What do you think?
Rate this book
Dulcie O'Neil #1
To Kill A Warlock
The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.
Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.
Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.
Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.
Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.
210 pages, Nook
First published July 3, 2010
747 people are currently reading
6391 people want to read
About the author
H.P. Mallory
355 books2,800 followersI’m a huge fan of anything paranormal and I always have been. I get super excited whenever they have those Twilight Zone Marathon days and anything ghost or vampire related will always attract my attention.
My interests are varied but aside from writing, I’m most excited about traveling. I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to live in England and Scotland, both places really having a profound effect on my books.
Thanks for checking out my books and I hope you enjoy them! Happy Haunting!
H.P.
My interests are varied but aside from writing, I’m most excited about traveling. I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to live in England and Scotland, both places really having a profound effect on my books.
Thanks for checking out my books and I hope you enjoy them! Happy Haunting!
H.P.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 794 reviews
October 15, 2017
When this one was free, I decided to take a chance - glad I did. The cartoonish cover gives the impression it will be light and humorous - and it is - but it carries its weight of darkness and serious tomb. The world-building is varied with Fairies, demons, goblins, vampires, and a whole host of supernatural creatures and critters. Dulcie is a fairy who works as a detective of sorts called a "Regulator". She's tasked with hunting down a particularly vicious and ruthless killer who is leaving bloody bodies throughout town. She gets paired up with Knight Vander, who literally comes from another world, and may have more secrets than she pictures.
The story is surprisingly layered. It's not a simple mystery or romance because there is a lot involved with other key people in her life where the mystery deepens and there are some surprises in store. Investigating requires questioning, misleads, stake-outs, and accidentally stumbling on more corpses. Dulcie has power of her own but she's not that powerful when you compare leads of other fantasy books of this sort, and she doesn't have anything that makes her stand out as a one-of-the-kind type.
Romance-wise, it's light. Romance isn't the focus of the story at all, but it's properly in the background and gives spice. There isn't steam or cemented relationships, but there's fun and playful banter, humorous situations, and the mystery deepens when it comes to the mysterious Knight. I have to admit I'm more intrigued by the vampire - Dulcie isn't interested in him so that's likely a no-go, ever, but he's still interesting enough.
Overall I liked Dulcie. She admits her flaws, isn't led by her hormones, sidesteps seduction attempts, has a fun best friend who keeps things amusing, and has a fun way to look at things. Her snarky dialogue is fun but she isn't perfect - still, I liked her overall and she blends well with the humorous and free-flowing writing style. There's a few demented darker parts of the book that come out of the blue.
I was never a fan of cutesy books, but that seems to be changing this year since I've been finding more and more I'm enjoying. The writing style is a bit too simple at times and Dulcie seems quite young in her mentality part of the time, but that fits this genre well enough to where it's not a turn off.
The story is surprisingly layered. It's not a simple mystery or romance because there is a lot involved with other key people in her life where the mystery deepens and there are some surprises in store. Investigating requires questioning, misleads, stake-outs, and accidentally stumbling on more corpses. Dulcie has power of her own but she's not that powerful when you compare leads of other fantasy books of this sort, and she doesn't have anything that makes her stand out as a one-of-the-kind type.
Romance-wise, it's light. Romance isn't the focus of the story at all, but it's properly in the background and gives spice. There isn't steam or cemented relationships, but there's fun and playful banter, humorous situations, and the mystery deepens when it comes to the mysterious Knight. I have to admit I'm more intrigued by the vampire - Dulcie isn't interested in him so that's likely a no-go, ever, but he's still interesting enough.
Overall I liked Dulcie. She admits her flaws, isn't led by her hormones, sidesteps seduction attempts, has a fun best friend who keeps things amusing, and has a fun way to look at things. Her snarky dialogue is fun but she isn't perfect - still, I liked her overall and she blends well with the humorous and free-flowing writing style. There's a few demented darker parts of the book that come out of the blue.
I was never a fan of cutesy books, but that seems to be changing this year since I've been finding more and more I'm enjoying. The writing style is a bit too simple at times and Dulcie seems quite young in her mentality part of the time, but that fits this genre well enough to where it's not a turn off.
March 5, 2011
Quick Take:
This book is pure fun. The characters were perhaps the most enjoyable aspect, with protagonist Dulcie being the main draw. Intriguing but tempered world building whet my appetite enough to want to see what's to follow in the series.
One of the first things that struck me whilst reading this book was the general "vibe." The tone of this piece was very…comfortable, and the first-person narration had a light, conversational style. For a book that focuses primarily on supes and unnatural elements, I found it rather familiar (and not just because the book takes place in California ^_^). This might be due to the world-building; the more large-scale aspects--the Netherworld, the supernatural community at large--seemed to be tempered in favor of specific character development.
…which is great, since the heart of my affection for this book rests with Dulcie herself. She's such a likable character: smart, funny, badass…but also vulnerable. She possesses an insecurity or two that would be identifiable to the average person. I very much enjoyed the small quirks about her; for instance, she's a tough cop by day but is an aspiring romance writer by night (her first piece is an historical entitled "Captain Slade's Bounty." Heheheh…). Those details went a long way toward endearing the character in my mind.
In fact, the whole cast was fun. They made the book, in my opinion. The individual personalities were quirky and amusing, and the interactions between them provided laughs aplenty. I see Dulcie and her crew (mainly consisting of her co-workers) as a humorously dysfunctional yet loving family.
It was the affection for the characters that kept my enjoyment levels high even as I at times wondered in what direction the story was heading, or what the plot was supposed to be focused on. There's was a "main" mystery involved and Dulcie did do some sleuthing, but it wasn't a straight-line type of thread, in my view. But anywho.
All told, this book is an easy, breezy read that should bring a smile to the face of most urban fantasy fans out there. It's amusing, not goofy. The protagonist is quirky, but not TSTL. The next book, A Tale of Two Goblins (did you pick up on the Dickens nod?), certainly has a solid basis to jump from. I say, bring it on.
This book is pure fun. The characters were perhaps the most enjoyable aspect, with protagonist Dulcie being the main draw. Intriguing but tempered world building whet my appetite enough to want to see what's to follow in the series.
One of the first things that struck me whilst reading this book was the general "vibe." The tone of this piece was very…comfortable, and the first-person narration had a light, conversational style. For a book that focuses primarily on supes and unnatural elements, I found it rather familiar (and not just because the book takes place in California ^_^). This might be due to the world-building; the more large-scale aspects--the Netherworld, the supernatural community at large--seemed to be tempered in favor of specific character development.
…which is great, since the heart of my affection for this book rests with Dulcie herself. She's such a likable character: smart, funny, badass…but also vulnerable. She possesses an insecurity or two that would be identifiable to the average person. I very much enjoyed the small quirks about her; for instance, she's a tough cop by day but is an aspiring romance writer by night (her first piece is an historical entitled "Captain Slade's Bounty." Heheheh…). Those details went a long way toward endearing the character in my mind.
In fact, the whole cast was fun. They made the book, in my opinion. The individual personalities were quirky and amusing, and the interactions between them provided laughs aplenty. I see Dulcie and her crew (mainly consisting of her co-workers) as a humorously dysfunctional yet loving family.
It was the affection for the characters that kept my enjoyment levels high even as I at times wondered in what direction the story was heading, or what the plot was supposed to be focused on. There's was a "main" mystery involved and Dulcie did do some sleuthing, but it wasn't a straight-line type of thread, in my view. But anywho.
All told, this book is an easy, breezy read that should bring a smile to the face of most urban fantasy fans out there. It's amusing, not goofy. The protagonist is quirky, but not TSTL. The next book, A Tale of Two Goblins (did you pick up on the Dickens nod?), certainly has a solid basis to jump from. I say, bring it on.
December 4, 2013
I read the whole thing, but that's not saying much since I have a compulsion to finish reading a book no matter how bad it is. This one is pretty bad. The story is nothing new and draws heavily from popular influence. The quirky, self-conscious heroine who is competent even while lacking confidence yet is lusted after by every male in a 10 mile radius is such a tired character it needs a nap. Preferably a long, dirt one.
The actual style of writing (some have called it "conversational") makes it seem like the narrator is either a 12 year old girl or trying to appeal to 12 year old girls. If it weren't for some of the darker moments, I'd think this was a bad Y.A. novel. Nothing about this made me want to read the rest of the series.
The actual style of writing (some have called it "conversational") makes it seem like the narrator is either a 12 year old girl or trying to appeal to 12 year old girls. If it weren't for some of the darker moments, I'd think this was a bad Y.A. novel. Nothing about this made me want to read the rest of the series.
Read
January 26, 2012LOL
November 10, 2010
Original Post at One More Page
I'm still fairly new to the urban fantasy genre, and I am still avoiding paranormal romance (maybe I should make a post about that sometime) so when I received a review request from HP Mallory for her books, I was kind of hesitant to accept it. But I'm not really one to say no to free books, so I thought, why not?
I finally found the time to read To Kill a Warlock when we started moving a week ago. I figured after reading about zombies, I need to take a break from the gore so this should be a perfect read. And since we were moving, all my books were packed, so all the reading I could do was in my Kindle.
So Dulcie is a fairy and one of the best Regulators from the Association of Netherworld Creatures (ANC) in California. As a Regulator, she monitors the activities of the different paranormal creatures in her area and makes sure they act in accordance to the laws. But after her Regulator job is finished, Dulcie hides in her house and works on her novel, which she hoped to published so she can be rid of her Regulator job. Her more or less regular Regulator (ha, sorry, I can't resist!) job is disturbed when a warlock dies and she was the last one who saw him. The story follows Dulcie as she tries to figure out who killed the warlock, work on her novel and figure out her relationships with the different men in her life which included a vampire, a demon, an elf and a Loki.
