Book Blurb:
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
And a pound of flesh.
Magical tracking expert Riley Hollis is on a mission to save five teenagers lost inside a mountain. But nothing is what it seems, and soon Riley finds herself bruised, bloodied, and embroiled in a battle to bring down a sadistic criminal dealing in human souls and the darkest of magics.
Her only hope may be to swallow her pride and ask for help from her not-quite-ex-boyfriend and his notorious brother-Tyet criminal boss, Gregg Touray. Even that may not be enough to protect her. Something has gone very wrong in the trace dimension and in Riley's head.
If she doesn't figure out how to handle the past, the present, the trace, and the bad guys, the road to hell is going to look like a great alternative.
My Review:
4 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Supernatural--
This was book 2 of the diamond city magic series and it picks up about a month after the last book ended. Riley's skills are no longer secret and she has a long list of high-paying clients to juggle as well as people trying to kidnap or eliminate her around every corner. She even has her very own team of body guards/stalkers sent by one of the domineering men in her life to help protect her. When Riley is asked by a grieving aunt to go in to the center of diamond city- inside the mountain used for mining- Riley has no choice but to deal with her claustrophobia and general unease to find the missing boy. This starts a chain of events that may be more than Riley can handle alone.
FYI, not a standalone book! I think a reader would be super confused as to what was going on with the location/world building and the plot if Trace of Magic is not read first. This story builds on the first, and it does not rehash out the important things again (which I am glad for because I hate re-reading the same info in another book when I experienced it already the first time around). To have a complete story I strongly recommend reading the books in order.
Let me lay it out for you perfectly clear: this series is strongly becoming a contender as one of my favorite urban fantasy series, right up there with the Kate Daniels books by Andrews and the Women of the Otherworld by Armstrong. I have read some reviews where other people feel hit or miss about it, but I have strong positive feelings towards what I just read. I blew through this book in 2 sittings, and not because it was a simple easy read, but because I was completely engrossed in the events and the characters, and the author has a very smooth writing style where everything flows well. Put it together and I am salivating for the next installment. I get that these may not be for everyone, but they are 100% for me.
Riley is the main character and all books are told from her point of view, but that does not hinder in any way the love that I feel for all the side characters as well. Don't get me wrong, I love Riley and her smart mouth and inappropriate responses. She is the definition of a survivor, able to take a beating (which she does quite frequently) and keep on kicking. But the side characters are so unique and each has their own personality and quirks to make them seem like real people. I lenjoy Cass the dream walker and the relationship that she has built with Riley. I would like to see more of her in the future, perhaps while not in dire circumstances. I liked that we have so many new characters introduced in this book such as Leo, Riley's brother, and Madison the captive, just to name a few, and that characters from book 1 played a bigger role like Touray and Riley's sister Taylor. And then there is Price. I don't care if he works for a shady guy/his brother, or that he can sometimes be on the wrong side of the law, I lurv him. I was afraid that a lot of this book would be spent with angst over the Riley/Price situation, but for the most part it was resolved in the first 20ish pages. I really enjoy the dynamic between them and it was endearing to see his fear and love towards Riley regardless of any obstacle. I think they are lobsters and it makes me want to do a happy dance to have them together. No this is not a romance book, but it still doesn't hurt (in my opinion) to have some thrown in.
This book was another strong addition to the series. Sometimes the second book has the potential to save or kill a series, and this one was able to reinforce why I love I it. While I anxiously await for the next book (which I really, really need due to so many things left open and the biggest freaking surprise right at the end!) I would love to get my hand on the author's other series, the Horngate Witches, and see if they can at least distract me while I sadly pine away for more Riley/Price action. To say that I enjoyed this book would be an understatement.
I received this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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