I received this book for free from the Amazon Prime Library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the Amazon Prime Library
Shadow Hunter
by
BR Kingsolver
urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by Amazon Digital Services on April 7, 2019 and has 262 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
First in the Rosie O’Grady’s Paranormal Bar & Grill urban fantasy series and revolving around a former Hunter, “Erin McLane”. The story is set in Westport.
This book was courtesy of Amazon Prime Reading.
My Take
This was a fun, easy read with plenty of action, and I’m looking forward to reading Night Stalker.
And, okay, yeah, I got a few niggles, primarily about Erin’s guilt for destroying The City. I don’t know how she figures this since she’s not the one who destroyed Strickland’s weapon.
Erin is an interesting character, torn as she is between her lessons in sophistication and her naiveté about normal life. Poor Erin is having such a hard time coping with reality and those day-to-day decisions one has to make, all made easier by Kingsolver using first person protagonist point-of-view, so we have insight into Erin’s thoughts. I love the truths Kingsolver tosses out when Erin lets Donny and Steve know how NOT nice it is to be groped. Ouch.
Kingsolver definitely pursues a sub-theme of how boys bully girls! And “Erin” makes an excellent point that discipline can save lives. If schools would discipline those bullying kids, I suspect we would save a lot of lives.
O-ho, another excellent point made by Erin and Sam to the cop about just who the police are trying to protect…Kingsolver isn’t pulling many punches, lol.
However, Kingsolver isn’t taking advantage of her conflicts to increase the tension. She has such great events in her story that could have ramped up my heart rate, and…nada.
None of the characters have any real depth. I suspect that’s part of why I think of Shadow Hunter as being more cozy than scary. Don’t get me wrong, though, the bar’s characters are terrific…and the jury is still out about the law *grin*.
Then again, Blair’s character surprises me with his off-the-job interests. Not what I would have expected of a cynical cop.
It’s all plots within plots and pizza on the side!
The Story
It’s The History of the Illuminati that reveals all to Erin. And chokes her with guilt.
Escaping all she’s known, Erin soon finds herself the nexus of a major conspiracy that could plunge the world into destructive chaos.
The Characters
Erin “Scorpion” McLane is a ley line mage and Hunter on the run from the Illuminati. Her parents were a mage and a witch.
Rosie O’Grady’s Paranormal Bar & Grill is…
…a 24/7 home away from home for many paranormals and supernaturals in the city. It’s owned by Sam O’Grady, an aeromancer mage who is part elf. (Rosie is Sam’s mom.) The waitresses include Jenny Rafferty and Emily Watson. The bartenders include the autistic Liam, Sam, and Jill. Steven Dworkin is the amazing cook (and a shift manager)…who’s in a group marriage — their wife is a witch and an apothecary. Donny is the dishwasher and kitchen help. Customers include “Dizzy” Lizzy, a pink-haired elf who sees the future and more and is pursuing a doctorate in astrophysics — yeah, don’t judge a book by its cover, people, lol; and, Trevor (an electrokinetic computer hacker), Josh (a major jerk and pyromancer), and Jolene (a finder-tracker and Josh’s older sister) are the three mage mousketeers who run Lost and Found (and sometimes consult with the police).
Eleanor Radzinski, a witch, is the manager of the Springfield Apartments.
Westport PD
Detective Lieutenant Jordan Blair senses magic and is the head of the Paranormal Crimes Unit. Blair reports to the district attorney, Daniel Nava, a widower. His unit includes Detective Mackle and Detective Sergeant Bailey, a mage. I think Captain Munroe is with SWAT.
Frankie Jones is the assistant district attorney and an aeromancer mage. (Frankie’s father is the DA’s former partner.) Debbie McCauley is Frankie’s chief investigator. Charles Mietzner is the mayor’s chief of staff.
The vampires in Westport
Jimmy was thrown out of Rosie’s. Lord Carleton had been the Master of the City with Rodrick Barclay one of his. George Flynn is another contender for Master of the City.
The Illuminati is/was…
…a secret and too powerful arcane organization dominating the world while protecting the world from evil. They say. Based in the City somewhere in Canada, the Hunters’ Guild is an organization within the Illuminati. Master Benedict is The Illuminator and head of the ruling Council. I also think he’s a perve. Instructors include Master Robyn and Mistress Chantelle. Roger had been a jerk of a Hunter trainee.
The Columbia Club is…
…a very private club whose members include Ronald Jenkins, Everitt Johnson, and Brian Douglas.
Targets of the Illuminati included William Strickland, an industrialist and sorcerer who had created a powerful weapon. Whatever happened to Strickland’s daughter?
Supernatural bars include the Wolf’s Den; Full Moon; the Shaggy Gentleman, a shifter strip bar; and, Necropolis, a vampire-goth nightclub.
The Fae congregate in Killarney Village.
Paranormals are humans with talents or magic — mages and witches. Supernaturals are non-human: vampires, shifters, Fae. The Dark Web is the excessively private criminal side of the Internet.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a U of darkness, framing Erin in black leather pants and a red leather motorcycle jacket, her long dark hair floating behind her as she strides down the narrow alley, intent on her prey, her hands streaming with electric green magics. The author’s name is at the top in white with the title in a gradated white to green below Erin’s knees. The series info is below that in white.
The title is both the Shadow Hunter who hunts Erin and Erin, the former Hunter who hides in the shadows.
