Review: Darker Angels

The more I read of this series, the more I like it. This second installment picks up about six months after the events of Unclean Spirits. Jayné, Aubrey, Ex, and Chogyi Jake have spent that time learning as much as they can about the evil-fighting legacy that Uncle Eric left behind. But a call for help on Eric's old cell phone has the crew jumping out of research mode, into a mission in New Orleans.

Karen Black is a former FBI agent who worked a case with Eric years ago. It was serial killer they were after, but more than that, it was man possessed by an evil spirit, a rider. They captured the man, but the spirit got away. Now Karen says she has tracked it, but needs help capturing it.

Jayné has grown some since she began walking in her uncle's footsteps, but in many ways, she is still an unsure young woman. She second guesses herself and her choices. She is sometimes rash and pays the price for it, but her heart is in the right place. I find her likeable, but her youth and inexperience are parts of her character that can be frustrating.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story. And I ended up confused by the particulars of the demonology from time to time. But it was a good story, with a distinctive New Orleans flair. Once again, the secondary characters give the story an added layer of depth. I like Aubrey, but I still maintain that Ex is the man for Jayné. And we're beginning to learn that he thinks so too. I liked it alot. A little more than 4 stars.

P.S. I'm still fixated on the title of the series. Jayné must be the Black Sun's Daughter... It's got to have something to do with her mom, right?

*Review copy provided by Pocket Books

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Darker Angels

by MLN Hanover (Daniel Abraham)

Release Date: September 23, 2009

Publisher: Pocket Books