Guest Review by Ami
Title: Dark Currents
Author: Jacqueline Carey
Series: Agent of Hel #1
Heroine/Heroes: Daisy Johanssen / Cody Fairfax / Stefan Ludovic
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess.
To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly. But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake.
Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.
Review:
The Story
This was quite a light and quirky kind of urban fantasy. Sure, it started with a dead young man. Our heroine, Daisy, the spawn of Belphegor and part-time file clerk at Pemkowet P.D., was asked by the Chief to help with the case since there was a possibility that a member (or members) of eldritch community was involved and Daisy was the liaison of Hel (the supernatural authority in town). However, the tone of the story itself was not dark or edgy. I actually appreciated that. I like my dark urban fantasy, but sometimes, I admit I need a break from that.
I thought this was most probably due to the characters themselves. Daisy, for example, was a very accessible heroine. She was so strong that she didn’t need anybody in her life – and usually this makes me feel turned off. Instead, Daisy had a positive attitude; she LOVED (and had a very close relationship with) her mother. She valued her friendship with her BFF, Jen (YAY for female best friend!!), and Daisy got worried when she felt that she did her best friend wrong. Oh, and Daisy had the best ex-babysitter EVER! Lurine, an ex B-movie starlet turned female tycoon after her husband died (she was a hoot).
The mystery was solved early –the identity of those involved in the murder, I mean. Although there was a slight twist in the end, I was able to see it coming before Daisy did.
The World-Building
For an urban fantasy, I wouldn’t really say this book offered something new. We had the spawn of Satan, werewolves, vampires, ghouls, fairies, a brownie … and also several creatures and a deity from Norse mythology. There were a few other creatures that might not often appear in urban fantasy (like a lamia), but overall, I didn’t think the world-building was difficult to comprehend. The setting was the small Midwestern town of Pemkowet, Michigan, which I thought was a nice change from bustling big cities.
The Romance
In this book, Daisy had three potential suitors. We had her sometimes sexy (and rather brooding) partner, Cody Fairfax, the werewolf, whom Daisy admitted to having a crush on since she was a young girl. Then we had the enigmatic and alluring Stefan Ludovic, the new ghoul gang leader in Pemkowet (with his Harley *fans self*). And later in the book, there was the possibility of a date with friendly human Sinclair Palmer who came to Pemkowet to operate a paranormal tourist tour bus (he can read auras! So he was definitely not an ordinary human). There wasn’t any sex, not even a kiss, so if you are looking for that, you might be disappointed. However, since this was only the beginning of a series, I thought it was a good premise. I could deal with the complexity of love relationship later.
I thought it was a solid start to a series.
Overall Impression: I really liked it
*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*
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