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Connor Grey #4
[Unperfect Souls (Connor Grey)] [Author: Del Franco, Mark] [January, 2010]
A thrilling new Connor Grey urban fantasy In the Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, a decapitated body floats out of the sewer, and former Guild investigator Connor Grey uncovers a conspiracy that may bring down the city's most powerful elite. As the violence escalates, Connor is determined to stop it-with help from one of the most dangerous beings of Faerie. Even if it means unleashing the darkness that burns within him.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 26, 2010
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722 people want to read
About the author
Mark Del Franco
13 books364 followersCATHARGO (2016) is Mark Del Franco's latest fantasy novel, an alternative history where chance and coincidence set the stage for an entire continent to be plunged into war over the use of magic.
WHIRLWIND (2014)is Mark Del Franco's first young adult novel, an urban fantasy featuring teens with elemental powers.
Mark is the author of the adult urban fantasy Connor Grey books. The best order to read the series is:
UNSHAPELY THINGS
UNQUIET DREAMS
UNFALLEN DEAD
UNPERFECT SOULS
UNCERTAIN ALLIES
UNDONE DEEDS
The Laura Blackstone urban fantasy books, also set in the Convergent World, are
SKIN DEEP and FACE OFF.
Mark Del Franco lives with his partner, Jack, in Boston, Massachusetts, where the orchids Just Won't Die.
WHIRLWIND (2014)is Mark Del Franco's first young adult novel, an urban fantasy featuring teens with elemental powers.
Mark is the author of the adult urban fantasy Connor Grey books. The best order to read the series is:
UNSHAPELY THINGS
UNQUIET DREAMS
UNFALLEN DEAD
UNPERFECT SOULS
UNCERTAIN ALLIES
UNDONE DEEDS
The Laura Blackstone urban fantasy books, also set in the Convergent World, are
SKIN DEEP and FACE OFF.
Mark Del Franco lives with his partner, Jack, in Boston, Massachusetts, where the orchids Just Won't Die.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 14, 2010
Del Franco gets better with each Connor Grey novel. The underlying mysteries centers around increasing fae versus Dead fae, who were recently locked out of their realm due to actions in the previous novel. Questions surround the politics of such acts, and if they are related to the taint, human-fae politics, and the darkness in Connor's own head.
I find I have to read Del Franco's Grey novels closely if I want to understand the events and the complexity of the world he has imagined; no skimming allowed. I also can't imagine picking up this book randomly, without having read the first three books in the series. Many of the issues and character developments were the subject of prior novels, and the backstory is limited. I frequently get the feeling I'm missing some significance to events in book #2 (Unquiet Dreams) or #3 (Unfallen Dead) and wish I had had re-read them.
I find I have to read Del Franco's Grey novels closely if I want to understand the events and the complexity of the world he has imagined; no skimming allowed. I also can't imagine picking up this book randomly, without having read the first three books in the series. Many of the issues and character developments were the subject of prior novels, and the backstory is limited. I frequently get the feeling I'm missing some significance to events in book #2 (Unquiet Dreams) or #3 (Unfallen Dead) and wish I had had re-read them.
July 7, 2010
This was really good. Possibly the best in the series. I have a few problems, like an ending that skirts darn close to deus ex machina, but they were forgivable.
There are some things left cooking. Some fantastic revelations and one important life hangs in the balance. Connor's issues confuse the heck out of me and I hope del Franco doesn't think we've reached any kind of understanding based on this. There was some new information, sure, but I'll decide whether or not it was enough after the next book comes out.
Now I'm on the lookout for a UBS copy of the premiere book of his secondary series. I can't remember the name of it, but it's the same world and I'm really loving the del Franco-verse.
This is a very good series. I wish he had a message board because I find they help me keep details straight. I find Jim Butchers Dresden Files board indispensable for keeping track of who's who and what they did to earn trust/distrust/death/life. I spent a lot of time, especially in the beginning of Unperfect Souls, trying to recall who/what/where/why/how of certain events and characters. That's the problem with picking up an ongoing series, of course, but del Franco's world is complex enough that I really wish I'd been able to consult a theory board before hand to get a bead on some of this stuff.
Mark del Franco is an Urban Fantasy writer to watch. Great characters, great world, intricate story lines. Just needs a big enough fan base to support an MB. :D
There are some things left cooking. Some fantastic revelations and one important life hangs in the balance. Connor's issues confuse the heck out of me and I hope del Franco doesn't think we've reached any kind of understanding based on this. There was some new information, sure, but I'll decide whether or not it was enough after the next book comes out.
Now I'm on the lookout for a UBS copy of the premiere book of his secondary series. I can't remember the name of it, but it's the same world and I'm really loving the del Franco-verse.
This is a very good series. I wish he had a message board because I find they help me keep details straight. I find Jim Butchers Dresden Files board indispensable for keeping track of who's who and what they did to earn trust/distrust/death/life. I spent a lot of time, especially in the beginning of Unperfect Souls, trying to recall who/what/where/why/how of certain events and characters. That's the problem with picking up an ongoing series, of course, but del Franco's world is complex enough that I really wish I'd been able to consult a theory board before hand to get a bead on some of this stuff.
Mark del Franco is an Urban Fantasy writer to watch. Great characters, great world, intricate story lines. Just needs a big enough fan base to support an MB. :D
April 15, 2010
For a full review, check the Bitten by Books website: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/
June 11, 2013
3.5 stars. Shit hits the fan in Boston as Connor's mysterious dark power continues to be mysterious.
March 7, 2011
Unperfect Souls picks up shortly after the evens of Samhain, where Connor permanently shut the veil between TirNaNog (Land of the Dead) and Bostom. He is also on the most wanted list by both the Unseele and Seelie Fae for being in the middle of too many public aware nightmares, including the creation of the Taint.
Of course, our boy Connor could care less what Maeve the Fairy Queen of the Seelie really thinks after she turned her back on the residents of Boston, and her own underQueen Ceridwen. The only problem is, Connor is the only one that knows about it now that Ceridwen is dead.
Connor, who is a druid, and a former hot shot investigator for the Guildhouse, is asked by his friend Leonard Murdock, a Lieutenant Detective for the Boston PD and who's turf the Weird falls into, to help assist with an investigation after decapitated heads start showing up. Connor learns that the police commissioner, Leo's father, has shut off all utilities in the Weird as a way to punish the residents for their part in recent aggravations, and to enforce martial law.
Connor also realizes that with the dead fey having no place to go, thanks to him, that the dead and the solitary Fey are now fighting for teritory. Thanks to the Taint, the anger within the Fey is growing each day, and ends up in a huge battle that involves humans like Murdock, and his brothers.
There's alot of other surprises as well. A former flame of Connor enters the story as Moira Cashel. She claims to be Amy Sullivan, for whom Connor had a fling when he was just a teenager. We finally learn why Scott Murdock, Police Commissioner and father of Detective Lieutenant Leonard Murdock, hates Connor so much. Of course, according to Scott, it's all HIS fault!
Connor learns more about the dark mass in his head, after meeting not only a leaninsidhe, but getting shot in the head. The best part of the book, naturally, comes at the end as Eorla makes her stand against both the High Queen of Tara and The Elven King.
There's a suprise involving Keeva as well, which I shall not spoil since it appears she may be heading to Tara to recoup from her recente experiences. Several of the main characters is hanging by a thread, including Meryl Dian, and I wouldn't be shocked to see either of them dead within the next storyline, putting even more stress on Connor.
The ending of this book, seemed like a break into a new whole unexplored storyline for Connor, and especially Murdock now that his father is out of the picture. There is, of course, the whole question about what happens now that Eoloa has made her stand against the Seelie and Unseelie courts, as well as why Vize hasn't been killed off after 4 books.
I like this series, even though at times there are way, way, way too many characters. But, by the time you reach the pinnacle of the storyline, everything makes since and Connor is smack dab in the middle of things once again.
