Spellbent (Jessie Shimmer)

It's just a routine rain spell. Jessie and her teacher and lover, Cooper, head to the city park to call up a storm and make a few bucks. But something goes horribly wrong. By the end of the night, Cooper has been sucked away into a Hell realm, and Jessie has suffered devastating injuries. Then, things get *worse*. Benedict Jordan, the leader of the city's magicians, gives Jessie a choice: either she agrees not to rescue Cooper, or else she becomes anathema. Jessie is definitely not the kind of girl who'll leave her boyfriend to rot in Hell, so she chooses anathema. Jordan proceeds to ruin her life and leave her with nothing. Nothing, that is, except her never-give-up attitude and Palimpsest, an uptight ferret familiar who is described as having the voice of a Canadian librarian. (Not knowing any Canadian librarians, my brain has substituted an unholy cross between Rupert Giles' voice and C-3PO's.) Pal provides much of the comic relief in Spellbent. Together, Jessie and Pal do everything within their power, first to survive, then to save Cooper. Jessie's tenacity and resourcefulness make every step of her journey compelling. Jessie could be forgiven for wallowing in angst, given what happens to her, but she doesn't. She never stops moving toward her goals. I read Spellbent in a single afternoon and evening, unable to tear myself away. I had to know what happened next! It's a good book even before we get to Hell, and then it's the Hell scenes that really blew me away. I was expecting the usual flames and pitchforks, but Snyder doesn't go that conventional route. Cooper's Hell is an intensely personal one. And wow, is it dark. I think my jaw was on the floor when Jessie (and I) learned about the horrific events that lay at the root of the entire plot. Spellbent is dark enough that it won't be for everyone; a previous reviewer compared the gore level to that of Ilona Andrews' first Kate Daniels book, Magic Bites, and that's a pretty accurate parallel. This comes in part from the horror elements and in part from the magic system that Jessie and Cooper use: ubiquemancy, the art of finding the magic in everything. This sometimes means unsavory ingredients, like bodily fluids. It can get a little gross. But at the same time, it adds a verisimilitude that I can't help but respect. Ancient and medieval "spell recipes" often called for ingredients that would make most of us squeamish. A minor aside: There's an odd little editing glitch in my e-ARC (it may be corrected in the published book). Jessie remarks that she's "not afraid of some third-string football-player rapist," which had me rereading earlier pages to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I hadn't; we meet the football-playing rapist in the next scene. It has no bearing on the plot, so all it did was make me scratch my head for a few minutes. Jaded urban fantasy fans should consider giving Spellbent a try. Snyder adds together a determined yet flawed heroine, fun secondary characters, a plo

What inspires cooperation among warring angels and demons? Rogues. Jessie Shimmer didn't know the job would turn bad, but boy, did it ever. Basic job, contracted to some farmers in southern Ohio to raise some rain. Turns out someone else had been raising Cain, and now her boyfriend Marron Cooper has been sucked away to an alternate dimension. The magical authorities in town blame Jessie and name her Outcast for trying to save her man. But 'angelic' Virtii, pencil-pushing magical lawyers, and even Hell-acious secrets from Cooper's past can't keep Jessie from getting Cooper back. Let them try... 'cause Jessie's got a few tricks up her sleeve they've never seen yet. Lucy's new book about a magical Columbus is diverting, wickedly funny, and un-apologetically original. I loved Jessie and Cooper! Jessie has both grit and wit, and her interactions with her ferret familiar Palimpset are comic joy to read. I found the setting fun, the magical politics devious, the secondary characters artful and well developed, and the pacing great. I'd definitely recommend this read to science fiction/fantasy and paranormal romance fans alike. Just... watch out for the homonuclei. Trust me.

