Strange Roads: Book One of Omens In The Night [Kindle Edition]

Jennifer Quail (Author), Sara Dasteroad (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

What do a conservative, ex-Navy test pilot and a liberal Senate aide have in common? Nothing, really--except being the two most powerful Mages born in decades. Elaine Gates and Alan Graves are the Lady of Wind and Water and the Lord of Earth and Fire, or so the strange Mark Valentine and his equally-unusual companion, Nadia Julian, tell them. And none too soon, as the unlikely allies are plunged into a battle against dark forces poised to take over the world, starting with Washington, D.C.

Sparks literally fly as Alan and Elaine confront dangerous enemies and even more deadly allies in a race to find a magical treasure . . . and the key to their own destinies.

About the Author

Jennifer Quail has lived in Virginia, Washington D.C., and New England, and now resides in her native Michigan. When not working for a museum or writing about unusual vampires and reluctant Mages, she owns dogs, manages cats, ballroom dances, collects antique oddities, and is a keeper of a retired racehorse.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 503 KB
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006PWUKWK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,357 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Jennifer Quail has lived in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and New England, and now resides in her native Michigan. When not working for a museum or writing about unusual vampires and reluctant mages, she owns dogs, manages cats, ballroom dances, collects antique oddities, and is keeper of a retired racehorse.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great start to a new (and hopefully long) series, December 25, 2011

By 

Laurie Hicks - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strange Roads: Book One of Omens In The Night (Kindle Edition)

Very, VERY good book! It will keep you riveted from beginning to end. One thing that I especially liked about this book is that you don't constantly want to keep hitting the protagonists over the head. Yes, they are having trouble believing what they are, but they aren't being unrealistic about it.

A problem with many books in the Paranormal Genre is the blatant unwillingness of the heroes (and heroines). That, and the fact that they go over the top of "plucky" to downright "ridiculously snarky". Yes, the four major characters snark a lot at each other, but it's more of a good natured bantering (somewhat reminiscent of Connie Willis, actually) than outright disrespect for other people. The plot is solid, and leaves much room for a sequel.

Also, while you can see that the two main characters are going to end up together, they don't fall into bed the second they lay eyes on each other. I can see this romance taking two-three books to get into full swing, which is refreshing. (Can you tell I'm tired of writers using paranormal fantasy as a vehicle for a romance?)

But don't take my word for it. Read the book - you'll be glad you did!

5.0 out of 5 stars When's the next one coming out??, January 27, 2012

By 

Violet - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Strange Roads: Book One of Omens In The Night (Kindle Edition)

That I feel that way surprised me. I don't usually like books with vampires in them! But once I started reading it I didn't want to put it down! I agree with the other reviews that one of the best things were characters that didn't frustrate me. They were intelligent and real. The didn't act out of character in order to move the story line along. And from the beginning I wanted, no, needed to know what would happen to them. I also agree with someone else that it was great to have the main characters not just jump right into bed with each other. The way this was handled was very believable.

This book was well and clearly written. The action was well paced. The characters - well, I still want to know more about them and can't wait for a sequel to see more of them. And the ending was completely satisfying at the same time as leaving you wanting more.

4.0 out of 5 stars Best debut novel I've read in a very long time, January 23, 2012

By 

kjinskip - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strange Roads: Book One of Omens In The Night (Kindle Edition)

What a cracking good read this was! Want to read a story full of suspense and magic, grounded solidly in a very real world, with characters you'll care about? Then buy this book. My main reason for not giving this novel the full five stars is that Quail isn't quite at the same level as the best of the best, but that's really as bad as my criticism gets. Hey, I'm stingy.

I didn't feel that the first page flowed as smoothly as the rest of Quail's prose, but it's never easy to hit the ideal note for all readers within the first handful of paragraphs. The rest of the book is very well paced and seasoned with a perfect level of descriptive detail. On the whole, the writing is of an excellent standard for a debut novel - better than many long established authors out there. The plot and characters are all engaging, and it's neither predictable nor totally outlandish. On top of that, everything hangs together superbly within the scope of the novel's worldbuilding. There's the odd typo and a bit of bad formatting on the kindle edition, but I've seen worse from major publishing houses.

Overall, I'd have to say I really enjoyed it, and honestly can't wait for the sequel(s?)

Definitely an author to watch out for!