Next book: Uncertain Allies (April 26, 2011)
Of course, our boy Connor could care less what Maeve the Fairy Queen of the Seelie really thinks after she turned her back on the residents of Boston, and her own underQueen Ceridwen. The only problem is, Connor is the only one that knows about it now that Ceridwen is dead.
Connor, who is a druid, and a former hot shot investigator for the Guildhouse, is asked by his friend Leonard Murdock, a Lieutenant Detective for the Boston PD and who's turf the Weird falls into, to help assist with an investigation after decapitated heads start showing up. Connor learns that the police commissioner, Leo's father, has shut off all utilities in the Weird as a way to punish the residents for their part in recent aggravations, and to enforce martial law.
Connor also realizes that with the dead fey having no place to go, thanks to him, that the dead and the solitary Fey are now fighting for teritory. Thanks to the Taint, the anger within the Fey is growing each day, and ends up in a huge battle that involves humans like Murdock, and his brothers.
There's alot of other surprises as well. A former flame of Connor enters the story as Moira Cashel. She claims to be Amy Sullivan, for whom Connor had a fling when he was just a teenager. We finally learn why Scott Murdock, Police Commissioner and father of Detective Lieutenant Leonard Murdock, hates Connor so much. Of course, according to Scott, it's all HIS fault!
Connor learns more about the dark mass in his head, after meeting not only a leaninsidhe, but getting shot in the head. The best part of the book, naturally, comes at the end as Eorla makes her stand against both the High Queen of Tara and The Elven King.
There's a suprise involving Keeva as well, which I shall not spoil since it appears she may be heading to Tara to recoup from her recente experiences. Several of the main characters is hanging by a thread, including Meryl Dian, and I wouldn't be shocked to see either of them dead within the next storyline, putting even more stress on Connor.
The ending of this book, seemed like a break into a new whole unexplored storyline for Connor, and especially Murdock now that his father is out of the picture. There is, of course, the whole question about what happens now that Eoloa has made her stand against the Seelie and Unseelie courts, as well as why Vize hasn't been killed off after 4 books.
I like this series, even though at times there are way, way, way too many characters. But, by the time you reach the pinnacle of the storyline, everything makes since and Connor is smack dab in the middle of things once again.
Next book: Uncertain Allies (April 26, 2011)
March 9, 2010
With Unperfect Souls, the latest in the Connor Grey series, we're well and thoroughly into the action at this point. If you're new to the Connor Greys, this is not the book to start with.
Thanks to the events at the tail end of the last book (Unfallen Dead), the Dead of the fey no longer have access to Tir Na Nog--and now they're roaming free in the mortal world, and on the streets of the Weird in Boston. Having the Dead on the loose is nine kinds of trouble in a district already fraught with tensions, as Connor discovers when he's called to investigate the decapitation of one of the Dead, the only way they can be permanently destroyed. We get a side helping as well of Connor learning quite a bit more about the darkness in his head--and what he can do with it.
And what it can do to him.
This is definitely the darkest of the Connor Greys so far, and I'm not sure yet what I think about the new plot twist of Connor's darkness seeming poised to turn him into the druid version of a leanansidhe. One does hope that he'll eventually be pulled back from this, but it'll be interesting indeed to see how many more books this plotline will carry through. Meanwhile, Connor's relationship with Meryl is deepening, of which I approve; I'm coming more to appreciate a series that can focus on a single relationship and develop it across books rather than having the protagonist swap out partners every three or four books or so. Well done, Mark Del Franco! Four stars.
Thanks to the events at the tail end of the last book (Unfallen Dead), the Dead of the fey no longer have access to Tir Na Nog--and now they're roaming free in the mortal world, and on the streets of the Weird in Boston. Having the Dead on the loose is nine kinds of trouble in a district already fraught with tensions, as Connor discovers when he's called to investigate the decapitation of one of the Dead, the only way they can be permanently destroyed. We get a side helping as well of Connor learning quite a bit more about the darkness in his head--and what he can do with it.
And what it can do to him.
This is definitely the darkest of the Connor Greys so far, and I'm not sure yet what I think about the new plot twist of Connor's darkness seeming poised to turn him into the druid version of a leanansidhe. One does hope that he'll eventually be pulled back from this, but it'll be interesting indeed to see how many more books this plotline will carry through. Meanwhile, Connor's relationship with Meryl is deepening, of which I approve; I'm coming more to appreciate a series that can focus on a single relationship and develop it across books rather than having the protagonist swap out partners every three or four books or so. Well done, Mark Del Franco! Four stars.
October 28, 2015
I'm seriously in love with this series. Briggs' "Mercy Thompson", Huff's "Tony Foster" and Del Franco's "Connor Grey", my top three UF series!
I loved everybody in this book: Connor, Murdock, Joe and Shay, Eorla, Meryl, Briallen and Keeva. Even the hell hound was lovable! And we finally got some answers about the dark mass in Connor's head - and it was awesome! I was delighted to see Shay back - he's one of the cutest characters that I've ever encountered in a book and I think he would deserve a series of his own. I mean, quoting stuff like "Look at this face, doll. The only girls in high school who wanted to sleep with me were confused lesbians" - because yeah, he really is that pretty - who wouldn't love him! And Murdock and Connor, I love their friendship - and yes, I'm curious who Murdock's sleeping with, too! Also, what an epic finale again. Del Franco really knows how to deliver huge, Boston-melting battles - the cover of this book, Connor walking down a bridge while behind him the city burns, does not lie, I kid you not!
I'm ecstatic about this series and I hope there'll be book 5 soon!
I loved everybody in this book: Connor, Murdock, Joe and Shay, Eorla, Meryl, Briallen and Keeva. Even the hell hound was lovable! And we finally got some answers about the dark mass in Connor's head - and it was awesome! I was delighted to see Shay back - he's one of the cutest characters that I've ever encountered in a book and I think he would deserve a series of his own. I mean, quoting stuff like "Look at this face, doll. The only girls in high school who wanted to sleep with me were confused lesbians" - because yeah, he really is that pretty - who wouldn't love him! And Murdock and Connor, I love their friendship - and yes, I'm curious who Murdock's sleeping with, too! Also, what an epic finale again. Del Franco really knows how to deliver huge, Boston-melting battles - the cover of this book, Connor walking down a bridge while behind him the city burns, does not lie, I kid you not!
I'm ecstatic about this series and I hope there'll be book 5 soon!
February 6, 2010
This is one of my favorite series. The world still feels very real; it's just solid and well-imagined and rings true on every level. The system of magic or fantasy is seamless. In addition, its a great story. Each book in the series stands as an individual mystery, in addition to the through-story of what happened to Connor years ago that damaged his ability to manipulate essence (magic). I really enjoy that there are enough layers to the story as established that it leave room for real change and surprises that still feel completely consistent with the world and story arc. The style is more traditional detective tale than fantasy adventure. The supporting characters are just as well-fleshed and vivid as Connor. In this book I especially enjoyed Eorla and Janey, as well as my perennial favorite, Joe, the pink pixie. Magic, politics, mystery, revenge, friendship, loyalty, desperation, this book has it all.
October 30, 2012
Fourth in the Connor Grey urban fantasy series set in Boston and revolving around a powered-down Druid getting disability checks from the Guild.
My Take
I have really grown to enjoy Connor Grey. We all like underdogs and Franco has given his champion an interesting twist. An arrogant, powerful man brought low who is learning how the other half lives and is treated.
Connor is discovering quite a bit about himself that he dislikes and he's turning it to the good. Along the way, he's finding people, beings, who think as he does. Some more than others, but with roughly the same goal in mind.
He's also getting quite cocky in his powerlessness. I know, I do seem to emphasize this. It's a combination of Connor's own thoughts about himself and the irony that he's actually learning quite a bit and accumulating power of which he never knew. What I love about Eagan is that he keeps sending Connor out to discover things, partly because Connor "irritates people who need irritating" as well as an outside-the-box thinker.
That said, whoa. There is so much that happens in this one that...well, let's just say I am chomping at the bit to read Uncertain Allies .
