coven, readers got an in-depth look at the key players and all potions/dealing with blood and what-not. In Cursed Moon, readers are finally introduced to Aphrodite, The Hierophant and leader of the Sacred O coven (specializes in sex magic). S/he is by far the most interesting new player that we meet. Aphrodite’ sexes are present at all time, with one side classically handsome and the other drop-dead-gorgeous. Although, one side of Aphrodite’s sexes is usually more dominant than the other, but it all depends on the situation and who s/he is talking to. I also thought Aphrodite’s revenge garden was cool…imagine a garden where every single plant/flower is poison. They may look lovely like Aphrodite but they’re just as deadly. But don’t fret, the usual gang is all back from the MEA crew, BFF Pen, Danny boy, witchy Baba to Little Man/Mary…yeah, no one can forget that duo. :)

In my review of Dirty Magic, I mentioned a potential for a love triangle. But this time around I think it’s pretty clear where each relationship is going…while one is definitely going somewhere, the other one is more one-sided. John doesn’t appear in as many scenes as the first book, and when he does make an appearance he brings only problems and bad tensions. As anyone can see he still has it bad for Kate, saying he never really stopped loving/caring even if it’s been 10 years. Kate seems to be drawn to John but every time she sees him she reminds herself of their past, making it easy to withdraw from any notions of the two of them getting back together. I kind of liked John in book one, but not so much in the sequel. John comes off all manipulative and seems like he has too many ulterior motives in everything he does. Then there is Kate’s partner Drew, there is so much sexual tension between the two that their team has a pool going on when they’d do the deed! LOL. I love their banter with one another, and think they complement each other perfectly. I am dying to see them take things to the next level, the sizzling chemistry between the two been brewing since the first book (but I don’t mind, it makes for a fun read) and it’s about to explode!

For those who haven’t started this series yet, pick it up immediately! You are seriously missing out on some amazing characters and world building, that I promise doesn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed Cursed Moon; it was everything I expected and more. I am already dying to get my hands on Deadly Spells especially with how things ended as revelations came to light. Deadly Spells is the third book in the Prospero’s War series and it can’t come soon enough…sadly we’ll have to wait till March 2015 to get our hands on it. 

 

Review: Known Devil by Justin Gustainis

Title: Known Devil
Author: Justin Gustainis
Genre: Urban Fantasy 
Series: Occult Crimes Unit Investigation #3

Mass Market Paperback, 375 pages
Publication: January 28, 2014 by Angry Robot 

Source:  I received a review copy from the Publisher/Author in exchange for a honest review.

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My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.
A new supernatural gang is intent on invading Scranton – as if I didn’t have enough to contend with!
Supernatural gang warfare? Not on my watch!

I haven’t read the first two Occult Crime Unit Investigation novels, but these books don’t need to be read in order as Known Devil can be read as a standalone. This is a great Urban Fantasy and has one of my favorite aspects…police procedural with a touch of supernatural/paranormal and magic.

Known Devil opens up with Detective Markowski and Renfer at a diner on break when two elves come in to rob it. The elves are high as a kite and need more money to buy drugs. But the thing is, most supernaturals can’t get addicted to drugs (except goblins’ that can get hooked on meth)…until now; apparently elves, vamps and weres are all getting addicted (humans non-affected). To make matters worse, there is vampire turf war between two different crime families and an anti-supernatural political party is gaining attention/popularity among the people of Scranton; making Stan and Karl’s job all the more difficult.

I quite enjoyed this book more than I anticipated. I loved everything about it, the dark-gritty scenes and atmosphere/vibe of Scranton, the hard-boiled detectives and the overall plot/subplots. As I mentioned before, I have never read this series (starting at book #3) nor have I read any other books by this author but jumping into this book was quite easy and comfortable. I was able to follow along with the story without any problems or confusion and understood the gist of everything with the background/recap mentioned throughout the book. Well, maybe one thing I wish I knew was how Stan’s daughter became a vampire LOL but that was a minor detail. I love it when authors incorporate police procedural and supernatural/magic, I think it’s literally the perfect concoction for a story and Known Devil didn't disappoint.

Known Devil was an excellent read; it was fast paced, full of action and with witty dialogue to boot (which was my favorite, because it had me laughing and smiling). If enjoy reading gritty fantasy noir or just looking for an entertaining read, I highly suggest picking up the Occult Crime Unit Investigation series!

Guest Post by Justin Gutainis

Ley, Lady, Ley

By Justin Gustainis

Detective Sergeant Stan Markowski of the Scranton Police Department’s Occult Crimes Unit, lives in a world like ours, but … different. In this “alternate” universe, virtually all the supernatural creatures of myth and legend really exist. Fearing persecution (sometimes with good reason) these beings kept a low profile for most of human history. But that changed after World War Two, when the creatures of the night began to crawl out of the coffin, er, closet.

Although supernatural entities are to be found everywhere in Stan’s world,

many people have noticed that the area in and around Scranton is home to many more “supes” per capita than a lot of other places. This remained a mystery, until 1966.

That was the year that a couple of scientists at the University of Scranton

published a paper, “Ley Line Intersection in Northeast Pennsylvania: Myth or Magnet?” in the Journal of the American Magical Association. The scientists, Richard Passon and Edward Warner, argued that scores of ley lines intersect in and around Scranton.

The concept of ley lines is derived in part from the Chinese notion of feng shui, which holds that there are invisible forces that bind humans, spirits, and land together. Ley lines, some say, trace the movement of supernatural creatures across the earth tens of thousands of years ago – when it was easier for such individuals to move about undetected. Others maintain that the lines represent the cosmic flow of energy across the planet.

