"strikingly edgy and fast paced"
In this compelling new urban fantasy series by long-time
paranormal romance author Lori Handeland, we're introduced
to ex-cop Elizabeth Phoenix. Liz is "cursed" with being a
psychic, something she has never been happy about and has
often wished she could rid herself of. After losing her
partner, Liz quits the force and begins bartending at
Murphy's, a cop bar owned by her dead partner's widow.
Orphaned at a young age, she grew up living on the streets
until she is taken in by her foster mother, Ruthie. While
tending bar one day, Liz senses that something is wrong and
immediately rushes to Ruthie's side, only to find that she
has been the victim of a brutal and deadly attack. Before
Ruthie dies, she manages to tell Liz that "the final
battle" has begun and its outcome lies in Liz's hand...then
Liz blacks-out. Upon waking in the hospital from the blackout four days
later, it falls to Jimmy Sanducci to fill Liz in on what's
happening. Jimmy is not only an ex-foster kid himself, but
also Liz's first-true love/ex-boyfriend. Liz soon
discovers that there is more to Ruthie and Jimmy then
meets the eye. I've always been a sucker for a great urban fantasy read,
and this one is no exception. For those who care, it's
told in the first-person from the heroine's point-of-view
and has just enough of a heat factor to make it sexy
without all the details. With so many urban fantasies on
the market these days, it's hard to make one stand out from
the other. However, Ms. Handeland does an excellent job of
mixing in enough of woo-woo from the less exploited
stereotypes to keep this series fresh and modern. Yes,
there are vampires and shape-shifters, but there is also
the lore of the Fallen angels in the form of Nephilim and
Grigori, among other things. The only possible
downside I found to this story is that the heroine falls
into the "kick-ass girl who has relationship issues and an
attitude problem" category that is becoming somewhat over-
used in the urban fantasy genre. That being said, I found
myself glued to this strikingly edgy and fast paced story
and could not put it down. I eagerly await the next
chapter of The Phoenix Chronicles and highly recommend fans
of the urban fantasy genre not to miss out on this gripping
new series.
Reviewed by Mippy Carlson
Posted October 26, 2008
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The countdown begins now...
**2008 PEARL NOMINEE - BEST SCIENCE FICTION OR FANTASY** **A PNR Staff & Reviewer Top Pick** Elizabeth Phoenix once used her unique skills as a psychic to help in the Milwaukee Police Department’s fight against injustice. But when Liz’s foster mother is found viciously murdered—and Liz is discovered unconscious at the scene—her only memory of the crime comes in the form of terrifying dreams...of creatures more horrific than anything Liz has seen in real life. What do these visions mean? And what in the world do they have to do with her former lover, Jimmy Sanducci? While the police question Jimmy in the murder, Jimmy opens Liz’s eyes to a supernatural war that has raged since the dawn of time in which innocent people are hunted by malevolent beings disguised as humans. Only a chosen few have the ability to fight their evil, and Jimmy believes Liz is among them. Now, with her senses heightened, new feelings are rising within Liz—ones that re-ignite her dangerous attraction to Jimmy. But Jimmy has a secret that will rock Liz to her core…and put the survival of the human race in peril. Genre: Urban Fantasy
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