The Story
Boston's mayor and its police commissioner are blaming an entire race for the disasters which have cast the city into such disarray. The Fey Dead have been cut off from TirNaNog and are wandering ( Unfallen Dead ). It's also causing a dilemma of faith for the Catholic Murdock. Now, the Dead are targeting Solitaries, fey who can't pass in a human world. And the police do nothing. The Solitaries, well, they've figured out what they see as fair payback.
Meanwhile, Guildmaster Eagan's illness has factions quietly agitating for his replacement. The High Queen has sent her preference while Eagan has his own choice for his replacement. He doesn't trust macGoren "to answer the phone without a hidden agenda". It's that and what the human civil authorities' agenda is that he wants Connor to ferret out. He's a tricky bugger as he's leaving it to Connor's conscience as to how far he is willing to go to acquire the information. He trusts Connor because he doesn't like the Guild or Maeve and he cares about the fey and humans. Part of it means that Connor will again attend Eagan's Winter Solstice party .
The former marchgrafin, now Grand Duchess Eorla, also has a request to make of Connor—I think this is why I keep emphasizing Connor's lack of power. He may have lost most of his original Druid powers, but he has gained some powerful allies as well as new magics.. Eorla has been dreaming of events in Unquiet Dreams and is worried. She also warns Connor that when the most powerful fae in the world are watching him, others will also take an interest. Enough of an interest, that the Guild is colluding with the police and they may be looking to detain Connor.
It turns into rioting with the police and Guild leading the charge.
The Characters
Connor Grey was a very powerful druid who lost almost all in an altercation with a bioterrorist elf. He retains a few minor powers and currently collects disability checks from the Guild. To supplement these checks, he takes on consulting jobs with the Boston PD through Leo Murdock. Stinkwort, a.k.a., Joe, is a flit and, as everyone knows, flits tend to follow families, so Joe has always been with Connor. Briallen ab Gwyll is a very powerful Druidess and Connor's friend.
Detective Leo Murdock is a Boston cop who truly wants to understand the Fey and stands for justice. He's picked up a fey power ( Unshapely Things ) which he hasn't mentioned to his dad, Police Commissioner Scott Murdock, who despises the Fey. And we learn why in this installment. Ooh, boy. His brothers include Gerry, Bar, Bernard, and Kevin is the youngest while Faith and Grace are their sisters. Captain Ruiz is his immediate supervisor.
Meryl Dian is a druidess and the chief archivist for the Guild and a friend of Connor's. Yeah, they're knockin' boots, but she likes to keep Connor off-balance. A lady with many facets. Tibbet is a brownie and aide to Guildmaster Manus ap Eagan, a Danann fairy who is fatally ill. She and Connor have been friends and on/off lovers for years. Ryann macGoren is a Danann fairy sent by Maeve, High Queen of the Fey, to sit on the Guild's board; with Magnus so ill, he is the current unofficial Acting Guildmaster. Nigel Martin is a powerful druid and once Connor's mentor. Now, he almost goes out of his way to insult or ignore him.
Keeva macNeeve is sleeping with macGoren and she is the current Community Liaison Director and intensely interested in working her way up. She's also a former working partner of Connor's.
Moira Cashel is the High Queen's Herbalist. She's been sent to see if she can cure Eagan. Gillen Yor is the High Healer in Boston and seems to be missing. Amy Sullivan was Connor's first lover many years ago.
Sekka is a giantess who's missing; she's also a double agent. She stood up to the Dead, protected people. Heydan runs Yggy's a bar in the Weird where all fey are welcome. Where the rule is that words may start, but fists go outside. Shay is a human prostitute and artist who lives in the Weird, but he has a new job working at the Children's Institute. Uno is a hellhound, a Cu Sith. If you see one, it means your death is nigh. Robyn, Shay's lover in Unshapely Things had promised to protect Shay, but he was murdered by the serial killer. Uno was sent by Robyn, a.k.a., the Hound, to protect Shay, not escort him into death. Jennifer Grant is the mayor's daughter and is in direct opposition to his actions. She's challenging the lack of support or care for the people of the Weird. Zev leads the Solitaries, seeking justice. Callies are a Scottish clan of winter women who rescue Murdock and a jotunn warms his heart. Hel, formerly known as Helmet, is a bar in the Weird with new patrons, the Dead. Joe does not recommend the chili.
The Marchgrafin, Eorla Kruge, is the most powerful elf in Boston and the Teutonic representative on the Guildhouse board of directors. With her husband's death, she has reverted to her maiden name and title of Grand Duchess Eorla Kruge Elvendottir of the Elvin King's Court. Donor Elfenkonig is the king of the elves, the Teutonic fey, and he and Maeve are in a quiet war with each other. Ceridwen was an underQueen sent by Maeve in Unfallen Dead to investigate events in Unquiet Dreams . She and Boston were betrayed by Maeve and Ceridwen died.
Bastian Frye is the Elven King's most trusted advisor and assassin while Brokke is his dwarf. Bergin Vize is the bioterrorist who destroyed Connor's powers. He's been on the run for books now. Turns out the Grand Duchess raised Vize as her son.
Janey Likesmith is a Dark Elf who works in the Office of the City Medical Examiner handling the fey cases. Jark, son of Ulf, is a Dead berserker who wakes in the morgue and turns out to be an important clue in this. The Hound of the Dead is hunting the Dead who cross the line. Banjo leads a group of mercenary dwarves; he currently works for Moke, a fey gangleader.
Druse is a leanansidhe, a solitary fey who feeds on living essence. Each has its own method of attack. She calls Connor her brother, like a "serial killer calling someone a hunting buddy". The dark mass that inhibits Connor's abilities is a thing she recognizes.
The Weird is a down-and-out neighborhood in Boston near the harbor which has attracted the supernatural to it. It's where the normals go to slum and the only place where Connor Grey can now afford to live. The Guild is Celtic fey while the Consortium is Teutonic fey. Think Cold War.
The Cover
The cover is perfect as the bridge is a symbol for the growing bigotry of the human population of Boston and its cops. The bridge's overhead structure forms the frame which focuses our attention on the Weird burning as Connor strides across it on a mission of vengeance.
The title may refer to the Dead who are trapped on this side of the veil. Prevented from returning to TirNaNog.
My Take
I have really grown to enjoy Connor Grey. We all like underdogs and Franco has given his champion an interesting twist. An arrogant, powerful man brought low who is learning how the other half lives and is treated.
Connor is discovering quite a bit about himself that he dislikes and he's turning it to the good. Along the way, he's finding people, beings, who think as he does. Some more than others, but with roughly the same goal in mind.
He's also getting quite cocky in his powerlessness. I know, I do seem to emphasize this. It's a combination of Connor's own thoughts about himself and the irony that he's actually learning quite a bit and accumulating power of which he never knew. What I love about Eagan is that he keeps sending Connor out to discover things, partly because Connor "irritates people who need irritating" as well as an outside-the-box thinker.
That said, whoa. There is so much that happens in this one that...well, let's just say I am chomping at the bit to read Uncertain Allies .
The Story
Boston's mayor and its police commissioner are blaming an entire race for the disasters which have cast the city into such disarray. The Fey Dead have been cut off from TirNaNog and are wandering ( Unfallen Dead ). It's also causing a dilemma of faith for the Catholic Murdock. Now, the Dead are targeting Solitaries, fey who can't pass in a human world. And the police do nothing. The Solitaries, well, they've figured out what they see as fair payback.
Meanwhile, Guildmaster Eagan's illness has factions quietly agitating for his replacement. The High Queen has sent her preference while Eagan has his own choice for his replacement. He doesn't trust macGoren "to answer the phone without a hidden agenda". It's that and what the human civil authorities' agenda is that he wants Connor to ferret out. He's a tricky bugger as he's leaving it to Connor's conscience as to how far he is willing to go to acquire the information. He trusts Connor because he doesn't like the Guild or Maeve and he cares about the fey and humans. Part of it means that Connor will again attend Eagan's Winter Solstice party .
