Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane Series: Downside Ghosts #1
Published by Del Rey Books on May 25, 2010
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 354
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, This edition contains an excerpt from Stacia Kane's Unholy Magic.
The world as we know it ends when the dead rise and kill two-thirds of the world’s population. Those who are left are under the benevolent care of ‘The Church’ and some, like Chess, eke out a living as witches who banish stray ghosts to the underworld ‘City of Ghosts’. Chess is from the dregs and struggles with drugs, finds herself caught between two ganglords, and keeping The Church from discovering her side activities. Unfortunately, something darker and more dangerous than she’s ever dealt with is lurking while growing in power and is all set to harsh her buzz.
Many years ago, I saw some reviews for this series and, at the time, I was all about the urban fantasy genre. I managed to collect all the books from the series and there it sat on my shelf for years. Recently, I decided to give it a try.
I had been warned that this series was not for everyone even among urban fantasy lovers, but I thought I knew what I was getting into so I dove in.
Right away, I was in awe of the author’s creative dark, gritty world of a post-apoc style inner-city setting and grinding out survivor who was Chess. Growing up in foster care after parents abandoned her, The Church took her, trained her, and for all her weaknesses like the drugs she craves or sleeping with the wrong guys, she is determined to follow the laws.
Unfortunately, her drug habit gets her in deep with a local drug lord and to work off the debt, he wants her to clear out any ghosts or debunk any fakers at an abandoned runway where he wants to fly in his drugs. She isn’t out there long with his enforcer, Terrible, when she realizes that ordinary ghosts or people trying to scare away others with fake ghosts is not what is going on there. Meanwhile, she has a new ghost debunking case for The Church and the rival drug gang puts the pinch on her to not work for their rivals.
And, that’s about as far as I got.
In truth, I had to push myself to get 30% read and in spite of my admiration for the author’s world building for this series, I wasn’t into Chess or the story. I was enduring it so I am tapping out. It’s very possible this is simply mood, but I don’t think so. I think I academically admitted that I knew what I was getting into- an addicted heroine, but when actually reading her story and her struggles, I just couldn’t connect. I have several relatives who fought similar addictions and I had no desire to read it in my fiction.
And, so, I will discontinue this series and call ‘no harm; no foul’ and leave it for others. I don’t think it’s bad writing. In fact, I think it’s rather good and so is the dark world set up so I will recommend it to those who like dark urban fantasy.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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