Dark Currents

Agent of Hel #1

by Jacqueline Carey

Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy novels, presents an all-new world featuring a woman caught between the normal and paranormal worlds, while enforcing order in both. Introducing Daisy Johanssen, reluctant hell-spawn…

The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess.

To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly.

But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Mystery, Fiction, Romance

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.

She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.

Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

➽ And the moral of this reread is: can't really go wrong with a deliciously flawed heroine who's part Hell-spawn, rocks a tail, and thinks drinking twelve-year-old single-malt scotch in paper cups is bloody shrimping sacrilege, if you ask me. Now let's dance and stuff.



You ladies sure know how to strut your decadent 80s stuff on the dance floor. Keep it up and stuff!



[February 2016]

BR with my MacHalo Freaks and stuff.

This review is dedicated to barnacles everywhere.

It worked! It worked! The preemptive, Super Powerful, Anti-Crap Spell my Awesome Anti-Crap Wizard cast on this book worked! Ladies and gentlemen, please meet Gustav, aka my savior!



Damn, I love this little guy! He waves his magic Anti-Crap Wand and boom! 4-star rating on the way!

Given my recent winning streak UF-wise (← this might be a slightly ironic statement), I fully expected this book to suck BIG TIME. To make things worse, the heroine is named Daisy. I mean, no offense to all you precious little flowers out there, but being called Daisy when you're a half Hell-spawn with a tail? Sounds a bit pathetic, if you ask me. Then again, if I were you, I wouldn't. Ask me, I mean. Because, as I have proven multiple times, I am a complete idiot. To such an extent that even my faithful Gustav cannot magically wipe the stupid away from my little head. Which is a total rip-off, when you think about it. I do pay the little creep top dollar for his services. But I digress. Where were we? Oh yes, I fully expected this book to suck BIG TIME. Hahahaha. I'm so funny.



Now now, dear people, no need to feel offended here. I'm talking about my little self. Believe me, when I start insulting you, you'll know.

So the question you are supposed to ask me now is: “Where the fish did the BOOM! 4 Stars! Come from?!” Go on, ask away, I'm ready for you.

[The Clueless Barnacles (←that's me insulting you right there) interrupt this delightful review to ask a very unexpected question]

Clueless Barnacles: “Where the hell did the BOOM! 4 Stars! Come from?!”
Me: Why thank you so much for asking such an interesting question, Clueless Barnacles! I shall answer it with (a) pleasure and (b) my usual brevity! (Please feel free to shudder for a little bit.)

① I want my MTV you probably won't get this delightful attempt at humour if you're under 40. That's okay, you too, one day, shall get old and ancient and stuff to move to Pemkowet.
I hate small towns. I hate resort towns. But what I hate most? Small resort towns. Like Pemkowet *convulses* Now please do the insightful question thing again and ask me if I would consider moving to this lovely location.

[The Clueless Barnacles ask yet another insightful question]

Clueless Barnacles: "Would you move to this lovely location, Sarah?”
Me: Sigh. You Clueless Barnacles can be so clueless sometimes! Would I move there?! HELL YEAH! I want to move there yesterday. Why? Because naiads and undines and nixies, oh my! And lamias and ghouls and ogres, oh my! And Norse gods and oak kings and fairies, oh my! And frost giants and norns and hellhounds, oh my! And dwarves and brownie, and vampires, oh my! Now that's definitely my kind of zoo. Sorry, I meant small resort town. Right. Of course I did. Anyway, Pemkowet, here I come and stuff!



Why how kind of you, Georgie. Just remember not to spit on my stuff while you pack it away, alright? Thank thee kindly.

So. You could say that this world is unique. Yes, you could. And original. Yes, you could. And creative. Yes, you could. And super totally utterly uber cool. Yes, you could.

② The girl with the tail.
Meet Daisy Johanssen of the could-have-been-silly-but-isn't-name. Hey, now that I think about it, it doesn't really matter what her name is. When your daddy is an incubus and you have the tail to prove it, you're cool, period. So Daisy could have been called Gertrude or Helga or Gladys or Ethel, and it wouldn't have made a difference. She'd still be the mostest awesomest half Hell-spawn with a tail this side of the multiverse. Did I mention she has a tail, too? Oops, I guess I did. Sorry. It's not like I obsess over it or anything. Oh no, nuh-huh, not me. And you know, dear daddy being a demon and everything, Daisy could have inherited a really scary appendage, like a pair of silly wings . Now that's a terrifying thought if there ever was one. Everybody knows silly wings are for (a) sissies (b) ridiculous angels and (c) silly fae. My girl Daisy rocks, so my girl Daisy has a tail.



