Spiral Hunt (Evie Scelan) [Mass Market Paperback]

Margaret Ronald (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 27, 2009 | Series: Evie Scelan

Some people have the Sight. Genevieve Scelan has the Scent.

They call her "Hound," and with her unique supernatural sense Evie can track nearly anything—lost keys, vanished family heirlooms . . . even missing people. And though she knows to stay out of the magical undercurrent that runs beneath Boston's historic streets, a midnight phone call from a long-vanished lover will destroy the careful boundaries she has drawn. Now, to pay a years-old debt, Evie must venture into the shadowy world that lies between myth and reality, where she will find betrayal, conspiracies, and revelations that will shatter all she believes about herself and the city she claims as home.

When the Hunt is on, the Hound must run . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I loved, loved, loved this book. I picked it up before bed and couldn’t put it down. Fantastic, moving, thrilling -- deeply thoughtful -- and beautifully crafted . . . [T]his was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.” (New York Times bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu )

“[A] fun adventure, a promising start to a new series and a solid first novel.” (Locus )

“[O]ne of the better books I’ve read based on Celtic matter.” (Charles de Lint, Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction )

“[R]efreshing. . . One thing in particular that I found very attractive about this book is that Ronald concentrates entirely on Celtic mythology while building her world . . . SPIRAL HUNT offers a tremendous sense of place. (Elizabeth Bear, Realms of Fantasy )

“[A]n amusingly different urban Celtic fantasy.” (Locus )

About the Author

Margaret Ronald learned to read on a blend of The Adventures of Tintin, Greek mythology, and Bloom County compilations. Her vocabulary never quite recovered. The author of two previous Evie Scelan novels, Spiral Hunt and Wild Hunt, Margaret has also written stories for Realms of Fantasy, Strange Horizons, Baen's Universe, and Fantasy Magazine.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Original edition (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061662410
• ISBN-13: 978-0061662416
• Product Dimensions: 1.1 x 4.1 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #921,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant first novel September 22, 2009

By Mark Louis Baumgart

Format:Mass Market Paperback

New authors appear every month, and while Margaret Ronald is not exactly a new author, she has published several short stories before this, this is her first novel. Some of her previous short stories had evidently starred Genevieve "Evie" Scelan who is the heroine of "Spiral Hunt" and who has the nickname of "The Hound". This is because she has the magical ability to smell things. Not like most people, but she can smell the magic behind them, if these objects have had any contact with magic, and she can track things long lost. Evie also seems to be developing other, as yet undefined, magical powers. Ronald also wisely decides not to explain everything, as references to past adventures and arcane things in Evie's life are constantly made, giving Evie and this novel an established feel to them.

One night Evie gets a phone call from a long-vanished lover, and he seems to be speaking in two voices, and before he hangs up he mentions that she has been targeted. This bothers her and she decides to start her own investigation to find Frank, and as the novel develops we are introduced to some of the major characters of her quest, such as her best friend Sarah, who runs the occult magic shop Goddess Garden, and who knows Evie's abilities and who has some secrets of her own. Other major characters are Nate, a friend and mathematician and his kid sister who he has guardianship of, and who may have some latent magical abilities of her own, and then there is the hunky and mysterious Brendan Corrigan. Brendan claims to be a friend of Frank's and who claims to want to find Frank just as much, if not more so than Evie herself, and who always seems to be there when Evie needs him the most....

In true detective novel fashion, what starts off as a simple job ends up getting more and more convoluted. Despite her developing powers, and what turns out to be her ancestry, Evie is neither a likable loser like your average pulp detective, or is she a super-woman with unbelievable fighting skills in tight spandex; she gets her butt womped badly several times, almost getting killed at least once. She is also no Sherlock Holmes as she falls, and falls badly for one really nasty red herring. Ah yes, the power of a pretty face.

