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Negotiator Trilogy/Old Races Universe #1
Heart of Stone
WHAT SECRETS LIE SHROUDED IN DARKNESS?
Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn't a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she'd encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings--not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn't all be real-- but she could hardly deny what she'd seen...and touched.
The mystery man, Alban, was a gargoyle. One of the fabled Old Races who had hidden their existence for centuries. Now he was a murder suspect, and he needed Margrit's help to take the heat off him and find the real killer. And as the dead pile up, it's a race against the sunrise to clear Alban's name and keep them both alive....
Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn't a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she'd encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings--not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn't all be real-- but she could hardly deny what she'd seen...and touched.
The mystery man, Alban, was a gargoyle. One of the fabled Old Races who had hidden their existence for centuries. Now he was a murder suspect, and he needed Margrit's help to take the heat off him and find the real killer. And as the dead pile up, it's a race against the sunrise to clear Alban's name and keep them both alive....
438 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2007
184 people are currently reading
3005 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Murphy
97 books1,795 followersCE Murphy began writing around age six, when she submitted three poems to a school publication. The teacher producing the magazine selected (inevitably) the one she thought was by far the worst, but also told her–a six year old kid–to keep writing, which she has. She has also held the usual grab-bag of jobs usually seen in an authorial biography, including public library volunteer (at ages 9 and 10; it’s clear she was doomed to a career involving books), archival assistant, cannery worker, and web designer. Writing books is better.
She was born and raised in Alaska, and now lives with her family in her ancestral homeland of Ireland.
She also writes paranormal romance as Murphy Lawless and cozy mysteries as Catie Murphy.
She was born and raised in Alaska, and now lives with her family in her ancestral homeland of Ireland.
She also writes paranormal romance as Murphy Lawless and cozy mysteries as Catie Murphy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
June 4, 2010
Margrit "Grit" Knight (ugh, the name!) is a public defender with too little time and too much courage. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger in Central Park entangles her in a web of lies, power games and revenge. And not all the people pulling the strings are human...
I'm torn in how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it's not well written. The plot rests on a precarious tower of coincidences, each more unlikely than the last. The dialog is like what middle schoolers think hard-bitten adults in the big city sound like. The editing is poor: a mysterious stranger is accidentally called by name by the text, pages before the big reveal of their identity. Plot threads go nowhere; dramatic minor characters are given splashy intros and then dropped from the narrative (I assume this is so Murphy can bring them up in sequels). The main character shifts gears so fast I felt like I had vertigo--one moment she's angry, the next she's humping a gargoyle in midflight, the next she's whooping with laughter. It's not that I want a boring character, but one with an understandable emotional life would be nice.
On the other hand, Murphy has tapped into what made the first few Anita Blake books so enjoyable. Margrit is wildly underpowered in a world filled with magic. She's good at her low-paying, high-stress career, but has trouble with work/life balance. She has issues with her family that are relatable. And her reactions are often a refreshing novelty: when a handsome and mysterious stranger accosts her in the park at night, she threatens him, runs off, and then reports him to the police.
And I have to note something that really impressed me: Margrit is mixed-race, and it's actually mentioned beyond physical description. She's incensed when her boss at Legal Aid asks her to take a specific case, knowing that he does so because having a black woman do so will look good to the press. And when her gargoyle pseudo-boyfriend tries to warn her against a vampire, reminding her that he isn't human, there's a great, unexpected moment: "'Don't kid yourself, Alban. In this form, you're a white man. Politically advantageous, economically powerful, socially acceptable. A hundred years ago if someone saw you and me standing here like this, you'd be the human and I'd be something less. A century before that, you and I standing here would've been master and slave. Or I might've been lucky. Two hundred years ago I might've been a free black, a placee. Know what that is? It's a rich white man's dark skinned mistress. Somebody my color would've been a quadroon, very exotic. Light enough to be almost acceptable.' Her heart hammered in her throat, thick and choking. 'So forgive me if I'm having a hard time with what makes someone human or not.'"
Did I like this book? I wouldn't say so. It was too clunkily written, I didn't feel anything for the characters, and the plot was a mess. I won't read the next books in this series. But if you're looking for some not-bad urban fantasy/paranormal romance, this is better than much of what's out there.
I'm torn in how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it's not well written. The plot rests on a precarious tower of coincidences, each more unlikely than the last. The dialog is like what middle schoolers think hard-bitten adults in the big city sound like. The editing is poor: a mysterious stranger is accidentally called by name by the text, pages before the big reveal of their identity. Plot threads go nowhere; dramatic minor characters are given splashy intros and then dropped from the narrative (I assume this is so Murphy can bring them up in sequels). The main character shifts gears so fast I felt like I had vertigo--one moment she's angry, the next she's humping a gargoyle in midflight, the next she's whooping with laughter. It's not that I want a boring character, but one with an understandable emotional life would be nice.
On the other hand, Murphy has tapped into what made the first few Anita Blake books so enjoyable. Margrit is wildly underpowered in a world filled with magic. She's good at her low-paying, high-stress career, but has trouble with work/life balance. She has issues with her family that are relatable. And her reactions are often a refreshing novelty: when a handsome and mysterious stranger accosts her in the park at night, she threatens him, runs off, and then reports him to the police.
And I have to note something that really impressed me: Margrit is mixed-race, and it's actually mentioned beyond physical description. She's incensed when her boss at Legal Aid asks her to take a specific case, knowing that he does so because having a black woman do so will look good to the press. And when her gargoyle pseudo-boyfriend tries to warn her against a vampire, reminding her that he isn't human, there's a great, unexpected moment: "'Don't kid yourself, Alban. In this form, you're a white man. Politically advantageous, economically powerful, socially acceptable. A hundred years ago if someone saw you and me standing here like this, you'd be the human and I'd be something less. A century before that, you and I standing here would've been master and slave. Or I might've been lucky. Two hundred years ago I might've been a free black, a placee. Know what that is? It's a rich white man's dark skinned mistress. Somebody my color would've been a quadroon, very exotic. Light enough to be almost acceptable.' Her heart hammered in her throat, thick and choking. 'So forgive me if I'm having a hard time with what makes someone human or not.'"
Did I like this book? I wouldn't say so. It was too clunkily written, I didn't feel anything for the characters, and the plot was a mess. I won't read the next books in this series. But if you're looking for some not-bad urban fantasy/paranormal romance, this is better than much of what's out there.
December 17, 2019
2.5 Can't remember much about this one.
All I can say is that it was pretty forgettable, not as fun as one would expect from a book with gargoyles and lawyers.
All I can say is that it was pretty forgettable, not as fun as one would expect from a book with gargoyles and lawyers.
March 22, 2008
This one's a great variant on the modern fantasy genre. Not because the world is unusual--it's completely stock: supernatural races in hiding in the world and our female protagonist discovers them and falls instantly in lust with the one trustworthy one in the lot--but because of the strength of the protagonist.
Our protag isn't beautiful (well, she probably is; they all are), she isn't strong physically, mentally, psychically, or magically (although she has some cojones and she's in good shape as a runner). She's a lawyer, though, and her strength is being a negotiator who doesn't back down from a verbal fight and knows how to keep her fights verbal. She faces down dragons because she knows the dragon wants something from her client and she knows her client has it; she's there to deal and she acts like she has the winning hand even when she doesn't.
This--deal-making--is the real job of most lawyers; the rest spend their time doing research and studying contracts. The courtroom drama stuff is just for television. She deals with murderers, arsonists, deadbeat dads, vile slumlords, and politically-minded rival attorneys on a daily basis. When she's facing a vampire and hasn't been killed immediately, she starts looking for the negotiating edge. In a lot of ways, it's what Charles Sheffield's Trader's World started out as.
The main character isn't tough-as-brass the whole time, fortunately. She has a complicated and conflicted relationship with her on-again/off-again boyfriend, some angst about her choice of job and some fear that it's a reaction to her race and her parents (she's from an upstate upper-middle-class black family and she works at Legal Aid), she's terrified of the beings she's dealing with, she isn't certain that her "client" is the good guy, and she has a lot to prove to herself about her ability to take care of herself--which comes out as the brinksmanship and risk-taking that drives the story.
The "client"--a gargoyle--is perfect for the Legal Aid or Public Defender setting: he might be guilty, he isn't reliable to reach, he withholds information, and he's hated by everyone in the supernatural community. Plus, he's been stalking the protagonist for three years, which is super creepy. And her sometimes boyfriend--a homicide cop--is trying to arrest him for a string of murders as well as make his life miserable for spending time around the protag.
This is a Luna book, so you should expect some sex. Really, there is more sensuality. It focuses on her fascination with the gargoyle's body--flesh but strong and shiftable to a scary stone form--and the sexual undercurrent of flying with him. It is very well written.
The downsides are relative predictably towards the end and a strange side plot with some selkies that appears, provides an excuse for her to make a deal with a prominent vampire, and then disappears. Maybe it's picked up in the sequels.