At this point you're probably dying to know what Daisy's tail looks like. You're not? Too bad. You are? Sorry. Can't help you there. Muahahahaha. The truth is, you don't get an actual description of the tail until book 2, when Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler does spoiler spoiler spoiler. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. In this instalment, all you get to know about the tail is that it twitches whenever Daisy is feeling anxious/nervous/excited/whatever. Oh, and that she sometimes tucks in between her legs to get it out of the way. Which is not that unpleasant a, um, feeling, apparently. Mmmm. Interesting. Very interesting. I wonder… Snap out of it, Sarah! You're scaring the Clueless Barnacles! What? Sorry? You were saying? Oh dear, I think I got lost in my thoughts there for a second. Where were we? Oh. Did I just write two paragraphs about a girl's tail? Oops, sorry. Don't know what happened there. It's not like I obsess over it or anything. Oh no, nuh-huh, not me.



No idea who you might be talking about here, Little Green Man of the Pointy Ears. Oh, do you happen to be related to a certain Spockie of the Pointy Ears, by the way? Just wondering and stuff.

③ The most awesomest girl with the most awesomest tail.
Did I already tell you that Daisy had a tail? I did? Are you sure? Strange. I could have sworn I had yet to breach the subject. Oh well. You know why I love the most awesomest girl with the most awesomest tail so much? Because of her doubts, her screw-ups, her hesitations, her confusion. She is struggling to control her demonic urges and emotions. Dear daddy calls to her and wants her to claim her birthright, which would mean boom! Armaggedon. But hey, no biggie. Daisy's got this. More or less. My point is: Daisy is anything but perfect. And that's pretty awesome, if you ask me. Plus, she stands up for herself. She's smart. She THINKS. WOW. A non-TSTL UF heroine that THINKS! What with all the UF crap I've been reading lately, I thought the Thinking Girl species had become extinct! Not only does Daisy use her awesome little head, she kicks ass, too. But not in the usual, in-your-face, "let's beat the crap out of everyone and atomize everything in sight" kind of way. She's tough when she needs to be. She gets things done and kicks glorious (or not) ass when she has to. But she can also feel weak, or helpless. Her character is complex, and that makes her feel real. Oh, and did I mention she had a tail? I kid you not. Daisy Johanssen, you are MINE. Poof! Kidnapped!



④ Ze zurprizingly indddddriguing plot.
Excuse me, Clueless Barnacles? What did you just say? This is yet another Basic Boring Brainless UF murder investigation? WRONG. Yep. Clueless. That's you. Most definitely. I'm pretty sure you lovely bunch of delightful Barnacles have never read anything like this before. Granted, the plot seems fairly unoriginal at first and it seems to be going all over the place, too. Well that's where Carey's talent lies. She takes time to develop her plot (it doesn't mean it's slow paced and boring, no no no, you Silly Barnacles) and it gets more inddddriguing as the story progresses. And ze izing on ze cake? The final developments are definitely unexpected. And tackle serious, painful themes. Which is quite surprising given the light-hearted atmosphere of the book. And which is very cool. Besides, YES, this is a real spoiler, so read at your own risk and stuff MERMAID!!!!!!!!!. And that is uber super duper totally cool indeed. Always.

You're tired and you've had enough, my Little Barnacles, I know. You're like a bunch of restless kids after a long road trip, I know. Don't worry, I'm almost done here. Almost. Here, have a cookie while you suffer in silence.

⑤ Ze total lack of romanzzzzze.
Excuse me for a minute, will you?



Sorry, it's just that the total lack of insta-love, cheese, mush, romance and all that crap is something that should always be celebrated.

But anyway.

The fact that there is no romance in this book doesn't mean that there aren't hot dudes around. Or that there is no lusty stuff. We got Cody Fairfax, the aggravating werewolf (aka Officer Down Low) who also happens to be Daisy's childhood crush. We got Stefan "I'm too sexy" Ludovic, the creepy ghoul (a word of advice, Mr I Don't Like You At All: trying too hard to be sexy and mysterious doesn't make you sexy and mysterious, it makes you pathetic and pathetic. But hey, what do I know? I'm not 600 years old like some ancient creeps). And you know what the cool thing is? My girl Daisy might be 100% heterosexual when it comes to humans, but when it comes to her eldritch buddies? Oh man, her Kinsey scale rating hits the roof. Let me tell you, things get all kinds of hot when Daisy's ex babysitter (I promise it's not as creepy as it sounds) is around. Lamia coils, ooooooohhhhhh!!!!!! Yeah, Daisy and Lurine's coils, the struggle is real, hahahaha.



