I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Elysian Fields
by
Suzanne Johnson
urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by Tor Books on May 13, 2014 and has 352 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Royal Street, River Road, Pirate's Alley, Belle Chasse
Third in the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series revolving around DJ Jaco, an overworked Sentinel wizard.
My Take
Johnson has some interesting twists on the loup-garou, the dead, and magic in general, and she takes it and runs in this opening. It’s an easy enough, basic opening: serial killer back from the dead with the good guys trying to figure it out. Without telling at least one of the party the background truth.
She incorporates worries about Jake’s psychological condition and how other people’s perceptions can color our own. Something to keep in mind in our own lives. Of course, we don’t have to be worried about shapeshifter hearing… I do like how Johnson wrote Jake’s reactions. They felt so real, how a real person might react if they had been forced into Jake’s situation. Johnson takes excellent advantage of this to create yet more problems for the besieged DJ.
Lots of personal tension what with DJ’s worry that she may turn loup, the wizard crazy house, whether Alex will have to put Jake down, Alex’s sudden turn at hot romance, and then Rand’s offer and his actions after bonding. It complicates things all the hell up.
I did love that DJ had some problem with her fire control when Adrian was oh-so-condescendingly teaching her how to use her elven magic. But, what I don’t understand is if Adrian has a master’s-levels in elven magic, why would he disregard DJ’s elven abilities?
I love that DJ is so protective of Eugenie and how she thwarts Rand’s attempts at…seduction?? Yeah, I don’t like the Elders insta-judgements and their bias about anything anyone can do better than they.
That settles it. The sky is falling. Alex is endorsing one of Lafitte’s plans.
Awww, DJ feels bad that she’s screwing everything up. I say she’s simply being consistent in her stupidity, although Alex calls it her chaos.
I can’t believe how pushy Rand is. How much he thinks he can get away with! He completely ignores whatever she says?! Of course, DJ being such an idiot has dropped herself right into his lap.
It’s heavyhanded and shallow, even as Johnson does a nice set-up for future issues; I know I’ll want to read number 4 when it comes out.
The Story
It’s a serial killer come to life, well, a sort of life and DJ and Alex debate whether Ken is ready to learn about the other side. He’s already indicated an interest in being the NOPD liaison with DDT; he’s just not ready to hear what that really means.
The elves are pressuring DJ to meet with them regarding Mahout, and Zrakovi wants Adrian (!) to teach DJ how to use it. Oh, right…
And the Axeman is after DJ.
The Characters
Drusilla “DJ” Jaco is a Green wizard who wears Gyffindor pjs and is the Sentinel for New Orleans. That FBI badge is a fake! She’s also part elf, which explains Charlie, her elven staff which the elves call Mahout. Sebastian is the unwanted, sneaky chocolate Siamese she inherited from her father. Eugenie, a beauty shop owner, is DJ’s best friend, but fully human. And she’s so in love with Rand.
Alex Warin is an enforcer (with a black-and-white view on the world) for the wizards, able to turn into a pony-size dog, and is now Jake’s boss on the FBI’s Division of Domestic Terror (DDT) unit. He had been DJ’s cosentinel. Jake Warin is a loup-garou with shaky control who happens to own a bar, the Green Gator; Alex is his cousin, who believes that training and working for the DDT will help Jake with his control.
Jean Lafitte is, yes indeed, the infamous pirate who walks between the Beyond and New Orleans. Always the businessman, always an eye out for the deal. And always an eye out for DJ. Rene Delachaise is a merman friend of Lafitte’s as well as DJ’s friend after events in River Road, 2.
Quince “Rand” Randolph started up a landscaping business across the street and cattycorner from DJ: Plantasy Island, and he has an unhealthy interest in DJ when he ‘s supposed to be dating her best friend, Eugenie.
Ken Hachette is a homicide detective with the NOPD and a friend of Jake’s. Dr. Adam Lyle is a Yellow wizard and Houston psychiatrist helping in the aftermath of Katrina. Louis Armstrong is one of the dead, and he’s happy to help DJ out as it seems that the Axeman loved Louis’ jazz. He’s also been seeing a lot of Jake…hmmm…
Adrian Hoffman is the insensitive, overbearing, condescending jerkwad Speaker of the Elders and a Blue wizard. I know I’d like to smack him around. For days. Turns out Adrian’s daddy, Gregory Hoffman, is First Elder, and he’s angry with Willem and DJ for chastising Adrian for events in River Road. Willem Zrakovi is head of the Elders for North America. Jonas Adamson is the only registered necromancer in the area.
Denis Villere is a cantankerous merman from River Road, 2. He and his clan have been consigned to the Atchafalaya Basin (I love saying that word!) because of their actions.
The Axeman was a serial killer in the early part of the twentieth century in New Orleans. Joseph Isaacson appears to be his latest victim.
Etienne Boulard is the Regent of Vampyre in New Orleans based at L’Amour Sauvage, a vampire club. He’s an old friend of Lafitte’s. And he was a wizard who could do necromancy when he was alive. Terri Ford is his assistant. Lily, an elf, wants to do business. Dani is a naughty vampyre.
The Congress of Elders rule the wizards and the rest of the supernatural community. If an ability or power isn’t something they can wield, it either doesn’t “exist” or they make it illegal. Green Congress wizards are “the geeks of the magical world”, using potions and ritual magic. Red Congress wizards do physical magic — the flashy stuff. Yellow Congress specializes in mental magic. While artistic and creative, the Blue Congress is usually in charge of reconstructing crime scenes if it turns out the crime is not supernatural. Sentinels are wizards in charge of cities or regions and keep an eye on the boundary between the Beyond and our world, the Now. Enforcers are part FBI prete team and part assassin. Ittoqqortoormiit is a remote wizard outpost in Greenland specifically for the incarceration of whacked-out wizards.
The Beyond is another plane of existence that lies alongside our own where Vampyre, Faerie. and some lesser territories are located. With this latest treaty, any preternatural being (prete) can walk on over.
The Elven Synod has become aware of Charlie (known as Mahout by the elves — and belongs to the Fire Elves clan), and they’re not happy about a wizard who can wield elven powers. Mace Banyan is the head of the Synod as well as the chief of the Awyr, or Air. Yep, the same one who tried to fry DJ’s brains in River Road. There are four elven clans: Awyr, Ddaear (Elves of the Earth; Betony is their chief); the Dwr (Elves of the Water; Lily is their chief); and, the Tân (Elves of the Fire). Vervain is chief of the Tân and Rand’s mom.
The Cover and Title
The cover is greenish grays and reds as DJ grasps Charlie and stares out at us in defiance, standing in front of a wrought iron fence.
The title is a misnomer as there is nothing about this story that comes close to being Elysian Fields…unless it’s the very end?
