Unclean Spirits: Book One of the Black Sun's Daughter

Waste o time

Plot Summary: Not a whole lot is going right in Jayné Heller's life. She's a college drop-out, without a man, without a friend, and estranged from her parents. When her Uncle Eric dies, she goes to Denver and learns that he's left her a fortune. It's too good to be true, and the first hint of trouble is the hit squad that tries to kill her. Then Jayné meets her Uncle's associates, who explain about magic, evil demons, and their arch enemy, the Invisible College. Jayné is a skeptic until a convincing dust-up with a possessed dog opens her eyes to her Uncle's world. Too bad when she inherited his empire it came complete with deadly enemies. This is the best piece of writing that I've come across in a long time. On page after page, I kept marveling at Hanover's beautiful sentences, and I'm green with jealousy that anyone can carve ideas like a fine-cut crystal vase. While the writing is that good, the characterizations are even better. After only one book, I feel like I know Jayné and her band of buddies better than some characters that I've followed for an entire series. Have I gushed enough yet? I hope so, because I'm starting to feel embarrassed for squealing like a teenager who has spotted that dreamy actor-guy from "Twilight." For urban fantasy fans, this is the kind of book that reaffirms their fascination with the genre, and gives them hope that there are other treasures waiting to be discovered. This UF is dark, like a moonless night, and the danger feels oppressive and claustrophobic. The magic is thick, and even though the bad guys have more (isn't that always the way?), Jayné's inexplicable powers help balance the scales a teeny bit. Jayné is wonderfully flawed, she makes huge mistakes, and she is subject to one of the worst slap-downs I've ever witnessed. Her spirit takes a beating, but she powers through the crap without anyone waving a magic wand and making it all better. That girl has true grit, and a weird pronunciation for her name (don't worry, the author clues you in fast). The scrappy posse at Jayné's back is endlessly entertaining. My favorite guy is Midian, who talks like a sour-grapes Humphry Bogart. Why can't more author's write characters like this? Okay, I'm being whiny, but obviously it takes a whole lot more talent than most folks have got, otherwise we'd be overrun with funny, intelligent, and meaningful repartee, and then it wouldn't be special anymore. Jayné has a relationship with Aubrey, and something undefinable with Ex, but beyond that it's not safe to reveal more. Book two, "Darker Angels" has a tentative release set for September 09, and I'm adding it to my TBR stack for autumn. BTW, for the extremely curious, M.L.N. Hanover is a pseudonym for Daniel Abraham (I'm biased enough to admit that I initially thought the writer was a woman because the writing is excellent; I'm eating crow now). I spoke to him via his blog, and it sounds like he's got quite a series planned here. I'm adding

I came across a recommendation to read M.L.N. Hanover's urban fantasy series, Unclean Spirits (Book One of The Black Sun's Daughter), and I am so glad I bought this book. It was simply engrossing. There were moments that I found myself thinking...."what if"...and then getting a creepy chill up the spine...I loved it!!!! Ms. Hanover's world of riders, possession and fallible heroes is beautifully portrayed. I was thrilled to realize this is but the first of the series, and I cannot wait to get the second book, "Darker Angels" that will be released on September 29, 2009. I sincerely urge those who love urban fantasy/paranormal suspense books to get the first of the new series, you won't be disappointed.

and boy did I find it! I love urban fantasy and paranormal fiction. Alot of the books out today all sound alike and I have read alot of them! I grabbed this one because I have never heard of the author, and the cover art was cool! I highly recommend this book to all paranormal/urban fantasy lovers....you will NOT be dissapointed! I can't wait to read the second installment in this series.

Surprises are in store for Jayné, a 22 year old college dropout estranged from her parents, when she heads to Denver to settle the estate of the dead uncle her fundamentalist father considered an abomination. Jayne knew Eric as the uncle who always managed somehow to always step in to `save' her whenever she was in trouble. But surprises are in store for Jayné as she soon discovers not only is she heir to Eric's surprising fortune, she is also about to inherit his battle. For her uncle was killed in an attempt to thwart, Randolph Coin, the leader of the Invisible College a cult which provides entry to this world by parasitic entities from another world beyond the Next Door, evil 'Unclean Spirits' which possess humans. And as Jayné struggles to overcome her disbelief, she may have finally found a purpose to her aimless life, should she manage to survive her encounter with Coin and his evil minions. Urban Fantasy is synonymous with first person narrative, so the lead character's voice tends to make or break the story for me. Here Jayné's works, she is likable, inexperienced but not stupid as she discovers hidden strengths within herself. I also appreciated there wasn't any of the frustration that often comes with a protagonist who is suddenly dropped into a world that they don't understand but who is surrounded by secrets and allies that are unwilling to enlighten them - both Jayné and the other characters are vocal enough that this isn't a problem. I really liked Jayné, but it was really the interesting supporting characters that added that something extra to story: There's Aubrey, a researcher who may bring some scientific ammunition to the fight against the supernatural, and whose relationship with Jayné also adds a complicated touch of romance to the story; Miridin, a mysterious and horrific looking cursed being with a sarcastic sense of humor; Chogyi Jake, with his wise Zen-ish calming influence; and Ex, an ex-priest with a penchant for anger and guilt. Add to this enough action to keep things going and I really enjoyed Unclean Spirits. As a standalone I would have probably rated this a half of a star lower, we don't get enough details on the world Next Door or about the Unclean Spirits, but then we only actually come across a few here. Since this is a first book in a series, I don't really see this as a problem. Hanover spends his time instead developing a cast that will carry forward into the next book and the next episode in the saga is sure to provide more details as our neophyte heroine learns more about the legacy that she has inherited from her uncle.

A completely thrilling urban fantasy which is actually intelligent & is trusting that we pick up on clues to know things are going to completely change in the next novel. How cool! Jayné (pronounced Zha-NAY)'s uncle Eric dies suddenly & Jayné, a 22-year-old who has just dropped out of college, is very surprised to find that a) she is his sole heir & b) his estate is worth billions. She is even more surprised to find Uncle Eric was up to his eyes in supernatural intrigue & was just about to assassinate an evil spirit that's been serially possessing humans for centuries - plans unfortunately interrupted by Eric's being offed. Various rescues & attempts to continue Eric's plans go on, while Jayné surprises everyone including herself by possessing some serious instinctive kung fu. If you are looking closely & pay attention to the series title, you can kind of guess one way things are going to go. Meanwhile, a vampire chef fries up dinner, the ex-Jesuit & the Buddhist plot with Jayné, who is attracted to Aubrey, Eric's young scientist sidekick. I read the book in one day & it was a lot of fun. The endorsements on the covers come from the most varied set of authors I've seen on a quasi-paranormal: Carrie Vaughn & S.M. Stirling.