Okay, cool coils aside, there is one thing I am really concerned about here. Even though nothing happened in the romance department in this instalment, it definitely smells like a Love Triangle of Doom and Destruction is on the way. And let me tell you, that scares the hell out of me. Because until today, only one author on this planet has managed to make me NOT kill her books with fire, when a Love Triangle of Doom and Destruction was involved. And that author isn't Jacqueline Carey. I shouldn’t have to tell you who it is AGAIN, but Clueless Barnacles are you, so I'll tell you anyway: Awesome Pippa DaCosta, people, Awesome Pippa DaCosta. But in Jacqueline Carey I trust. More or less. I think I'll have to ask Gustav to cast an anti-love-triangle-crap spell, just in case.



There, that should do it.

»» And the moral of this never-ending review is:



· Book 2: Autumn Bones ★★★★
· Book 3: Poison Fruit ★★★

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2/7/18 - ON SALE for $2.99:



http://amzn.to/2xNyPR2

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I read Jacqueline Carey’s Phèdre Trilogy when I was in the midst of my “Give me High Fantasy, or give me DEATH” phase about ten years ago. It was strange and dark and sexy and disturbing. Only twice in my entire life has a book been so bleak for so long that I was compelled to skip ahead. One of those times was a Phèdre book. I only skimmed enough text to glean that, yes, the end of the pain and suffering was in sight, and once more reassured, I continued reading, pretending no such weakness ever happened.

I’m happy to report that Carey’s hand at Urban Fantasy is much (MUCH) lighter.

Dark Currents is one of those UF books that, supernaturally speaking, has some of everything–fae, werewolves, vampires, witches, etc.–and all these everythings live openly amongst the humans.

Kind of.

Supernaturals have to live clumped together in a hot spot, overseen by a god or goddess from various pantheons (or they “fade” out of existence). These hot spots frequently become tourist traps, so while human/nonhuman interaction occurs regularly, rare is the human that makes her home there.

Daisy (our MC) Johanssen’s mother is one such human, but out of necessity more than desire. You see . . . Daisy is half-breed HELLSPAWN. Very dramatic, I know. I feel, however, that the drama is lessened by the fact that though Daisy is a half-demon, she is an Agent of H-E-L (the Norse Goddess of Death), not an agent of H-E-L-L (the fiery inferno).

Also, it’s P-U-N-N-Y.

So anyway, Daisy’s mom vacationed in Pemkowet, MI with some college friends when she was nineteen, and while they were there, they decided it would be fun to mess around with a Ouija board (stupid, stupid, STUPID, have you not seen The Exorcist?). Later that night, Mom’s friends find her hovering mid-air, engaging in . . . ahem . . . sexual congress with a black-winged, horned, glowy-eyed, demon-looking thing. Two months after that, there’s a baby on the way.

A baby that is born with a TAIL. *snorts*

A baby that grows, quite literally, into a DEMON CHILD. *snorts again*

And so Mom moves to Pemkowet where she hopes to, at the very least, gain guidance in raising her daughter. What she finds is community. Fast-forward 20ish years, and we’re in the present where Daisy works as a part-time file clerk at the police station and consults on “strange” cases. One such case is our story.

Now for the hard part.

While, superficially, I liked the characters, sometimes having oodles of supernatural creatures around every corner can be a problem—there are too many of them. Inevitably some characters, Lurine for instance, are fleshed out enough to make an impression as something more, whilst others, like Cody the Werewolf, wind up being mostly a normal person with eyes that glow when he’s angry.

Then there were moments of extreme cheese.

Despite those things, and various nit-picky others, it was still a good read. It was very fast-paced. Even if Cody the Werewolf wasn’t particularly wolfy, I still liked him, and Stefan the Ghoul was downright sexy in that dark and mysterious way (which is vaguely upsetting to me even now—ghouls are creepy). Overall, it was an excellent cast of characters, AND there was lots-o-foreshadowing of an increasingly kick-ass heroine. It’s definitely worth the read, and I’ll definitely read the next book in the series.



My other reviews for this series:

Autumn Bones (Agent of Hel, #2)

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Charlaine Harris and Kim Harrison had a baby and if that baby were slightly less concerned with who the main character was currently bedding and if the entire attitude of the baby was slightly less morose and dark and instead highly readable, entertaining, funny and yet steeped in really cool, old mythology, solid writing and a female lead who actually enjoys the power she has? The baby would look a lot like "Dark Currents" the first in what I hope will be a long series in the "Agent of Hel" world artfully created by Ms. Jacqueline "Kushiel" Carey.

