Type: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Books
My copy: Sent
In the battle between good and evil, there’s no such thing as a fair fight.
When Jayné Heller’s uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations — and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayné has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She’ll need both to tackle a bodyswitching serial killer who’s taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic.
Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayné races to track down the demon’s next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayné will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won’t rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most….
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Receiving a middle of the night phone call from a desperate ex-FBI agent shouldn’t have been run of the mill. For Jayné though, it’s becoming average. Fresh off taking down a rider infestation Jayné gets pulled back into the fray with one phone call. Karen Black needs her help finding a serial killer rider in New Orleans with very little time to spare. Karen is everything Jayné wishes she could be and with the clock winding down they need to work together to save the life of a upcoming voodoo priestess.
Along with her band of merry men, Jayné will learn more about her uncles past, and more about riders intentions. With second chances being slim and deceptions running high, Jayné will need all the help she can get. Including those that come from an unlikely source. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
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Ok…wow. There is something magical about this series that makes me tune out everything around me and simply get lost in a different world. Once I pick one up I can’t put it down till it’s done, and even then it’s on my mind for hours afterward. Hanover has created a world in which nothing is what it seems and everyone may be out to get you.
Darker Angels picks up a few months after Unclean Spirits ends. We find Jayné and the guys in Athens, Greece going through Eric’s vast empire of properties looking for information to add to their growing catalog of information. Right off the bat you can tell they are exhausted, and yet Jayné takes a case that involves quite a bit of energy and know how. I understood her willing to help but thought it was a bad idea to jump head first into something while you’re still in the middle of researching Erics things. I think she may have a bit of adult ADD in that respect. Throughout the course of the book she has to take a good long look at herself. First by wanting to be like Karen. Then be realizing that she is who she is and she has to make things work or risk her team falling apart of ending up dead. She needs to step up and be in charge.
Aubrey and Jayné’s conflicting emotions play a big part in her journey of self discovery. She takes a long look into why she had issues with his separation from his wife, and why after so many months she still hadn’t given him the divorce papers his estranged wife had left in her care. Growing up in such a strict household played a part as well as secrets from her past that finally come to light.
Ex, I felt horribly bad for. It’s been obvious from the start that he has a thing for Jayné though she is completely naive and clueless to his feelings. Him and her have a lot in common, mainly their inability to not blame themselves for the actions and reactions of everyone around them. They both shoulder the blame for everything and at times it can get a bit trying because it seems like they spend a good chunk of the book having to be told they are not to blame for every little thing that happens to the group. He is terribly human and that makes him flawed though he tends to believe he isn’t. This one proves that he can’t see anything blinded be emotion.
Jake is strangely quiet the majority of the time. It can be hard to read him because his face is a master of not changing expression. He is integral to the plot though and without him I think Jayné would crack under the pressure. He grounds her and allows her free reign of her emotions when they talk. He offers advice when needed and a shoulder to cry on. I often hope he gets some booty at some point because, honestly, he deserves some happiness. We do find a bit more about his background in Darker Angels and he becomes a sounding board for Aubrey in his time of conflict as well. After this one, they will have a few more things in common.
Unlike other urban fantasy’s I’ve read, Jayné isn’t all puppies, kittens and rainbows. She sees the world as it truly is. Maybe she doesn’t understand a lot of it yet…but she acknowledges it and respects it. She’s quickly learning that even though her uncle Eric went it alone, that he could have been so much more if he’d had the help of true friends. That maybe, even though he was the expert, Jayné has a better chance at succeeding because of what resources she has available to her.
I want to know more! I have a feeling based on this and the past book that Jayné hasn’t even scratched the surface of who or even what she is. There is something inside of her and I highly doubt her uncle put it there with his magical wards. She seems oblivious to the clues everyone is giving her to look within herself for the power the riders seem to fear in her. Her mysterious tattoo may even be the key.
I give Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover 5 stars!
