Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of SPI Files
Publisher: Ace
Date of Publication: December 31, 2013
Mogsy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars - "A solid introduction to a promising new urban fantasy series; features an endearing protagonist and an action-filled story line full of fun and energy"
Quirky and energetic, The Grendel Affair is the first book which kicks off the new SPI
Files series by Lisa Shearin, featuring a mash-up of police/government
agent procedural elements with urban fantasy. Think The X-Files meets
Men in Black -- except instead of aliens, Supernatural Protection &
Investigations is in charge of tracking paranormal creatures and keeping the public safe from them. Unfortunately, they also don't have those handy flashy neuralyzers thingies to help hide the
truth of their existence from the general populace.
The book follows Makenna Fraser, a southern seer who moves to New
York City to persue her dreams of becoming a world famous journalist.
However, not long after starting her first job as a trashy tabloid
reporter, she is recruited by the NY branch of SPI for her special
ability to see through any kind of glamour, veil, spell or shield that a
supernatural baddie can come up with.
Mac's
duties generally don't require her to be on the front lines, but a
sudden string of murders by something not human puts SPI on high alert.
From then on it's all hands on deck, especially when the murders are
linked to a bigger plot to expose supernaturals to the world on the
night of the biggest party of the year -- New Year's Eve in Time Square.
Thousands more will die if the SPI doesn't stop their adversary in
time, and the only person who can see through the disguises of the
killer creatures is Mac.
First of all, can I
give a big yay for Grendel? Yes, we're talking the Grendel of Beowulf
fame. The monsters that SPI goes after in this book are creatures like
Grendel, probably even his descendents, and that is just way too cool. In a series that also features the usual fare of urban fantasy creatures like vampires,
werewolves, ghouls and goblins, it's a nice as well to see a touch of
inspiration from Old English literature and mythology.
Other
than that, this book is what you would expect and quite typical of the
genre, complete with an action-filled mystery plot, a budding office romance, and
clever snappy dialogue but without a lot of the snark. Mac is an
interesting character, not being an outwardly kickass or sassy kind of
protagonist but she is still very endearing in her reluctant-heroine
awkwardness...to say nothing of her cookie-gobbling ways and the fact she
carries a fake handgun loaded with tequila. Also, I enjoy the fact that her business partner and fellow SPI agent Ian Byrne is not the kind of arrogant,
cheeky-posing-as-charming love interest I generally have the tendency to
dislike on sight. These two are both down-to-earth and will be very good together, I can already
tell.
It's true that those who read a lot of urban fantasy probably won't find anything too new about the overall premise
or story in this book, but The Grendel Affair is still a very solid
introduction to the SPI Files as well as a promising beginning to the
series. Those looking for a fun read will not be disappointed.
4 of 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I can see the Tequila Handgun merchandising right now, gonna be a huge seller.
ReplyDeleteIt would be an interesting mode of alcohol delivery, that's for sure. In the book she figures the sight of it would be enough to scare people off, though at worst she could squirt it in their face and burn their eyes. Never saw that in action, alas.
DeleteSo good snappy dialogue but not full of snark? That sounds refreshing. Plus I'm always big on action. Grendel type creatures aye! Glad I picked this one up!
ReplyDeleteYou know what's funny, I mentioned in this review how I don't think I've seen any other book using Grendel monsters. Day after I finished the book, a whole separate conversation with friends led me to check out books by Rob Thurman. I looked up the first book of her Cal Leandros series Nightlife and whoop, guess what -- Grendel monsters! Sometimes these coincidences are just freaky.
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