Author : Gail Z. Martin
Languange : English
Publisher: Solaris
Length : 456 pages
Published date: June 24th, 2014
Format : E-book (provided by NetGalley)
Genre : Urban Fantasy
Series: Deadly Curiosities
Book no.: #1
Author web: Click Here
Buy Links: Bookdepository, Periplus, OpenTrolley
Synopsis :
Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles & Folly, an antique/curio store and high-end pawn shop in Charleston, South Carolina that is more than what it seems. Dangerous magical and supernatural items sometimes find their way into mortal hands or onto the market, and Cassidy is part of a shadowy Alliance of mortals and mages whose job it is to take those deadly curiosities out of circulation.
Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670—acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500 year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market. When mundane antiques suddenly become magically malicious, it’s time for Cassidy and Sorren to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.
Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670—acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500 year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market. When mundane antiques suddenly become magically malicious, it’s time for Cassidy and Sorren to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.
Review
“After all, every good historian knows that history is the original reality show"
Note: This review is copied from my Goodreads review with some editing. If you find any mistake in grammar and structure, please kindly email me at : sawamura_foxman AT yahoo DOT com , so I can correct it. Thanks! :) .
Deadly Curiosities is the first installment from a series with the same name and also my first foray into Gail Z. Martin's works. I often find her book in the bookstore in Indonesia, Kinokuniya, and a part that catch my attention is the book cover. They are so lush and catchy for traditional fantasy books. And it's the same reason why I request Deadly Curiosities on NetGalley. Even this cover somehow scream "love triangle", and I'm not a fans of love triangle, I'm so curious to read this! :D
The synopsis pretty much tell what the story of Deadly Curiosities (aka DC) has. My disappointment is the blurb that state the protagonist of DC are just Cassidy and her vampire friend, Sorren. Actually, Cassidy have a partner, his name is Teag and he accompany her from the first chapter and very much a large main character. So, I don't know why the publisher (or author) do not include Teag in this book's blurb.
A key to enjoy DC is one, be patience. I admit that for a traditional urban fantasy (aka, no romance), this book start slow (even still interesting, imho) and some chapter have too much dialog but less action. At first. That's why I fall asleep for times when read it. But, like its title, the curiosity part is the reason that make me want to continue read DC until the end. It seems like I can't put this book down, even I need almost a week to finish. Usually, I don't have enough patience to finish a book that didn't pick my interest and the fact that I did finish DC speaks a lot.
I love the world building and the magic system in DC. This book have sword and sorcery aspect (if you are a long fans of fantasy genre, you will get my meaning :)), but more like modern S&S. When I see Ms Martin previous works, I have no doubt that she is in her element when writing DC. Both Cassidy and Teag's ability are pretty cool. Cassidy's gift is psychometry, a gift that make Cassidy can see the past and history from any object that she touch even sometimes she succumb too deep into the memory and need Teag to pull her out . Cassidy also can wield the power from those object that she touch to defeat her enemy, which make her a magekind of sort. As for Teag, his ability called Weaver. He can weave through the data in the Net and form connection from those information he gathered. To sum it up, Teag's ability is the same with Psy and their PsyNet in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series. He also practice some martial art from Phillipine, make Teag a perfect ally and dangerous enemy.
Of course there is also Sorren, a 600 year old vampire who is like protector to Cassidy's families. His ability is called Dark Gift, but I don't pay attention much to understand his magic. Ms Martin also include some Voodoo (or Voudon) magic (because the setting, Charleston, is in Shoutern America. And if you know the history and the myth, Voodoo is pretty common magic practice there.) and an ex-Black Ops that dealed with supranatural bonchos in his past. DC is rich, rich with characters that all have important roles, rich in magic system and rich in world building and history. Oh yes, history also one of important part of DC and I ask you to fully concentrate when read this book because some part might confuse you if you don't pay attention. I will never see the museum in same way again after read this book. Because when the enemy of Cassidy haunt her and Teag when they investigate some archives in museum, it's so creepy and freaked me out! Ms Martin also didn't hesitant to wrote a gory detail for the victim in this book and the part of the ghost give me a heebies jeebies.