The former marchgrafin, now Grand Duchess Eorla, also has a request to make of Connor—I think this is why I keep emphasizing Connor's lack of power. He may have lost most of his original Druid powers, but he has gained some powerful allies as well as new magics.. Eorla has been dreaming of events in Unquiet Dreams and is worried. She also warns Connor that when the most powerful fae in the world are watching him, others will also take an interest. Enough of an interest, that the Guild is colluding with the police and they may be looking to detain Connor.
It turns into rioting with the police and Guild leading the charge.
The Characters
Connor Grey was a very powerful druid who lost almost all in an altercation with a bioterrorist elf. He retains a few minor powers and currently collects disability checks from the Guild. To supplement these checks, he takes on consulting jobs with the Boston PD through Leo Murdock. Stinkwort, a.k.a., Joe, is a flit and, as everyone knows, flits tend to follow families, so Joe has always been with Connor. Briallen ab Gwyll is a very powerful Druidess and Connor's friend.
Detective Leo Murdock is a Boston cop who truly wants to understand the Fey and stands for justice. He's picked up a fey power ( Unshapely Things ) which he hasn't mentioned to his dad, Police Commissioner Scott Murdock, who despises the Fey. And we learn why in this installment. Ooh, boy. His brothers include Gerry, Bar, Bernard, and Kevin is the youngest while Faith and Grace are their sisters. Captain Ruiz is his immediate supervisor.
Meryl Dian is a druidess and the chief archivist for the Guild and a friend of Connor's. Yeah, they're knockin' boots, but she likes to keep Connor off-balance. A lady with many facets. Tibbet is a brownie and aide to Guildmaster Manus ap Eagan, a Danann fairy who is fatally ill. She and Connor have been friends and on/off lovers for years. Ryann macGoren is a Danann fairy sent by Maeve, High Queen of the Fey, to sit on the Guild's board; with Magnus so ill, he is the current unofficial Acting Guildmaster. Nigel Martin is a powerful druid and once Connor's mentor. Now, he almost goes out of his way to insult or ignore him.
Keeva macNeeve is sleeping with macGoren and she is the current Community Liaison Director and intensely interested in working her way up. She's also a former working partner of Connor's.
Moira Cashel is the High Queen's Herbalist. She's been sent to see if she can cure Eagan. Gillen Yor is the High Healer in Boston and seems to be missing. Amy Sullivan was Connor's first lover many years ago.
Sekka is a giantess who's missing; she's also a double agent. She stood up to the Dead, protected people. Heydan runs Yggy's a bar in the Weird where all fey are welcome. Where the rule is that words may start, but fists go outside. Shay is a human prostitute and artist who lives in the Weird, but he has a new job working at the Children's Institute. Uno is a hellhound, a Cu Sith. If you see one, it means your death is nigh. Robyn, Shay's lover in Unshapely Things had promised to protect Shay, but he was murdered by the serial killer. Uno was sent by Robyn, a.k.a., the Hound, to protect Shay, not escort him into death. Jennifer Grant is the mayor's daughter and is in direct opposition to his actions. She's challenging the lack of support or care for the people of the Weird. Zev leads the Solitaries, seeking justice. Callies are a Scottish clan of winter women who rescue Murdock and a jotunn warms his heart. Hel, formerly known as Helmet, is a bar in the Weird with new patrons, the Dead. Joe does not recommend the chili.
The Marchgrafin, Eorla Kruge, is the most powerful elf in Boston and the Teutonic representative on the Guildhouse board of directors. With her husband's death, she has reverted to her maiden name and title of Grand Duchess Eorla Kruge Elvendottir of the Elvin King's Court. Donor Elfenkonig is the king of the elves, the Teutonic fey, and he and Maeve are in a quiet war with each other. Ceridwen was an underQueen sent by Maeve in Unfallen Dead to investigate events in Unquiet Dreams . She and Boston were betrayed by Maeve and Ceridwen died.
Bastian Frye is the Elven King's most trusted advisor and assassin while Brokke is his dwarf. Bergin Vize is the bioterrorist who destroyed Connor's powers. He's been on the run for books now. Turns out the Grand Duchess raised Vize as her son.
Janey Likesmith is a Dark Elf who works in the Office of the City Medical Examiner handling the fey cases. Jark, son of Ulf, is a Dead berserker who wakes in the morgue and turns out to be an important clue in this. The Hound of the Dead is hunting the Dead who cross the line. Banjo leads a group of mercenary dwarves; he currently works for Moke, a fey gangleader.
Druse is a leanansidhe, a solitary fey who feeds on living essence. Each has its own method of attack. She calls Connor her brother, like a "serial killer calling someone a hunting buddy". The dark mass that inhibits Connor's abilities is a thing she recognizes.
The Weird is a down-and-out neighborhood in Boston near the harbor which has attracted the supernatural to it. It's where the normals go to slum and the only place where Connor Grey can now afford to live. The Guild is Celtic fey while the Consortium is Teutonic fey. Think Cold War.
The Cover
The cover is perfect as the bridge is a symbol for the growing bigotry of the human population of Boston and its cops. The bridge's overhead structure forms the frame which focuses our attention on the Weird burning as Connor strides across it on a mission of vengeance.
The title may refer to the Dead who are trapped on this side of the veil. Prevented from returning to TirNaNog.
June 15, 2017
Oh, wow. There have been some relevations in this one.
I really like Connor. It's such a joy to read about his adventures and in what situations he manages to get into. :) And how Murdock and his other friends/allies get him out of there. :)
The plot is thickening. The Darkness in Connors head played a major part in this and woha. I'm very curious how this will end and play out.
Meryl? Please be okay. Please.
I really like Connor. It's such a joy to read about his adventures and in what situations he manages to get into. :) And how Murdock and his other friends/allies get him out of there. :)
The plot is thickening. The Darkness in Connors head played a major part in this and woha. I'm very curious how this will end and play out.
Meryl? Please be okay. Please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2010
I am always depressed when I finish a book in this series- it means I now have to wait for more.
The Connor Grey books are a wonderful mix of CSI and urban fantasy. There is more of the police procedural than in many of the other urbans I read, and it gives the series a distinct sort of flavor.
The basic premise of the series revolves around Convergence, the result of a Faerie war that got out of hand and dumped Faerie into the modern human world. Neither human nor Fae are content with the resulting situation. It is a setting wonderfully plausible in its human standoffish attitude, combined with Faerie prejudice. The books take place in a section of Boston known as the Weird, a Fae neighborhood that is more or less as far down as you can fall for a Fae. There are the nobles, and the Celtic and Teutonic Courts are still functioning, but there is also the rest of the Faerie population, and we get to see the bottom of the social tier more often than not as Connor himself fell from the rich and powerful as a result of a conflict that damaged his powers, and his usefulness to his superiors. A lot of the discomfort between the noble and powerful Fae and the contents of the Weird come from Connor's own observations as he has experienced both. Unperfect Souls pays a lot of attention to the expandability of the Weird, in both Fae and human minds.
Unperfect Souls deals heavily with what is causing Connor's damage, and what the fallout from that may well be. Character growth abounds, both on Connor's part and that of his closest companions.
No twist in the brilliantly tense plot felt forced, scathing wit was well placed, and the plot builds with such intensity that made the book very hard to put down.
Unperfect Souls wasn't just the next book in a series, it was the payoff for the previous three books, and a launch into the next.
Start the series if you haven't. Grab Unshapely Things, the first Connor Grey book, and get reading. These really add something to the urban fantasy genre and should not be missed!
The Connor Grey books are a wonderful mix of CSI and urban fantasy. There is more of the police procedural than in many of the other urbans I read, and it gives the series a distinct sort of flavor.
The basic premise of the series revolves around Convergence, the result of a Faerie war that got out of hand and dumped Faerie into the modern human world. Neither human nor Fae are content with the resulting situation. It is a setting wonderfully plausible in its human standoffish attitude, combined with Faerie prejudice. The books take place in a section of Boston known as the Weird, a Fae neighborhood that is more or less as far down as you can fall for a Fae. There are the nobles, and the Celtic and Teutonic Courts are still functioning, but there is also the rest of the Faerie population, and we get to see the bottom of the social tier more often than not as Connor himself fell from the rich and powerful as a result of a conflict that damaged his powers, and his usefulness to his superiors. A lot of the discomfort between the noble and powerful Fae and the contents of the Weird come from Connor's own observations as he has experienced both. Unperfect Souls pays a lot of attention to the expandability of the Weird, in both Fae and human minds.
