A Flash of Hex (OSI) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jes Battis (Author)

Book Description

Series: OSI | Publication Date: May 26, 2009

After a series of brutal murders, Occult Special Investigator Tess Corday is convinced the identity of the killer is locked in her own head. The only question is-how many rules is she willing to break to get to the truth?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Battis manages to make the world come alive as a workable universe with infinite complexity."
-SF REVU

About the Author

Canadian Jes Battis is from Vancouver, but for the academic year 2007-2008, will be living in New York City and teaching at Hunter College. Jes is an academic, with a concentration in English and Pop Culture Studies, who has had two books published, one on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and one on Farscape.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ace (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441017231
• ISBN-13: 978-0441017232
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,066,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jes Battis is currently Assistant Professor of English at the University of Regina, teaching classes in fantasy and science fiction, queer studies, children's lit, and medieval material culture. His OSI Series is available from Ace-Penguin.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent addition to the urban fantasy genre, May 31, 2009

By 

Michelle (Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Flash of Hex (OSI) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read the first OSI novel, Night Child, last year, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, after reading A Flash of Hex, the OSI series has been rocketed up near the top of my favourite urban fantasy series, and I can't wait for more!

There are many things that are wonderful about the novel. Tess is an excellent heroine, because she is as flawed as she is skilled and talented. This is not a cliched tough-girl heroine who can do no wrong and suffers no consequences! Her life isn't always pretty and polished, and this makes her all the more likeable.

The rest of the cast is excellent as well. These are real people, or they could easily be. The cast is varied, in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, and many other things, which is a breath of fresh air. I was thrilled to see both a deaf character and transgendered characters, both of which were well written and not at all stereotyped.

The storyline is gripping and engaging. Tess and Derrick must investigate the murders of several runaway mages to find out who is responsible and stop them before more bodies pile up. It is gritty and detailed and it is obvious that the author has done his research when it comes to various investigations procedures.

Also, as a Canadian, I loved seeing Vancouver as the setting and seeing mentions of things like Tim Horton's, hockey and other Canadian-isms.

Oh, and a reference to Jem and the Holograms brings much love.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "anyways" is not a word, August 7, 2011

By 

Nori Lamphere "ElfNori" (Washington, the state.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Flash of Hex (OSI) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have really enjoyed the entire OSI series with two exceptions. I would prefer less strange sex (just my personal preference and no real reflection on the author) AND I wish someone would tell Battis "anyway" is already plural and requires no "s" on the end. This is the first time I've run across an author who used "anyways" and I wince very time I see it. I *hear* it a lot, which makes me wince, but that's not nearly as bad as seeing it in print. That Battis is a professor and a teacher makes this close to a hanging offense. If Battis had consulted the dictionary more and used big technical words less, the series would deserve a much higher review than I'm giving it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Second in Series, June 2, 2009

By 

brookereviews "B" (tampa, florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Flash of Hex (OSI) (Mass Market Paperback)

I can tell you that I didn't love the first book in this series, Night Child. I did like and really enjoyed A Flash of Hex though! I feel the murders that Tess and Derrick are trying to solve are closer to the heart, and are able to pull the reader in and make them genuinely care. The family dynamic with Tess, Derrick and Mia is really interesting, and everyone that surrounds them lends a hand and is there for each other. This is nice to see from totally unexpected characters. I think my favorite part of this series is the characters. They have feelings, and they actually talk about them, bring them to the surface, and get to that point where they are trying to fix their issues. Which is nice to see when there are so many protagonist who bottle everything up, and let everything build until they explode.

The world created is unique and believable, and Battis does a fantastic job luring the reader into the magic, lives, and investigations that take place in it.

The only complaint I have about the book is the lengthy descriptions about the places Tess visits. I'm all for descriptive details, but there is a point where it's just too much. I felt like the book would have held my interest better had it not been for these descriptions.

All in all A Flash of Hex is a great second book in a series! You could probably get away with not reading book 1, but I'm a firm believer in starting from the beginning!