To Kill a Warlock is generally a fun read, with a spunky heroine who's had a broken heart and dreams of being a published writer. The story is pretty tight, with a good -- although not really unique -- concept about a group that regulates paranormal creatures among humans, and of course, lots of romance for Dulcie. That being said, however...I don't think To Kill a Warlock really worked for me. :( I hate it when this happens, especially since it seemed like many readers liked the book and the characters (and that I got this book for review). I did not hate any of them, really, but they just failed to make an big impression on me that I just didn't care about them as much as I normally would. As the story got to the climax, I found myself just flipping to the next pages, eager to finish because I was getting tired of how they seemed to be going in circles. When the major action has finished and everything has settled, I thought it was over, but it wasn't...and it led me wondering, "What else could happen after all that?" I didn't feel very satisfied at the ending because I felt like it was a bit of a cop out -- everyone sort of at peace with each other, with Dulcie having three guys going after her. In the end I was just confused.
It's not that it's a bad book. I have to give some merit to the author because I enjoyed myself in some parts of the book, but as a whole, I was underwhelmed. I think I can put the blame on Ilona Andrews and their Kate Daniels series with how I viewed To Kill a Warlock. The Kate Daniels series is my first time to read adult urban fantasy and I loved every bit of it, so I got kind of spoiled with their world building and character development in those books. So much so that my expectations were a bit too high when I read To Kill a Warlock. Perhaps if I read this first before any of the Kate Daniels books, I'd think otherwise.
I'm still fairly new to the urban fantasy genre, and I am still avoiding paranormal romance (maybe I should make a post about that sometime) so when I received a review request from HP Mallory for her books, I was kind of hesitant to accept it. But I'm not really one to say no to free books, so I thought, why not?
I finally found the time to read To Kill a Warlock when we started moving a week ago. I figured after reading about zombies, I need to take a break from the gore so this should be a perfect read. And since we were moving, all my books were packed, so all the reading I could do was in my Kindle.
So Dulcie is a fairy and one of the best Regulators from the Association of Netherworld Creatures (ANC) in California. As a Regulator, she monitors the activities of the different paranormal creatures in her area and makes sure they act in accordance to the laws. But after her Regulator job is finished, Dulcie hides in her house and works on her novel, which she hoped to published so she can be rid of her Regulator job. Her more or less regular Regulator (ha, sorry, I can't resist!) job is disturbed when a warlock dies and she was the last one who saw him. The story follows Dulcie as she tries to figure out who killed the warlock, work on her novel and figure out her relationships with the different men in her life which included a vampire, a demon, an elf and a Loki.
To Kill a Warlock is generally a fun read, with a spunky heroine who's had a broken heart and dreams of being a published writer. The story is pretty tight, with a good -- although not really unique -- concept about a group that regulates paranormal creatures among humans, and of course, lots of romance for Dulcie. That being said, however...I don't think To Kill a Warlock really worked for me. :( I hate it when this happens, especially since it seemed like many readers liked the book and the characters (and that I got this book for review). I did not hate any of them, really, but they just failed to make an big impression on me that I just didn't care about them as much as I normally would. As the story got to the climax, I found myself just flipping to the next pages, eager to finish because I was getting tired of how they seemed to be going in circles. When the major action has finished and everything has settled, I thought it was over, but it wasn't...and it led me wondering, "What else could happen after all that?" I didn't feel very satisfied at the ending because I felt like it was a bit of a cop out -- everyone sort of at peace with each other, with Dulcie having three guys going after her. In the end I was just confused.
It's not that it's a bad book. I have to give some merit to the author because I enjoyed myself in some parts of the book, but as a whole, I was underwhelmed. I think I can put the blame on Ilona Andrews and their Kate Daniels series with how I viewed To Kill a Warlock. The Kate Daniels series is my first time to read adult urban fantasy and I loved every bit of it, so I got kind of spoiled with their world building and character development in those books. So much so that my expectations were a bit too high when I read To Kill a Warlock. Perhaps if I read this first before any of the Kate Daniels books, I'd think otherwise.
July 4, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I found myself quite taken with Ms Mallory's writing style right from the offset. It's light, conversational in tone, funny. But please don't be fooled by that nor by the cartoon-like cover. This is not as fluffy, or 'paranormal-lite' as you might be expecting once you get into the meat of the story. It was actually surprisingly dark and sexy in places and had violent scenes, but those scenes were usually described off page rather than experienced first-hand. Mallory herself describes her writing as "a blend of suspense, humor, light horror, and romance with a sprinkle of fantasy to tie everything together" and that's pretty accurate. And I loved it!
It's written first-person through Dulcie who is a faerie. She's a pretty fabulous character; intelligent, good at her job, witty and attractive (although she has a tendency to fixate on the bits she doesn't find attractive and ignore the rest). There are plenty of other people that have no issues seeing her full level of attractiveness, however, and there are some very interesting possibilities set up in the romance department. But that will be for future books. Dulcie isn't running into anything after being put through the wringer by her last boyfriend. No matter how persistent her potential suitors get!
One thing I really enjoyed was the variety of supernatural species. You've got Faries, Werewolves, Vampires, Trolls, Elves and Goblins to name only a few, as well as some more that I'd not heard of before. I like Urban Fantasies with a nice diversity like that. And this time, refreshingly, they all seem to get along pretty well. There's no inbred animosity between any two species. Nope, any animosity found between charatcers is earned all on its own. Such as between rival potential love interests for example...
The mystery plot was well-executed, with some big twists and turns. The pacing was excellent and moved at a good clip throughout. The sexual tension was almost off the charts, and overall I'm just very excited for this series.
My only complaint would be that the best friend character, Sam, was slightly underwritten. She could have been put to better use and maybe displayed the level of closeness between her and Dulcie more. Especially if she's going to be an important character in future books.
All together, a very impressive 4.5 Stars! ★★★★
(At the time of writing this, the first book is free on Amazon. You would be totally cray cray not to snap it up!
It's written first-person through Dulcie who is a faerie. She's a pretty fabulous character; intelligent, good at her job, witty and attractive (although she has a tendency to fixate on the bits she doesn't find attractive and ignore the rest). There are plenty of other people that have no issues seeing her full level of attractiveness, however, and there are some very interesting possibilities set up in the romance department. But that will be for future books. Dulcie isn't running into anything after being put through the wringer by her last boyfriend. No matter how persistent her potential suitors get!
One thing I really enjoyed was the variety of supernatural species. You've got Faries, Werewolves, Vampires, Trolls, Elves and Goblins to name only a few, as well as some more that I'd not heard of before. I like Urban Fantasies with a nice diversity like that. And this time, refreshingly, they all seem to get along pretty well. There's no inbred animosity between any two species. Nope, any animosity found between charatcers is earned all on its own. Such as between rival potential love interests for example...
The mystery plot was well-executed, with some big twists and turns. The pacing was excellent and moved at a good clip throughout. The sexual tension was almost off the charts, and overall I'm just very excited for this series.
My only complaint would be that the best friend character, Sam, was slightly underwritten. She could have been put to better use and maybe displayed the level of closeness between her and Dulcie more. Especially if she's going to be an important character in future books.
All together, a very impressive 4.5 Stars! ★★★★
(At the time of writing this, the first book is free on Amazon. You would be totally cray cray not to snap it up!
February 17, 2012
I liked the premise of this book - a fairy in law enforcement has to solve a murder - but there appear to be three potential romantic possibilities for the main character, Dulcie, and the one that appears to be "winning" at the end of this book is the one I like the least (Knight). In fact, I like him so little, it annoyed me that Dulcie is even slightly interested in him. The one I liked the best (Quillan) turns out to be one of the bad guys (maybe? maybe there's a good reason for what he did that we'll find out about in a future book?), which just stank. There also really wasn't much focus on his relationship with Dulcie, most of that is implied, and that made me sad for much of the book. What I liked is that he seemed to care about Dulcie for who she was, and liked her for who she was. The other two possibilities don't really know her that well, and any chemistry is purely physical, which...I personally just don't enjoy reading about. The third romantic possibility (Bram), I enjoyed as a character, but I definitely didn't "see" any chemistry between him and Dulcie.
All that being said, it was an OK book, and I'm intrigued enough to want to read more, but if the next book doesn't turn the story in a direction that I enjoy more, I probably won't continue to read the series. This isn't the fault the author or anything, the romantic subplot in this just really wasn't my cup of tea, but I can see how people who enjoy more mysterious alpha male types might really get a kick out of this.
All that being said, it was an OK book, and I'm intrigued enough to want to read more, but if the next book doesn't turn the story in a direction that I enjoy more, I probably won't continue to read the series. This isn't the fault the author or anything, the romantic subplot in this just really wasn't my cup of tea, but I can see how people who enjoy more mysterious alpha male types might really get a kick out of this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
i-give-up
April 24, 2015This book is bad and it should feel bad.
The problem with this book does not lie with the narrator. It isn't her fault that 70% in I decided I didn't really give a crap about what happens at the end and gave up.
It's a shame, too. I started out really liking this book because the first chapter was so funny.
I didn't feel like I was reading about faeries and vampires and other paranormal creatures at all. There was nothing actually otherworldly about any of them and it as really disappointing.
Bram is basically just a subpar version of Laurel K Hamilton's "Jean-Claude". But instead of "ma petite" he thinks it is funny to call Dolcie "sweet". It's basically the same character. He owns a club and everything.
I don't particularly like any of the other 3 male "love interests" at all. Quillin or whatever the hell his name is...I guess he's okay, but I still don't like him. The other three are pompous a-holes.
And don't get me started on Dolcie. She's a friggin' idiot. She's supposed to be law enforcement and the best but she screws up all over the place and lets everyone else convince her of what she should be doing, except when she decides not to listen to them and then ends up screwing up again.
She's supposed to be this super hot faerie according to all the men in this book but she's insecure enough that she goes around being jealous of all the other women in the book, and it actually interferes with her work. I hate main characters that hate how they look to the point where it comes up over and over and friggin' over again. Can't we get some women who are comfortable with themselves or something to follow around? She may as well be any regular human lead in a young adult paranormal romance.