Our protag isn't beautiful (well, she probably is; they all are), she isn't strong physically, mentally, psychically, or magically (although she has some cojones and she's in good shape as a runner). She's a lawyer, though, and her strength is being a negotiator who doesn't back down from a verbal fight and knows how to keep her fights verbal. She faces down dragons because she knows the dragon wants something from her client and she knows her client has it; she's there to deal and she acts like she has the winning hand even when she doesn't.
This--deal-making--is the real job of most lawyers; the rest spend their time doing research and studying contracts. The courtroom drama stuff is just for television. She deals with murderers, arsonists, deadbeat dads, vile slumlords, and politically-minded rival attorneys on a daily basis. When she's facing a vampire and hasn't been killed immediately, she starts looking for the negotiating edge. In a lot of ways, it's what Charles Sheffield's Trader's World started out as.
The main character isn't tough-as-brass the whole time, fortunately. She has a complicated and conflicted relationship with her on-again/off-again boyfriend, some angst about her choice of job and some fear that it's a reaction to her race and her parents (she's from an upstate upper-middle-class black family and she works at Legal Aid), she's terrified of the beings she's dealing with, she isn't certain that her "client" is the good guy, and she has a lot to prove to herself about her ability to take care of herself--which comes out as the brinksmanship and risk-taking that drives the story.
The "client"--a gargoyle--is perfect for the Legal Aid or Public Defender setting: he might be guilty, he isn't reliable to reach, he withholds information, and he's hated by everyone in the supernatural community. Plus, he's been stalking the protagonist for three years, which is super creepy. And her sometimes boyfriend--a homicide cop--is trying to arrest him for a string of murders as well as make his life miserable for spending time around the protag.
This is a Luna book, so you should expect some sex. Really, there is more sensuality. It focuses on her fascination with the gargoyle's body--flesh but strong and shiftable to a scary stone form--and the sexual undercurrent of flying with him. It is very well written.
The downsides are relative predictably towards the end and a strange side plot with some selkies that appears, provides an excuse for her to make a deal with a prominent vampire, and then disappears. Maybe it's picked up in the sequels.
March 2, 2012
First and foremost, I understand that this is a Harlequin production. That means, de rigeur, a certain amount of sexual tension is to be expected. That said, I get extremely frustrated with an author who can't have a male character interact with her protagonist unless he's got a hard-on for her. I've known gorgeous, very feminine women who go through their lives without half the amount of domineering sexual attention Margrit gets from the males around her in just a week or so. It's narrative choices like this that make people mistakenly call this sort of character "Mary Sue".
That said, Margrit is not a Mary Sue -- for one thing, she's not a fanfic character, so she can't be. For another, her flaws are very definitely real, and they do get into her way, and trip her up. She's not polished to perfection; she's egotistical, she's manipulative to the people who are meant to support her, and she can't seem to have an honest, sympathetic conversation with an S.O. to save her life. Her world is all about her, and nobody else's experience really invites her to look outside her paradigm, and that is GOOD! It makes her a readable character, and sets her apart from the sorts of vampire-and-werewolf-schtupping-badass-at-everyting-has-all-the-answers grrl characters that make my teeth grind with loathing.
But I swear, the fact that the author has every single male character sniffing her crotch within two minutes of onscreen time is really wearying. It distracted from what was otherwise quite a decent murder mystery/suspense plot. In particular, taking time out from a fleeing-from-police scene to snog in a stairwell? Seriously? If you want sex in your story, find a place for it, and put it there! If I were running this book as a game, I'd have blue bolted Alban and Margrit twice or three times over for inappropriately placed groping.
So now you know my highly subjective, and personal-taste-rooted reasons for giving this book only 2 stars. Very probably, if I were a bigger fan of romance, and less of a fan of urban fantasy, I might have given it more.
I don't recommend avoiding it if you're an urban fantasy fan, just that you do so with the understanding that this book seems to be a romance with supernatural murders in it, rather than an urban fantasy adventure with a romance element to it.
That said, Margrit is not a Mary Sue -- for one thing, she's not a fanfic character, so she can't be. For another, her flaws are very definitely real, and they do get into her way, and trip her up. She's not polished to perfection; she's egotistical, she's manipulative to the people who are meant to support her, and she can't seem to have an honest, sympathetic conversation with an S.O. to save her life. Her world is all about her, and nobody else's experience really invites her to look outside her paradigm, and that is GOOD! It makes her a readable character, and sets her apart from the sorts of vampire-and-werewolf-schtupping-badass-at-everyting-has-all-the-answers grrl characters that make my teeth grind with loathing.
But I swear, the fact that the author has every single male character sniffing her crotch within two minutes of onscreen time is really wearying. It distracted from what was otherwise quite a decent murder mystery/suspense plot. In particular, taking time out from a fleeing-from-police scene to snog in a stairwell? Seriously? If you want sex in your story, find a place for it, and put it there! If I were running this book as a game, I'd have blue bolted Alban and Margrit twice or three times over for inappropriately placed groping.
So now you know my highly subjective, and personal-taste-rooted reasons for giving this book only 2 stars. Very probably, if I were a bigger fan of romance, and less of a fan of urban fantasy, I might have given it more.
I don't recommend avoiding it if you're an urban fantasy fan, just that you do so with the understanding that this book seems to be a romance with supernatural murders in it, rather than an urban fantasy adventure with a romance element to it.
April 24, 2020
The pacing is fairly slow, but it was interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading. I'm not sure that I'll be continuing the series. Margrit irritates me. Her relationship with Tony is not impressive. They are clearly wrong for each other. I don't know why she still gave him the time of day by the end of the book. This has a love triangle vibe because she is kinda sorta with Tony but is clearly into Alban. Margrit makes a few bargains without truly giving thought to the potential ramifications, and there will be problems from those bargains. The deal with Janx really does not make sense to me. If she had been more patient she might have been able to get that information elsewhere without as much risk to herself. I have a strong feeling that Margrit is special and possibly a descendant of the old races. I don't find her to be impressive like all of the men in the series. They are impressed with her boldness. However I view it as stupidity. The best thing about the book is the world building, but that alone isn't enough to make me want to finish out the series especially since this wasn't a quick read.
June 18, 2017
3.5 rounded up to 4.
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book as the Negotiator trilogy isn't one that I hear mentioned very often in my book reading circles in comparison to her more popular Walker Papers series. So I was a bit nervous about starting it; wondering if the reason there was no buzz was simply because it wasn't very good. But I have to say that while the book didn't blow my mind, I definitely did enjoy it for the most part. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook narration (so that may have earned it an extra half star) and I do plan to continue the trilogy.
However, it's not without few problems. Firstly, it starts out with one of our main characters, Alban, stalking our heroine through Central Park. Something he has done for the last three years! Immediately this made all sorts of warning bells go off in my head. But then I thought, hang on a tick, this is C. E. Murphy we're talking about, and it seemed unlikely from what I've read of her other work that she would go for anything as insipid as insta-love with some weird stalker dude. So I kept reading, and yes, Alban has been keeping a protective eye on our heroine, Margarit Knight, because she has a habit of being needlessly reckless—running through Central Park alone late at night. So it's done with the noblest of intentions, and I quickly forgave him his stalker-like tendencies. In fact, Alban ended up being my favourite character and the highlight of the whole thing.
It was quite a long book and somewhat slow-moving at times, without ever becoming completely uneventful. But there are long stretches in-between those events and scenes that I felt were unnecessarily long and, dare I say it, dull. Mostly, it was the times when we were left alone with just Margarit narrating for us with no Alban or any other interesting characters to play off, because unfortunately, out of the whole cast of characters, Margarit, the protagonist, was my least favourite. Not that I developed any kind of profound dislike for her or anything, but she was just very ordinary; 100% average Homosapien (and a lawyer to boot) and I could never fully accept how she managed to get herself so quickly enmeshed in the supernatural world and how no one just dealt with the problem of her discovery by snapping her like a twig. I realise she has a way of getting around people using her lawyerly skills, (this is where the negotiator bit comes in) but I'm just not sure I ever fully bought that idea. It seemed just a bit incongruous to me.
What I did love, however, (aside from Alban) was that Murphy, as in her other series, took the road less travelled when it came to which supernatural species' to focus on. Instead of vamps and werewolves we got Gargoyles, Selkies, Dragons, Djinn and...oh yeah there was a vampire. My bad. But he's not the focus of the book so it's okay!
So, to sum up, it was a good read, a really good audiobook experience, and with a few reservations I am heading on to the next book, because I want to finish Alban's story out and I'm hoping Margrit will grow on me.
3.5 Stars ★★★1/2
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book as the Negotiator trilogy isn't one that I hear mentioned very often in my book reading circles in comparison to her more popular Walker Papers series. So I was a bit nervous about starting it; wondering if the reason there was no buzz was simply because it wasn't very good. But I have to say that while the book didn't blow my mind, I definitely did enjoy it for the most part. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook narration (so that may have earned it an extra half star) and I do plan to continue the trilogy.
