Customer Reviews

Darker Angels (Book Two of the The Black Sun's Daughter)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

***SPOILER WARNING***

***SPOILER WARNING***

***SPOILER WARNING***

***SPOILER WARNING***

My inner curmudgeon nearly set _Darker Angels_ aside at about the halfway point. "I don't get this book!" said the curmudgeon. "The voodoo's all wrong. Legba isn't an evil serial killer! The good guys' plan doesn't quite add up, and is pretty unethical besides. And the interpersonal drama just ate the plot for lunch!"

"Sit down and shut up," said M.L.N. Hanover. "I'm telling a story here."

OK, so I've never met M.L.N. Hanover, and he didn't literally say that, but he might as well have. Because just as I was about to give up on _Darker Angels_, he threw in some twists that made me realize I was looking at it all wrong.

I must have been led astray by the extremely linear plot of _Unclean Spirits_. I was expecting this plot to be similar in structure, and so I wasn't asking the right questions. I shouldn't have been asking, "What did Hanover do wrong?" I should have been asking, "What might be going on within the plot to cause all these things to happen?" I think I also forgot that Jayné, despite being a narrator whose voice I really enjoy, is not a perfectly reliable narrator. She has biases and blind spots, and she doesn't understand everything she experiences. Jayné's preconceived notions got in the way of solving the mystery -- and so did mine.

_Darker Angels_ is much less linear than _Unclean Spirits_, and it's much better for it. The plot revolves around a voodoo spirit who manipulates its hosts into committing horrific murders. Jayné is hired by former FBI agent Karen Black, an acquaintance of her late uncle's, to help stop this spirit from killing a young girl. We visit New Orleans and see both the destruction left over from Katrina and the tenacity of its residents. The plot is full of great twists. Hanover yanked the rug out from under my feet at one point, and maybe I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. It's when the pieces start to fall into place that you realize just how carefully Hanover set them up.

I really enjoyed _Darker Angels_s and I think it's safe to say I'm hooked on The Black Sun's Daughter. Jayné continues to be a delight; she's no master strategist, but she has a lot of compassion, and she has more courage than she thinks she does. And to heck with the inner curmudgeon. By the end, this had become a "set the alarm early so you can read before work" kind of book, and I finished it with a smile on my face and maybe a few tears in my eyes.

Plot Summary: Jayné and gang have been traveling the world, visiting the extensive properties that were bequeathed to her by her late Uncle Eric. An old associate of Eric's rings one night, asking for help with a demon rider in New Orleans. Jayné jumps right in, ignoring her own exhaustion, and gets eye-ball deep in demon politics. The woman who called, Karen Black, is an ex-FBI agent who oozes confidence and Jayné develops a bad case of hero-worship-envy. Her team splinters and Jayné realizes her critical error just in time to try and reverse the damage.

It seems like every time I turn around, another author has chosen post-Katrina New Orleans as the setting for his/her urban fantasy. I've never visited there myself, but I almost feel like I know the place just from all the stories I've read. Jayné even had beignets and chicory coffee at the Café du Monde, which is pretty traditional for heroines passing through. I'm being cheeky now, but seriously, the city has become a literary darling. It has the right mix of despair, decay, magic, and hope. It's a good place to beat someone down, and watch them fight back in triumph, which is pretty much what happens to Jayné.

While I enjoyed this one, it didn't have quite the same sparkle as the first novel, Unclean Spirits: Book One of the Black Sun's Daughter. I think I know why too. My favorite character was MIA. The rough, gruff, tough-talking vampire Midian did not make an appearance, and I thought that Jayné's team was diminished as a result. It certainly cut down on the humorous moments in the story. I was also feeling lukewarm about Jayné's awkward non-relationship with Aubrey. I think she's being a twit for messing around with her friends like that, but she is imminently human and makes more than her share of mistakes.

This fantasy series is on my `need to read list' because the characters are intriguing and Hanover writes well. It's easy to overlook the quality of the storytelling until I'm slogging through something vague or bland, and then it's easy to appreciate. If Hanover could just bring Midian back, I'd be totally content.

