Indigo Springs

After reading through some of the reviews I got the impression that this book was about a crazy old man that had blue magic in his basement. It's so much more than that, and so much better than it seems. Indigo Springs is one of the most unique and riveting urban fantasy books I've ever read. It's not told from start to finish, the past is mixed up with the present, and the main character, Astrid, is having a hard time keeping them straight. She's in jail for heinous crimes, and a negotiator is trying to get information on a cult leader, Astrid's friend, Sahara. The reader gets the impression that Astrid is crazy, and it seems like everyone else in her past is pretty out there as well. As the story goes on we learn more about her, get all the information on the story, and possibly change our mind about her sanity. Every character is strong, but has flaws. They are enjoyable to read about, though their actions make you want to jump through the page and yell at them to stop sometimes. The blue gooey magic is very unique, and it's use comes with consequences. The tale of Astrid exploring uses for the magic is exciting and intriguing, and I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book for urban fantasy fans. It may not have the action on every page kick butt heroines you are used to, but it has something more, a believable heartfelt story with deep interesting characters.

Astrid grows up in the sleepy little town of Indigo Springs. Her life hasn't been easy: Her father wasted what money the family had and even had to go to prison for fraud. She quit school then to save his business as a gardener. She was in love with her friend Sahara, but the girl left her and town to go with her boyfriend Mark. The only person who loves her is her stepbrother Jacks, but Astrid has never been able to forget Sahara so nothing has come of his attraction to her so far. But then things take a turn for the better: When Astrid's father dies, she inherits a house nobody knew about and Jacks and Sahara, who just left her faithless boyfriend, move in with her. To top it all off, the three discover that a strange blue liquid seeps through the chimney wall and that they can enchant objects with it. A watch that gives the wearer perfect timing, a lipstick that makes you attractive - harmless little pleasures! But then they find out that the magic liquid can have severe side effects on the user and that an ancient organisation is killing any 'witch' they can find. Quicker than anyone could have expected, the three are in deep trouble... This is a very atmospheric and well-written novel that I would definitely recommend. A sequel is planned (the title will be 'Blue Magic') and I'm looking forward to it.

Astrid is a wizard-well tapper -- she can access the vitagua, or spirit water, that is the essence of magic. However, her ability to control the liquid is unstable, and the more she uses it, the more unstable she becomes, losing her grasp on time and reality. Pushed too far by friends who want to use the magic for their own ends, her control slips, and she unleashes the magical equivalent of a nuclear holocaust in her small town. Somehow, she has to figure out how to pick up the pieces and make things right. I remember watching the Dungeons and Dragons movie in the theater and being completely disappointed in it, and then seeing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon shortly thereafter and thinking, "This is what Dungeons and Dragons should have been." While reading Indigo Springs, I kept thinking, "This is what the X-Files movie should have been." Indigo Springs reads like an episode of X-Files in the best possible sense, masterfully conveying the sense that your version of reality is a very thin veneer over a terrifying truth. Told through a dual series of flashbacks, A.M. Dellamonica builds a remarkable amount of tension that builds throughout the story, as Astrid is being questioned by military officers who are trying to figure out what to do about Sahara, one of Astrid's friends, who has set herself up as an avenging goddess of the environment with her new magical abilities. The explanation for the existence of magic and its disappearance over the centuries taps into historical reality in a way that makes this book feel more like science fiction than the fantasy novel it is. The characters are well drawn, and the sniping between Astrid's friends as they compete for her attention and abilities resonates believably. However, Dellamonica struggles with maintaining that tension. The story fizzles a little towards the end, as the flashbacks unfold with little new to reveal that hasn't been hinted at before. The final showdown, however, is appropriately dramatic, as Astrid takes responsibility for all that she has let loose on the world. There are also some jumps in the story that aren't well explained -- the wrapping up of the Marlowe story line seems rushed and illogical; gaining memories from touching objects isn't well explained either -- and some abilities manifest inconsistently, such as Astrid's ability to control the vitagua in her own body. All in all, Indigo Springs is a gripping read with an interesting take on the creation of magical artifacts, and the history of magical abilities in this world. I am looking forward to seeing what Dellamonica does with the next installment of this series. Recommended for fans of contemporary fantasy.

That magic has unexpected, even perilous, consequences is not a new theme. It far predates my first encounter with it, which was Edward Eager's charming 1954 children's book Half Magic. In Indigo Springs, however, Dellamonica brings this theme to vivid--cobalt blue, in fact--contemporary life. Unfolded in a narrative structure that at first seems fractured but reveals itself to be beautifully knitted together, Indigo Springs is the story of what happens when Astrid Lethewood and two friends discover the transformative powers of a magical spring once guarded by Astrid's father. Hint: An early allusion to the "sorcerer's apprentice" is not misplaced. The novel is also an exploration of the ties that bind families and friends, and the ways in which secrets and power can unravel those ties, or tighten them. In a style that is both lucid and rich in compelling images, Dellamonica describes a world in which reality teeters on the rim of the unreal and an alchemical war plays out in the blogosphere and on YouTube. Key characters change--or are changed--in remarkable ways, but the heart of the story is Astrid's awakening. Highly recommended.

In Indigo Springs, Oregon, Astrid Letherwood like most if not all the other residents assumed her father was a drunken bum. With his death, she learns the truth about her dad; he was an underground magic practitioner who created "chantment" magical objects that he gave to people he felt deserved a slight edge. He told nobody, allegedly not even his daughter, who was actually his apprentice but remembers nothing about magic since he died. He knew the witch finders stalk everyone with their burn at the stakes first and ask the charred corpse questions second. However he was unable to keep Astrid safe as the government has incarcerated her although they improved her prison to a comfortable cage. Roche and his agents have her under arrest for kidnapping and murder. The latest inquisitioner is hostage negotiator Will Forest who actually gets Astrid to reveal a bit of what she knows, but she recalls nothing of value. Family friend Sahara Knox arrives and taps into the blue fluid vitagua that flows underneath her dad's home and is the source of magic. Unlike Letherwood who felt magic should do no harm, she employs violence turning people and animals into monsters as she wants the underground magic rebellion to come out into the open. This is a super psychological suspense suburban fantasy starring a great bewildered lead protagonist who is center to all the goings on. Her confusion purposely leaves the story line somewhat hazy as her latest interrogator tries to get at the truth but is different from previous inquisitioners as he is first a hostage negotiator while the others were enforcers using any means. Sahara complicates a complex character driven thriller that uses the questioning of an alleged convict to establish the delightful Dellamonica domain. Harriet Klausner