Unperfect Souls deals heavily with what is causing Connor's damage, and what the fallout from that may well be. Character growth abounds, both on Connor's part and that of his closest companions.
No twist in the brilliantly tense plot felt forced, scathing wit was well placed, and the plot builds with such intensity that made the book very hard to put down.
Unperfect Souls wasn't just the next book in a series, it was the payoff for the previous three books, and a launch into the next.
Start the series if you haven't. Grab Unshapely Things, the first Connor Grey book, and get reading. These really add something to the urban fantasy genre and should not be missed!
July 3, 2015
Update - 8/12/14: Note to self as to why I NEVER read the 4th book in a series first......'cause after reading books 1 through 3, I had to re-read four (which is now a WAY COOLER read now that I have the entire back-story)
Okay, I did something with this book that I NEVER do…
I read the fourth book in a series first…
I couldn’t help it. I picked up the book on impulse, books 1-3 weren’t available, and the book description was just too much to resist.
I was resigned to the fact that I was probably going to have to work to read this book, spending the entire time playing “catch-up” on all the world-building and plot lines I missed in the first 3 books. I was wrong. This book captured me, had me totally immersed in the Weird and Connor Grey by page 7, and kept me there 'til 3am when I finished the book, still wanting more. This is one of those books that every once in a while, you just sit back in awe and marvel at how beautiful the writing is.
In Unperfect Souls Mark Del Franco has done what very few have been able to do...make a new reader starting mid-series feel right at home in the world he's built & the back story missed -- all done with deft, elegant prose that was truly a joy to read. Just enough information to fill me in, and make me want to run out to the store and buy the rest of the series, IMMEDIATELY!!
This has quickly become one of my favorite UF series, and one of my must-read authors. Do yourself a favor, and put Mark Del Franco’s Connor Grey series on the top of your TBR list and check it out. You’ll be glad you did!
Okay, I did something with this book that I NEVER do…
I read the fourth book in a series first…
I couldn’t help it. I picked up the book on impulse, books 1-3 weren’t available, and the book description was just too much to resist.
I was resigned to the fact that I was probably going to have to work to read this book, spending the entire time playing “catch-up” on all the world-building and plot lines I missed in the first 3 books. I was wrong. This book captured me, had me totally immersed in the Weird and Connor Grey by page 7, and kept me there 'til 3am when I finished the book, still wanting more. This is one of those books that every once in a while, you just sit back in awe and marvel at how beautiful the writing is.
In Unperfect Souls Mark Del Franco has done what very few have been able to do...make a new reader starting mid-series feel right at home in the world he's built & the back story missed -- all done with deft, elegant prose that was truly a joy to read. Just enough information to fill me in, and make me want to run out to the store and buy the rest of the series, IMMEDIATELY!!
This has quickly become one of my favorite UF series, and one of my must-read authors. Do yourself a favor, and put Mark Del Franco’s Connor Grey series on the top of your TBR list and check it out. You’ll be glad you did!
April 4, 2011
Fantastic, blah blah, favorite urban fantasy series, etc., etc., omg, next book, next book. My typical Del Franco review.
So let's talk casting. I think I have to go with Alex O'Loughlin of Moonlight and more recently Hawaii Five-0 fame as Connor. He's got the hair, he's tortured, he's a grown-up who usually plays a grown-up... I think he's perfect. Meryl's kind of tough; I think she's supposed to be like Abby on NCIS but that seems too much of a gimme. Maybe Alyson Hannigan? Evil Willow was cool -- definitely cool enough for Meryl (don't get me started on what happens to her in this book. Do not.). Murdock... how about Tim DeKay from White Collar and Carnivale? I bet he can do a Boston accent... and I know he can handle the big dramatic scenes Murdock has in this particular outing. (Was it only three books ago that I referred to Murdock as a blank space, character-wise? Tsk.)
So much awesomeness in this book series. So very much. Who knows? Sookie got a series. Connor should get one, too.
So let's talk casting. I think I have to go with Alex O'Loughlin of Moonlight and more recently Hawaii Five-0 fame as Connor. He's got the hair, he's tortured, he's a grown-up who usually plays a grown-up... I think he's perfect. Meryl's kind of tough; I think she's supposed to be like Abby on NCIS but that seems too much of a gimme. Maybe Alyson Hannigan? Evil Willow was cool -- definitely cool enough for Meryl (don't get me started on what happens to her in this book. Do not.). Murdock... how about Tim DeKay from White Collar and Carnivale? I bet he can do a Boston accent... and I know he can handle the big dramatic scenes Murdock has in this particular outing. (Was it only three books ago that I referred to Murdock as a blank space, character-wise? Tsk.)
So much awesomeness in this book series. So very much. Who knows? Sookie got a series. Connor should get one, too.
October 16, 2011
It's not often I feel the need to weigh in with words on a book but this series, and this book in particular are just too good not to. I've been following Mark Del Franco since his first Connor Grey book in 2007 and since then it has only gotten better.
Now to start with this one, the city is in a pretty rough state when the book opens. After the turbulence in the last book, Unfallen Dead fae and human relations are at an all time low. And things don't seem to be looking up. The Murdock family dirty is brought out to air, Bergen Vize makes an appearance, Connor gets to know a bit more about his friendly tumor, and the action just builds. It seems like though this is the first time that Del Franco is trying to rebuild what's been broken, the first step in keep Boston from Imploding.
If you haven't picked up any novels in the series yet be sure to start at the beginning so you can get a good understanding, because while there is a good job of describing things in a way that can be repeated and informative there is only so much an author can do without spending half a book recapping.
Now to start with this one, the city is in a pretty rough state when the book opens. After the turbulence in the last book, Unfallen Dead fae and human relations are at an all time low. And things don't seem to be looking up. The Murdock family dirty is brought out to air, Bergen Vize makes an appearance, Connor gets to know a bit more about his friendly tumor, and the action just builds. It seems like though this is the first time that Del Franco is trying to rebuild what's been broken, the first step in keep Boston from Imploding.
If you haven't picked up any novels in the series yet be sure to start at the beginning so you can get a good understanding, because while there is a good job of describing things in a way that can be repeated and informative there is only so much an author can do without spending half a book recapping.
October 18, 2010
4.5 stars
This series is just getting better and better and now I'm semi-depressed because I have to wait for book #5, whenever it is. I think this one is my favorite so far, because a couple of characters that appear in the previous books return, most especially Shay, that cute young kid from book #1. There is also a new character introduce, in form of a hellhound named Uno (just out of the topic, but it seems I encounter hellhound in three different UF series *grin*) and one of The Dead, simply known as The Hound
I think there are several significant events in the book deal with the revelation that related to Murdock's past, the power of the dark mass inside Connor's head, as well as Eorla making a stand against both the High Queen of Tara and The Elven King. A slight twist in the end, regarding the real identity of The Hound. As well as sort of cliff-hanger with one major character's life hangin on the balance.
All in all, it was a very accomplished book, and I simply devour it, and now feel at loss for not having a new book waiting for me *sigh*
This series is just getting better and better and now I'm semi-depressed because I have to wait for book #5, whenever it is. I think this one is my favorite so far, because a couple of characters that appear in the previous books return, most especially Shay, that cute young kid from book #1. There is also a new character introduce, in form of a hellhound named Uno (just out of the topic, but it seems I encounter hellhound in three different UF series *grin*) and one of The Dead, simply known as The Hound
I think there are several significant events in the book deal with the revelation that related to Murdock's past, the power of the dark mass inside Connor's head, as well as Eorla making a stand against both the High Queen of Tara and The Elven King. A slight twist in the end, regarding the real identity of The Hound. As well as sort of cliff-hanger with one major character's life hangin on the balance.