However, it's not without few problems. Firstly, it starts out with one of our main characters, Alban, stalking our heroine through Central Park. Something he has done for the last three years! Immediately this made all sorts of warning bells go off in my head. But then I thought, hang on a tick, this is C. E. Murphy we're talking about, and it seemed unlikely from what I've read of her other work that she would go for anything as insipid as insta-love with some weird stalker dude. So I kept reading, and yes, Alban has been keeping a protective eye on our heroine, Margarit Knight, because she has a habit of being needlessly reckless—running through Central Park alone late at night. So it's done with the noblest of intentions, and I quickly forgave him his stalker-like tendencies. In fact, Alban ended up being my favourite character and the highlight of the whole thing.
It was quite a long book and somewhat slow-moving at times, without ever becoming completely uneventful. But there are long stretches in-between those events and scenes that I felt were unnecessarily long and, dare I say it, dull. Mostly, it was the times when we were left alone with just Margarit narrating for us with no Alban or any other interesting characters to play off, because unfortunately, out of the whole cast of characters, Margarit, the protagonist, was my least favourite. Not that I developed any kind of profound dislike for her or anything, but she was just very ordinary; 100% average Homosapien (and a lawyer to boot) and I could never fully accept how she managed to get herself so quickly enmeshed in the supernatural world and how no one just dealt with the problem of her discovery by snapping her like a twig. I realise she has a way of getting around people using her lawyerly skills, (this is where the negotiator bit comes in) but I'm just not sure I ever fully bought that idea. It seemed just a bit incongruous to me.
What I did love, however, (aside from Alban) was that Murphy, as in her other series, took the road less travelled when it came to which supernatural species' to focus on. Instead of vamps and werewolves we got Gargoyles, Selkies, Dragons, Djinn and...oh yeah there was a vampire. My bad. But he's not the focus of the book so it's okay!
So, to sum up, it was a good read, a really good audiobook experience, and with a few reservations I am heading on to the next book, because I want to finish Alban's story out and I'm hoping Margrit will grow on me.
3.5 Stars ★★★1/2
May 13, 2010
Heart Of Stone is the first novel in a new contemporary fantasy trilogy by C. E. Murphy. It's also the first book I've read by Murphy before. She's mostly known for her Urban Shaman fantasy trilogy, which I have yet to read also.
First in a trilogy called “The Negotiator,” I found this book fantastic!
Lately I've been reading new books from series I've previously read, but I couldn't find a great new series to start. Then I picked up "Heart of Stone", because the storyline was compelling, and I really like Gargoyles. And boy and I glad I did. I absolutely loved it.
It had everything I look for in a book; action, suspense, mystery and romance.
20 pages in and I knew I was going to be hooked.
Margrit (Grit for short) is a bright attorney who works for the public defenders office. She has just won a major case. Being that as it may, she doesn't always make the right decisions..
Running is her cure for stress, and it's her addiction. "Heart of Stone" starts off with Margrit on one of her usual runs through Central Park at midnight. And although she knows she's being crazy, she still does it. During the run she meets a rather strange man. Later on the news that man is described as a suspect of murder, which does little for Grit's stress.
Alban Korund is pale and beautiful, but is also accused of murdering a woman in Central Park. He has been watching and protecting Margrit for 3 years, but now he needs her to protect him.
Alban is a Gargoyle. During the day, he is stone and useless but at night, he is powerful and strong.
He's part of The Old Races. Which include; dragons, djinns, gargoyles, selkies, and vampires. They are all that has survived in time.
As they begin to work together to uncover the identity of the killer who he fears is one of his race, Margrit realizes she's in way over her head with the paranormal. One day changes her life forever, and she ends up making deals with handsome dragons and taking from powerful vampires. She's on edge with her newest case and she's torn between two men. Her life is about to change forever.
I. loved. this. book. I immediately went out and bought "House of Cards" (which I'm rushing this review, so that I can go read!) right after I finished "Heart Of Stone". I was looking for something new and exciting, and I got it.
Each of the characters are strongly written and well-thought out. I really liked Janx. He's a jerk, but we're going to see a lot more of him, I know it.
This seris is sort of a mix between Kim Harrison's Hollows series and Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series. (Both of which are AMAZING!)
I highly recommend this book to paranormal romance/urban fantasy lovers.
I'm very much looking forward to "House Of Cards"
First in a trilogy called “The Negotiator,” I found this book fantastic!
Lately I've been reading new books from series I've previously read, but I couldn't find a great new series to start. Then I picked up "Heart of Stone", because the storyline was compelling, and I really like Gargoyles. And boy and I glad I did. I absolutely loved it.
It had everything I look for in a book; action, suspense, mystery and romance.
20 pages in and I knew I was going to be hooked.
Margrit (Grit for short) is a bright attorney who works for the public defenders office. She has just won a major case. Being that as it may, she doesn't always make the right decisions..
Running is her cure for stress, and it's her addiction. "Heart of Stone" starts off with Margrit on one of her usual runs through Central Park at midnight. And although she knows she's being crazy, she still does it. During the run she meets a rather strange man. Later on the news that man is described as a suspect of murder, which does little for Grit's stress.
Alban Korund is pale and beautiful, but is also accused of murdering a woman in Central Park. He has been watching and protecting Margrit for 3 years, but now he needs her to protect him.
Alban is a Gargoyle. During the day, he is stone and useless but at night, he is powerful and strong.
He's part of The Old Races. Which include; dragons, djinns, gargoyles, selkies, and vampires. They are all that has survived in time.
As they begin to work together to uncover the identity of the killer who he fears is one of his race, Margrit realizes she's in way over her head with the paranormal. One day changes her life forever, and she ends up making deals with handsome dragons and taking from powerful vampires. She's on edge with her newest case and she's torn between two men. Her life is about to change forever.
I. loved. this. book. I immediately went out and bought "House of Cards" (which I'm rushing this review, so that I can go read!) right after I finished "Heart Of Stone". I was looking for something new and exciting, and I got it.
Each of the characters are strongly written and well-thought out. I really liked Janx. He's a jerk, but we're going to see a lot more of him, I know it.
This seris is sort of a mix between Kim Harrison's Hollows series and Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series. (Both of which are AMAZING!)
I highly recommend this book to paranormal romance/urban fantasy lovers.
I'm very much looking forward to "House Of Cards"
June 1, 2011
I tried reading this a year ago. I got to five chapters and just put the book down. It was boring with a capitol B. I mean really how long was the freakin gargoyal going to stare at her from a far... then he gets her and its just flat.
March 25, 2019
This one had been in the pile for years.
I don't think the story is bad but I struggled a lot to connect with Margrit and her behavior. The paranormal elements were all fascinating but it seems they weren't used well, with so much secrecy and doubts, I couldn't focus most of the time and I'm not yet certain if this is more urban fantasy or paranormal mystery.
I loved the cover of this book, I've liked other books by the author too but this story failed to impress me. As always, I can imagine other readers think otherwise.
I don't think the story is bad but I struggled a lot to connect with Margrit and her behavior. The paranormal elements were all fascinating but it seems they weren't used well, with so much secrecy and doubts, I couldn't focus most of the time and I'm not yet certain if this is more urban fantasy or paranormal mystery.
I loved the cover of this book, I've liked other books by the author too but this story failed to impress me. As always, I can imagine other readers think otherwise.
September 29, 2018
Mini-Review:
I really wanted to like this book but it felt disjointed from the start. While I did gain a good sense for the characters, I kept wondering how Margrit fit in the book. She's the main character. She should be the glue that holds the rest together. The romance felt rushed and the ending felt out of sync. I probably won't continue with this series.
I really wanted to like this book but it felt disjointed from the start. While I did gain a good sense for the characters, I kept wondering how Margrit fit in the book. She's the main character. She should be the glue that holds the rest together. The romance felt rushed and the ending felt out of sync. I probably won't continue with this series.
August 2, 2012
I normally don't like female protagonists in urban fantasy books. After one book where the more-beautiful-than-can-even-be-described woman who has a multitude of skills and an unbelievable physical prowess solves a mystery with her wit, sexual banter, and vagina (usually in that order), you've seen them all. Plus, they all have really stupid names. Where are all the strippers who mothered these children?
However, I was really impressed with this book. I liked the protagonist a lot. Yes, she's pretty with pretty hair - though believe me, curly hair bouncing around while you're running is a great way to spend a bottle of conditioner and an hour ripping through it with a brush later. She's also a lawyer, and this actually plays into the book (not like all those 'doctor' main protagonists who then end up being just as ridiculously insipid as the rest). She's realistic in her skills; at no time does she whip out some magical powers, knives, or beat up on men who should be able to crush her in one hand. She can run a lot and she has cajones. All the things that usually bug me didn't because Murphy took the time to make her believable.
The supporting characters were fascinating. I want more Janx, by far. They felt very well-developed, with a lot of little quirks and details that made them feel like more than a Magical Supporting Cast.
Margrit is a coloured woman. One of the things I really liked about this book was how Murphy set it firmly in our world. In most female-protagonist urban fantasy books, the world is kind of floating in the background somewhere, and the generic woman runs about 'solving' mysteries and sleeping with generic male leads and there you are. Margrit lives in a world where there is racism and sexism and she is not afraid to call people out on it... I like this girl, quite a bit. It was a good addition on Murphy's part; it added grit (pun intended), it added realism, and it added depth to Margrit's character.