Also, I'm not into S&M or anything, and I would have been fine if Dolcie was just turned off by the goings on there, but then she went and called everyone who might be interested in such a thing freaks and made it seem like it was wrong (and also ruined her undercover shit there for a second time, why didn't she just tell Knight to go there himself, she's so dumb), and that's about when I gave up on this book.
If I'm lucky, Audible will let me return it or something.
The problem with this book does not lie with the narrator. It isn't her fault that 70% in I decided I didn't really give a crap about what happens at the end and gave up.
It's a shame, too. I started out really liking this book because the first chapter was so funny.
I didn't feel like I was reading about faeries and vampires and other paranormal creatures at all. There was nothing actually otherworldly about any of them and it as really disappointing.
Bram is basically just a subpar version of Laurel K Hamilton's "Jean-Claude". But instead of "ma petite" he thinks it is funny to call Dolcie "sweet". It's basically the same character. He owns a club and everything.
I don't particularly like any of the other 3 male "love interests" at all. Quillin or whatever the hell his name is...I guess he's okay, but I still don't like him. The other three are pompous a-holes.
And don't get me started on Dolcie. She's a friggin' idiot. She's supposed to be law enforcement and the best but she screws up all over the place and lets everyone else convince her of what she should be doing, except when she decides not to listen to them and then ends up screwing up again.
She's supposed to be this super hot faerie according to all the men in this book but she's insecure enough that she goes around being jealous of all the other women in the book, and it actually interferes with her work. I hate main characters that hate how they look to the point where it comes up over and over and friggin' over again. Can't we get some women who are comfortable with themselves or something to follow around? She may as well be any regular human lead in a young adult paranormal romance.
Also, I'm not into S&M or anything, and I would have been fine if Dolcie was just turned off by the goings on there, but then she went and called everyone who might be interested in such a thing freaks and made it seem like it was wrong (and also ruined her undercover shit there for a second time, why didn't she just tell Knight to go there himself, she's so dumb), and that's about when I gave up on this book.
If I'm lucky, Audible will let me return it or something.
July 31, 2012
★★★½
Dulcie is a Fairy who works as a regulator monitoring creatures of the netherworld. Her world is one of demons, monsters, witches and warlocks. When a monster turns up on her patch, tearing people she knows to pieces, she finds herself hunting a creature that kills for fun.
Helping her is a mysterious regulator who might or might not be on her side.
To Kill a Warlock never quite clicks. There are some good moments in it but the good in this book doesn't add up to a good book.
Dulcie is a Fairy who works as a regulator monitoring creatures of the netherworld. Her world is one of demons, monsters, witches and warlocks. When a monster turns up on her patch, tearing people she knows to pieces, she finds herself hunting a creature that kills for fun.
Helping her is a mysterious regulator who might or might not be on her side.
To Kill a Warlock never quite clicks. There are some good moments in it but the good in this book doesn't add up to a good book.
October 9, 2019
Dulcie is a fairy cop whose latest case is the brutal murder of a warlock. A vicious beast seems to be the culprit. Knight, a fellow agent from the Netherworld side of law enforcement, secretly recruits her to help him track down the creature and whoever summoned it from the Netherworld. The investigation puts Knight and Dulcie in some interesting situations.
This was a fun, quick read and a good start to the series. I'm hooked. This book seems to have it all - just about every supernatural race possible, it's funny (my favorite aspect of Dulcie's character is that she writes smutty romance novels about her coworkers in her spare time), it's got romance (sort of), and a decent crime/mystery. So why only 3 stars? It's a good "start". I felt like we were given just a tad more than the superficial outline of the story and characters. I want to see more and I think I will get it as the series progresses.
This was a fun, quick read and a good start to the series. I'm hooked. This book seems to have it all - just about every supernatural race possible, it's funny (my favorite aspect of Dulcie's character is that she writes smutty romance novels about her coworkers in her spare time), it's got romance (sort of), and a decent crime/mystery. So why only 3 stars? It's a good "start". I felt like we were given just a tad more than the superficial outline of the story and characters. I want to see more and I think I will get it as the series progresses.
October 7, 2011
In this first of the Dulcie O'Neil series, Mallory has created a world populated with witches, warlocks, fairies, demons, vampires, werewolves, elves, hobgoblins, ogres, leprechauns, pixies, gremlins, loki and more who all "came out" into the public to the humans fifty years ago. Now a creature is killing illegal potions dealers in the city of Splendor, CA.
This is a humorous paranormal fantasy romance story filled with action and a betrayal which reminds me a little of MaryJanice Davidson's style of writing.
Meet the main characters:
Dulce, the female lead, is a fairy with Spock ears (she really hates her ears) who works as a Regulator, someone who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to ensure they’re not breaking any rules, for the A.N.C. (Association for Netherworld Creatures). When she's not out kicking butts, she's a budding romance author.
Quillan, elf and Dulce's boss, is sexy in a paranormal romance book cover kind of way.
Sam, Dulcie's best friend, is a witch who works with her.
Bram is a vampire who runs a nightclub called No Regrets. He also dated Sam for awhile but she broke it off when she figured out he was dating her just to get closer to Dulcie.
Dagan is a demon who runs an S&M club called Payne and is one of Dulcie's informants.
Trey is a hobgoblin and the only other Regulator in the Splendor precinct.
Knight is a detective from the A.N.C. Relations Office in the Netherworld and a Loki who is here on a temporary assignment.
Everyone gets involved trying to stop the creature murdering the illegal potions traders as well as the one controlling the creature but it is up to Dulcie to finish it.
Three sexy gorgeous guys are romancing Dulcie. Who will she pick? The elf, the loki or the vampire?
The sexual chemistry is hot in book but there is more talk than action on that front.
Warning Spoiler Alert!!!
This ends with open question of who Dulcie will end up with, we'll have to wait for the sequel.
This is a humorous paranormal fantasy romance story filled with action and a betrayal which reminds me a little of MaryJanice Davidson's style of writing.
Meet the main characters:
Dulce, the female lead, is a fairy with Spock ears (she really hates her ears) who works as a Regulator, someone who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to ensure they’re not breaking any rules, for the A.N.C. (Association for Netherworld Creatures). When she's not out kicking butts, she's a budding romance author.
Quillan, elf and Dulce's boss, is sexy in a paranormal romance book cover kind of way.
Sam, Dulcie's best friend, is a witch who works with her.
Bram is a vampire who runs a nightclub called No Regrets. He also dated Sam for awhile but she broke it off when she figured out he was dating her just to get closer to Dulcie.
Dagan is a demon who runs an S&M club called Payne and is one of Dulcie's informants.
Trey is a hobgoblin and the only other Regulator in the Splendor precinct.
Knight is a detective from the A.N.C. Relations Office in the Netherworld and a Loki who is here on a temporary assignment.
Everyone gets involved trying to stop the creature murdering the illegal potions traders as well as the one controlling the creature but it is up to Dulcie to finish it.
Three sexy gorgeous guys are romancing Dulcie. Who will she pick? The elf, the loki or the vampire?
The sexual chemistry is hot in book but there is more talk than action on that front.
Warning Spoiler Alert!!!
This ends with open question of who Dulcie will end up with, we'll have to wait for the sequel.
October 19, 2020
When I first got my Kindle Fire about ten years ago, one of the things that had me weak-kneed with wonder was being able to download free books. And, not just any freebies, but books that seemed to be right up my alley that I would happily plunk down my book allowance for. All that to say, the combo of paranormal fantasy romance elements and murder mystery in a new to me urban fantasy series was an easy grab. Unfortunately, I grabbed many freebies so this one set on the shelf until now.
Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy, but don't mistake her for one of those little Tinker Bell types that flit among the trees. She's a Regulator for the supernatural policing organization that keeps an eye on supernaturals who waver off the straight and narrow. Recently, she's been working a case against a crooked warlock who has been breaking the rules as to what he trades and sells in his magic shop. Unfortunately, she is also the last one to see him alive and must figure out who took him out. She gains an unwilling partner in the mysterious Knight, fresh from the Netherworld, but seems to have a habit of picking up dangerous, smoldering men along the way while solving her case.
So, this will be one of those that goes down as a like, but not love book. It hit a few of my pet peeves, but also had several little niggles that kept me from satisfaction. But, there was a lot to enjoy, too. I was looking for something fun and new to try in the urban fantasy genre and there is a possibility this series will work out the kinks and be exactly that.
The biggest thing is something that irritates me, but might not be an issue for others. I'm not fond of insecure heroines who have a bombshell body so that they cause every male in their vicinity to start drooling while the gal is jealous and snarky about other gals because she is apparently oblivious to what is going on. This leads into a second big bugaboo. I wasn't thrilled about Dulcie's collection of men. Depending how one counted, she had four and was stringing them along not able to make up her mind so that she engaged in sex or dates with all of them. This doesn't get resolved and carries forward.
Now we get to the little stuff. Dulcie is described as really good at her job, but she pulled a lot of silly, stubborn, stupids in this book. Granted, she was determined to be her own woman and do her own thing, but she caused a lot of her own trouble and mishandled her case like a pro wouldn't do.
I was also not fond of her calling people who engage in the BDSM lifestyle, freaks. Her case took her to a club and she even had a bit of sexy times in a BDSM scene with one of her guys. It's not my thing, either, and I'm not a professional investigator on a job, but I wouldn't think getting all skittery about it made her look good.
And, what left me scratching my head was how easy it was to put the finger on the culprit. I felt if she had been doing her stuff and not distracted all over the place then it shouldn't have been that complicated.
But, there was some funny stuff, some hot and sexy stuff, and I felt there was a potential for Dulcie to grow and change and maybe settle on a romance partner. While I thought she wasn't as good an investigator as touted, I still had some good times as she worked on the murder. There were some curious things about Knight and the others that I would like to learn so at some point I might come back to the series.
As I said before, this was a mixed feeling book for me, but others might not have the ticky-tack issues I had. So, if Urban Fantasy is your thing, it's still free and you can give it a go.
Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy, but don't mistake her for one of those little Tinker Bell types that flit among the trees. She's a Regulator for the supernatural policing organization that keeps an eye on supernaturals who waver off the straight and narrow. Recently, she's been working a case against a crooked warlock who has been breaking the rules as to what he trades and sells in his magic shop. Unfortunately, she is also the last one to see him alive and must figure out who took him out. She gains an unwilling partner in the mysterious Knight, fresh from the Netherworld, but seems to have a habit of picking up dangerous, smoldering men along the way while solving her case.
So, this will be one of those that goes down as a like, but not love book. It hit a few of my pet peeves, but also had several little niggles that kept me from satisfaction. But, there was a lot to enjoy, too. I was looking for something fun and new to try in the urban fantasy genre and there is a possibility this series will work out the kinks and be exactly that.
The biggest thing is something that irritates me, but might not be an issue for others. I'm not fond of insecure heroines who have a bombshell body so that they cause every male in their vicinity to start drooling while the gal is jealous and snarky about other gals because she is apparently oblivious to what is going on. This leads into a second big bugaboo. I wasn't thrilled about Dulcie's collection of men. Depending how one counted, she had four and was stringing them along not able to make up her mind so that she engaged in sex or dates with all of them. This doesn't get resolved and carries forward.
Now we get to the little stuff. Dulcie is described as really good at her job, but she pulled a lot of silly, stubborn, stupids in this book. Granted, she was determined to be her own woman and do her own thing, but she caused a lot of her own trouble and mishandled her case like a pro wouldn't do.
I was also not fond of her calling people who engage in the BDSM lifestyle, freaks. Her case took her to a club and she even had a bit of sexy times in a BDSM scene with one of her guys. It's not my thing, either, and I'm not a professional investigator on a job, but I wouldn't think getting all skittery about it made her look good.
And, what left me scratching my head was how easy it was to put the finger on the culprit. I felt if she had been doing her stuff and not distracted all over the place then it shouldn't have been that complicated.
But, there was some funny stuff, some hot and sexy stuff, and I felt there was a potential for Dulcie to grow and change and maybe settle on a romance partner. While I thought she wasn't as good an investigator as touted, I still had some good times as she worked on the murder. There were some curious things about Knight and the others that I would like to learn so at some point I might come back to the series.
As I said before, this was a mixed feeling book for me, but others might not have the ticky-tack issues I had. So, if Urban Fantasy is your thing, it's still free and you can give it a go.
July 25, 2012
Holy Hades, this book needs some serious editing!!
Protagonist Dulcie O’Neil works for an organization patrolling the paranormal players in an Unmasqued World (supernatural cop). She’s also a magical being herself, a fairy. I’ll start by saying the basic premise is solid; one with great potential that's been done effectively elsewhere with vampires (Laurel K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake) and witches (Kim Harrison’s Hollows). Unfortunately, the potential really doesn’t pan out here.
Here, I pause to invoke a book which should be considered required reading for all authors: How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide. In fact, “To Kill a Warlock” could be used as a textbook case.
Firstly: the book reads more like “a bunch of stuff that happens” than a cohesive novel. There’s a mystery plot which shows promise, but the pacing is inconsistent and unsupported. Irrelevant rambling bogs the action further. Even during what should be critical tension spots, the author fails to convey any sense of actual tension, simply relaying events with bullet-point indifference. Looking back, I identified only two places where the protagonist encounters significant danger and both fail to inspire any tension. Even the ‘big climactic fight’ ended almost before it began. Fizzle.
The story also didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be: Romance? Erotica? Mystery? Elements of each were sprinkled liberally throughout the narrative, but none made any impact, nor felt effectively integrated into the actual story flow. It seemed more like the author recycled a bunch of Anita Blake/Kim Harrison content, tossing them in like a random stew. The overall effect is jarring. In one scene, Dulcie converses with her attractive elven boss, while contemplating his ‘tightly packed ass’ perched on her desk. With a little setup or elaboration, the phrase might not have seemed like such an IED. Another instance involved a rather graphic and gratuitous BDSM sex scene inserted as a sidebar on the way to the actual action.
Aside from Sam, Dulcie’s token female friend, Dulcie has umpteen male suitors to contend with, all desperate to get into her pants. Why? She certainly doesn’t give them the slightest encouragement. We’re left to assume she’s irresistible, even given ample evidence to the contrary. The guys all wink, grin, smile, smirk and chuckle their lascivious reactions to Dulcie's rebuffs, even when the tone is inappropriate. Maybe the reader is the only one not in on the joke, because Dulcie isn’t the least bit sympathetic. She’s nasty and mean-spirited, both overtly and in her head. Her emotional range consists of sullen to surly to inexplicably sad. She’s such a delicate hothouse flower, everything embarrasses her. And the author’s basis for presenting her as a strong independent woman? She has no domestic skills, ergo she must be liberated.
Dulcie is also supposed to be a competent regulator, but there’s no situation occurring in the book that demonstrates she is effective at her job. I guess we’re just supposed to assume that happens outside of the current story’s purview. What we do see, however, is her making all the wrong assumptions, jumping to conclusions, being a terrible judge of character, overreacting and being generally incapable of any objective thought or action.
By far though, my largest complaint would be the abundance of inappropriate simile/metaphor, nearly every one of which is wince-worthy, jerking you clear out of the story. A sampling:
“...like a little boy peeing on my head.”
“My five inch hooker heels clicked against the asphalt, sounding like someone chewing gum with a broken jaw.”
“The creature eyed her longingly, as if its peanut butter and jelly sandwich was about to escape with its glass of milk.”
“I glared daggers at him, but they just bounced off him like water on a freshly waxed car.”
Ouch. Every instance painful.
Other irrelevancies included Dulcie’s pointed ear issues and her aspiration to write romance novels, both of which could have been excised entirely without impinging on the plot in any way (The Benign Tumor). The book probably also could have been safely concluded with the resolution of the mystery, rather than dragging on through two entirely superfluous dates with two different suitors and a puppy in a box (giftwrapped without air holes!!!) from her now-rogue former boss, but I suppose the author felt compelled to set up her next book.
Needless to say, I'm left scratching my head at all the positive reviews this book has gotten. I suppose it's related to the popularity of those awful 50 Shades books. Most readers seem to want distraction without too much discrimination. *shrugs*
Protagonist Dulcie O’Neil works for an organization patrolling the paranormal players in an Unmasqued World (supernatural cop). She’s also a magical being herself, a fairy. I’ll start by saying the basic premise is solid; one with great potential that's been done effectively elsewhere with vampires (Laurel K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake) and witches (Kim Harrison’s Hollows). Unfortunately, the potential really doesn’t pan out here.
Here, I pause to invoke a book which should be considered required reading for all authors: How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide. In fact, “To Kill a Warlock” could be used as a textbook case.
Firstly: the book reads more like “a bunch of stuff that happens” than a cohesive novel. There’s a mystery plot which shows promise, but the pacing is inconsistent and unsupported. Irrelevant rambling bogs the action further. Even during what should be critical tension spots, the author fails to convey any sense of actual tension, simply relaying events with bullet-point indifference. Looking back, I identified only two places where the protagonist encounters significant danger and both fail to inspire any tension. Even the ‘big climactic fight’ ended almost before it began. Fizzle.
The story also didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be: Romance? Erotica? Mystery? Elements of each were sprinkled liberally throughout the narrative, but none made any impact, nor felt effectively integrated into the actual story flow. It seemed more like the author recycled a bunch of Anita Blake/Kim Harrison content, tossing them in like a random stew. The overall effect is jarring. In one scene, Dulcie converses with her attractive elven boss, while contemplating his ‘tightly packed ass’ perched on her desk. With a little setup or elaboration, the phrase might not have seemed like such an IED. Another instance involved a rather graphic and gratuitous BDSM sex scene inserted as a sidebar on the way to the actual action.
Aside from Sam, Dulcie’s token female friend, Dulcie has umpteen male suitors to contend with, all desperate to get into her pants. Why? She certainly doesn’t give them the slightest encouragement. We’re left to assume she’s irresistible, even given ample evidence to the contrary. The guys all wink, grin, smile, smirk and chuckle their lascivious reactions to Dulcie's rebuffs, even when the tone is inappropriate. Maybe the reader is the only one not in on the joke, because Dulcie isn’t the least bit sympathetic. She’s nasty and mean-spirited, both overtly and in her head. Her emotional range consists of sullen to surly to inexplicably sad. She’s such a delicate hothouse flower, everything embarrasses her. And the author’s basis for presenting her as a strong independent woman? She has no domestic skills, ergo she must be liberated.
Dulcie is also supposed to be a competent regulator, but there’s no situation occurring in the book that demonstrates she is effective at her job. I guess we’re just supposed to assume that happens outside of the current story’s purview. What we do see, however, is her making all the wrong assumptions, jumping to conclusions, being a terrible judge of character, overreacting and being generally incapable of any objective thought or action.
By far though, my largest complaint would be the abundance of inappropriate simile/metaphor, nearly every one of which is wince-worthy, jerking you clear out of the story. A sampling:
“...like a little boy peeing on my head.”
“My five inch hooker heels clicked against the asphalt, sounding like someone chewing gum with a broken jaw.”
“The creature eyed her longingly, as if its peanut butter and jelly sandwich was about to escape with its glass of milk.”
“I glared daggers at him, but they just bounced off him like water on a freshly waxed car.”
Ouch. Every instance painful.
Other irrelevancies included Dulcie’s pointed ear issues and her aspiration to write romance novels, both of which could have been excised entirely without impinging on the plot in any way (The Benign Tumor). The book probably also could have been safely concluded with the resolution of the mystery, rather than dragging on through two entirely superfluous dates with two different suitors and a puppy in a box (giftwrapped without air holes!!!) from her now-rogue former boss, but I suppose the author felt compelled to set up her next book.