All in all, it was a very accomplished book, and I simply devour it, and now feel at loss for not having a new book waiting for me *sigh*
January 15, 2010
I won this from first reads
The black mass in Connor Grey's head is getting bigger and hungrier for the essence of other fae, and it's eerily similar to that of a leanansidhe. Which is not the sort of thing that Connor wants to hear. And on top of all of that Murdock's father is putting the Weird under lock down, and the taint is still making everyone violent. Add to that a woman claiming to be an old lover of Connor's, and you've got yourself one hell of a good read.
I find this series to be consistently good. This newest one is no different. And Joe is definitely the best character. I liked Connor's interactions with the leanansidhe the most because he is finding more out about what is inside of him, and in the process learning about how to use it.
The black mass in Connor Grey's head is getting bigger and hungrier for the essence of other fae, and it's eerily similar to that of a leanansidhe. Which is not the sort of thing that Connor wants to hear. And on top of all of that Murdock's father is putting the Weird under lock down, and the taint is still making everyone violent. Add to that a woman claiming to be an old lover of Connor's, and you've got yourself one hell of a good read.
I find this series to be consistently good. This newest one is no different. And Joe is definitely the best character. I liked Connor's interactions with the leanansidhe the most because he is finding more out about what is inside of him, and in the process learning about how to use it.
February 26, 2010
Fourth of the Conner Grey novels, this one picks up days before the Solstice that followed the events of the previous books Sam Hain.
Secrets are revealed, politics are played, the games of the great and deceptions going on for years all come to a head as the Dead of Tir Na Nog and the Solitaires of the Weird wage a war upon each other as each is manipulated by the Consortium, the Guild, the Humans and the Wheel.
Conner finds out painful truths about the darkness in his head, and the city falters beneath a magically driven blizzard. Boston of the Weird will never again be the same.
Definitely a lot of plot lines bubble up here, some are ended, others begun, and there are both high and low dramatic moments. If you've read the rest, this one is definitely worth reading.
Secrets are revealed, politics are played, the games of the great and deceptions going on for years all come to a head as the Dead of Tir Na Nog and the Solitaires of the Weird wage a war upon each other as each is manipulated by the Consortium, the Guild, the Humans and the Wheel.
Conner finds out painful truths about the darkness in his head, and the city falters beneath a magically driven blizzard. Boston of the Weird will never again be the same.
Definitely a lot of plot lines bubble up here, some are ended, others begun, and there are both high and low dramatic moments. If you've read the rest, this one is definitely worth reading.
January 30, 2010
This series just keep getting better and better. Poor Connor Grey! and now he's been adopted by a Hellhound--and that's the good news. The Guild wants to throw him their jail and the human police aren't too happy with him either. Enter a woman from his past to really stir things up. Oh, and let's not forget the very unhappy Dead, who were stuck in Boston as a result of the events of Halloween/Samhain just past. And did I mention the blizzard?
Plea to Ace Books--please do not cancel the author's contract before he finishes this series!
Plea to Ace Books--please do not cancel the author's contract before he finishes this series!
February 2, 2010
Another solid outing by Mark Del Franco. Connor has problems that just aren't getting any better. The mass in his head is growing and no one can give him any hope. His relations with the Guild are worse than ever, the Police Commissioner of Boston seems to be doing deals with Fey that he despises and the Taint hasn't gone away. Add the Dead to the mix and the Weird is a powder keg just waiting to explode and of course Connor is in the middle of it.
February 17, 2010
Connor Grey is on the investigation again with his friend Murdock. They have a series of murders but these people are already dead.. reanimated dead. They have their heads seperated from their bodies so they cannot regenerate in the morning.
Why is the Weird getting weirder and who is the soul sucker that has affinity for Connor and calls him brother. Can he talk to her and get answers for the darkness in his mind.
Why is his friend Shay being followed by a Hell Hound
Why is the Weird getting weirder and who is the soul sucker that has affinity for Connor and calls him brother. Can he talk to her and get answers for the darkness in his mind.
Why is his friend Shay being followed by a Hell Hound
March 24, 2010
The secrets all come out to play in the fourth book of Connor Grey and the Weird and the Wheel of the World may never be the same. Then Dead, the solitaries, the Guild and the Consortium are all headed for an explosion and your favorite druid is the match to light of the powder keg. Best one yet.
August 8, 2015
Story plot continues from 3 book and main character is face with new dilemma. True the story some miseries are reviled and new added. Fallowing the story was fun.
February 23, 2023
4.5 stars
Lots and lots of action and danger and peril and near death experiences. Great characters and storyline. There was a little too much political intrigue and talking in the middle but the rest was worth it. Strong, powerful women, both good and bad, a conflicted Catholic main character, and a really creepy antagonist.
There are overall story arcs continued from previous books so this really isn’t a standalone.
There’s a transgender character actually being called transgender and not something offensive and this was written in 2010. The pronouns were wrong but everything else was right. He also was gay. Straight? He liked only men. Great character.
The hellhound was also awesome and fun.
My only problems: I do not like the female Druids being called druidesses. I don’t understand why what the women did at the end hadn’t been tried before using more people. I also don’t like that Connor never told Murdoch what really happened in the study. But these were very minor issues.
There was a sort of cliffhanger too, and the story arc will have to continue. It’s not over yet.
Lots and lots of action and danger and peril and near death experiences. Great characters and storyline. There was a little too much political intrigue and talking in the middle but the rest was worth it. Strong, powerful women, both good and bad, a conflicted Catholic main character, and a really creepy antagonist.
There are overall story arcs continued from previous books so this really isn’t a standalone.
There’s a transgender character actually being called transgender and not something offensive and this was written in 2010. The pronouns were wrong but everything else was right. He also was gay. Straight? He liked only men. Great character.
The hellhound was also awesome and fun.
My only problems: I do not like the female Druids being called druidesses. I don’t understand why what the women did at the end hadn’t been tried before using more people. I also don’t like that Connor never told Murdoch what really happened in the study. But these were very minor issues.
There was a sort of cliffhanger too, and the story arc will have to continue. It’s not over yet.
August 6, 2017
This continues to be one of my favorite series. Engaging characters that you care about, and a storyline that continues to build. Really good stuff. I'm a little worried, however, because this series and the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey have been my go tos when I need a Dresen fix. I've finished the Felix Castor books and I don't think they are many more in this series. (Note to self - check on that.)
April 1, 2019
When the decapitated body of one of the Dead is found in a sewer, Connor is about to find out about the clashes between the Dead and the outcast and loner fae. It puts him into contact with a loner fae who shares the darkness in his head--who knows what it is. Underlying it all is a plot to further upset the balance between Faerie and the Elves, with ugly truths to be revealed.
May 4, 2011
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Verushka
The Connor Grey Series by Mark Del Franco is about a druid who lives in Boston and helps the cops solve those cases involving the supernatural and the Fey.
Hands up anyone who is thinking of Harry Dresden?
I know the similarities are the reason I picked the first novel in this series initially, but The Dresden Files have faltered for me in recent novels (I haven’t read anything since “Turncoat” and considering the blurbs on releases after, I don’t see myself going back) while this series has strengthened and distinguished itself from The Dresden Files.
Book 4 is one of changes for Connor and the world Del Franco has created.
First, Connor finds out more about the black mass in his head and it’s not
something he wants to hear. While working a case with Murdock, he finds the
mass links him with one of the darkest and reviled Fey, a leanansidhe. In
fact, one calls him her “brother” which is about the last thing he wants.
As much as he tries to ignore what it means for him, Connor finds by the
end of the book, that the power the black mass offers is seductive in its
own way and he is not necessarily strong enough to resist it. More
questions are created about the mass and what it is doing to Connor, but
enough is answered that I found myself not minding that there was indeed
more to find out about the mass and its effects.
Meryl is less of a part of the larger story here than she was in book 3,
but Del Franco manages to make her an integral part of the climax in a
plausible way towards the end. Murdock though is the one that endures the
most change as we see hear more of his family and his surprising connection
to Connor and the Fey – which makes me eager to see where and how the
author is going to develop his story.