Overall, the plot is worth the time. It pales a bit beside the character development and world-building, but I have hopes for Murphy with the next books. The twist at the end was unexpected, at least.
Things I didn't like:
I will definitely go read the next books.
However, I was really impressed with this book. I liked the protagonist a lot. Yes, she's pretty with pretty hair - though believe me, curly hair bouncing around while you're running is a great way to spend a bottle of conditioner and an hour ripping through it with a brush later. She's also a lawyer, and this actually plays into the book (not like all those 'doctor' main protagonists who then end up being just as ridiculously insipid as the rest). She's realistic in her skills; at no time does she whip out some magical powers, knives, or beat up on men who should be able to crush her in one hand. She can run a lot and she has cajones. All the things that usually bug me didn't because Murphy took the time to make her believable.
The supporting characters were fascinating. I want more Janx, by far. They felt very well-developed, with a lot of little quirks and details that made them feel like more than a Magical Supporting Cast.
Margrit is a coloured woman. One of the things I really liked about this book was how Murphy set it firmly in our world. In most female-protagonist urban fantasy books, the world is kind of floating in the background somewhere, and the generic woman runs about 'solving' mysteries and sleeping with generic male leads and there you are. Margrit lives in a world where there is racism and sexism and she is not afraid to call people out on it... I like this girl, quite a bit. It was a good addition on Murphy's part; it added grit (pun intended), it added realism, and it added depth to Margrit's character.
Overall, the plot is worth the time. It pales a bit beside the character development and world-building, but I have hopes for Murphy with the next books. The twist at the end was unexpected, at least.
Things I didn't like:
I will definitely go read the next books.
May 17, 2014
2.5 stars
I'm afraid that the latest books I've chosen to read all suffer from the same problem:
Identity Crisis
This tends to happen when a story you're reading is supposed to be something else entirely, but the plot and characters end up taking a completely different path, leaving the reader completely dumbfounded and unsure of what he/she is reading.
Is this urban fantasy?
No, it has too many paranormal romance traits... like lusting after a guy while you're walking through a sewer...
So, it's paranormal romance?
Yes, with a little wtf thrown in the mix: those scenes towards the end in which Alban and Margrit are on the cathedral outside the stairs making out, while a killer _who may be Alban's *cough, cough* (spoiler) _were unbelievable... far from sexy as a PR could be!
Oh, and Margrit lusting after Gargoyle Alban _when he can downsize to human _ with his taloned fingers, and wings... o_O
It shows I never read monster erotica doesn't it?
“Margrit.” His voice altered, deepened even more, and she turned again in time to see his wings snap out, flaring in the narrow stairwell. He looked barely contained, all raw earthy power, with one taloned hand turned up in supplication. The other curved around the railing, less for support than to show the dangerous strength in those hands: beneath his grip, steel buckled, all too ready to give way to his demand.
Embarrassment and desire crept up by degrees, heating Margrit’s cheeks as she stared at the unearthly being on the stairs above her.
This story had such promise!
The whole idea behind the Old Races (Dragons, Gargoyles, Vampires and Selkies) living amongst us is pretty good, but unfortunately the story lacks coherence due to its characters, and weak plot development.
Honestly, most of the time, I didn't understand why Margrit would do something besides the whole throwing herself into a dangerous situation.
Being courageous is something completely different from the manner she behaved in this story:
I lost count to all the "Why, why would you do that?" or "But, that is stupid, and you're not a super hero!"
Margrit is unbelievable tstl. In fact I think she is the most tstl character that I've ever read.
Her characterization is very stereotyped and I'm afraid things don't get much better regarding the other characters, although Alban gets to be more interesting than her... well being a Gargoyle and all that, had to give him some leverage on the "interesting" department.
Bottom Line: An interesting concept (I bought the first two volumes at the same time, so I can still give the second one a chance) that got strangled between one too many stereotyped characters, stupid actions, and not enough plot development.
But who knows?
Maybe, in the second one, things will be better? o_O
Since I love the author's Walker Papers series, I may still give the second one a try.
I'm afraid that the latest books I've chosen to read all suffer from the same problem:
Identity Crisis
This tends to happen when a story you're reading is supposed to be something else entirely, but the plot and characters end up taking a completely different path, leaving the reader completely dumbfounded and unsure of what he/she is reading.
Is this urban fantasy?
No, it has too many paranormal romance traits... like lusting after a guy while you're walking through a sewer...
So, it's paranormal romance?
Yes, with a little wtf thrown in the mix: those scenes towards the end in which Alban and Margrit are on the cathedral outside the stairs making out, while a killer _who may be Alban's *cough, cough* (spoiler) _were unbelievable... far from sexy as a PR could be!
Oh, and Margrit lusting after Gargoyle Alban _when he can downsize to human _ with his taloned fingers, and wings... o_O
It shows I never read monster erotica doesn't it?
“Margrit.” His voice altered, deepened even more, and she turned again in time to see his wings snap out, flaring in the narrow stairwell. He looked barely contained, all raw earthy power, with one taloned hand turned up in supplication. The other curved around the railing, less for support than to show the dangerous strength in those hands: beneath his grip, steel buckled, all too ready to give way to his demand.
Embarrassment and desire crept up by degrees, heating Margrit’s cheeks as she stared at the unearthly being on the stairs above her.
This story had such promise!
The whole idea behind the Old Races (Dragons, Gargoyles, Vampires and Selkies) living amongst us is pretty good, but unfortunately the story lacks coherence due to its characters, and weak plot development.
Honestly, most of the time, I didn't understand why Margrit would do something besides the whole throwing herself into a dangerous situation.
Being courageous is something completely different from the manner she behaved in this story:
I lost count to all the "Why, why would you do that?" or "But, that is stupid, and you're not a super hero!"
Margrit is unbelievable tstl. In fact I think she is the most tstl character that I've ever read.
Her characterization is very stereotyped and I'm afraid things don't get much better regarding the other characters, although Alban gets to be more interesting than her... well being a Gargoyle and all that, had to give him some leverage on the "interesting" department.
Bottom Line: An interesting concept (I bought the first two volumes at the same time, so I can still give the second one a chance) that got strangled between one too many stereotyped characters, stupid actions, and not enough plot development.
But who knows?
Maybe, in the second one, things will be better? o_O
Since I love the author's Walker Papers series, I may still give the second one a try.
October 26, 2009
2 1/2
I'm a bit late catching up on some of the more popular urban fantasy books of today. After taking a break from the paranormal genre, I'm slowly dipping my feet in a little at a time.
Heart of Stone is apart of my book discussion group and I've been meaning to check it out. I thought this was as good a time as any to dive into this series and check out Harlequin's Luna line as well.
This first entry of the Negotiator series focuses on hardcore lawyer Margrit Knight. During a night jog in Central Park, she sees a dead woman in the arms of a mysterious man with blood on his hands. The man, Alban, follows Margrit, proclaiming his innocence and asking for her help to clear his name. The kicker is he's a gargoyle, apart of the hidden Old Races.
I have to say it took me a while to get into this book. The first half dealt with the minute everyday chit chat (I remember a wall of dialogue many a times throughout the book) and Margrit asserting her alpha status to anyone who got in her way during her case. She shares continuous fights with her on and off cop boyfriend, Tony. After one particular fight where Tony tries to calm things between them, he grabs her and kisses her. Instead of calming, Margrit clocks him right in the jaw and tells him things aren't like in the movies. It would have been cool but with how cold Margrit has been up to this point, it isn't quite as smooth.
I wanted to like Margrit, but I found myself likening her with book Vicki in the Blood series by Tanya Huff. She was so alpha, hardcore chick that it was the only thing that made her as a character. There wasn't any vulnerability or much of a character arc so we can see different sides of her. It's one of the things I have a problem with in many urban fantasy books today. The heroine is so hardcore that nothing fazes her and she can take on anything. I like a character that's multifaceted with flaws, most likely a possibly character arc in which she grows. In this instance it's like the character's personality IS their flaw. With Vicki, there was the offset of Henry as a love interest and foil, Alban falls a bit short for leading man material although his description is very well done.
Once we got through the long and dry setup, Heart of Stone really started to get interesting as we learn more about the gargoyles, selkies, dragons and their world. It's a nice break from the normal paranormal creatures although Alban likens his species to vampires as they relate to the sunlight.
Not much knew in the urban fantasy vein although I like the fact that Margrit is a woman of color and there are some interesting interactions with her boss and mother that gave a nice background to her character and culture other than the face value.
All in all I'm not sure I'll be continuing with the series. There's a potential love triangle and some interesting creatures in this world but in the end it doesn't really add much as far characterization and story.
I'm a bit late catching up on some of the more popular urban fantasy books of today. After taking a break from the paranormal genre, I'm slowly dipping my feet in a little at a time.
Heart of Stone is apart of my book discussion group and I've been meaning to check it out. I thought this was as good a time as any to dive into this series and check out Harlequin's Luna line as well.