I gave up on "Kushiel" after the first two books. While I loved the world Carey painted and I admire erotic fantasy that somehow doesn't have to be totally reliant on smut to carry the theme I honestly think there's only so many stories you can tell about a society of people who exist almost entirely for various kinds of pleasure. So it was with some trepidation that I grabbed "Dark Currents" anticipating another dark, erotic ride into a pleasurable fantasy realm with little substance.

Imagine my surprise! "Currents" is entertaining, funny, and well written (okay I can do without some of Daisy Johanssen's dialogue, does she have to say "gah!" every time something gross happens? What does that even mean? How do you pronounce it)? A world riddled with awesome tidbits from ancient myths and fairy tales. Yes, the general premise is very similar to the worlds of Sookie Stackhouse and Rachel Morgan but somehow this book still feels fresh. Surprisingly Carey is much less interested in the sexual exploits of her character this time around, yes we are introduced to several potential love interests, but as a set up book goes she's far more interested in creating the world of Pemkowet, a summer resort town that happens to have a very active "eldritch" community, loosely translated this means that because of all the upheavals in the world a Norse goddess of death (Hel) has set up camp in the town and the end result is a lot of ghouls, fairies, oak men, brownies etc. taking up residence under her protection.

Sorta cute, blond, Daisy, a half-breed child of a mortal woman and a succubus, is Hel's agent on earth. She's responsible for mediating between the humans in the town (who are quite aware of the eldritch and for the most part content to exist with them) and these creatures of legend. By day she's a part time file clerk for the police but unofficially she's helped out on more than one case involving creatures only she can really deal with. Theres also the small matter of Daisy being something of a ticking time bomb. If she ever gives in to the power she's been given by her father she'll unleash hell on earth so its a constant struggle for her to keep a reign on her very volatile temper. Oh and she has a tail, but just a small one.

Carey does a really great job of setting the stage without expositing all over the place, something that is not easy to do, and still tells a really cool story. There's been a murder and the resulting flak could really damage the tourist trade in the town and hurt the eldritch community since the victim's wealthy and deeply religious family are convinced its because Pemkowet shelters the eldritch that their son has died. So Daisy is left doing damage control and trying to help solve the case while trying to fulfill her obligations to Hel.

The nice thing here, and this is something Harris could take a lesson from, is that the mystery is really interesting. I got really invested in who did it and why and the pay off is pretty damn solid. Too often with this type of urban fantasy the reader has to settle for one or the other; cool world building without much substance or solid story telling but no real sense of where you are.

Carey has created some compelling characters, set the stage for a whole slew of possible future story lines, offered quite a few potential romantic candidates for Ms. Daisy without making it all about the romance and managed to introduce a heroine that I genuinely liked and really rooted for. Brava Ms. Carey my only complaint is that I will likely have to wait ages for the next book!

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

OKAY so one of my FAVE authors delves into one of my FAVE genres! Result? Mmm, I liked it a lot, not a rave for me, but certainly enough that I really wanna know more and will be in for whatever she writes in this world!

I mean, not to say it's not well-executed, nicely written, good characters, but I feel like I've read SO MUCH in the genre, that I gotta be knocked out with something super different to really have it stand out. And I kinda expected the sexy-stuff factor to be higher, and this was extremely safe in tone, which I found surprising. I think towards the end of this book I started getting into the lore a LOT, and the whole Ghoul thing was intriguing (and can we talk about how hot that ghoul guy was? Werewolf BFF/Crush GO AWAY, please make room for the hot motorcycle ghoul please!)

Part of me felt like the regular Urban Fantasy stuff like weres and vamps in this book bored the author, and the really interesting stuff like the deep lore of the fairies and Hell stuff, THAT'S where this series sparkled more, and I feel like as the book went on it got honed more around that. So I'm really intrigued about what is going to happen to the main character and her heritage, and what is going to happen between the 3!! guys in her life. Great setup for future books.

One thing: WTF with the tail in her pants and the weird description of it wagging all the time? That's the only thing I can definitely say I would appreciate less of. I mean...prehensile EWWW.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4 ***

A fun buddy read with my Ghoul loving friends at the MacHalos!

