susanvoss18

I really like Samantha’s character. She’s fae, but not quite fae enough. On top of that, she’s a rare and usually shunned type of fae, a Void. Her special power allows her to steal energy from others (though she tries hard not to). With few friends and a parent who belittles her every day, Sam treasures her friendship with Amber. Sam also has a boyfriend, Chad, who she doesn’t really click with but so few people hang out with her, that she feels obligated to give Chad a chance.

Then in steps Roman, who makes her tingle in places she didn’t know could tingle. Roman works for some corporation that makes plastic housing (since iron is such a hazard to the fae). He’s got a secret and Sam immediately keys into it. Roman shows definite interest in Sam but she’s not used to such attentions. So there’s potential there for a meaningful romantic involvement in the next book.

Now all this is taking place on the Mystical Reservation in Illinois. Basically, all magical creatures in the US have been rounded up and forced onto reservations. I think this idea has the potential to be a significant part of the plot. However, I worry that there is some cultural insensitivity too. We’ll just have to see how that develops with the series.

There’s a variety of other characters, like Heywood the vampire and Carl who has a gift with technology (even though almost all tech is forbidden on the reservation). There’s mages and empaths (like Amber) too. The murder mystery was solved a little too quick and the initial build up was a little silly. Why wouldn’t Amber and Sam check their friend’s apartment first, before going to the unconcerned authorities? So that could have been a little more tightly written. On the whole, it’s an intriguing start to something that could be really good, or could be mediocre. 3.5/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions on it are wholly my own.

The Narration: Janelle Tedesco gave an excellent performance. She had the perfect voice for Sam and distinct voices for each of the characters. Her male voices sounded masculine. I thought her voices for the bullying authorities were especially good. There  were no technical issues with the recording of this audiobook. 5/5 stars.