This first entry of the Negotiator series focuses on hardcore lawyer Margrit Knight. During a night jog in Central Park, she sees a dead woman in the arms of a mysterious man with blood on his hands. The man, Alban, follows Margrit, proclaiming his innocence and asking for her help to clear his name. The kicker is he's a gargoyle, apart of the hidden Old Races.
I have to say it took me a while to get into this book. The first half dealt with the minute everyday chit chat (I remember a wall of dialogue many a times throughout the book) and Margrit asserting her alpha status to anyone who got in her way during her case. She shares continuous fights with her on and off cop boyfriend, Tony. After one particular fight where Tony tries to calm things between them, he grabs her and kisses her. Instead of calming, Margrit clocks him right in the jaw and tells him things aren't like in the movies. It would have been cool but with how cold Margrit has been up to this point, it isn't quite as smooth.
I wanted to like Margrit, but I found myself likening her with book Vicki in the Blood series by Tanya Huff. She was so alpha, hardcore chick that it was the only thing that made her as a character. There wasn't any vulnerability or much of a character arc so we can see different sides of her. It's one of the things I have a problem with in many urban fantasy books today. The heroine is so hardcore that nothing fazes her and she can take on anything. I like a character that's multifaceted with flaws, most likely a possibly character arc in which she grows. In this instance it's like the character's personality IS their flaw. With Vicki, there was the offset of Henry as a love interest and foil, Alban falls a bit short for leading man material although his description is very well done.
Once we got through the long and dry setup, Heart of Stone really started to get interesting as we learn more about the gargoyles, selkies, dragons and their world. It's a nice break from the normal paranormal creatures although Alban likens his species to vampires as they relate to the sunlight.
Not much knew in the urban fantasy vein although I like the fact that Margrit is a woman of color and there are some interesting interactions with her boss and mother that gave a nice background to her character and culture other than the face value.
All in all I'm not sure I'll be continuing with the series. There's a potential love triangle and some interesting creatures in this world but in the end it doesn't really add much as far characterization and story.
August 9, 2014
DNF around 60% through. A largely unobjectionable if boring urban fantasy about the lawyer who encounters the supernatural while out jogging at night. But you know how we all have these specific things that a book has to get right? Like, the author can invent a magical creature out of nowhere, no problem, but she better get the details of how the heroine bakes biscuits exactly correct?
Well, it turns out one of mine is poverty legal services. Who knew! And this book gets that so completely and offensively wrong. I mean, the heroine doesn't have a caseload of 80 open matters, she has one "big" case (which is exactly the sort of case that never lands on the desk of someone like her since private defenders would have been lining up to try it for free for the publicity). And that one case -- yeeeeeah. It's really telling what an author chooses to do when she wants to amp up someone's heroism. And what this author chose to do was erase an ethically complex, grinding, in-the-trenches-of-the-race-war reality with something apparently way more palatable, which is to say ethically unchallenging and full of righteousness about racism without ever engaging with the realities of the heroine's mixed race status. The actual heroism of defending drug dealers and pimps and rapists because everyone, absolutely everyone, deserves someone standing up for them and ensuring the state proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt because that's what motherfucking justice is -- yeah, that's too icky and complicated.
Well, it turns out one of mine is poverty legal services. Who knew! And this book gets that so completely and offensively wrong. I mean, the heroine doesn't have a caseload of 80 open matters, she has one "big" case (which is exactly the sort of case that never lands on the desk of someone like her since private defenders would have been lining up to try it for free for the publicity). And that one case -- yeeeeeah. It's really telling what an author chooses to do when she wants to amp up someone's heroism. And what this author chose to do was erase an ethically complex, grinding, in-the-trenches-of-the-race-war reality with something apparently way more palatable, which is to say ethically unchallenging and full of righteousness about racism without ever engaging with the realities of the heroine's mixed race status. The actual heroism of defending drug dealers and pimps and rapists because everyone, absolutely everyone, deserves someone standing up for them and ensuring the state proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt because that's what motherfucking justice is -- yeah, that's too icky and complicated.
July 18, 2011
I love the C.E. Murphy Urban Shaman series so I picked up this one. It lacked the punch and witty commentary that I found in that series. I'll leave you to read the synopsis as so many other reviewers have summed it up very nicely.
Some of the things I liked:
1. The mythology behind the Old Races is very unique and I thought it was well laid out
2. I really liked Alban. He seems very old world, kind and considerate.
3. I liked Margrit but thought that she has a definite chip on her shoulder. She was gutsy, but sometimes overly so.
What I didn't like:
1. Margrit seemed a little self-important and hypocritical (i.e. as an attorney, she looked at someone's appearance and hoped to use it to her advantage, but then was upset when her boss wanted to use her the same way)
2. I didn't understand her quick turn around in deciding to help Alban.
Overall, I just didn't connect with Margrit as much as I had hoped. I still liked it enough that I'll read the next in the trilogy though to see what happens to Alban.
Some of the things I liked:
1. The mythology behind the Old Races is very unique and I thought it was well laid out
2. I really liked Alban. He seems very old world, kind and considerate.
3. I liked Margrit but thought that she has a definite chip on her shoulder. She was gutsy, but sometimes overly so.
What I didn't like:
1. Margrit seemed a little self-important and hypocritical (i.e. as an attorney, she looked at someone's appearance and hoped to use it to her advantage, but then was upset when her boss wanted to use her the same way)
2. I didn't understand her quick turn around in deciding to help Alban.
Overall, I just didn't connect with Margrit as much as I had hoped. I still liked it enough that I'll read the next in the trilogy though to see what happens to Alban.
March 21, 2014
I read the first three books of this series in quick succession, mostly because I had to know that happened next to Margrit and the rest. Catie Murphy is a master storyteller, and phenomenal writer. (She is also, in the interests of full disclosure, a colleague and friend.) The magical world she has imagined for this series is complex, fascinating, and ultimately deeply satisfying. Her characters are engaging, her prose is, as always, lovely and flowing, and the tension she creates throughout the series is utterly compelling. I love these books, and am sure I'll go back to them again and again.
dnf
February 18, 2013I can't stand this woman. Running in the Park at night doesn't make her brave, just TSTL, specially when she probably does it everyday, at the same time and running a similar route. Has it never occurred to her that a group of thugs can ambush her? What would her 'speed' do for her there? And that idea that 'I know I could outrun this person' is ridiculous. You should never assume anything about a person you don't know.
DNF
DNF
January 15, 2009
Overall, I'm just gonna give this book an "Eh..." I liked Alban, but could live without pretty everyone else. They all just seemed flat to me. I did think the mythology behind the gargoyles was interesting, although I'm not sure that I would go flying with Alby. I'm not the best with heights. I might revisit this series some day, but it'll probably be a while.
October 24, 2021
I didn't DNF it; is there a good acronym for the process of going as far as you can and then skimming the rest so you can at least get how the plot resolves? Because that is what I did. I made it about a third of the way through and then I had had enough. I was really excited to read a book with a clever lawyer who was a person of color and yada yada yada, but almost every guy wants her, every Big Bad thinks she is a refreshing challenge, and you know what? The days of my teenage desire to identify with a supergirl stand-in who eventually blasts through all obstacles and wins every heart are soooo over. This book is for someone, just not for me, and this review is most so I will remember why I am not interested in this writer no matter what the algorithms tell me.
February 13, 2025
Enjoyed it
September 21, 2014
Margrit Knight, skilled attorney for legal aid by day and daring (foolishly so) woman by night, finds herself pulled into a world she never knew existed. Old Races – gargoyles, dragons, vampires, djinn, and selkie live amongst the unsuspecting humanity, trying desperately to keep their presence secret. However when a very manly and beautiful gargoyle asks Margrit for help, she can’t refuse. She’s a woman of risk, after all. Now facing off dragons and vampires, as well as being attracted to her ‘client’, Margrit strives to unravel the mystery. Who exactly is murdering those poor women?
(Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)
I was intrigued by the gargoyle aspect, which made me buy this book in the first place. A new direction from the typical vampire hype? Yes please. However I was heavily disappointed. My main complaint is it was simply too long. I don’t understand the need to drag a book on, thus filling it up with dull and un-needed scenes that are a struggle to get through.
Margrit, our heroine, is an adrenaline junkie. Midnight runs through Central Park is her thing, her addiction. It’s the only activity that makes her feel truly alive. Ironic, because it could be the thing that makes her truly dead. Indeed one can be brave to a point it evolves into stupidity, but addicts are aware of the risks they take. Nevertheless, Margrit was a believable character, with her faults and strengths. She was also surprisingly normal with no supernatural abilities, which is refreshing, but that didn't stop her from having power over men. Typically so, she was irresistible and committed random acts of uncontrolled lust, but it wasn't that bad. I say that because, even though she wanted to, she didn't actually have sex with Alban. That was something, at least.
However, one particular thing that pushed my buttons (in the wrong way), was that Margrit seemed to bring up her mixed heritage at inappropriate times. There was a certain scene with Alban and she ridiculously sprouted off into a random tantrum about her being a mixed race. I'm sorry, but whilst having heroines of different heritage backgrounds is great, them getting offended over nothing and going on and on about it is not.
