Smoke and Ashes (The Smoke Trilogy, Book 3) Mass Market Paperback – June 5, 2007

This review contains reviews for all three books in the series, though the rating is only for the individual book. If I had to give a rating to the overall series, I'd give it four stars.

I definitely recommend interested readers start with the Blood/Vicki Nelson books (starting with Blood Price), because they introduce the two main characters in this one, Tony and Henry. Tony is definitely the focus in these three books, while Henry takes a sort of sidekick role, so that's something you should know if Henry is the only reason you're interested in these books.

Anyway, I decided to pick up this series because I'd loved the Blood books (except the last one) and missed Henry and Tony, so I decided to give it a shot.

Smoke and Shadows - This is the first novel in the Smoke series and the most problematic for me. I actually stopped reading it around the hundred page mark and came back to it months later. Thankfully, it picked up as it went along, and it wasn't bad. There's too many characters and too much TV behind-the-scenes talk, but overall it wasn't too bad. A three to three and a half star effort I'd say. If you're not a huge fan of this one, I definitely recommend giving the next one a try.

Smoke and Mirrors - My favorite in the series. Engrossing from start to finish as Tony and his coworkers get trapped in a haunted house. Time is running out and Tony must use his developing powers as a wizard to save everyone. I loved Amy, the goth secretary. I loved the sexual tension between Tony and Lee. Definitely a five star effort. If there was something to complain about it would be that too many characters talk at the same time and it was hard to figure out who was talking when at certain points. The conversations they had were interesting and/or funny, so it wasn't a huge problem. Another factor was the icky incest plot point (very minor, thankfully). I love Tanya Huff's writing, but she does have this incest thing pop up in a couple of books (this one, Blood Trail, The Enchantment Emporium, and from what I hear, Fifth Quarter). Not my thing at all, but it's a testament to her skills as a writer that I still love her books.

Smoke and Ashes - The third and sadly final installment in the Smoke series. Definitely not as good as the previous novel, but still pretty entertaining. I've read some reviews that say this one has a lot of sex. Not at all. There's lots of references to it, or vague hints, but no full-blown explicit sex scenes. Personally, I thought this book needed more Tony and Lee interaction. Overall, I'd say it's a four star effort. And the last scene ends the series on a good note.

Readers should also note that the Smoke series is lot more light-hearted than the Blood series. There's still violence, but with a lot more humor thrown in, which I actually didn't mind, even though I prefer to read dark urban fantasy.

Overall, I'm a huge fan of Huff. I've already read ten of her novels and am definitely reading more. This series was worth my time. I loved to read about the adventures of Tony, Henry, Lee, and Amy. I find Huff's use of gay/bi characters very refreshing, so if you have a problem with that, these books are probably not for you.

Recommended!

Ahh. The long awaited third book in this series starring, quite frankly, my favourite character from the earlier 'Blood' series of Tanya Huff's. The main character in the 'Smoke' series is Tony, former street kid and one time rent boy, now assistant PA on Canadian film set of 'Darkest Night', a vampire detective show. Tanya Huff is arguably one of my favourite authors - her style of writing is here, now, intensely personal and can't help but draw you intimately into her characters' lives, loves and tribulations. The storyline of her third book in the 'Smoke' series has all the required elements needed to make it a Tanya Huff classic - a morally ambiguous 'helper' to the star of the series, Tony (I love Tony, I admit it, I can't help it! he's just too adorably human with all his self doubt and angst); A bad guy who is not just one shade of black; the ensemble of 'helpers' Tony has collected along the way through the last two books (I have to mention Amy, goth office chick, and Zev, Tony's ex); and last but not least, the requisite tension between Tony and his object of infatuation, Lee.
More of Tony's character is revealed in this further continuation of the series, and we start to see a balance (sort of) in his relationship with the star vampire of both series, Henry Fitzroy. Tony is growing up, basically. While I think it's not as good as the first book in terms of action and sheer excitement, it's pretty close and stacks up better than the original in terms of character development if not the action.
One last thing, suffice to say that the whole Tony-Lee tension goes to whole new heights in this book. I can't wait to see if there are more in the Smoke series coming out and certainly hope there is!

The third and up to the moment last book of the "smoke" series has left me somewhat unsatisfied.
As of now I tend to ascribe this to the plot, sort of a remix of the one in volume one, that is demons invading the world and Tony fighting them. I felt less suspense than I would have liked and even if I never got bored I am not able to say the usual "I couldn't put it down".
In spite of this rather annoying limit this book is quite fun all the same, an entertaining read.

Side characters here tend to step backward and spotlights close on Tony who is likeable to the point of being adorable, uneducated but now, finally, mature and the main tool for the author's puns: Tony's dialogues with himself are outrageously funny, those with Henry hardly less so.
Henry here is quite likeable too. Ms Huff slightly alters his general attitude and he turns from a possessive demon more concerned to safeguard his property from harm to an affectionate if not a little possessive ex lover. He cares for Tony a lot but in this volume he seems to have given up any hope of being with him again. Whether this was an author's deliberate choice or simply an inconsistency in characterization I cannot tell.
Even the romance between Tony and Lee takes a new turn. Gone is the angst of the first two book where Tony was caught up with Lee and the latter behaved ambiguously enough to make the reader scream.
Even in this case I got the very strong impression this was no more a meditated progress than Ms Huff's giving up consistent character development for the sake of building up a good story. I appreciate the characters here more than in the former two episodes but this also keeps me from giving a five star rating.

The writing is proficient and proficiently pushes the story forward: the 400+ pages flow unhindered to a nice if not really memorable ending.

Other reviewers keep on mentioning sex scenes: I have found them quite tame and unlikely to cause any reaction except from very prudish readers; a rather generous amount of four letter words again can only disturb above mentioned readers.
This book can be read by teens too, if mature enough even from the age of 14 or so. They will probably miss some of the interpersonal depth (especially the subtext of the relationship between Tony and Henry) but they will not miss the fun.