If it's even possible, this book is even more action-packed than the first. Jayne is collecting herself, she is sorting through her new inheritance and trying to decide what to do about her late uncle's problem. It isn't long before she's hit with a new problem, there is a serial killer in voodoo land. Jayne and several secondary characters who she is slowly beginning to consider as friends go after the serial killer.

Karen is portrayed as a foil for Jayne. Karen is far more confident and classy at the moment, Jayne is more a child next to her. The characters are slowly developing though, a quality the reader will appreciate. Jayne is about to be hit by another whammy, learning more about her past. This book is just as intriguing as the first, with an added mystery thrown into the mix.

I read the first book in this series some time ago and didn't really remember too much about it or the characters. This one is pretty self contained so that wasn't too much of an issue. Darker Angels starts off strong with an entertaining intro featuring a child that sees the future, and it keeps that pace with a case for Jayne and team to investigate. I continued reading happily until around page 150. At that point I realized the entire book was going to be made up of the one case. I don't mind reading a self contained mystery that takes up an entire book if there is something else going on that I find interesting, or if the mystery is complex and well developed. Neither is the case here. The characters are so boring I find myself ignoring most of what they said. They each have one personality trait, and basically chime in when appropriate. They aren't even important enough to be considered sidekicks. The mystery is long and drawn out, but not complex or entertaining at all. I didn't care who was behind what, or what weirdly named demon creature was friends with what other weirdly named creature. I don't care enough about anything in this series to continue it. If there was some sort of goal the characters were working towards other than cleaning out properties and entering what they find into a computer, then maybe I'd continue. I really don't care who Jayne's family had an affair with or what is special about them. This series is lacking a purpose, and I just don't enjoy it. I see that the team is quirky and fun, and that may be enough for some people, but it is no where near enough for me.

Karen Black is at a school where most of the children will probably not graduate, or will end up in loads of trouble, to meet with Daria ~ the bright young girl in fourth grade who's now telling outlandish lies, such as her sister got ate by a snake. Karen seems to think Daria is in trouble... big trouble.

Jayne and the guys have been traveling at rushed speed for months to inventory her deceased Uncle's many, many homes and stocks. While in Athens, Jayne receives a call from Karen asking for Eric, Jayne's deceased Uncle, for help. Jayne and the guys decide even though they are exhausted from the pace they have been keeping to go help Karen. So, they head off to New Orleans, to help Karen with her case of ten years in the works... To help save the next expected victim of a voodoo demon...

This was a quick easy read for me. I just let myself enjoy the book and go with the flow of the characters. The crew members; Jayne, Aubrey, Ex, and Chogyi Jack. Jayne brought these characters together in the first book Unclean Spirits. They still are new to working closely together with each other and it sounds like they are still trying to find their places in the group. The characters are all so different from each other, yet they compliment each other nicely.

Jayne is the main character, and in a way the leader of the group - yet Jayne is new to the whole world of the demon Riders and magic. She still feels out of her league with taking charge of cases or situations and lets her self be lead to thoughts a little bit. But this is believable in the world that is built here. But I like how Jayne is not as weak as she may think she is in this area. And I still have questions on Jayne, such as why she is able to do a few things she does (like being able to cross into the Crossroad of the demon path). There is much more to Jayne than even Jayne knows. I am wondering how her Uncle set her up so well with magic and protections, without her knowing.

The first third to half of the book was a little relaxed for me. There was a lot of setting up here; for the plot, characters, and religious beliefs. Then about half way through the book it started to accelerate. I could see what was coming and the clues where set for me to find them, but I still enjoyed letting the story unfold in itself. There where a few moments where I wasn't sure of what was being said in the way of Voodoo, but I enjoyed the voodoo spin on this book. The demon riders that mixed with the believes of the New Orleans Voodoo. This book didn't hit me like a book to drop everything you have and dart out to get it, I still liked the read. It was a quick, relaxing read for me as I got through it in record timing.

I had seen that the third book of this series will be released in November. I will eventually pick it up, as I have enjoyed Jayne and the crew. And curious to see where Jayne goes next along with the growth of the characters.