What can I say? Alban as the love interest wasn't all that appealing to me (considering he’d been stalking Margrit for years). He was one of those men that just didn't stand out. He was a gargoyle, that was great, but I found him rather flat. In fact, the only characters I favoured were Janx and Daisani (even though they played small roles), but a dragon and vampire at war is epic in my mind.
The plot, whilst interesting at times, did lack. This also goes back to my earlier point; the overall story could have been more exciting if it was shorter. The twist at the end was well done, but the general ‘feeling’ of the book was ruined for me.
I do have the next in the series, but I'm hesitant to touch the book. Perhaps it will become more enjoyable for me, perhaps not.
© Red Lace 2012
(Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)
I was intrigued by the gargoyle aspect, which made me buy this book in the first place. A new direction from the typical vampire hype? Yes please. However I was heavily disappointed. My main complaint is it was simply too long. I don’t understand the need to drag a book on, thus filling it up with dull and un-needed scenes that are a struggle to get through.
Margrit, our heroine, is an adrenaline junkie. Midnight runs through Central Park is her thing, her addiction. It’s the only activity that makes her feel truly alive. Ironic, because it could be the thing that makes her truly dead. Indeed one can be brave to a point it evolves into stupidity, but addicts are aware of the risks they take. Nevertheless, Margrit was a believable character, with her faults and strengths. She was also surprisingly normal with no supernatural abilities, which is refreshing, but that didn't stop her from having power over men. Typically so, she was irresistible and committed random acts of uncontrolled lust, but it wasn't that bad. I say that because, even though she wanted to, she didn't actually have sex with Alban. That was something, at least.
However, one particular thing that pushed my buttons (in the wrong way), was that Margrit seemed to bring up her mixed heritage at inappropriate times. There was a certain scene with Alban and she ridiculously sprouted off into a random tantrum about her being a mixed race. I'm sorry, but whilst having heroines of different heritage backgrounds is great, them getting offended over nothing and going on and on about it is not.
What can I say? Alban as the love interest wasn't all that appealing to me (considering he’d been stalking Margrit for years). He was one of those men that just didn't stand out. He was a gargoyle, that was great, but I found him rather flat. In fact, the only characters I favoured were Janx and Daisani (even though they played small roles), but a dragon and vampire at war is epic in my mind.
The plot, whilst interesting at times, did lack. This also goes back to my earlier point; the overall story could have been more exciting if it was shorter. The twist at the end was well done, but the general ‘feeling’ of the book was ruined for me.
I do have the next in the series, but I'm hesitant to touch the book. Perhaps it will become more enjoyable for me, perhaps not.
© Red Lace 2012
November 11, 2008
Posted to my Livejournal in April 2008, saved here for posterity:
I really enjoyed Heart of Stone. I liked the mixture of crime drama and supernatural romance, though I see it appealing more to women then to men. Lawyer Margrit Knight tests her mettle by running through Central Park after dark each night, aware but uncaring of the danger. There is someone watching her, however, every night she runs, and he's been watching her for years -- not to hurt, but to protect. His name is Alban, and he appears to her one night in the park just to speak with her out of curiosity, an act that ends up getting him accused of murder when a women is found murdered in the park the same night (scant hours after Margrit returns home from her run). Alban appears to Margrit again, proclaiming his innocence, and asks her to help him avoid the police while they hunt for the real killer. At first she wants to refuse, but there's something about him that she can't ignore -- and once he lets her in on his real secret, she's drawn into a world she didn't even know existed.
Alban, it turns out, is a gargoyle, one of the five Old Races who have hidden among us for centuries. And now that Margri's takes his case, gargoyles aren't the only of the five Old Races that she has to contend with -- there are also djinn, vampires, selkies, and dragons, all masked as human and walking among us.
Despite its wandering beginning (it takes a while to get to the real action), I got drawn in pretty quickly. Margrit is a scrappy, smart-mouthed, tough woman, and she pretty much carries the book where it needs to go. Alban is moody and gentle, yet capable of being dangerous, which are always appealing characteristics for the supernatural romantic lead. Other characters -- her roommates; her on-again, off-again cop boyfriend Tony; and the various members of the Old Races that she runs into -- are colorful enough to be interesting while keeping the focus on Margrit and Alban. (Though I have to confess that Janx, the dragon, is my favorite out of the entire book.) The murder plot is strong enough to exist side-by-side with the romance, making this book a great blend of genre. The urban fantasy/supernatural romance genre is hot right now, and adding a murder mystery makes it even better. I've got the sequel, House of Cards, on my pile.
I really enjoyed Heart of Stone. I liked the mixture of crime drama and supernatural romance, though I see it appealing more to women then to men. Lawyer Margrit Knight tests her mettle by running through Central Park after dark each night, aware but uncaring of the danger. There is someone watching her, however, every night she runs, and he's been watching her for years -- not to hurt, but to protect. His name is Alban, and he appears to her one night in the park just to speak with her out of curiosity, an act that ends up getting him accused of murder when a women is found murdered in the park the same night (scant hours after Margrit returns home from her run). Alban appears to Margrit again, proclaiming his innocence, and asks her to help him avoid the police while they hunt for the real killer. At first she wants to refuse, but there's something about him that she can't ignore -- and once he lets her in on his real secret, she's drawn into a world she didn't even know existed.
Alban, it turns out, is a gargoyle, one of the five Old Races who have hidden among us for centuries. And now that Margri's takes his case, gargoyles aren't the only of the five Old Races that she has to contend with -- there are also djinn, vampires, selkies, and dragons, all masked as human and walking among us.
Despite its wandering beginning (it takes a while to get to the real action), I got drawn in pretty quickly. Margrit is a scrappy, smart-mouthed, tough woman, and she pretty much carries the book where it needs to go. Alban is moody and gentle, yet capable of being dangerous, which are always appealing characteristics for the supernatural romantic lead. Other characters -- her roommates; her on-again, off-again cop boyfriend Tony; and the various members of the Old Races that she runs into -- are colorful enough to be interesting while keeping the focus on Margrit and Alban. (Though I have to confess that Janx, the dragon, is my favorite out of the entire book.) The murder plot is strong enough to exist side-by-side with the romance, making this book a great blend of genre. The urban fantasy/supernatural romance genre is hot right now, and adding a murder mystery makes it even better. I've got the sequel, House of Cards, on my pile.
January 8, 2015
I picked up this trilogy secondhand after enjoying the start of The Walker Papers series but I really didn't enjoy this at all.
My first big issue was the MC Margrit who I took an instant dislike to. Despite the fears of her friends she likes to go running at night in Central Park, with the 'it'll never happen to me' smug attitude that grated on my nerves. She seems to think she is superior because she is all brave and better than all the scared people. Of course she is also in a dispute with her on-off lover who she treats little utter crud. She is cold, haughty and nasty to him and anyone else that she feels superior to and the strange way she reacts to things was offputting. I just did not like her at all which made it very hard to struggle on with the book. And I do mean struggle on.
The book was so SLOW that I felt as if I was sliding into a coma at times. The whole first part of the story was Margrit jogging, Margrit fighting with someone, Margrit drinking, Margrit fighting with someone, Margrit being an ass, Margrit jogging and so on. There was a plot running alongside this about Magrit seeing the suspect accused of a murder in the park while she was jogging there, and the suspect approaching her to help him clear his name. Right. What suspect approaches the lawyer witness to ask for her help? And what the frig does he see in Magrit to make him want to lust after and stalk her? It certainly isn't her winning personality. I just found this story dragging and if there is one thing I hate in a book, it is a slow start. I like to get right into some action or I get bored.
But the thing I hated most was that irritating habit Magrit had of chanting 'irrational' over and over. She jogs to the rhythm of the word irrational as we continually have to experience and it got on my nerves. By page 40 she had been going on about irrational about seven times and on page 53 she was at it again. It was chewing on my last frazzled nerve by then.
This book was just never going to appeal to me. There were too many things that annoyed me so I'll just stick with The Walker Papers thank you.
My first big issue was the MC Margrit who I took an instant dislike to. Despite the fears of her friends she likes to go running at night in Central Park, with the 'it'll never happen to me' smug attitude that grated on my nerves. She seems to think she is superior because she is all brave and better than all the scared people. Of course she is also in a dispute with her on-off lover who she treats little utter crud. She is cold, haughty and nasty to him and anyone else that she feels superior to and the strange way she reacts to things was offputting. I just did not like her at all which made it very hard to struggle on with the book. And I do mean struggle on.
The book was so SLOW that I felt as if I was sliding into a coma at times. The whole first part of the story was Margrit jogging, Margrit fighting with someone, Margrit drinking, Margrit fighting with someone, Margrit being an ass, Margrit jogging and so on. There was a plot running alongside this about Magrit seeing the suspect accused of a murder in the park while she was jogging there, and the suspect approaching her to help him clear his name. Right. What suspect approaches the lawyer witness to ask for her help? And what the frig does he see in Magrit to make him want to lust after and stalk her? It certainly isn't her winning personality. I just found this story dragging and if there is one thing I hate in a book, it is a slow start. I like to get right into some action or I get bored.