According to Passon and Warner, there are four points in and around Scranton

where at least ten different ley lines come together. More recent research argues that there may be as many as twenty such intersections within a fifty-mile radius of the city. There are those who claim that the extensive coal mining that once was the area’s mainstay had something to do with directing the flow of cosmic energy.

As Stan puts it, “The intersecting ley lines are like a magnet for supes, which explains why we’ve got so many. They were drawn here over the years, even if they didn’t realize why. Weres, vamps, ghouls, witches, trolls – you name it. We’ve got ‘em all in Scranton. Lucky us.”

So, by all means, come to visit Haunted Scranton and see what all of those intersecting lay lines have wrought in this beautiful city. But you might want to bring a few religious icons (any faith will do), some garlic, and a few sprigs of wolfsbane with you – just in case any of the locals you encounter might be … hungry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Gustainis was born in Northeast Pennsylvania in 1951. He attended college at the University of Scranton, a Jesuit university that figures prominently in several of his writings.

After earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U. S. Army. Following military service, he held a variety of jobs, including speechwriter and professional bodyguard, before earning a Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He was married to Patricia A. Grogan of Toledo, Ohio, from 1977 until her death in 2007. He misses her a lot.

Mr. Gustainis currently lives in Plattsburgh, New York. He is a Professor of Communication at Plattsburgh State University, where he earned the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2002.

WEBSITE|FACEBOOK|GOODREADS

*Photo via author's Goodreads and Biography via author's website

Early review: Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells

Title: Dirty Magic
Author: Jaye Wells
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
Series: Prospero's War #1

Trade paperback, 400 pages
Publication: January 21, 2014 by Orbit

Source: I received a review copy from the publicist in exchange for a honest review.

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The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.

The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again.

Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.

 Kate Prospero is a bad-ass. I heart her. She is exactly the type of heroine I love reading about; she’s strong, smart, driven, flawed, and family oriented. Everything I look for in a protagonist. Kate is an adept (someone born with magic), and comes from the most notorious coven in the Cauldron, the Votary clan. Kate has a knack for cooking dirty potions and was the next heir for Grand Wizard after her Uncle Abe (Wizard crime lord) but after a tragic accident; Kate left the coven and everything magic related behind her for the straight and narrow…and became a patrol office for Babylon PD. It’s been 10 years since she turn her back on the people she grew up with but so far things been okay; it’s been a clean and magic-free life, (minus capturing potion junkies and dealers) exactly what she wanted for her younger brother Danny. But after a routine patrol goes wrong, Kate finds her past and present colliding and the only way to fix things is to embrace her heritage. 

Dirty Magic hooked me from the first page as readers’ plunge head first in the midst of the action as BPD officer Kate pursues a potion junkie in the Cauldron (covens’ turf). I didn’t really know what to expect when I first started Dirty Magic, just that it was a new UF series by Wells and anything she wrote, I’d read. I wasn’t prepared to be enthralled as I was; the world-building is incredible and so realistic you can imagine yourself smack dab in a city ruled and run on clean-dirty magic. There are two types of magic (clean and dirty), basically legal and illegal but both with different consequences; eventually making the user dependent or changing them on a physical level. The magic system in Dirty Magic is pretty complex, and this first book barely touches the surface…getting a glimpse at what the Votary (specializes in alchemy) and Sang (specializes in blood) covens all about. I really love the police procedure-magic combination; it made for an entertaining read.  I can definitely see this series as a TV show (if no one picks up the rights for this soon, they’re nuts).

After reading Wells’ Sabina Kane series (I’m still behind, forgive me!); I’ve come to expect three things from Wells, a kick-ass heroine, a colorful cast of characters and smart dialouge. And I’m glad to say Wells doesn’t disappoint. Kate isn’t only a kick-ass heroine but she’s also a guardian/single parent to her 16-year-old brother Danny. I liked Kate early on, but when I found out she was taking care of her young brother, I loved her even more. There’s just something extra special when I read a UF protagonist with family. I’m a sucker for anything family lol. It adds another layer to the character, and Kate was already plenty interesting with her crime loving wizard family. In terms of secondary characters, Kate’s MEA (Magic Enforcement Agency) team was a diverse group of people (both adept and mundane). They’re kind of exactly how I’d picture a tactical team…funny and tough as nails. The two people that made the biggest impression for me is Picasso (even though it was for a short time) and Little Man. They were a hoot!  Dirty Magic is a pretty dark book, I mean we are dealing with junkies and crime lords but they added a humorous balance during their page time. And to be honest, Little Man creep me out (the devil baby prank image kept popping in my head) but I couldn’t help smiling every time he and Kate interacted.  If that last sentence sounds confusing…you just got to read the book to know what I mean. 

I’m not a fan of love triangles, and even though there really isn’t one in Dirty Magic…there’s a potential for one. Or, at least it feels like one. There are two main guys in Kate’s life, an old flame and a new guy. Kate definitely has chemistry with both guys, whether she cares to admit it…and I am interested in seeing where it goes. I’m conflicted who I’m rooting for as both guys have different appealing qualities….somewhat (one came off as a jerk but by the middle of the book we get the reason why)…just going to have to see how things play out. 

Dirty Magic is a great start to what I believe will be an outstanding series. I loved every moment of this book. Dirty Magic is a wonderful addition to the urban fantasy genre, giving readers a fresh take and unique spin on magic and wizards. If you’re looking for your next urban fantasy/speculative fiction fix, look no further. Dirty Magic has it all! This is the best book I’ve read so far, and Kate Prospero is a character that everyone will love; slowly climbing to the top of the favorite list with the likes of Kate Daniels, Gin Blanco, Arcadia Bell, Charlie Madigan to name a few. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Cursed Moon which comes out August of this year!!