On a larger scale, we see a shift in Connor’s world with the politics of
the Fey and humans changing in a big way and a new power, no one expected,
emerges. It is a gritty-action packed read and once again, the strengths
of this novel are that detailed threads Del Franco has running through the
book that converge by its end. It’s going to be interesting to see where
the author takes Connor from here.
Another strength of this series is the connection Del Franco has drawn to Connor and the cast of supporting characters surrounding him. Despite the larger changes in Connor’s world, this consistency of characters most important to Connor and to us grounds the book (no matter what Del Franco puts them through). I find one of the things that turns me off a book completely is the introduction of new characters at the expense of the old ones the author has spent building up only to have seemingly forgotten them for new novels in a series. Perhaps it’s a mark of a series that has gone on for too long that characters need to be changed so drastically like that, but it’s one I hope Del Franco refrains from doing with Connor and his cast of supporting characters.
Read more here:
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bo...
The Connor Grey Series by Mark Del Franco is about a druid who lives in Boston and helps the cops solve those cases involving the supernatural and the Fey.
Hands up anyone who is thinking of Harry Dresden?
I know the similarities are the reason I picked the first novel in this series initially, but The Dresden Files have faltered for me in recent novels (I haven’t read anything since “Turncoat” and considering the blurbs on releases after, I don’t see myself going back) while this series has strengthened and distinguished itself from The Dresden Files.
Book 4 is one of changes for Connor and the world Del Franco has created.
First, Connor finds out more about the black mass in his head and it’s not
something he wants to hear. While working a case with Murdock, he finds the
mass links him with one of the darkest and reviled Fey, a leanansidhe. In
fact, one calls him her “brother” which is about the last thing he wants.
As much as he tries to ignore what it means for him, Connor finds by the
end of the book, that the power the black mass offers is seductive in its
own way and he is not necessarily strong enough to resist it. More
questions are created about the mass and what it is doing to Connor, but
enough is answered that I found myself not minding that there was indeed
more to find out about the mass and its effects.
Meryl is less of a part of the larger story here than she was in book 3,
but Del Franco manages to make her an integral part of the climax in a
plausible way towards the end. Murdock though is the one that endures the
most change as we see hear more of his family and his surprising connection
to Connor and the Fey – which makes me eager to see where and how the
author is going to develop his story.
On a larger scale, we see a shift in Connor’s world with the politics of
the Fey and humans changing in a big way and a new power, no one expected,
emerges. It is a gritty-action packed read and once again, the strengths
of this novel are that detailed threads Del Franco has running through the
book that converge by its end. It’s going to be interesting to see where
the author takes Connor from here.
Another strength of this series is the connection Del Franco has drawn to Connor and the cast of supporting characters surrounding him. Despite the larger changes in Connor’s world, this consistency of characters most important to Connor and to us grounds the book (no matter what Del Franco puts them through). I find one of the things that turns me off a book completely is the introduction of new characters at the expense of the old ones the author has spent building up only to have seemingly forgotten them for new novels in a series. Perhaps it’s a mark of a series that has gone on for too long that characters need to be changed so drastically like that, but it’s one I hope Del Franco refrains from doing with Connor and his cast of supporting characters.
Read more here:
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bo...
May 24, 2011
Easily 4.5 stars.
In Unperfect Souls, the usual suspects, Joe, Keeva, Eorla, Briallen, Tibbet and the Guild’s Chief Archivist and Connor’s girlfriend Meryl Dian are back, as is a great character that we haven’t really seen since the first book. The Dead (dead people who can reanimate if they are killed who crossed over from TirNaNog after the battle at the end of the last book) are playing a prominent role in this installment. New characters, including a mysterious figure named the Hound, a Hellhound and a leanansidhe, who suck the essence of the living and are rare and solitary (also seriously creepy) creatures, are also introduced in this book.
There’s basically a war brewing between the Dead and the solitary fey with the body count rising on both sides, thanks in part to heightened emotions caused by the Taint, and it’s up to Murdock and Connor to figure out what’s going on in the Weird and why. There are numerous subplots as well. Something’s up with Keeva, though she won’t say what; Guildmaster of the Boston Guildhouse Manus ap Eagan is continuing to weaken and die, though nobody can figure out why, even High Queen Maeve’s herbalist Moira Cashel; and Connor is obsessed with tracking down and questioning the leanansidhe, named Druse, who for unknown reasons didn’t kill him when she had the chance.
Although I love these books, I had been getting a bit annoyed by the fact that we haven’t learned much about the mass in Connor’s head and have yet to really see Vize. Thankfully, throughout the first three-quarters of the book Del Franco gives us more information about Vize, Murdock and the thing inside Connor’s head. I was pretty happy about this thinking the author would just provide us with a little bit of information in this one and hopefully dole out more in the next book. I was wrong, as in the last quarter of the book all hell basically breaks loose with secrets being revealed and shocking events occurring. No way am I going to spoil anything for anyone, though I kind of feel like I’m doing just that by saying there are surprises galore. Of course, not all of the questions readers might have are answered and even more arise by the end of the book (what the hell was going on between Meryl and Briallen anyway??!!).
Definitely the best book in the series so far, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
In Unperfect Souls, the usual suspects, Joe, Keeva, Eorla, Briallen, Tibbet and the Guild’s Chief Archivist and Connor’s girlfriend Meryl Dian are back, as is a great character that we haven’t really seen since the first book. The Dead (dead people who can reanimate if they are killed who crossed over from TirNaNog after the battle at the end of the last book) are playing a prominent role in this installment. New characters, including a mysterious figure named the Hound, a Hellhound and a leanansidhe, who suck the essence of the living and are rare and solitary (also seriously creepy) creatures, are also introduced in this book.
There’s basically a war brewing between the Dead and the solitary fey with the body count rising on both sides, thanks in part to heightened emotions caused by the Taint, and it’s up to Murdock and Connor to figure out what’s going on in the Weird and why. There are numerous subplots as well. Something’s up with Keeva, though she won’t say what; Guildmaster of the Boston Guildhouse Manus ap Eagan is continuing to weaken and die, though nobody can figure out why, even High Queen Maeve’s herbalist Moira Cashel; and Connor is obsessed with tracking down and questioning the leanansidhe, named Druse, who for unknown reasons didn’t kill him when she had the chance.
Although I love these books, I had been getting a bit annoyed by the fact that we haven’t learned much about the mass in Connor’s head and have yet to really see Vize. Thankfully, throughout the first three-quarters of the book Del Franco gives us more information about Vize, Murdock and the thing inside Connor’s head. I was pretty happy about this thinking the author would just provide us with a little bit of information in this one and hopefully dole out more in the next book. I was wrong, as in the last quarter of the book all hell basically breaks loose with secrets being revealed and shocking events occurring. No way am I going to spoil anything for anyone, though I kind of feel like I’m doing just that by saying there are surprises galore. Of course, not all of the questions readers might have are answered and even more arise by the end of the book (what the hell was going on between Meryl and Briallen anyway??!!).
Definitely the best book in the series so far, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
August 9, 2011
I enjoyed the first two books of this series, but it was the third that made it a must read for me. It had action, adventure, intrigue and some interesting and surprising revelations. Unfortunately, this book dropped the ball and gave up most of the momentum built in the last book. Politics. That pretty much sums up the plotline in a nutshell.
The story started out good, with a mystery and a dead body (like usual). One of the Dead from TirNaNog is found decapitated. He's literally a dead Dead guy. Though it has a certain macabre humor, this premise quickly devolved into a political struggle acted out through a conflict between Solitaries (fey who are too unusual/ugly to be accepted) and the Dead. That conflict - that mystery - is completely secondary to the political machinations going on. Connor can't talk to anyone who doesn't have a hidden agenda!
