If you’re looking for a magical fast paced , shootum up immortal partners story/series, here’s one for you.
Its world building is non-existent, the characters have zero chemistry, between themselves or any relationship that’s created here. It’s just a jumble of paranormal beings intermingling with a Greek mythological pantheon of gods who have hidden secrets and agendas, some of which concern the two main characters.
It’s all rather confusing. No one really knows what is happening. Not even them. But they accept cases , from vampires or goddesses, things go badly. Then go even worse.
I don’t know. There’s no depth to this or to the characters. I was connecting to any of it. Especially when one character is asked if he’s dumb(his actions and remarks indicate yes) and his partner , a Mage with a painful history, and this reader agree with whoever is asking. And he’s immortal and, apparently, forever immature. Lovely. SMH
Lots of magical action however.
It ends up with them having a mythical pet demon dog. And another likely mission to look forward to.
Not me. I need more than this to get me interested in a series and characters. And TSTL characters. But not everyone does.
It’s got lots of books to this, 32 of them. Check them out if you’re so inclined.
A Missing Ferryman. An Undead Dilemma. An Immortal Detective.
An emissary from the Dark Council has just materialized in the office of the Montague & Strong Detective Agency, and makes Simon Strong an offer he can’t refuse. Charon is missing. The legendary ferryman responsible for transporting sorcerer souls across the river Styx hasn’t been seen in days. And with each passing hour, those unable to cross the river are left to walk among the living, tilting the world further out of balance.
Meet Simon Strong, an immortal, who is also the best private detective in New York City. Together with his surly partner-Tristan Montague, a mage of indeterminate age, they must find the Ferryman and get him back to work before another Supernatural War ravages the earth, destroys humanity, and Simon’s local coffee shop.
Time is running out. His landlord wants the rent and Karma with a capital K is paying him a visit, and she can be a real…
Join the Montague & Strong Detective Agency and help them locate Charon, so he can restore balance to the universe, put the dead sorcerers to rest, and maybe solve the age old conundrum-coffee or tea?
Monster Mayhem (A Luna Thorn Witchy Mystery Book 1) by Amanda M. Lee was an interesting read for me. The first book in Lee’s Luna Thorn Witchy Mystery series, I wasn’t aware when I picked it up that it was a part of an interconnected universe of series. Sometimes that’s not an issue but here the characters and recent impactful events come from those series and not having the knowledge of them leaves serious gaps for the new reader here.
A Pan (god) led invasion and huge battles?Not a clue but many references are made here to this. Same for the Grimlocks, the Reaper family the main character was “adopted” by. They too have a series. See below.
Here we have no idea what their full abilities or duties are. It’s an incomplete picture while putting this family in a huge position in the narrative and MFC’s life.
Author Lee has created many terrific elements for this character of Luna Thorn and the mystery that is her life’s story. Her shocking arrival in a blast of pink explosive power, as a tiny teenager-looking being. Her enigmatic one sentence statement and then complete amnesia. For five years.
I enjoyed the found family aspect of the story, the surrounding personalities were a lively group of not fully developed characters. Each either had a history I wasn’t aware of or required further foundation here to be fully fleshed out.
The Greek mythology included involving some different aspects of the pantheon that other similar fantasy stories haven’t explored so that’s a plus here. And that battle was fast paced and entertaining. But over way too quickly for all its buildup.
If you’re hearing a “but” or hesitation coming about an element here, you’re correct. I think that the lack of foundation is a real stumble here but can certainly be dealt with by a note saying this is not a standalone and part of a connected narrative.
My main issue is with Luna. In many aspects of her character. She’s “tiny” to the extent of often being mistaken for someone minor in age. 🚩. A abnormal hair color (bright white) made her decide to dye her hair pink. Which also makes her look younger in appearance. Despite being a building owner and running a lifestyle commune. Too many dichotomies have been written into her to maintain a believable/credible character.
“I think I’m a little old to be chastised like a teenager,” I complained when we were alone. “Can you not do that?” Reid looked caught between annoyance and embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” he said after several seconds. “I wasn’t trying to infantilize you.”
Immediately after, she’s treated like a child. As well as accepting that she’s been acting less responsibly. Then does an about face.
She’s surrounded by people who treat her like a child or at least like a younger teenager while she’s constantly insisting that she’s an adult. A repetitive behavior that gets old quickly.
Although, and this is a issue I have with the author’s crafting of the character, she’s a magical badass then someone who’s crying before her “adoptive father “ then proceeds to go in a different direction altogether script wise in the next scenario with a different pair of characters. She’s consistently inconsistent. And the dynamic carries over into every aspect here and all relationships. I just couldn’t connect.
Again, this seems to be a very popular connected universe. Just not one I’m familiar with. Perhaps if I’d started with another series I’d have a different opinion and reading experience.
Maybe I’ll try again with another series and circle back to this.
Connected series:
A Death Gate Grim Reapers Thriller (9 book series)
Aisling Grimlock (9 book series)
An Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs Cozy Mystery (4 book series)
She arrived in Detroit amidst a swirl of lights and magic. She had no memory of where she came from. No idea why she was there.
Years later, she’s established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the Detroit magical scene. She ingratiated herself with the local reapers. She set up a community called the Cathedral to help those who had been displaced from their homes and families, declaring that nobody would fall through the cracks.
Still, doubt remains. Luna is determined to figure out why she’s in Detroit. She needs to know what she’s supposed to accomplish within the city’s crumbling boundaries. Her story is nowhere near finished.
When a body shows up on the grounds of the Cathedral, her quest kicks into overdrive. Ritual murders aren’t her forte, but this one is going to haunt Luna. Also haunting her is Jesse Wilder, a young detective who has been paired with an old friend. He has specific beliefs about what’s happening. Luna’s opinion doesn’t match up in the least.
He’s a “by the rules” guy. Luna likes to fly by the seat of her pants. She’s never met a problem she didn’t want to improvise.
It’s going to take both of them to solve this case. Even then, it will only be the beginning of their tale.
Settle in for excitement. Luna Thorn is about to change everything you know about the magical world.