But the thing I hated most was that irritating habit Magrit had of chanting 'irrational' over and over. She jogs to the rhythm of the word irrational as we continually have to experience and it got on my nerves. By page 40 she had been going on about irrational about seven times and on page 53 she was at it again. It was chewing on my last frazzled nerve by then.
This book was just never going to appeal to me. There were too many things that annoyed me so I'll just stick with The Walker Papers thank you.
September 19, 2010
Basic story
Margrit (Grit) is a legal aid defense lawyer of mixed race, she's diminutive in height & size, confrontational, has balls of steel who uses her negotiation skills with a sharp intelligence, intuition, that is enough maybe to give a dragon a run for his money. And boy oh boy does she need it.
Women of the same hair & eye colouring are being murdered & Al a gargoyle is the chief suspect who wants Grit to trust him & figure out who is the real murderer & act for him. Grits on & off boyfriend who is head of homicide incidently wants Grit to come clean & tell everything she knows, regarding Al, he's like a dog with a bone & will use anybody including Grit to pin Al down & bring him in to custody.
Grit is spilt five ways between the 'Old Races' & her boyfriend. On top of this her boss at legal aid wants to use her as a poster child for the firm & gives her an unsavoury case that puts her in even more danger & draws her in way over her neck.
Her character develops throughout the book into someone who is pragmatic, has an unshakable faith & belief to do what is right, whatever the cost to herself.
This is a true urban fantasy with very subtle threads of romance going through. I bought this after reading Urban Shaman, which is a damn good book.
Although I feel personally this falls short, as far as continuity & a bit wordy without adding anything to the story, I felt it really picked up at the end, also as another reviewer pointed out it is her first novel & well you make the comparison between this & her other books you can see how much CEM has improved & perfected her art as an author.
Her next book in this series is House of Cards (Negotiator).
Margrit (Grit) is a legal aid defense lawyer of mixed race, she's diminutive in height & size, confrontational, has balls of steel who uses her negotiation skills with a sharp intelligence, intuition, that is enough maybe to give a dragon a run for his money. And boy oh boy does she need it.
Women of the same hair & eye colouring are being murdered & Al a gargoyle is the chief suspect who wants Grit to trust him & figure out who is the real murderer & act for him. Grits on & off boyfriend who is head of homicide incidently wants Grit to come clean & tell everything she knows, regarding Al, he's like a dog with a bone & will use anybody including Grit to pin Al down & bring him in to custody.
Grit is spilt five ways between the 'Old Races' & her boyfriend. On top of this her boss at legal aid wants to use her as a poster child for the firm & gives her an unsavoury case that puts her in even more danger & draws her in way over her neck.
Her character develops throughout the book into someone who is pragmatic, has an unshakable faith & belief to do what is right, whatever the cost to herself.
This is a true urban fantasy with very subtle threads of romance going through. I bought this after reading Urban Shaman, which is a damn good book.
Although I feel personally this falls short, as far as continuity & a bit wordy without adding anything to the story, I felt it really picked up at the end, also as another reviewer pointed out it is her first novel & well you make the comparison between this & her other books you can see how much CEM has improved & perfected her art as an author.
Her next book in this series is House of Cards (Negotiator).
April 27, 2015
Heart of Stone
Negotiator Trilogy/Old Races Universe #1
Loved this.
Margrit Knight, a lawyer and negotiator in New York City gets involved with a world she never knew existed when she meets Alban - a gargoyle and one of the Old Races.
Someone is killing women in Central Park and Alban has been framed. Who and why? That's the big question. Margrit's homicide detective off-on lover, Tony, thinks he has the answer. Margrit helped to give it to him, but when she listens to Alban's side of the story she realises that she was too hasty. She also realises that she's powerfully attracted to the gargoyle (no, he's not always made of stone) and her rocky relationship with Tony is going to suffer even more.
This is a whodunit and a whydunnit, but it's also about race and acceptance. Margrit is black, from a privileged family and has to examine her own prejudices when she discovers beings in NYC who may not be human but dammit, they're still people. The characters are powerfully drawn, Margrit is a compelling heroine, fiercely intelligent, dedicated to her job (and her clients) and fearless in the face of danger (even when she probably shouldn't be). The setting and set-up is fascinating and though I'm not usually a sucker for police/lawyer type crime novels the urban fantasy aspects of this drew me right in. I'd like to read more about Margrit and Alban.
Negotiator Trilogy/Old Races Universe #1
Loved this.
Margrit Knight, a lawyer and negotiator in New York City gets involved with a world she never knew existed when she meets Alban - a gargoyle and one of the Old Races.
Someone is killing women in Central Park and Alban has been framed. Who and why? That's the big question. Margrit's homicide detective off-on lover, Tony, thinks he has the answer. Margrit helped to give it to him, but when she listens to Alban's side of the story she realises that she was too hasty. She also realises that she's powerfully attracted to the gargoyle (no, he's not always made of stone) and her rocky relationship with Tony is going to suffer even more.
This is a whodunit and a whydunnit, but it's also about race and acceptance. Margrit is black, from a privileged family and has to examine her own prejudices when she discovers beings in NYC who may not be human but dammit, they're still people. The characters are powerfully drawn, Margrit is a compelling heroine, fiercely intelligent, dedicated to her job (and her clients) and fearless in the face of danger (even when she probably shouldn't be). The setting and set-up is fascinating and though I'm not usually a sucker for police/lawyer type crime novels the urban fantasy aspects of this drew me right in. I'd like to read more about Margrit and Alban.
April 24, 2022
First in The Negotiator urban fantasy series and revolving around Margrit Knight, a lawyer with ethics in New York City.
My Take
The Heart of Stone is all about justice with Murphy using Margrit's love for running as a metaphor for Grit running into trouble. That she runs at night in Central Park shows her as unfearing and willing to run into trouble rather than away.
It's spooky the places from which Grit's stalker keeps an eye on her.
Murphy uses third person global subjective point-of-view, primarily from Margrit's perspective with Alban a second. Some of the other characters have their own thoughts and actions. It's those perspectives that show how Grit's and Tony's professions/causes create such issues between them. It does make sense, but it's still sad. Part of their trouble is Tony's male view of how a relationship works as well as those pokes of his about her being a defense lawyer.
Oh, boy. Alban's abilities create all sorts of havoc between Grit and Tony, which creates some useful conflicts. Of course, I'm not thinking much of Tony for how he uses Margrit. Jeez.
I do like Margrit's attitude about people, her inclusivity based on her own experiences.
It's an interesting story to read and yet too easy, a slow pace with plenty of holes, from the possibility of that tracking device, some of Janx's actions, Grace saying Margrit is knocking down her building, revenge for exposing the speakeasy, Cara disappearing, a gargoyle active in daylight, why Hajnal was kept as she was, and why he'd want a psychopath to survive.
I did find it interesting that these bad guys find Margrit so compelling, and it's the only reason I'd be curious to read more.
The Story
She's a hero. Margrit Knight spent years campaigning for an abused woman to be granted clemency, and now Grit shines in the public eye. It also makes her a target for others with hopeless causes, including an accused serial killer and a squatter whose building is suddenly targeted for demolition.
The search for the truth will take Margrit into some truly terrifying places and meeting with those from an unexpected world.
The Characters
Margrit "Grit" Knight, a mixed-race lawyer, blames her crusading spirit on the college she went to. Yep, she works for Legal Aid. Her mother has an MBA and is a corporate finance manager; her father is a doctor. Cameron Dugan, a.k.a. Cam, who works at a gym, and Cole (he loves to cook) are a couple and Margrit's roommates.
Alban Korund is a lonely gargoyle, an outcast, escaping a truly sad past. Hajnal Dunstal had been his gargoyle wife. Biali, another gargoyle, hates Alban.
NYPD
Detective Anthony "Tony" Pulcella is in Homicide and Grit's on-again, off-again boyfriend. Jason Webster is the department sketch artist. Westing and McLaughlin are police officers. Mayor Leighton tries to influence Margrit.
Tony's sister Anita is about to open a flower shop; Anne-Marie, a.k.a. Amie, is a therapist with a troubled son; and, his sister Ana, a.k.a. Anaconda is thirteen.
Legal Aid
Russell Lomax is the head. Mark is the night guard. Nichole has a speciality in housing situations. Luka Johnson was sent to prison for murdering an abusive boyfriend. She has two daughters. Cara Delaney, a squatter, has a three-month-old daughter, Dierdre.
Huo's on First is . . .
. . . a used bookstore run by the manipulative Chelsea Huo.
Daisani Inc is . . .
. . . owned by Eliseo Daisani, a very wealthy power in NYC. Vanessa Gray is his personal assistant. Dominic Daisani is Eliseo's grandfather.
The House of Cards is . . .
. . . a gaming den in East Harlem. Janx is the notorious criminal owner. Ebul Alima Malik al-Shareef di Nazmi al-Massri, a.k.a. Malik, is Janx's malicious doorman? bodyguard? assassin? Patrick is another who works for Janx.
Trinity Church is . . .
. . . the third church of its name. This latest was built by Richard Upjohn in 1846, and he's a friend to Alban. John Atkinson died in 1799. The Ludlums and the Waldens are also there.