Needless to say, I'm left scratching my head at all the positive reviews this book has gotten. I suppose it's related to the popularity of those awful 50 Shades books. Most readers seem to want distraction without too much discrimination. *shrugs*
Want to read
August 26, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (8/26/2020)! 🎁
February 22, 2013
To be honest, I started to not even read this book. The Jolie books by Mallory are good, don't get me wrong, but Jolie comes across as an immature bubblehead who made me want to smack her upside the head and scream at her to get a grip! Turn off the vapid and, if you are going to have these powers and be endangered by them, it would be good to stop mooning over the guy and grow a backbone. . .
Dulcie, on the other hand, fights her own battles. She is strong, determined, and willing to take care of her own problems. She is still funny, the whole book will keep you laughing, but she is in no way ridiculous. She is snarky, opinionated, and very much the kind of paranormal heroine I enjoy reading.
Recommended to light paranormal/fantasy readers who like strong female characters with a lot of humour mixed in.
Dulcie, on the other hand, fights her own battles. She is strong, determined, and willing to take care of her own problems. She is still funny, the whole book will keep you laughing, but she is in no way ridiculous. She is snarky, opinionated, and very much the kind of paranormal heroine I enjoy reading.
Recommended to light paranormal/fantasy readers who like strong female characters with a lot of humour mixed in.
December 20, 2017
To find this review and more go to Afterwords!
You know those books that make you scratch your head at all the reviews and high ratings they have and wonder if you've read the same book? Perhaps someone trolled you and gave you a fake copy? Because there is no way all these people love this book if they read the same version you did? Yeah... this is one of those books.
When I got this book I was extremely excited - I had seen how highly rated Mallory's books came, and I was on an urban fantasy kind of kick so she was definitely on my authors-to-read list. And I was doubly excited to have the opportunity to read one of her books for free on kindle. I distinctively remember the squeal I let out, even now, five years later.
Unfortunately, all those fuzzy feelings died a quick death. May they rest in peace.
I simply couldn't stand the writing. I wish I could tell you what it was about it that gave me such a visceral reaction; the kind of response that makes you wince and grit your teeth and hope the torture would be over soon. Rare is the book that makes me feel this way, so in its own way, this read was very special to me.
Not to mention, this book had a lot of repetitions. That's a particular pet peeve of mine. And you know how sometimes when you're in a group and someone laughs at his own joke and everyone just stares at him because it wasn't all that funny and he says "get it? get it?". Well... that's how I felt about all the parts in this book that were obviously meant to make me laugh. They didn't.
Maybe if the characters were compelling the story would've been saved for me, but they simply weren't. I didn't like Dulcie's character at all. She is frankly quite the slut. I'm definitely okay with characters sleeping around when they're not in a relationship and women being secure in their sexuality, but I draw the line at leading several men on. At the same time. It just grates on my nerves. You can do all those things without hurting others in the process.
I mean, the book literally ends with several loose ends--and at least three guys--open and unanswered, with Dulcie having two upcoming dates (with two different guys) and receiving a cute present from a third.
(On a completely unrelated note - Knight is an incredibly stupid name for a character, and should be reserved to comic books if at all...)
And the bad guy was so obvious I simply had to sigh when he was revealed. I kind of had some hope Mallory will pull the rug from under my feet or something and at least give me a good twist or two. But nope.
During the entire time I was reading this book, the question "why the heck am I reading this book?" kept popping into my mind, flashing in colorful, glaring lights, demanding some sort of answer from me. Since I had none, I didn't give it any. If it was Present Me who was reading this novel, I would have DNFed it at around 20% if I were nice, but Past Me was a little more particular about dropping books, so she used all the willpower she had to finish it as quickly as she could so she could move on to greener pastures...
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
---------------------
Original Review:
April 25, 2019
I attempted to finish this four times to no avail. DNF with three chapters left. I don’t know how to say this tactfully: Dulcie is an asshole. I couldn’t root for her.
October 21, 2018
By: H.P. Mallory
Series: Dulcie O'Neil #1
Publisher: Smashwords
Read E-Book via Nook
Rating: 4.5
Book Art: Gothic meets quirky cartoon. Cute.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Adult
Reason Why the Mad Scientist Picked Up This book:
This book was recommended to me by Black Disaster Fairy.
First Line: There was no way in hell I was looking in the mirror.
Concoction of a Review:
I grabbed my futuristic Nook, *oh* yes this contraption is highly recommended by me. If you ever find yourself instead a time machine I think you should visit 2010. I brushed my velvet skirts flat and propped up for a comfortable read in the back garden. Honestly, I was unsure of what to except from either the book or author. From the first shocking sentence the author hooked me into Dulcie's world. The flow of the words tingled, transporting me out of the garden into a unique world of magical creatures who have integrated with humans over the last 50 years. *gasps*
Dulcie, our heroine, is a fairy. However, you can erase most images from your mind when you think of Dulcie. She works for the Association of Netherworld Creatures (ANC), which enforces polices that are created for otherworldy creatures who live among humans and is writing a book on the side. Dulcie is a hardcore, smart, funny, and entertaining fairy, with some magical gifts, who is determined to be the best Regulator in the area.
Even though this was a female who mastered the art of hardcoreness she went through a bad relationship. There are a few fellows, Quillan and Knight *swoon*, that make me furiously wave my fan over my flushed cheeks. Although, her broken heart makes the romance interesting it evokes a small self confidence issue, concerning her ears. Fairies should have cute pointed ears, but she does not think so.
Dulcie teams up with Knight (off the record), a steamy pile of hot bad boy man flesh *gasps*, who is a Relations Officer from the Netherworld. Together, the two heat the pages up as they take on a mystery of murder of a magical Warlock who is known for selling illegal potions. It just so happens that Dulcie is the last person to see him alive. *tsk tsk* She sets out on this captivating mission, the bodies pile up and she is in a race to find the killer before the killer finds her first.
*Opens Parasol* This book has everything a Mad Scientist likes in a book. A dark side, handsome men, mystery, a sadistic demon, romance, good twists, magical elements, and BETRAYAL.
This book has a dark serious side and a light humorous side. I do not think you will be disappointed.
Quotes:
"You, one of the strongest fairies around, turned your back on a known dark arts practitioner because he had a hot guy in his store?"
"If I was narcissistic about anything, it was my hair."
"I was back to myself, but still disgusting-covered in a layer of what looked like clear snot, like I'd just dropped out of God's nose."
Check out my blog for more Steampunkery & Book Reviews!
http://madsteampunkery.blogspot.com/2...
Series: Dulcie O'Neil #1
Publisher: Smashwords
Read E-Book via Nook
Rating: 4.5
Book Art: Gothic meets quirky cartoon. Cute.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Adult
Reason Why the Mad Scientist Picked Up This book:
This book was recommended to me by Black Disaster Fairy.
First Line: There was no way in hell I was looking in the mirror.
Concoction of a Review:
I grabbed my futuristic Nook, *oh* yes this contraption is highly recommended by me. If you ever find yourself instead a time machine I think you should visit 2010. I brushed my velvet skirts flat and propped up for a comfortable read in the back garden. Honestly, I was unsure of what to except from either the book or author. From the first shocking sentence the author hooked me into Dulcie's world. The flow of the words tingled, transporting me out of the garden into a unique world of magical creatures who have integrated with humans over the last 50 years. *gasps*
Dulcie, our heroine, is a fairy. However, you can erase most images from your mind when you think of Dulcie. She works for the Association of Netherworld Creatures (ANC), which enforces polices that are created for otherworldy creatures who live among humans and is writing a book on the side. Dulcie is a hardcore, smart, funny, and entertaining fairy, with some magical gifts, who is determined to be the best Regulator in the area.
Even though this was a female who mastered the art of hardcoreness she went through a bad relationship. There are a few fellows, Quillan and Knight *swoon*, that make me furiously wave my fan over my flushed cheeks. Although, her broken heart makes the romance interesting it evokes a small self confidence issue, concerning her ears. Fairies should have cute pointed ears, but she does not think so.
Dulcie teams up with Knight (off the record), a steamy pile of hot bad boy man flesh *gasps*, who is a Relations Officer from the Netherworld. Together, the two heat the pages up as they take on a mystery of murder of a magical Warlock who is known for selling illegal potions. It just so happens that Dulcie is the last person to see him alive. *tsk tsk* She sets out on this captivating mission, the bodies pile up and she is in a race to find the killer before the killer finds her first.
*Opens Parasol* This book has everything a Mad Scientist likes in a book. A dark side, handsome men, mystery, a sadistic demon, romance, good twists, magical elements, and BETRAYAL.
This book has a dark serious side and a light humorous side. I do not think you will be disappointed.
Quotes:
"You, one of the strongest fairies around, turned your back on a known dark arts practitioner because he had a hot guy in his store?"
"If I was narcissistic about anything, it was my hair."
"I was back to myself, but still disgusting-covered in a layer of what looked like clear snot, like I'd just dropped out of God's nose."
Check out my blog for more Steampunkery & Book Reviews!
http://madsteampunkery.blogspot.com/2...
September 23, 2010
3.5 Stars
Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy that works as a Regulator. They are the policemen and women of the Netherworld. A warlock known for selling illegal potions has just been found murdered and Dulcie was the last one to see him alive. Dulcie is now on a mission to find out who the killer is before she ends up the next victim. Dulcie will not be alone on the investigation. Knightley Vander (awesome name right?) is a investigator sent from the Netherworld to track down the killer and work with Dulcie off the record. As the body count grows, Dulcie will need to take her eyes of her new handsome and often frustrating new partner long enough to find out who is behind it all and the truth will reveal a painful betrayal.
I'm not a fan of fairies or fae books because generally it's all about sex but with Dulcie's character I was happy to find someone with substance which includes relationship troubles. Dulcie is what you expect in a fairy. Pretty, petite, pointy ears and uses magic dust. She is also intelligent and good at her job. She works as a Regulator for the Association for Netherworld Creatures which basically means she is a cop for paranormals. Her latest case has made her a suspect when she is the last person to see the warlock alive before he is found dismembered. Knight is sent over from the Netherworld, which is place similar to ours just slightly different. He is your typical handsome hero. Tall, muscular, a bit arrogant, funny and very good looking. Even though I've seen his kind of character a dozen times before, I still fell for his charm. Dulcie did as well.
