Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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95 of 108 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting., October 5, 2006
Harper Blaine is a private investigator who survived an assault that was severe enough to actually kill her for two minutes. After she was revived and woke up in the hospital, Harper realizes that her life has forever changed. From the assault, Harper now sees a different world/dimension that is a zone between our world and the next. In this space, everything is gray, misty, full of ghosts and monsters, and Harper has no idea how to cope with it. Confused and sick, Harper eventually meets up with Ben and Mara, a couple with connections to the world of the supernatural. Mara, who is a witch, assists Harper with her transition from human to Greywalker. As a Greywalker, Harper becomes almost a magnet for supernatural creatures. The supernatural is naturally attracted to her because they believe she is "one of them" and can assist them with unfulfilled quests and desires. With her connection to the Grey, Harper becomes involved with several clients, which end up becoming connected and intertwined throughout the book.
Greywalker is detective story that uses paranormal aspects to solve the cases. I adored the book as it started out and was fascinated by Harper's transition into a Greywalker. What turned me off about the book was the number of things happening all at the same time - too many villians, too many agendas, too many different species, too many unexplained events. The second half of the book became more and more complicated, with Harper constantly being sucked dry. In fact, the second half of the book I actually got tired of Harper constantly, constantly stating how tired she was, how wrung out, how nauseated, how sick, how weak, how cold - you get the picture. At one point, I wished she would just kill herself. I probably will buy a second book to see if Harper gains some equilibrium with the Grey and actually becomes useful, because the series does show some real promise.
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33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ouch?, October 13, 2006
The grey between life and death does feel like an overdone premise lately, but I was hopeful for this new book. I'm still hopeful, and might read the next installment from this author, but I need to get over this one, first.
There is plenty of action, but little in-depth characterization, which seems odd. As is the current trend, this book is written in the first person, so we should know every emotional feeling our heroine has, but we don't. She seems extremely disconnected with the other players. Even the one sexual relationship was a literal "wham-bam" that lacked substance, and came from out of nowhere. She comes home after being nearly killed (again), the next chapter immediately starts with her getting out of bed with a virtual stranger we had met a chapter or two before. Whoa! Hello? It was so completely out of the blue, I actually flipped back a few pages to see where I missed the setup.
Back to the action, which seems to be the only area that has substance. Too much substance. The author definitely doesn't disconnect from the ugly side of things. From the beginning we are thrown into the brutal beating that causes her to (apparently) die for a couple of minutes. You felt every bruise. From this point she gets pummeled and slashed on a pretty regular basis, meets a couple who supposedly understands "The Grey", takes on vampires, evil entities that will destroy the world, gets nauseous (a lot, and describes it constantly), barters her soul, puts her friends in danger... you can't stop reading, it's like watching a train wreck. You know it's bad form to keep ogling and watching the pain of the scene, but you can't seem to walk away.
Three stars because I couldn't put this book down, but to be honest, I'm a little ashamed that I didn't.
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32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unfulfilled Potential, April 12, 2007
The concept of this book was great! Unfortunately the delivery left a lot to be desired. I actually had to force myself to finish the last third of it. All of the magical elements were left exceptionally vague, just a lot of mist and nausea. Now "the Grey" ,a spririt world between worlds, may be a confusing place but it is the authors duty to explain and visually describe in order to pull the reader in, make us understand. The Grey just sounded like a foggy night with a bad burrito in your belly.
The lack of description just continued over into the characters, none of which you'll be pining for at the end. The main character never gave a reason why you should really be rooting for her and care what happens to her personnally.Plus I was just past the middle of the book and thinking, when is the actual plot going to start.
Sorry this wasn't a book for me and I'll pretty much read anything in the fantasy/romance genre.
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