Jessica Shimmer is my kind of hero! If you're a fan of urban fantasy, you're going to love Spellbent. It's got magic, sex, a butt-kicking hero, and a plot that made me read the whole thing in one breathless, page-flipping sitting. If you're sick of the same old, same old in the genre, you're going to love it even more. Jessie solves problems using her brawn, both magical and physical, not her feminine allure. She's snarky, witty, and far from perfect. I love her! And I love the magical world Snyder has built. It's authentic, dimensional, convincing, and full of surprises. (Wait until you find out what Jessie does to Mikey!) From the very first pages, you believe in this universe. World building is the hardest part of the fantasy writer's job, and Lucy A. Snyder does the work with a master's touch. Jessie Shimmer is so real and likeable I wanted to call her up and ask her to meet me for coffee. The other characters, from Jessie's familiar ferret, Pal, to the other magic workers live and breathe right there on the page. Spellbent is a hoot, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It made me laugh, and I really cared what happened to the characters. Snyder has a keen touch for dialogue and for bringing a distinct voice to each of her people. And ferrets. It's hard to believe this is a first novel. But anyone familiar with Snyder's work knows her gifts as a wordsmith, so it's not completely surprising. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series and find out what happens to Jessie, Cooper, and the other folks. Snyder did an excellent job of bring closure to this first novel, and in setting up the situation for the sequels. Buy this book, go someplace where nobody will interrupt you, and prepare to get down. Don't start it right before you're supposed to go to sleep, because you'll be up until you finish it. Who knew Columbus, Ohio, could be so much fun? Five stars, all the way.

Lucy A. Snyder has written some amazing short fiction and poetry. I've long been a fan of the works that found their way into her collections Sparks and Shadows, Installing Linux on a Dead Badger and Other Oddities, and Chimeric Machines. Her stories blend genres--there's some fantasy, there's science fiction, and there's a touch of the macabre (but never the gratuitous sort). Her work is emotionally complex, filled with characters that I adore. The worlds she develops are imaginative. And everything she's written is delivered with engaging prose and a quirky sense of humor. When I found out she had written a novel, I was excited. When I read it, I found I was sold on Lucy Snyder's writing all over again. Here we have that emotional honesty, that humor, as well as thrills, chills, and plenty of kick-butt supernatural adventure. When a magical mega-whoops steals away Jessie Shimmer's lover (and mentor) Cooper, she finds that due to some shaky supernatural politics, only she can save him. Of course, such a task is no easy matter. Spellbent is a real page turner of a story that starts in a hidden side of Columbus, Ohio and travels to some truly Hellish places indeed... With a cast of wonderful characters (including a snarky familiar), Snyder's debut novel is an absolute delight from start to finish. I am already looking forward to the next book (Shotgun Sorceress, due out in October 2010).

In Ohio, Jessie Shimmer is the acolyte of Cooper Marron, who is teaching her how to tap her supernatural powers. While calling down a rainstorm to break a drought, Cooper ends up opening an intradimensional portal and is pulled within. Jessie is left alone, fighting for her life against a horrid demon. The governing circle consists of seven powerful witches and wizards who act as the local government for those with magic in Columbus and a few counties beyond. The leader is named Benedict Jordan. Instead of helping Jessie and Cooper, they cast an isolation sphere on the area, trapping all within. In other words, they expect Jessie, Cooper, and every other innocent soul within the entire downtown area to die. In the aftermath, Jessie and her familiar, a ferret named Palimpsest "Pal", struggle to find a way to rescue Cooper. However, Jordan and his allies are intent on forcing Jessie to sign a binding contract to forget about rescuing Cooper. In exchange, Jessie would not be charged for what happened and her horrible injuries would be treated. (Jessie lost an eye and the lower part of an arm while fighting the demon.) Until Jessie signs, she will not be healed, her band account is gone, she is evicted from her home, and she suddenly has a criminal record that causes her to lose her job. To make matters worse, Jessie has a spell cast upon her so that anyone who offers her help would be instantly killed and allows Jordan to track Jessie where ever she goes. But Jessie's unknown and untapped powers are growing and Jessie and Pal are obstinate about rescuing Cooper. ***** FIVE STARS! It is hard for me to believe that this is Lucy Snyder's debut novel. I found myself unable to stop reading as Jessie went from being a small acolyte to a fierce kick-butt sorceress-warrior. If you do not read this gem, then you are missing one of the best books of the year! Totally striking! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.