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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reading with Tequila, April 15, 2010
This review is from: Hard Magic (Luna Books) (Paperback)
I loved Hard Magic. It wasn't particularly thrilling or suspenseful, but so supremely interesting that I could not put it down. The set-up, the characters and the concept all screamed originality. Laura Anne Gilman put forth some good, old-fashioned creativity that made the story something different and therefore something special.
Magic users (aka Talent) can create any type of spell by using basic scientific logic. The team, P.U.P.I (Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations), uses these spells to find and analyze forensic evidence while investigating Talent on Talent crime.
I really enjoyed Gilman's method of naming the characters. Instead of over the top magically showy names, each character has an average Joe name. Bonnie, Ben, Nick. It relates well with the concept that these characters are average people, just with the ability to use magic. Each character on the team has their own strengths and weaknesses that they offer the group, making each better suited for different aspects of an investigation. Bonnie is a refreshing main character. While the book didn't have any blatantly sexual scenes, we learn that Bonnie is very comfortable with her sexuality. She's not one to be labeled, but she does like both men and women based on their personalities rather than their genitals. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a character not hung up on sexual morality while reading a book without explicit sex scenes.
I'm excited there is going to be further books building on what's started in Hard Magic as the story could really be taken anywhere. I'm interested to see if the focus shifts to more mystery or if it remains on the magical aspect of the investigations. Either way, Hard Magic is a fantastic start to a new series.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reading Angel, May 2, 2010
This review is from: Hard Magic (Luna Books) (Paperback)
This book was so original and entertaining. Although there really wasn't much action, or suspense until near the end, the whole premise of the book was entertaining enough not to need it. Bonnie is thrown into this group to try to help solve crimes commited by Talents (regular people who can use current to do magic).
Bonnie and the rest of the team spend alot of time trying to figure out how to take regular CSI routines, and find a magical way to perform them, to find magical clues. Once they get a case it's all on the line as they have to use those new spells to prove that a high-profile suicide was actually a high-profile murder. If they can't solve this one than Bonnie's new career, and only source of income, will disappear.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They are all regular people with their own strengths, but put together in this group all of their strengths blend well to make a really great team. With only a little bit of sexual tension, and not much romance, it was a great investigation book. I'm excited for the next in the series since it was left wide open with alot of different directions that it could go. I definitely recommend this one.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Team Building and Forensic Magic 101 kicks off Gilman's Retrievers spin-off, May 22, 2010
This review is from: Hard Magic (Luna Books) (Paperback)
Laura Anne Gilman returns us to the magical New York of her Retrievers series - a world in which there are Talents - individuals who can manipulate 'current' (electrical energy) to perform magic. Hard Magic takes a step back in time as we see how Bonnie, a 20-something, paranormal investigator and eventual next door neighbor to Wren, gets her start in the investigating biz.
I did enjoy Hard Magic though as a series starter there are some growing pains. The mystery - an apparent dual suicide with no mundane evidence of murder - takes a backseat to teambuilding and Forensic Magic 101, as Gilman sets the stage and introduces the cast. Bonnie is as interesting and likable as she was in the Retrievers book - although she is a bit too much 'on the make' here for me, she pretty much considers every new character (male or female) as they're introduced as a potential bed partner - I hope Gilman tails back on this a bit.
Keeping the background story pretty lightweight, Gilman focuses her effort in character development. She manages to create distinct supporting players in Bonnie's powerful and intriguing bosses, Bonnie's mentor, and in Bonnie's many and varied teammates each with their various magical and personal strengths. And Gilman also spends some time starting to build the relationships between the team members of the fledgling agency.
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