The premise of a detective dealing with the boundary between tech billionaires and the occult covers a couple of areas I knew I’d be interested in.

What to Expect

An interesting case that starts with bodies mutilated with arcane symbol, a former-police-currently-private detective with a shady past, tech moguls with Rampant AI, ancient demons, and the inevitable shenanigans at the intersection of them all.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints, mostly Sarah but many others too, mostly in first-person.

What I liked

I liked the story arc and the intersection of technology and demonology. There’s some good world-building there that doesn’t fall into the “can’t mix” trope, even through other genre tropes are present (secret supernatural world, detective with a past, etc). The occult side isn’t fully detailed but intriguing, while the tech side is surprisingly good (so many fantasy novels completely miss how the tech world operates).

What to be aware of

The writing is immature. This covers anything from occasional tense shifts to present tense, to how most chapters are in first-person POV, but then random chapters jump to 3rd (not just interludes with inconsequential characters, but for characters who’ve previously been ‘talking’ in 1st).

There are also some other issues (from minor plot holes, to motivations and emotions, to the internet’s favourite ‘a breath I didn’t realise I was holding’ meme) that a good editor would have fixed.

Felix’s and Jack’s Reviews

Felix had his fair share of dealing with oligarchs and supernatural beings, and generally appreciates solutions at the point of a sword. He found some of the literary devices annoying, but overall approves of the ‘plucky rebels’ attitude to problem-solving.

Jack found the concept of demons and spirits travelling through computer networks highly disturbing. He objected to the tropie-ish ineffectual police more than the grammatical issues, and was generally grateful the ghosts he has to deal with don’t mess up his phone (or his official case reports).

Summary

Read this for the promise of a good plot, with a few interesting takes on how fantasy and tech can interact in a modern urban fantasy. It’s an early work, so be patient with linguistic and storytelling issues.

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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck are those Felix and Jack fellows? Glad you asked! Felix is the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome, and Jack is the police detective running the Unusual Crimes Squad, dealing in occult crimes in modern-day Australia.

Come meet Felix and Jack on the free short stories and novels!