Grace O'Malley is a local legend, adventurer, thief, and vigilante. Miriah cooks good chili.
Victims include Patricia "Tricia" Sanger, née Perry, who got married; Ann Boudreaux; Rachel Ward; Christina Lee; Susannah Albright, who also married; and, Julia Patterson.
Chef Vern is Cole's boss. Holly Perry is an on-air reporter for Channel Three; Jim is a co-worker. Nerieda Holmes is a witness to an attack. The Blue Room is a night club. The pimply Ira is their IT guy. The Old Races include djinn, who are of air with a preference for the desert; dragons, who are fire from volcanoes; gargoyles, who are stone who like mountains; vampires, who seem to not be from this world at all; and, selkies, who are of water — all beings who took a different evolutionary path. Those who died out include the yeti and siryns.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a stormy sky of greens and yellows with lightning striking the tip of the Empire State Building. In the forefront is a leather- and denim-clad Grit, her long dark hair blowing in the wind as she stands high on the ledge of a skyscraper with the smaller gargoyle statue resting to her left. The minimal text is all in white with the distressed author's name at the top and the title starting at Grit's hips.
The title is all about Alban, who has a Heart of Stone.
My Take
The Heart of Stone is all about justice with Murphy using Margrit's love for running as a metaphor for Grit running into trouble. That she runs at night in Central Park shows her as unfearing and willing to run into trouble rather than away.
It's spooky the places from which Grit's stalker keeps an eye on her.
Murphy uses third person global subjective point-of-view, primarily from Margrit's perspective with Alban a second. Some of the other characters have their own thoughts and actions. It's those perspectives that show how Grit's and Tony's professions/causes create such issues between them. It does make sense, but it's still sad. Part of their trouble is Tony's male view of how a relationship works as well as those pokes of his about her being a defense lawyer.
Oh, boy. Alban's abilities create all sorts of havoc between Grit and Tony, which creates some useful conflicts. Of course, I'm not thinking much of Tony for how he uses Margrit. Jeez.
I do like Margrit's attitude about people, her inclusivity based on her own experiences.
It's an interesting story to read and yet too easy, a slow pace with plenty of holes, from the possibility of that tracking device, some of Janx's actions, Grace saying Margrit is knocking down her building, revenge for exposing the speakeasy, Cara disappearing, a gargoyle active in daylight, why Hajnal was kept as she was, and why he'd want a psychopath to survive.
I did find it interesting that these bad guys find Margrit so compelling, and it's the only reason I'd be curious to read more.
The Story
She's a hero. Margrit Knight spent years campaigning for an abused woman to be granted clemency, and now Grit shines in the public eye. It also makes her a target for others with hopeless causes, including an accused serial killer and a squatter whose building is suddenly targeted for demolition.
The search for the truth will take Margrit into some truly terrifying places and meeting with those from an unexpected world.
The Characters
Margrit "Grit" Knight, a mixed-race lawyer, blames her crusading spirit on the college she went to. Yep, she works for Legal Aid. Her mother has an MBA and is a corporate finance manager; her father is a doctor. Cameron Dugan, a.k.a. Cam, who works at a gym, and Cole (he loves to cook) are a couple and Margrit's roommates.
Alban Korund is a lonely gargoyle, an outcast, escaping a truly sad past. Hajnal Dunstal had been his gargoyle wife. Biali, another gargoyle, hates Alban.
NYPD
Detective Anthony "Tony" Pulcella is in Homicide and Grit's on-again, off-again boyfriend. Jason Webster is the department sketch artist. Westing and McLaughlin are police officers. Mayor Leighton tries to influence Margrit.
Tony's sister Anita is about to open a flower shop; Anne-Marie, a.k.a. Amie, is a therapist with a troubled son; and, his sister Ana, a.k.a. Anaconda is thirteen.
Legal Aid
Russell Lomax is the head. Mark is the night guard. Nichole has a speciality in housing situations. Luka Johnson was sent to prison for murdering an abusive boyfriend. She has two daughters. Cara Delaney, a squatter, has a three-month-old daughter, Dierdre.
Huo's on First is . . .
. . . a used bookstore run by the manipulative Chelsea Huo.
Daisani Inc is . . .
. . . owned by Eliseo Daisani, a very wealthy power in NYC. Vanessa Gray is his personal assistant. Dominic Daisani is Eliseo's grandfather.
The House of Cards is . . .
. . . a gaming den in East Harlem. Janx is the notorious criminal owner. Ebul Alima Malik al-Shareef di Nazmi al-Massri, a.k.a. Malik, is Janx's malicious doorman? bodyguard? assassin? Patrick is another who works for Janx.
Trinity Church is . . .
. . . the third church of its name. This latest was built by Richard Upjohn in 1846, and he's a friend to Alban. John Atkinson died in 1799. The Ludlums and the Waldens are also there.
Grace O'Malley is a local legend, adventurer, thief, and vigilante. Miriah cooks good chili.
Victims include Patricia "Tricia" Sanger, née Perry, who got married; Ann Boudreaux; Rachel Ward; Christina Lee; Susannah Albright, who also married; and, Julia Patterson.
Chef Vern is Cole's boss. Holly Perry is an on-air reporter for Channel Three; Jim is a co-worker. Nerieda Holmes is a witness to an attack. The Blue Room is a night club. The pimply Ira is their IT guy. The Old Races include djinn, who are of air with a preference for the desert; dragons, who are fire from volcanoes; gargoyles, who are stone who like mountains; vampires, who seem to not be from this world at all; and, selkies, who are of water — all beings who took a different evolutionary path. Those who died out include the yeti and siryns.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a stormy sky of greens and yellows with lightning striking the tip of the Empire State Building. In the forefront is a leather- and denim-clad Grit, her long dark hair blowing in the wind as she stands high on the ledge of a skyscraper with the smaller gargoyle statue resting to her left. The minimal text is all in white with the distressed author's name at the top and the title starting at Grit's hips.
The title is all about Alban, who has a Heart of Stone.
June 22, 2009
A very enjoyable start to the Negotiator trilogy, with interesting, well-sketched and realistic characters. Margrit's a likeable heroine with plenty of guts (particularly refreshing because she survives by her abilities as an attorney, not by some latent super-ability), and Alban is surprisingly sweet (not exactly expected of a gargoyle, but it's a nice and unusual take). The bad guys are awesome, and you'll find yourself liking all the side characters as well. The only problem I had was that Margrit and Alban's relationship wasn't very well-paced - you can tell it's going to happen, but it seems to come out of nowhere anyway because their "moments" were so brief that you weren't sure they're there, making later developments feel disjointed. That said, their romance is one of the highlights of the book that will keep the pages turning in order to find out what happens to them. Not a book that leaves you gaping at its sheer power, but still worth the read for any fans of fantasy, particularly those weary of soppy heroines who discover amazing powers and gets herself turned into a vampire/werewolf/author's creature of choice. Looking forward to the second installment.
January 29, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I felt that having gargoyles was a unique twist and the main character in the book wasn't a carbon copy of all the other "kick'n butt and taking names" heroines that seem to be quite proliferant all of a sudden. While she is tough, she's more brain tough instead of guns, knives, and hunky back up tough. Being a lawyer too makes things a little more fun.
I'm sincerely glad that this book was a beginning for a series because that's what it felt like. One long "introducing you around, tip toeing around main conflicts, leading up to a big story in the next book" book. I have to say though that if the next book doesn't start with a larger story arc and some relationship growth between the various characters in the series, I'm going to be sorely disappointed.
All in all I'm really looking forward to reading the next book and can only hope that the next ones are as good as the first.
I'm sincerely glad that this book was a beginning for a series because that's what it felt like. One long "introducing you around, tip toeing around main conflicts, leading up to a big story in the next book" book. I have to say though that if the next book doesn't start with a larger story arc and some relationship growth between the various characters in the series, I'm going to be sorely disappointed.
All in all I'm really looking forward to reading the next book and can only hope that the next ones are as good as the first.
March 22, 2011
A lot of UF features a strong female protaganist who can fight with magic, swords, teeth and occaisionly claws. Heart of Stone is different. Margrit Knight's strength lies not in the physical or magical, but the mental. As a lawyer with Legal Aide, she's learned the value of determination, stubborness and negotiating. Suddenly thrust into a world with Gargolyes, Dragons, Djinn, Selkies and Vampires, Margrit's heritage and experience give her an interesting perspective in dealing with the five Old Races. To her, they are not monsters. Fiercly opposed to racism of any kind, she views them as people, not human, but still people who are no worse than those she deals with every day on the job. Negotiating with the Old Races is just a matter of figuring out their motivations. I really enjoyed reading this and will be finishing the rest of the trilogy soon.
February 16, 2009
I liked her idea. I thought it was vampires, but she chose something else to work with. i thought it was a good idea, but i did not feel that she executed the idea all the way through. there were questions and things left unanswered, even though it is a series, there were things that should have been answered in this book. It's worth reading though, as i said, i liked her approach on the supernatural world. However, her attire in New York City for the middle of January was way off. She was not wearing enough clothes and i know how freakin cold it is there!!
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