What she is, is spunky, determined, resourceful, intelligent, and very much her own person. She will also find that despite having a very powerful enemy, she also has some very powerful and resourceful allies hidden in the background that have their own problems. In the end, she's just an average woman with a nifty power, and a naive newbie to the magical underground who has a lot to learn. The story behind this novel will ultimately be Evie's baptism of fire and through it, she will find out just what she is made of, who her real friends and enemies are. "Spiral Hunt" promises to be series, and is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, because while the romance is there, it's not the prominent reason for the novel's existence. Although she does gets the girl in the end, it's not how you would think. This is also a good fair-play mystery as while the ending may come as a surprise, if you pay attention you will realize the clues were all there for all to see. "Spiral Hunt" holds the promise to be a full and rich pocket universe with the ability to grow and develop into its own uniqueness if Ronald takes the care to nurture it right. Evie is a good character that ranks up there with Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson, Jeanne C. Stein's Anna Strong, or Gina Farago's Ivy Cole, whose novel "Ivy Cole And The Moon" has a similar ending. I love urban fantasy, and I have no problem with strong women characters, and I certainly would like to see another book in this series as Evie, now outed to the magical world, she had hidden herself in plain sight, is forced to explore her magical Boston more than she had in the past.

A new novel, evidently coming real soon now, would also give Ronald the chance to more fully develop Evie's supporting cast of characters. Don't let us down Margaret. Read more ›

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent first novel February 8, 2009

By Jeffmage

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I thought this book was excellent. The pacing was great and the characters were real and compelling.

I read a lot of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher and Spiral Hunt has some of the best elements of both. It is a great urban fantasy and reads like a fast-paced detective yarn. A real page-turner.

I really hope that Margaret Ronald will write at least a few more adventures with Evie and her circle of characters. There is a great deal of potential here.

Good job!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Urban fantasy done right June 9, 2009

By Shira Lipkin

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Ronald's debut novel posits a magical Boston that maps perfectly, with a heroine who isn't gorgeous and omnipotent and schtupping a vampire - she's ragged and imperfect and unique. The best urban fantasy stems as much from the personality of the city itself as from the characters, with the city itself as a character in its own right. Evie's Boston lives and breathes, and so does Evie - a deeply believable protagonist.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I look forward to seeing what Margaret Ronald has in store for Evie Scelan February 12, 2009

By Rachel P. Smith

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Evie Scelan promised her mother that she would always be careful. She broke her promise when she received a call from an old lover in the middle of the night. She always swore that she would not be drawn into the dark shadowy underworld that lies beneath Boston, but this time, she may not have a choice. By day, Evie tries to lead a normal life as a courier. She is trying to start scrounging out a living by offering her service in "expert retrieval and recovery services."

She tries to keep her old friends out of the undercurrents by not allowing them to hire her for her services. How she goes about tracking these items is by following her nose. She was born with the gift of scenting. By keeping her head down, she would stay out of the underworld, but when she decides to hire herself out, she draws the Bright Brotherhood to her doorstep. She no longer can keep her promise to her mother, but will she be able to keep her friends and loved ones of out harm's way?

I had a tough time rating this book. It had elements that I thoroughly enjoyed, such as being set in historic Boston. While I've never been to the actual city itself, the history of Boston has always called to me and I can easily see there being paranormal elements buried deep beneath the city's surface. I also thought that Evie being able to track things, yet not be a shapeshifter an unusual concept. I think Ms. Ronald has definite promise with this storyline.

My struggle came with trying to follow too many strands of the story at once, and I found myself a little confused here and there. However, I easily believe that the storyline has a lot of potential and Ms. Ronald's plot is unique. On those two factors alone, I have to give this book 4 1/2 tombstones.... Spiral Hunt is not your standard paranormal story and has many appealing aspects to it. If you enjoy reading paranormal novels that have historical elements throughout them, then I think you may enjoy Spiral Hunt. I get the impression that this is going to be a series and I look forward to seeing what Margaret Ronald has in store for Evie Scelan and her scenting ability down the road.

Reviewed at Bitten by Books Paranormal Fiction Review Site by Virginia Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising start for a new urban fantasy series May 21, 2009

By Steven M. Klotz

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Spiral Hunt starts as a slice of Boston life seen through the eyes of
a bike messanger. We meet her friends, get some of her back story and
get hints here and there about the underlying magic. As we learn more
about Evie and the history of Boston in the middle of the book, more
magic seeps into the story, and with all the characters in place, the
core mystery reveals itself. As we enter the last 3rd of the book,
the body count rises, reality takes a back seat to magic and
EVERYTHING gets turned up to 11. The book wraps up nicely and as the
pace winds down after the climax, the pieces are set up for a stellar
series.

The motivations of the big bad never felt coherent and the wavering between love interests was a bit awkward, but the important stuff fell into place and overall it was an enjoyable read.