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kareilaThe hero of this book, Owen Pitt, reminded me a lot of a beefier Harry Dresden. Both are willing to soak up a lot of punishment in the name of fighting evil and are unfazed by impossible odds. Both are surrounded by equally impressive allies who have clearly drawn strengths and motivations. The main difference is that where Harry uses wizardry to throw down with the bad guys, Owen relies on guns. Lots and lots of guns.
This was a fun book, but two things bothered me about the construction of the plot. One was Owen's mystical visions, which served to make him more important to resolving the conflict than he would have been otherwise, as one of the least experienced members of his team. Although this is given a satisfactory explanation near the end of the book, it struck me at first as a cop out to have the villain's backstory literally shoved into Owen's head.
Worse than that, though, is the annoying love triangle between Owen, the girl of his dreams, and her boyfriend. His refusal to respect her existing relationship interferes with the development of their friendship, and her eventual change of heart rings false. She could have had a different motivation for not wanting to enter into a relationship with Owen immediately, and it probably would have been more sympathetic.
That said, it was an enjoyable book, and I'm willing to overlook a few quibbles to investigate the promise of further installments in the series. The first Dresden Files books were relatively weak, too. The fact that Owen's team is located in my home state of Alabama is another good reason to hang around, to see if they mess with any more of my local landmarks - the climax of this book takes place in a thinly disguised Desoto Caverns, a place I've visited often over the years.
This was a fun book, but two things bothered me about the construction of the plot. One was Owen's mystical visions, which served to make him more important to resolving the conflict than he would have been otherwise, as one of the least experienced members of his team. Although this is given a satisfactory explanation near the end of the book, it struck me at first as a cop out to have the villain's backstory literally shoved into Owen's head.
Worse than that, though, is the annoying love triangle between Owen, the girl of his dreams, and her boyfriend. His refusal to respect her existing relationship interferes with the development of their friendship, and her eventual change of heart rings false. She could have had a different motivation for not wanting to enter into a relationship with Owen immediately, and it probably would have been more sympathetic.
That said, it was an enjoyable book, and I'm willing to overlook a few quibbles to investigate the promise of further installments in the series. The first Dresden Files books were relatively weak, too. The fact that Owen's team is located in my home state of Alabama is another good reason to hang around, to see if they mess with any more of my local landmarks - the climax of this book takes place in a thinly disguised Desoto Caverns, a place I've visited often over the years.