In Unclean Spirits, the first novel featuring Jayne Heller, she discovered her late uncle's demon-fighting legacy, a fortune and potential powers of her own.

As she continues on a quest of self-discovery, she encounters friends and foes, learning how to work with both and keep both at arm's length in Darker Angels.

Because Jayne has kept her uncle's phone, she gets a call from a someone who knew him -- and who needs help. Jayne and her band of hunters, who gathered around her in the opening novel, head to post-Katrina New Orleans to help former FBI agent Karen Black.

Once there, this "don't want to be the Scoooby gang" faces individual and group moments of truth, partly from the voodoo-inspired threat and partly from their own reluctance to face facts about how these former lovers now depend on each other.

Karen is everything Jayne thinks she is not -- self-confident, knowledgeable and kick-ass in battle. But why does she think she needs help from, if not Uncle Eric, then from his niece? And why does the youngest member of the Voodoo Heart Temple know more about Jayne than Jayne herself?

Hanover's story is a layered portrait of a young woman coming into her own. Jayne is coping with the new-found knowledge of her favorite uncle's wealth and what he really was. She is dealing with continuing a relationship with a man she is attracted to, but feels she needs to keep her distance because of a former relationship of his that hasn't quite been finished. Her other new friends, also employees, have baggage of their own and are accustomed to doing their own thing even though they consider themselves a team now.

New Orleans and the emotional price in prolonged recovery plays a subtle role in this story. The voodoo aspect is handled not with tackiness, but with trepidation and respect. The city receives a love letter from Hanover.

Although it's not known if other Jayne Heller novels are in the works, they would be welcome. The characters have compelling storylines that have not yet come to fruition, and Hanover (fantasy author Daniel Abraham) is very talented at having their exploits serve their inner journeys. Both Unclean Spirits and Darker Angels make The Black Sun Daughter's story well worth reading.

Darker Angels by MLN Hanover
Urban Fantasy- Sept 29th, 2009
4 stars

Darker Angels is the 2nd in the MLN Hanover's urban fantasy series. This series starts with tension and has some unexpected twists that are sure to keep the pages turning. I do feel it can be read alone. However, new readers will have a better understanding from having read the first book since it will give them insight into the nuances of the full cast of characters.

Jayne Heller was a typical college student until her mysterious uncle died. Suddenly Jayne finds herself the keeper of a dangerous heredity legacy. One that includes fighting spiritual parasites and wizards. She must quickly adapt to a dark underworld where she is untried and where the rules of the game can mean certain death. Now that she has finally resumed a sense of normalcy in her `new position' she is contacted by a mysterious FBI agent who pleads for help. She asks Jayne and her cast of buddies to save a young girl from possession in New Orleans. As Jayne and her group try to save the girl new doubts about what she has been taught are called into questions as she tries to steer herself between the murky lines of right and wrong. As she fights against betrayal and an unexpected and deadly foe Jayne has all she can handle.

This dark work will delight fans of urban fantasy looking for something new and different. Instead of the usual cast of shifters and vampires MLN Hanover concentrates more on the magical and a seamy world filled with deadly possession, dark magic and consequence. Her novel is not cut and dried and many times I was torn between liking and disliking the characters as fealty shifted and emotions ran high. Jayne continually struggles to decide who really are her friends and who are her true enemies. For those readers looking for an edgy and dark atmospheric story, they will find a haven in this new series. However, if you are a reader who enjoys lighter books with more clearly defined endings you may feel disappointed. Although this book does have a little romance it is primarily fantasy with plenty of bite and mystery.

In short, this is an original series that will be sure to thrill readers of dark fantasy.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

I am always looking for something new as well as the tried and true authors and so far I am really enjoying this series. I haven't figured out yet where we are going with it but that makes the ride all the better.Lots of angst among the characters which sometimes makes me laugh probably inappropritely but they will never know,lol. hope to see more from this author.

The big reveal was easy to see coming, but the book was highly enjoyable. I eagerly await #3,

Fun stuff and a nice sequel, the gang's all back plus some. The novel is a bit more sexually graphic than the first one, though only in one or two places. All in all, for fiction fluff, this is a pretty nice sequel. I will be buying any more in the series that comes out!