As for Connor's black mass that blocks his abilities? We get closer to an answer there. But, after four books, I tired of moving "closer." I'm beginning to feel like a horse chasing a carrot hung in front of me that I can never catch. I can understand a thread running through all the books to interconnect them and make them more than stand alone mysteries. But when that thread prevents any resolution from occurring, it becomes frustrating. Every book has Connor recalling all he lost when he lost his abilities (wealth, status, power) and yet now he sees how wrong the Guild is and how he can no longer support its agenda. Methinks he doth protest too much. Would he still be a changed man if he got those abilities back? I'd love to find out.
There was some good things that kept me reading through to the end. Readers learn more about Murdock, his new essence shield and his family. The mystery surrounding just who "The Hound" is was a surprise. Eorla Kruge as a powerful fey NOT out to step on the little people was a breath of fresh air. If they hadn't been so dominant, the politics were also interesting. However, at the end I didn't feel like the story progressed. The only difference between the beginning and the end are some casualties - and a lot more questions. It makes me reluctant to try the author's other series set in the same world. I will read the next book, but if there is no resolution - I won't be back for more.
The story started out good, with a mystery and a dead body (like usual). One of the Dead from TirNaNog is found decapitated. He's literally a dead Dead guy. Though it has a certain macabre humor, this premise quickly devolved into a political struggle acted out through a conflict between Solitaries (fey who are too unusual/ugly to be accepted) and the Dead. That conflict - that mystery - is completely secondary to the political machinations going on. Connor can't talk to anyone who doesn't have a hidden agenda!
As for Connor's black mass that blocks his abilities? We get closer to an answer there. But, after four books, I tired of moving "closer." I'm beginning to feel like a horse chasing a carrot hung in front of me that I can never catch. I can understand a thread running through all the books to interconnect them and make them more than stand alone mysteries. But when that thread prevents any resolution from occurring, it becomes frustrating. Every book has Connor recalling all he lost when he lost his abilities (wealth, status, power) and yet now he sees how wrong the Guild is and how he can no longer support its agenda. Methinks he doth protest too much. Would he still be a changed man if he got those abilities back? I'd love to find out.
There was some good things that kept me reading through to the end. Readers learn more about Murdock, his new essence shield and his family. The mystery surrounding just who "The Hound" is was a surprise. Eorla Kruge as a powerful fey NOT out to step on the little people was a breath of fresh air. If they hadn't been so dominant, the politics were also interesting. However, at the end I didn't feel like the story progressed. The only difference between the beginning and the end are some casualties - and a lot more questions. It makes me reluctant to try the author's other series set in the same world. I will read the next book, but if there is no resolution - I won't be back for more.
December 20, 2010
Absolutely awesome!!! Each book in this series starts off immediately after the last book stopped and draws heavily on events in previous books. I would strongly recommend that the books be read in order. Additionaly I would recommend that Skin Deep, Laura Blackstone, Book 1, be read between Unfallen Dead Connor Grey, Book 3, and Unperfect Souls, Connor Grey, Book 4. The first Laura Blackstone book introduces a jotunn, a merrow, and most importantly, a leanansidhe. A member of each of these magical species makes an appearance in Unperfect Souls.
In Unperfect Souls there are major revelations about several key characters. We finally learn why Scott Murdock, Police Commissioner and father of Detective Lieutenant Leonard Murdock, hates Connor so much. Connor finds an unlikely mentor and learns a lot more about the dark mass in his head. Shay returns and we catch up on his life after losing his partner, Robyn. The taint is still creating havoc in the Weird, and since the end of Samhein, the fey of the Weird have to deal with the Dead trapped on this side of the veil. In fact, this volume in the Connor Grey series starts with the discovery of the torso of a dead Dead guy and Connor being called to consult for the Boston P.D. Developments include the death of one recurring character, another regular character slips into a coma, and a third familiar character seems to be in a detached state in which that person no longer appears to occupy their body. This book is a turning point in the series and nothing will be the same in the future. Five stars and eagerly awaiting book five.
In Unperfect Souls there are major revelations about several key characters. We finally learn why Scott Murdock, Police Commissioner and father of Detective Lieutenant Leonard Murdock, hates Connor so much. Connor finds an unlikely mentor and learns a lot more about the dark mass in his head. Shay returns and we catch up on his life after losing his partner, Robyn. The taint is still creating havoc in the Weird, and since the end of Samhein, the fey of the Weird have to deal with the Dead trapped on this side of the veil. In fact, this volume in the Connor Grey series starts with the discovery of the torso of a dead Dead guy and Connor being called to consult for the Boston P.D. Developments include the death of one recurring character, another regular character slips into a coma, and a third familiar character seems to be in a detached state in which that person no longer appears to occupy their body. This book is a turning point in the series and nothing will be the same in the future. Five stars and eagerly awaiting book five.
March 31, 2014
The Dead who came through the veil in the last book cannot get back to the world of the dead after Connor tore the veil apart. They and the solitary fae are at war over turf in the Weird. The only way to kill a Dead is to separate their head from their body otherwise they just wake up again the next dawn; still dead but re-animated.
The undead confuse Murdock’s Catholic faith. His new strength is reaching dangerous levels. He can tussle with a drunken dwarf. Something Connor admits he couldn’t do but Murdock still registers as human to everyone who tries to investigate his odd body shield.
And the floating clouds of Taint make everyone lose control except Connor; him it avoids. The police have backed off on suspicious orders from the Commissioner who is so anti-fae it is affecting his job. Murdock and Connor follow him to see which side he is secretly meeting with.
Ceridwen is gone and Connor has well and truly attracted Maeve’s attention. The endless power fight between Seelie fae, Teutonic elves and the Guild intensifies. Rendered more complex by the illness of the Guildmaster Manus ap Eagan who has a wasting illness no one can identify. Always interested in Connor, he invites him to a party. His new healer, probably a spy for Maeve, tells Connor she is a figure from his past. He doesn’t remember her, (he still has some memory gaps after the nuclear accident with Bergin Vize) but their meeting triggers a disastrous event.
There are some old characters back, Shay the boy prostitute and Eorla Kruge, a queen of the Teutonic elves. An earlier book was the investigation of the death of her husband. Shay has a new friend; an undead Hellhound who takes to Connor as well. Neither is sure if he is a kind of lost pet or a portent of doom. His eyes glow red at night.
And then Connor finds another creature of darkness, a leanansidhe who calls him brother and Bergin Vize is back and wielding a weapon he got in the land of the dead.
It ends with an uncertain future for one character; enough to make me get out of bed past midnight and go hunting for the next book. But the title makes my teeth hurt. Unperfect? Really?
The undead confuse Murdock’s Catholic faith. His new strength is reaching dangerous levels. He can tussle with a drunken dwarf. Something Connor admits he couldn’t do but Murdock still registers as human to everyone who tries to investigate his odd body shield.
And the floating clouds of Taint make everyone lose control except Connor; him it avoids. The police have backed off on suspicious orders from the Commissioner who is so anti-fae it is affecting his job. Murdock and Connor follow him to see which side he is secretly meeting with.
Ceridwen is gone and Connor has well and truly attracted Maeve’s attention. The endless power fight between Seelie fae, Teutonic elves and the Guild intensifies. Rendered more complex by the illness of the Guildmaster Manus ap Eagan who has a wasting illness no one can identify. Always interested in Connor, he invites him to a party. His new healer, probably a spy for Maeve, tells Connor she is a figure from his past. He doesn’t remember her, (he still has some memory gaps after the nuclear accident with Bergin Vize) but their meeting triggers a disastrous event.
There are some old characters back, Shay the boy prostitute and Eorla Kruge, a queen of the Teutonic elves. An earlier book was the investigation of the death of her husband. Shay has a new friend; an undead Hellhound who takes to Connor as well. Neither is sure if he is a kind of lost pet or a portent of doom. His eyes glow red at night.
And then Connor finds another creature of darkness, a leanansidhe who calls him brother and Bergin Vize is back and wielding a weapon he got in the land of the dead.
It ends with an uncertain future for one character; enough to make me get out of bed past midnight and go hunting for the next book. But the title makes my teeth hurt. Unperfect? Really?
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