There is a sort of love triangle with her that includes Knight, her boss Quillan and a vampire named Bram (he makes a point to mention he had that name before the famous writer). It was funny at times but while Dulcie said she had some type of attraction to each of them, I just didn't feel it. In fact the romance part of the book was my least favorite because it all felt very shallow and forced. The flirting from the men was cute but Dulcie kept giving lame excuses to why she had to say no to each one.
In To Kill A Warlock there wasn't anything that I haven't read before and a few scenes felt drawn out but I still enjoyed it. There was a lot of humor to it and it had a steady feel to it. There is a decent twist at the end and I liked the side story of Dulcie trying to become a writer. It was entertaining to read the cheesy love scenes she had in her pirate romance novel staring a certain cute blond boss of hers. The author made a note at the end of the book saying this was the beginning of a series. I wouldn't mind continuing on and seeing what else Dulcie gets herself into.
I recommend this book for those who like light Paranormal Romance which borders on being Urban Fantasy.
~Stephanie G
Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy that works as a Regulator. They are the policemen and women of the Netherworld. A warlock known for selling illegal potions has just been found murdered and Dulcie was the last one to see him alive. Dulcie is now on a mission to find out who the killer is before she ends up the next victim. Dulcie will not be alone on the investigation. Knightley Vander (awesome name right?) is a investigator sent from the Netherworld to track down the killer and work with Dulcie off the record. As the body count grows, Dulcie will need to take her eyes of her new handsome and often frustrating new partner long enough to find out who is behind it all and the truth will reveal a painful betrayal.
I'm not a fan of fairies or fae books because generally it's all about sex but with Dulcie's character I was happy to find someone with substance which includes relationship troubles. Dulcie is what you expect in a fairy. Pretty, petite, pointy ears and uses magic dust. She is also intelligent and good at her job. She works as a Regulator for the Association for Netherworld Creatures which basically means she is a cop for paranormals. Her latest case has made her a suspect when she is the last person to see the warlock alive before he is found dismembered. Knight is sent over from the Netherworld, which is place similar to ours just slightly different. He is your typical handsome hero. Tall, muscular, a bit arrogant, funny and very good looking. Even though I've seen his kind of character a dozen times before, I still fell for his charm. Dulcie did as well.
There is a sort of love triangle with her that includes Knight, her boss Quillan and a vampire named Bram (he makes a point to mention he had that name before the famous writer). It was funny at times but while Dulcie said she had some type of attraction to each of them, I just didn't feel it. In fact the romance part of the book was my least favorite because it all felt very shallow and forced. The flirting from the men was cute but Dulcie kept giving lame excuses to why she had to say no to each one.
In To Kill A Warlock there wasn't anything that I haven't read before and a few scenes felt drawn out but I still enjoyed it. There was a lot of humor to it and it had a steady feel to it. There is a decent twist at the end and I liked the side story of Dulcie trying to become a writer. It was entertaining to read the cheesy love scenes she had in her pirate romance novel staring a certain cute blond boss of hers. The author made a note at the end of the book saying this was the beginning of a series. I wouldn't mind continuing on and seeing what else Dulcie gets herself into.
I recommend this book for those who like light Paranormal Romance which borders on being Urban Fantasy.
~Stephanie G
June 8, 2011
To Kill a Warlock is book 1 in HP Mallory’s urban fantasy series, the Dulcie O’Neill Series. Dulcie is a fairy and a Regulator, a person who polices creatures from the Netherworld. Fairies are not very common in this book, so Dulcie is automatically special. On the side of her regulator job, Dulcie is an aspiring romance novelist. Her romance novels are based on characters in her life, and they provide an entertaining and amusing side story. I really loved Dulcie’s character, she is spunky, she has her flaws (such as a low self-image), and she is unknowingly attractive to the opposite sex.
Dulcie is working a case unofficially with an undercover agent, Knight. Knight and Dulcie have good chemistry together, their banter and working relationship is highly amusing and enjoyable. The characters throughout the whole book are witty, entertaining, and likable. The world created is full of various supernatural creatures including fairies, goblins, giants, vampires, and more. The magic in To Kill a Warlock was fun and quite detailed. I was easily drawn into the book, and I enjoyed every minute of reading.
There are a few steamy scenes, however there was not a lot of romance in To Kill a Warlock, it is primarily an urban fantasy read. This is a very fun, light-hearted read. So, Urban Fantasy fans, I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to start reading book 2, A Tale of 2 Goblins.
Dulcie is working a case unofficially with an undercover agent, Knight. Knight and Dulcie have good chemistry together, their banter and working relationship is highly amusing and enjoyable. The characters throughout the whole book are witty, entertaining, and likable. The world created is full of various supernatural creatures including fairies, goblins, giants, vampires, and more. The magic in To Kill a Warlock was fun and quite detailed. I was easily drawn into the book, and I enjoyed every minute of reading.
There are a few steamy scenes, however there was not a lot of romance in To Kill a Warlock, it is primarily an urban fantasy read. This is a very fun, light-hearted read. So, Urban Fantasy fans, I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to start reading book 2, A Tale of 2 Goblins.
May 21, 2015
3.5 stars.
This has been on my kindle since 2012 so I thought it was about time I got around to reading it, especially since I read Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble almost a year ago and I got them at the same time.
It took me a little getting into since I'm having a bit of an issue with paranormal books at the minute but once I got a third of the way in or so, I was pulled into the story bit by bit.
Me being me though, I was all for the romance aspects. Like Fire Burn... there were three love interest for Dulcie and each was different. A Loki, a Vampire and a...pixie? Elf? I feel bad that I can't remember what he was but it wasn't continually repeated like the other two so I could remember. I can't say I had a favourite for her either, though the Loki seemed to be mentioned the most often.
I'm interested in continuing the series and reading more of the authors work, I'm just not sure when I'll get round to it with my ever increasing to-read list.
This has been on my kindle since 2012 so I thought it was about time I got around to reading it, especially since I read Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble almost a year ago and I got them at the same time.
It took me a little getting into since I'm having a bit of an issue with paranormal books at the minute but once I got a third of the way in or so, I was pulled into the story bit by bit.
Me being me though, I was all for the romance aspects. Like Fire Burn... there were three love interest for Dulcie and each was different. A Loki, a Vampire and a...pixie? Elf? I feel bad that I can't remember what he was but it wasn't continually repeated like the other two so I could remember. I can't say I had a favourite for her either, though the Loki seemed to be mentioned the most often.
I'm interested in continuing the series and reading more of the authors work, I'm just not sure when I'll get round to it with my ever increasing to-read list.
September 13, 2010
To Kill a Warlock is about a fairy investigator with a paranormal investigative agency in California. In H.P. Mallory's world the creatures of myth and magic have been out of the proverbial closet for the last 50 years and are now integrating with humanity. I enjoyed the fact that the main character isn't your typical vamp/fae/witch/were that is seen in a number of current urban fantasy books but I found the character developement a little lacking.
The author introduces us to the main character and a number of secondary characters, but I never felt like I really "knew the characters" or had much vested interest in them.
I also felt that the world building left a little to be desired. There were a lot of things in the book that were glossed over or completely unexplained.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I may read the second one in the hopes that we learn more about the characters and their world.
The author introduces us to the main character and a number of secondary characters, but I never felt like I really "knew the characters" or had much vested interest in them.
I also felt that the world building left a little to be desired. There were a lot of things in the book that were glossed over or completely unexplained.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I may read the second one in the hopes that we learn more about the characters and their world.
October 23, 2012
Check out my review here: http://prufreads.blogspot.com/2012/10...
This was my first book by H.P. Mallory. To Kill a Warlock is an easy to read Urban Fantasy. Dulcie, a Regulator or law enforcement for the Netherworlds is caught in the mystery of who is killing warlocks in her town. A Loki demon, Knight, has come to help Dulcie. She then finds herself having to choose between three men. Although definitely not YA there is no sex in this read, but you do get a bit of steam. I have to admit, although a huge fan of the “mine” term, it was nice to have a heroine hold out and the men are not over possessive. Mallory has a bit of everything in this. From fairies, vampires, demons, witches and warlocks. It was fun and witty without battering on your emotions. I look forward to getting the next book in this series.
This was my first book by H.P. Mallory. To Kill a Warlock is an easy to read Urban Fantasy. Dulcie, a Regulator or law enforcement for the Netherworlds is caught in the mystery of who is killing warlocks in her town. A Loki demon, Knight, has come to help Dulcie. She then finds herself having to choose between three men. Although definitely not YA there is no sex in this read, but you do get a bit of steam. I have to admit, although a huge fan of the “mine” term, it was nice to have a heroine hold out and the men are not over possessive. Mallory has a bit of everything in this. From fairies, vampires, demons, witches and warlocks. It was fun and witty without battering on your emotions. I look forward to getting the next book in this series.
January 27, 2020
Love this series but honestly I'm starting to struggle with the Dulcie/Knight back & forthness
That being said its an overall fun fun fun read :)
That being said its an overall fun fun fun read :)
October 28, 2025
The book starts out fun, for the reader that is, not so much so for leading character and fairy Dulcie O'Neil.
She has been transformed into a giant booger, just because not paying attention for a split second. Her best friend Sam, a which, has to transform her back to her normal red-headed state. With her boss Quillan, colleague goblin Trey, Bram the vampire and demon Dagan's help she has to investigate who beheaded her attacker. She gains a mysterious person, a Loki, called Knigth Vander, as an unwanted partner. In between events linked to the investigation, Dulcie is also writing a novel. The main character looks amazingly like her boss Quillan. And to embaress her completely, he finds out.
The hunt will be for a Kragengen and everything that happens in the 200 pages of the book is pulling the attention away from that in a most hilarious way.
