I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Dragon Wytch
by
Yasmine Galenorn
urban fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Berkley on July 1, 2008 and has 275 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Hexed, Witchling, Changeling, Never After, Darkling, Demon Mistress, Bone Magic, Night Huntress, Harvest Hunting, Blood Wyne, Courting Darkness, Shaded Vision, Shadow Rising, Haunted Moon, Night Myst, Night Veil, Night Seeker, Autumn Whispers, Night Vision, Night’s End, Priestess Dreaming, Panther Prowling, "Flight From Hell", Flight From Death, Souljacker, Legend of the Jade Dragon, Darkness Raging, Fury Rising, Murder Under a Mystic Moon, Ghost of a Chance, Once Upon A Curse, A Harvest of Bones, One Hex of a Wedding, Starlight Hollow, Moon Shimmers
Fourth in the Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon urban fantasy series revolving around the D’Artigo sisters in Seattle.
My Take
Certainly no lack of action. We get background on Camille’s trial to become a priestess of the Moon Mother as well as the truth about the Black Unicorn. We also learn why Camille and her sisters are so highly valued. Smoky gives up a lot of info and some of his pride. it certainly creates a massive quandary for the adventurous Camille. And Smoky is a very pushy, expectant bastard.
How can the girls be so ignorant as to not be aware of Räksasa abilities? They are so clueless in this battle. Well-meaning, but…
Friends are kidnapped from the house and they don’t think to check the ward? The barriers intended to protect anyone on their land??? Explain this, ’cause I sure don’t understand, ’cause, Oh sure, with everything going on, my first thought would be wild dogs. Uh-huh…NOT. If they’re this stupid, I’m not sure they deserve to win.
Oooh, Chase has a glow of things to come…, oh brother.
They don’t keep their focus during battle. No concept of being careful with their power. Always hesitating. I swear…Keystone Kops.
The Story
It’s disaster all around with Cryptos slinking over to Earthside through newly discovered portals, the crown prince’s courier being waylaid, Morgaine has her own plans for the Fae in our world, and Trillian has been captured and is being tortured as we speak.
Camille, Delilah, and Mennolly must find Mistletoe before the bad guys, even as they battle trolls, demons, fae, wanna-be queens, goblins, and the increasingly horny Smoky.
Chase, meanwhile, has his own problems with the loss of his boss, Devin, and the influx of Cryptos. Freedom’s Angels raped an elf and Shamas has been sent along with Mercurial, a half-elf/half-Fae, to aid the Portland police.
It’s getting crowded with the demons, Morgaine and Titania, and the D’Artigo crew are hunting Benjamin and the Spirit Seal.
And it’ll take a lot more than the sisters’ current strength to find and rescue Trillian, especially when the Spirit Seal is threatened. It’s Smoky’s plan on the best way to save Trillian and it’s Grandmother Coyote’s words that push Camille into her new unwanted alliance.
The Characters
Camille D’Artigo is a witch and the oldest D’Artigo sister. She is also bound to the Moon Mother’s service even as she is learning death magic from Morio. She runs Indigo Books when she’s not saving Earthside. Smoky is a very powerful dragon shifter and he has a claim on Camille for aid he provided and he’s not averse to cracking the whip, so to speak. Trillian is Camille’s Svartan lover and they are bound together.
Delilah is second and a were-cat with two shapes as well as a Death Maiden to the Autumn Lord. Mennolly is the third sister and was an acrobat in Otherworld and it’s this ability that led to her capture and turning by Dredge (see Darkling, 3). Tavah is a full-Fae vampire who works for Mennolly and not at all picky about the blood she drinks.
Their father is a member of the Guard Des ‘Estar and probably fighting for Tanaquar. Shamas is their cousin and working for Chase now while living with Morio, a youkai-kitsune, and one of Camille’s lovers.
So far, the girls are coping.
Iris is a Finnish house sprite, a Talon-haltijia, and a priestess of Undutar. She’s still seeing Bruce O’Shea, a leprechaun. Rozurial is an incubus mercenary who has helped the girls.
Feddrah-Dahns is the crown prince of the Dahns unicorns from the Windwillow Valley. Mistletoe is a pixy aide to Feddrah-Dahns and was tasked with bringing a powerful gift from his master to Camille. Eriskel is a jindasel of the horn, its guardian.
Chase Johnson is an FBH, a full-blooded human, who created the Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigations (FH-CSI) team — the fae version of CSI — which works with the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (OIA) along with the sisters. Delilah has Chase on a nicotine patch and he’s much better about eyeing up Camille. Devin is Chase’s boss and looking to hamstring him. His attitude has infected some of the cops and it will only lead to death. Sharah and Mallen are elves who are part of Chase’s CIS.
Benjamin Welter is a young man having such visions that his family has incarcerated him at Mountain Aspen Retreat. Grandmother Coyote, a Hag of Fate, is anxious for him and it is believed that he has seen the location of one of the Spirit Seals.
Queen Asteria of the elves is the Fae with whom the sisters are currently allied; she is also entering an alliance with the Cryptozoid Alliance. She has warned the girls that a number of new portals are being discovered, but they don’t have the manpower to guard them.
Henry Jeffries is retired and still living with his mother, poor sod. He gladly accepts an offer of employment from Camille. Lindsey Cartridge is rather obnoxious about Feddrah-Dahns’ horn in her bid for fertility. She’s the director of the Green Goddess Women’s Shelter and she’s been helping Erin Mathews adjust while producing sales help for Erin’s store, the Scarlet Harlot. They’ve been looking into adoption, but her husband Ron is in a wheelchair.
Morgaine is a half-human, half-Fae ancestress of the D’Artigo sisters. She’s back and she’s stirring up mischief as she seeks a greater power for herself. Titania is a write-off of the former Seelie Queen, subsumed by drink. She hates the girls for taking away Tam-Lin. Aeval is, was, the Unseelie Queen who disappeared before the Great Divide.
Shadow Wing is a demon lord of the Sub Realms plotting to take over the Earthside by taking over the Spirit Seals. Grandmother Coyote and Pentangle, the Mother of Magic, are Hags of Fate who act to keep the balance. They don’t swing towards Good or Evil. Karvanak is a Persian Räksasa demon, aided by a djinn, Jassamin, and Vanzir is a dreamchaser demon who switches sides at the end.
The Great Divide was a battle among the Fae. The divide itself was a measure to prevent demons from taking over, but it has upset the balance and destroyed the Unseelie and Seelie courts. I think Cryptos are inhabitants of Otherworld who are not Fae or elves who can sort of pass for Human. Freedom’s Angels are a hate group of ultra-right wingers who take the Guardian Watchdogs‘ rhetoric several steps further.
The Cover and Title
The background for the cover looks like a giant gong with a dragon on it and suspended from a carved stone arch. It’s Camille standing in front of it that is the real eye catcher. Legs spread wide in an aggressive stance, hands on hips, and wearing a deep purple velvet skirt slit to her hip with a coordinating silver, black, and purple, very fitted corset-like tank top.
The title is also Camille for she is Smokey’s Dragon Wytch. Kinky girl.