As for love triangle, I assure you, THERE'S NO LOVE TRIANGLE! Heck, there's no romance either, at last a traditional romance. The romance part is just from Teag and his partner, Anthony. I admit that I can be a little uncomfortable reading about GLBT love, but I think Teag and Anthony are a cute couple. I can't help to fallin into Teag's charm and I want a BFF like him. As for Cassidy and Sorren, no hint for their romantic relationship and I guess they will never romantically involved. Since Sorren is like a father figure to Cassidy and he has his own grief for lost so many mortal comrades.
If you love urban fantasy that not heavily on romance, mix with intricate world building, magic system, history, some action and investigation, you may want to read Deadly Curiosities. I can't wait to read the next installment and anxiously want to know what Ms Martin has for Cassidy and Teag's next adventure! :)
e-ARC provided by NetGalley and Solaris for honest review
The synopsis pretty much tell what the story of Deadly Curiosities (aka DC) has. My disappointment is the blurb that state the protagonist of DC are just Cassidy and her vampire friend, Sorren. Actually, Cassidy have a partner, his name is Teag and he accompany her from the first chapter and very much a large main character. So, I don't know why the publisher (or author) do not include Teag in this book's blurb.
A key to enjoy DC is one, be patience. I admit that for a traditional urban fantasy (aka, no romance), this book start slow (even still interesting, imho) and some chapter have too much dialog but less action. At first. That's why I fall asleep for times when read it. But, like its title, the curiosity part is the reason that make me want to continue read DC until the end. It seems like I can't put this book down, even I need almost a week to finish. Usually, I don't have enough patience to finish a book that didn't pick my interest and the fact that I did finish DC speaks a lot.
I love the world building and the magic system in DC. This book have sword and sorcery aspect (if you are a long fans of fantasy genre, you will get my meaning :)), but more like modern S&S. When I see Ms Martin previous works, I have no doubt that she is in her element when writing DC. Both Cassidy and Teag's ability are pretty cool. Cassidy's gift is psychometry, a gift that make Cassidy can see the past and history from any object that she touch even sometimes she succumb too deep into the memory and need Teag to pull her out . Cassidy also can wield the power from those object that she touch to defeat her enemy, which make her a magekind of sort. As for Teag, his ability called Weaver. He can weave through the data in the Net and form connection from those information he gathered. To sum it up, Teag's ability is the same with Psy and their PsyNet in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series. He also practice some martial art from Phillipine, make Teag a perfect ally and dangerous enemy.
Of course there is also Sorren, a 600 year old vampire who is like protector to Cassidy's families. His ability is called Dark Gift, but I don't pay attention much to understand his magic. Ms Martin also include some Voodoo (or Voudon) magic (because the setting, Charleston, is in Shoutern America. And if you know the history and the myth, Voodoo is pretty common magic practice there.) and an ex-Black Ops that dealed with supranatural bonchos in his past. DC is rich, rich with characters that all have important roles, rich in magic system and rich in world building and history. Oh yes, history also one of important part of DC and I ask you to fully concentrate when read this book because some part might confuse you if you don't pay attention. I will never see the museum in same way again after read this book. Because when the enemy of Cassidy haunt her and Teag when they investigate some archives in museum, it's so creepy and freaked me out! Ms Martin also didn't hesitant to wrote a gory detail for the victim in this book and the part of the ghost give me a heebies jeebies.
As for love triangle, I assure you, THERE'S NO LOVE TRIANGLE! Heck, there's no romance either, at last a traditional romance. The romance part is just from Teag and his partner, Anthony. I admit that I can be a little uncomfortable reading about GLBT love, but I think Teag and Anthony are a cute couple. I can't help to fallin into Teag's charm and I want a BFF like him. As for Cassidy and Sorren, no hint for their romantic relationship and I guess they will never romantically involved. Since Sorren is like a father figure to Cassidy and he has his own grief for lost so many mortal comrades.
If you love urban fantasy that not heavily on romance, mix with intricate world building, magic system, history, some action and investigation, you may want to read Deadly Curiosities. I can't wait to read the next installment and anxiously want to know what Ms Martin has for Cassidy and Teag's next adventure! :)
e-ARC provided by NetGalley and Solaris for honest review
Another recommended read for urban fantasy like Deadly Curiosities:
- Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Story & Sensuality Rate
My rating for Deadly Curiosities is
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