Published: July 23rd 2014
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 119
Format: Ebook
Source: Purchased
Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress.
Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and game store in Wylde, Idaho. After twenty-five years fleeing from a powerful sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers, quiet suits her just fine. Surrounded by friends who are even less human than she is, Jade figures she’s finally safe.
As long as she doesn’t use her magic.
When dark powers threaten her friends’ lives, a sexy shape-shifter enforcer shows up. He’s the shifter world’s judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one, and he thinks Jade is to blame. To clear her name, save her friends, and stop the villain, she’ll have to use her wits… and her sorceress powers.
Except Jade knows that as soon as she does, a far deadlier nemesis awaits.
Justice Calling is the first book in The Twenty-Sided Sorceress urban fantasy series. Readers who enjoyed The Dresden Files or The Iron Druid Chronicles will likely enjoy this series.
This book has a lot going for it. It's got a Native American protagonist, with a bunch of other POC characters - one of whom is gay. It's got shifters and witches and all sorts of paranormal coolness. It even has a decent underlying threat - with a sorcerer who eats hearts to gain power.
HOWEVER it is way too short to do anything in the way of character development, lore explanation, and plot. Stuff happens but way too quick, with no time to let suspense build, no mystery surrounding the murderer. There's next to no character development. Jade is an alright character but I didn't connect with her in the 100 or so pages. The romance went from nothing to making out in a day or so, even though she barely knew this guy. There was no tension between them, no spark, nothing. And the actual threat of Jade's ex boyfriend made no appearance whatsoever, with not even the murders in the books tying in to the bigger threat. I'd have liked to have more about this heart-eating sorcerer than Jade talking about him briefly. The actual 'villain' in this 'book' might as well not have been there.
The gaming references had a tendency to overtake the writing, too. There were parts I flat-out didn't understand and I felt that bogged down the writing. Maybe they'd be great for a gamer, but not for me. I can handle a couple references I don't get but one every other paragraph? Overkill.
I found Justice Calling to be alright. It had potential but nothing special, and nothing was explained or developed in great enough detail for me to have enjoyed it. But I liked the POC characters and maybe I'll give the next book a chance sometime. Doubt it, though.
Characters ★★☆☆☆
Setting/world building ★★★☆☆
Writing ★★☆☆☆
the cover looks fab! But ehhh too short for me, perhaps i'll skip this one!
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