H.P. Mallory is a woman who writes these fantasy stories clearly for women. Meaning that there is a romantic undertone, although it is more like a sexual frustration that takes front stage whenever we get an insight view in Dulcie's thoughts. This take apparently about 40% of the book and can get very explicit. This is almost 50-shades style while the remaining pages are great fantasy.
She has been transformed into a giant booger, just because not paying attention for a split second. Her best friend Sam, a which, has to transform her back to her normal red-headed state. With her boss Quillan, colleague goblin Trey, Bram the vampire and demon Dagan's help she has to investigate who beheaded her attacker. She gains a mysterious person, a Loki, called Knigth Vander, as an unwanted partner. In between events linked to the investigation, Dulcie is also writing a novel. The main character looks amazingly like her boss Quillan. And to embaress her completely, he finds out.
The hunt will be for a Kragengen and everything that happens in the 200 pages of the book is pulling the attention away from that in a most hilarious way.
H.P. Mallory is a woman who writes these fantasy stories clearly for women. Meaning that there is a romantic undertone, although it is more like a sexual frustration that takes front stage whenever we get an insight view in Dulcie's thoughts. This take apparently about 40% of the book and can get very explicit. This is almost 50-shades style while the remaining pages are great fantasy.
September 15, 2010
The first sentence sucked me straight into the story and didn't spit me back out to the very end. This is the first time reading something by HP Mallory and have to tell you that I'm a definite FAN. I love it when I read a book and it almost seems effortless because everything works so well together and that's what made this book such a great experience. There was a very natural flow to the story that allowed me to really settle into it and although it wasn't as long as some books I've read, there was no sense of being rushed or of cramming alot of information in to a limited amount of pages. I was able to read without being bombarded with needless facts and images and it was just so easy to get absorbed into the story that I honestly lost track of time (about 3hrs) and needed to make a VERY urgent pit stop at the end. That's a great sign right there that I've read something amazing because everything else melted away and the book becomes alive.
I have to say, I loved that Dulcie had a real sassy personality because nothing makes a story harder to read than a boring lead character. From the opening scene she engaged me and fired up my imagination as I tried to picture this hideous creature she'd been spelled into. She made me laugh with her sense of humor, telling me that should I have met her "real life" she would definitely be someone I'd have been friends with (I share that only to show that within that first scene that was an instant connection to the character, which is a good thing) Being pursued by most of the men in the story, I really liked how she handled herself and how she worked hard to keep focused on her job of finding the killer. With Quillan and Knight stealing kisses and sharing flirtations, I would have been reduced to a puddle on the floor for the story. I loved her experiences with going to the S&M club (she got to wear some pretty fabulous clothes) and her reactions to the "eye full" of things happening there. It showed me that Dulcie was incredibly human in how she felt and it not only helped me imagine her within the scenes but also helped me identify with her. I will tell you this though - how she managed to keep her wits around Knight is a mystery and when he kisses her *sigh* I wouldn't have had the strength to stop. She was such a great character to read and I'm looking forward to future stories with her.
The men in this story *fans herself a little* were something my imagination had a great time mooning over. There were four who I would seriously read in stories of their own because I felt that aside from obviously being "appealing" (ok they were kinda HOT) they were all in their own way extremely interesting. Take for instance there was Quillan, Dulcie's boss. Straight away you get this image of a man with a protective nature who takes care of the people who work for him. He is really the go-the-extra-mile kinda guy because honestly, I don't see my boss checking on me or bringing me dinner the way Quillan did with Dulcie. There was all the potential for a romantic connection and I did spend part of the story with my fingers crossed for him. Next there was Bram, who I think deserves a mention simply because he's a rogue looking vampire and face it, vamps can get my blood pumping (hahaha). He made me laugh alot in the book because he was just so optimistic about Dulcie (yeah go figure, not all vampires are broody) and seemed always on the ready should she give him the go ahead. All she would have to do is crook her little finger and he'd be there which strangely enough wasn't as sad as it sounds. Moving onto Dagan who I have to admit I liked simply because he was mind candy (I couldn't really call him eye candy could I?) He was the leather wearing demon who ran the S&M club called Payne. Yeah, he was a little to kinky for my liking but from the way the author described him, a great body covered in tats stuffed into leather pants *sigh* bring it on!! He was a great character that gave the story good shock value. And finally ... there's Knight.
Okay, he deserves his own paragraph. To me, Knight was the story's resident bad boy. Good looking with a cocky attitude, he came across to me like a constant flirt but someone who also knew when the moment required seriousness. He was a FABULOUS choice to play opposite Dulcie and I loved reading how he interacted with her. There were so many great scenes filled with Knight, from his guest appearance in her dreams to his frequent trips into Dagan's club where you never did quite know what he would have Dulcie do. He always seemed to be pushing her buttons and I will tell you this so if you don't want a spoiler cover your eyes - if I EVER walked over to my bed and found a man like Knight sleeping in it naked... my first reaction would NOT be to cover him over with a blanket. I loved how Dulcie never did fully give into him despite the chemistry and hot make out sessions. It made me respect her and showed that in reality, it is ok not to jump into bed with someone the first time they smile at you. Crossing my fingers, toes and eyes that in the upcoming books in this series, Knight will continue to play an important role *wonders how she'll be able to type the rest of her review*
You know there wasn't anything that I didn't love about this story and I'm left with the feeling of being completely and thoroughly entertained and satisfied. To Kill A Warlock is a definite keeper and one that I'll read over and over again. I recommend that you check it out on both Amazon and Goodreads and see about downloading your own copy. You won't be disappointed.
I have to say, I loved that Dulcie had a real sassy personality because nothing makes a story harder to read than a boring lead character. From the opening scene she engaged me and fired up my imagination as I tried to picture this hideous creature she'd been spelled into. She made me laugh with her sense of humor, telling me that should I have met her "real life" she would definitely be someone I'd have been friends with (I share that only to show that within that first scene that was an instant connection to the character, which is a good thing) Being pursued by most of the men in the story, I really liked how she handled herself and how she worked hard to keep focused on her job of finding the killer. With Quillan and Knight stealing kisses and sharing flirtations, I would have been reduced to a puddle on the floor for the story. I loved her experiences with going to the S&M club (she got to wear some pretty fabulous clothes) and her reactions to the "eye full" of things happening there. It showed me that Dulcie was incredibly human in how she felt and it not only helped me imagine her within the scenes but also helped me identify with her. I will tell you this though - how she managed to keep her wits around Knight is a mystery and when he kisses her *sigh* I wouldn't have had the strength to stop. She was such a great character to read and I'm looking forward to future stories with her.
The men in this story *fans herself a little* were something my imagination had a great time mooning over. There were four who I would seriously read in stories of their own because I felt that aside from obviously being "appealing" (ok they were kinda HOT) they were all in their own way extremely interesting. Take for instance there was Quillan, Dulcie's boss. Straight away you get this image of a man with a protective nature who takes care of the people who work for him. He is really the go-the-extra-mile kinda guy because honestly, I don't see my boss checking on me or bringing me dinner the way Quillan did with Dulcie. There was all the potential for a romantic connection and I did spend part of the story with my fingers crossed for him. Next there was Bram, who I think deserves a mention simply because he's a rogue looking vampire and face it, vamps can get my blood pumping (hahaha). He made me laugh alot in the book because he was just so optimistic about Dulcie (yeah go figure, not all vampires are broody) and seemed always on the ready should she give him the go ahead. All she would have to do is crook her little finger and he'd be there which strangely enough wasn't as sad as it sounds. Moving onto Dagan who I have to admit I liked simply because he was mind candy (I couldn't really call him eye candy could I?) He was the leather wearing demon who ran the S&M club called Payne. Yeah, he was a little to kinky for my liking but from the way the author described him, a great body covered in tats stuffed into leather pants *sigh* bring it on!! He was a great character that gave the story good shock value. And finally ... there's Knight.
Okay, he deserves his own paragraph. To me, Knight was the story's resident bad boy. Good looking with a cocky attitude, he came across to me like a constant flirt but someone who also knew when the moment required seriousness. He was a FABULOUS choice to play opposite Dulcie and I loved reading how he interacted with her. There were so many great scenes filled with Knight, from his guest appearance in her dreams to his frequent trips into Dagan's club where you never did quite know what he would have Dulcie do. He always seemed to be pushing her buttons and I will tell you this so if you don't want a spoiler cover your eyes - if I EVER walked over to my bed and found a man like Knight sleeping in it naked... my first reaction would NOT be to cover him over with a blanket. I loved how Dulcie never did fully give into him despite the chemistry and hot make out sessions. It made me respect her and showed that in reality, it is ok not to jump into bed with someone the first time they smile at you. Crossing my fingers, toes and eyes that in the upcoming books in this series, Knight will continue to play an important role *wonders how she'll be able to type the rest of her review*
You know there wasn't anything that I didn't love about this story and I'm left with the feeling of being completely and thoroughly entertained and satisfied. To Kill A Warlock is a definite keeper and one that I'll read over and over again. I recommend that you check it out on both Amazon and Goodreads and see about downloading your own copy. You won't be disappointed.
June 18, 2020
Dulcie O'Neil is a cop who is a magic wielding fairy. Her "fairy dust" can be used to create illusions, attack, or just be darn useful. The problem is that she wants to be a romance novel writer. And she has writers block. and then too many possible boyfriends - two are sort of her boss and at least one is involved in criminal activity. What is a girl to do? Well, Dulcie buckles down and works on solving the case despite all the opposition. A decent start to a series.
January 29, 2020
H.p. Mallory used to be one of my favorites, because her books are just so fun, but it's been ages since I read one which is completely my bad. This one was very fun just like I remember with tinges of steamy romance and a mystery twist. I really recommend her writing to anyone who likes paranormal romance or fun mysteries because she does both very well.
September 17, 2024
Initial thoughts: A fun, sexy, entertaining ride with a kickass heroine, an engaging world and characters, and a plot that twists and turns!
Edit: While I wouldn’t necessarily call this book a favorite of mine, it was definitely a highlight of the year! Kicking off a long book series like this is not easy, and I also understand that this is an indie author. I really enjoyed this book for what it was. It had an urban fantasy setting, a kickass, sassy lead, a messy love square, and a murder mystery involving magical beings! As a fantasy enthusiast, I had a fun ride with this! Dulcie is a very intriguing character, and the author did a good job of developing her. Her voice and personality were some of the book’s stronger points, and even though I was irritated by some of her decisions in the book, the author wrote them in a way that seemed plausible. It’s always refreshing to see when an author knows how to write a flawed character making dumb choices, but doing so by at least writing it in a way where readers can see the logic behind their mistakes.
The twists and turns of this book were so wild! I kept having different theories and ideas, and was rooting for Dulcie and her friends the whole time! Sam is also such a good character; I loved the fairy and the witch being the ultimate girlboss baddies they are. The world also felt super real, and I’m intrigued to learn more about the Netherworld, and see more creatures in the series!
My only critiques about this book are some of the writing decisions technically and creatively. On the technical side of things, this book was mostly well written. But some of the syntax and grammar in certain parts were questionable, and could’ve been rewritten or edited to read more smoothly. I also think some of the jokes seemed a bit cheesy and redundant, but those I didn’t mind as much as a joke Dulcie made that felt super out of character and also really insensitive. Mentioning a disability as a joke just didn’t sit right with me; I could see what the author meant, but I felt that she should’ve written it in another way. Also, the creative decisions I wish that the author had executed a bit differently were with the romance. Now, Knightley Vander is EASILY an incredible love interest for Dulcie. He has some flaws, but the chemistry between them was the most believable and palpable to me. I also don’t mind when a story has a love triangle/square, but I feel like it needs to be drawn out. For this to be the first book in a twelve book series, it felt a bit ridiculous to me that Dulcie has THREE hot men all vying for her affection and attention. (AND POOR SAM DOESN’T EVEN GET ONE LOVE INTEREST? HELLO?! SHE BETTER HAVE A GUY SHE’S SEEING OR ENDS UP WITH IN THIS SERIES.) It got annoying reading them get territorial over her and be rude to one another out of jealousy. It also just felt unnecessary; I feel like the author could’ve at least taken more time in the first few books with developing and spreading out the love square. My qualms with this lie partially with the way she wrote it, and also with my own preferences.
Overall though, I’m invested enough in the story to continue with this series. Reading this was super fun and engaging, and this book holds a special place in my heart because of the experience I had with it. This is largely due to a friend's insistence on me reading it, and I don’t regret it!
TL;DR: If you’re into indie romantasies with urban fantasy, love squares, murder mystery vibes, badass girlbosses, and an engaging storyline and world, do yourself a favor and check out the Dulcie O’neil series! While this isn’t necessarily a favorite of mine, it was definitely memorable enough to be a highlight. A very special read due to a close friend recommending and gifting it to me for my birthday last year! Can’t wait to read the next book!
Edit: While I wouldn’t necessarily call this book a favorite of mine, it was definitely a highlight of the year! Kicking off a long book series like this is not easy, and I also understand that this is an indie author. I really enjoyed this book for what it was. It had an urban fantasy setting, a kickass, sassy lead, a messy love square, and a murder mystery involving magical beings! As a fantasy enthusiast, I had a fun ride with this! Dulcie is a very intriguing character, and the author did a good job of developing her. Her voice and personality were some of the book’s stronger points, and even though I was irritated by some of her decisions in the book, the author wrote them in a way that seemed plausible. It’s always refreshing to see when an author knows how to write a flawed character making dumb choices, but doing so by at least writing it in a way where readers can see the logic behind their mistakes.
The twists and turns of this book were so wild! I kept having different theories and ideas, and was rooting for Dulcie and her friends the whole time! Sam is also such a good character; I loved the fairy and the witch being the ultimate girlboss baddies they are. The world also felt super real, and I’m intrigued to learn more about the Netherworld, and see more creatures in the series!
My only critiques about this book are some of the writing decisions technically and creatively. On the technical side of things, this book was mostly well written. But some of the syntax and grammar in certain parts were questionable, and could’ve been rewritten or edited to read more smoothly. I also think some of the jokes seemed a bit cheesy and redundant, but those I didn’t mind as much as a joke Dulcie made that felt super out of character and also really insensitive. Mentioning a disability as a joke just didn’t sit right with me; I could see what the author meant, but I felt that she should’ve written it in another way. Also, the creative decisions I wish that the author had executed a bit differently were with the romance. Now, Knightley Vander is EASILY an incredible love interest for Dulcie. He has some flaws, but the chemistry between them was the most believable and palpable to me. I also don’t mind when a story has a love triangle/square, but I feel like it needs to be drawn out. For this to be the first book in a twelve book series, it felt a bit ridiculous to me that Dulcie has THREE hot men all vying for her affection and attention. (AND POOR SAM DOESN’T EVEN GET ONE LOVE INTEREST? HELLO?! SHE BETTER HAVE A GUY SHE’S SEEING OR ENDS UP WITH IN THIS SERIES.) It got annoying reading them get territorial over her and be rude to one another out of jealousy. It also just felt unnecessary; I feel like the author could’ve at least taken more time in the first few books with developing and spreading out the love square. My qualms with this lie partially with the way she wrote it, and also with my own preferences.
Overall though, I’m invested enough in the story to continue with this series. Reading this was super fun and engaging, and this book holds a special place in my heart because of the experience I had with it. This is largely due to a friend's insistence on me reading it, and I don’t regret it!
TL;DR: If you’re into indie romantasies with urban fantasy, love squares, murder mystery vibes, badass girlbosses, and an engaging storyline and world, do yourself a favor and check out the Dulcie O’neil series! While this isn’t necessarily a favorite of mine, it was definitely memorable enough to be a highlight. A very special read due to a close friend recommending and gifting it to me for my birthday last year! Can’t wait to read the next book!
December 29, 2010
This is the first book in the Dulcie O'Neil series by H. P. Mallory. I got a copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed it! While not the most creative paranormal series I've ever read; this series was light-hearted, fun and very well written. Think of it as a mash-up of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, and Molly Harper's Jane Jameson series. You got the fairies and the Netherworld, a murder mystery, and lots of light-hearted snarkiness.
Dulie works as a Regulator for A.N.C. (Association for Netherworld Creatures). She helps keep tabs on Netherworld Creatures, makes sure they are registered with ANC, and solves cases involving them. As the book starts she has been turned into a nasty creature while on a case to catch someone selling illegal potions. Problem is next day the guy she was investigating ends up dead. So, she is kind of a suspect. Then suddenly she is pulled off of the case "to protect her" and at the same time the steaming hot Knight comes into her life demanding her help on the murder case; Knight is futher up the A.N.C food chain than Dulcie's boss, so Dulcie is forced to help him out. Now Dulcie is drawn into a dangerous case, trying to finish writing her first romance novel, dodging her feelings for her boss (Quillan), dealing with an amorous vampire, negotiating with a pain-loving demon, and side stepping Knight's attempts to get romantically involved with her. Dulcie's life is definitely not going to get boring anytime soon.
This was a fun book. Dulcie's world is never really explained in detail, but you pick up pieces as you read and it is an interesting world. I would love to learn more about the Netherworld in the next book. Dulcie is a likable heroine; with a snarky since of humor, some wicked fairy dust tricks, and a soft spot for hot men. There are a number of yummy guys written into the story. In fact it was almost too many. Dulcie is torn between dealing with Knight, Quillan, and Bram...at some points that seemed like a couple guys too many. Mallory handled the interactions well though and gave enough depth to their personalities that you could see what Dulcie saw in them.
The book is well-written; very natural sounding and easy to read, hard to put down, and the plot moved at a nice clip. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
Overall this is a great addition to the more light-hearted side of the paranormal genre. At times Dulcie reminded me a bit of Rachel Morgan; she has a similar job and that same type of innocence that Rachel carries around with her in the beginning of that series. While not mind-blowing; the world is well thought out, the writing is well done, and this was a fun lighthearted read. Definitely a fun way to pass the time. Check it out if you are a fan of lighthearted paranormal romance.
Dulie works as a Regulator for A.N.C. (Association for Netherworld Creatures). She helps keep tabs on Netherworld Creatures, makes sure they are registered with ANC, and solves cases involving them. As the book starts she has been turned into a nasty creature while on a case to catch someone selling illegal potions. Problem is next day the guy she was investigating ends up dead. So, she is kind of a suspect. Then suddenly she is pulled off of the case "to protect her" and at the same time the steaming hot Knight comes into her life demanding her help on the murder case; Knight is futher up the A.N.C food chain than Dulcie's boss, so Dulcie is forced to help him out. Now Dulcie is drawn into a dangerous case, trying to finish writing her first romance novel, dodging her feelings for her boss (Quillan), dealing with an amorous vampire, negotiating with a pain-loving demon, and side stepping Knight's attempts to get romantically involved with her. Dulcie's life is definitely not going to get boring anytime soon.
This was a fun book. Dulcie's world is never really explained in detail, but you pick up pieces as you read and it is an interesting world. I would love to learn more about the Netherworld in the next book. Dulcie is a likable heroine; with a snarky since of humor, some wicked fairy dust tricks, and a soft spot for hot men. There are a number of yummy guys written into the story. In fact it was almost too many. Dulcie is torn between dealing with Knight, Quillan, and Bram...at some points that seemed like a couple guys too many. Mallory handled the interactions well though and gave enough depth to their personalities that you could see what Dulcie saw in them.
The book is well-written; very natural sounding and easy to read, hard to put down, and the plot moved at a nice clip. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
Overall this is a great addition to the more light-hearted side of the paranormal genre. At times Dulcie reminded me a bit of Rachel Morgan; she has a similar job and that same type of innocence that Rachel carries around with her in the beginning of that series. While not mind-blowing; the world is well thought out, the writing is well done, and this was a fun lighthearted read. Definitely a fun way to pass the time. Check it out if you are a fan of lighthearted paranormal romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 794 reviews