This was much more fun than I expected. Urban Fantasies tend to be very hit and miss, but this one was one of the good ones:)

A Demon Spawn, literally, half human on her mother's side, lives in a small town on Lake Michigan within a community which is uniquely positioned on top of a shallow border with the underworld, thus being able to support many paranormal creatures and menagerie of mythological persons and gods... This place is Daisy's home. She is accepted here, or actually, mostly accepted by the natives, although prejudices still linger under the surface.

Daisy is not perfect. She is no snowflake, meek, girl next door MC. She constantly has to fight her demonic nature and has a hair-trigger temper, which could be dangerous for all around her. She is not a virginal shy wallflower, however it is not easy to keep a guy when they are faced with the existence of a tail... Yes, I said TAIL! I do not know why, but this little detail had me totally fascinated throughout:-) I am sick, I know it, but I just wanted to know what is its purpose, how does she use it, and what does it look like - I definitely needed more detail, since I have seen the procedure of clipping a tail on a new born babe, so I wanted to know what it could be for an adult, even in a fantasy book:):):)

So, despite my tail obsession (who knew I had it in me?), I realy liked the rest of the characters as well. I had an early issue with her BFF, but it turned out alright, to where I ended up liking her a bunch. Cody, the resident Werewolf, Stefan, the sexy top Ghoul, and ancient Lurine, were all absolutely kick-ass and fascinating, giving the field full of odd creatures some substance and vibrancy.

The story was around the murder of a mundane boy which threatens the fragile peace in the town and pins mundanes against supernatural creatures. It is up to Daisy, Cody and the police department to find out what is happening and how to make the tension go away.

The whole book was fun and full of action, the world-building was meticulous without being too descriptive, and the plot was different than the usual murder of the week types. So, I am going to recommend it to all who love the genre of Urban Fantasy, but would probably advise caution for content - it might need PG13 rating. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

I wish all happy reading!!!

[Denisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 I tried, I really really tried!

Gah, the characters were so damn annoying, they didn't know what the hell they wanted and why they were doing what they were doing!


I got to around 40% and I just couldn't take it anymore. Too bad, the idea could have been decent. And it's almost impossible to write a bad PNR... But ah well, I guess everything happens at least once in your life.

If you've read any other PNR, stay away from this one. Just no.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with the Machalos

Okay. Some books just "get me", where I have instant fall-in-love right away chemistry. This was one of those books that charmed me first sight, no questions needed later. Clearly it's not that perfect for every one, but it was so up my alley it needs to rent a permanent parking space in there.

The book has cute humor, but to me this wasn't overbearing - I generally dislike books that lean too far in the cutesy direction to where they become fluffy stories and lack any dark or realist appeal. The character brings humor with her thoughts but she has a serious side, and the story holds its own degree of darkness.

The world building is creatively done - I've never heard of "ghouls" like this. They don't haunt graveyards of cemeteries - they are pale sort of like vampires but they're living. They're beings there death rejects them time and time again, neither Hell nor Heaven will allow them entrance, so they are cursed to stay behind on Earth and live through others emotions. At first it sounded creepy to the main character, but I can see the benefit of having someone around to drain off a little grief when you're overwhelmed by the death of a loved one, or the stress when things become too much to handle. Stefan completely intrigued me - I have a feeling it will end happily for him but tragically for me by the time I've read the third, final book. We shall see, but for now I find him absolutely dreamy.

The protagonist is Daisy, a fun lead who takes life seriously but knows how to unwind at the end of the day with sultry soul music, her cat, and laying on the couch while reading and pondering. She's funny in her way, cute in another way, just plain awesome. I read so much UF that I need breathers from the stereotypical character who is so bad ass it's unrealistic and who has an attitude that's overbearing rather than tough. Daisy is none of that - she's kind of socially awkward, has a crush forever on someone who doesn't return it, is sweet natured, but also does what she has to when it comes to her job as Hel's liason.

As for Hel....the Norse Goddess isn't shown much but the scenes where she is are cool enough. Cody as the partner is fascinating as well - that elusive, hidden werewolf pack family. He was funny when it was needed and added that hot pheromone touch.

The author threw a lot of characters in this to make it feel like a little town to get absorbed into - besides the main Daisy, Cody and Stefan, we get the friend Jen and her bizarre family with the fist-heavy father, battered mother and fragile brother. You have the vamp-addict, abused sister who is draining her own life by her desires. Water creatures, their interactions, drag queen crossdressing shop owners, tarot card reading mothers, protective ex-erotica movie llamas, you name it. It's here, and it's awesome.

There's a mystery trail to sniff and follow too, something I didn't guess right away - there's some obvious whodunit culprits but that doesn't matter since it's meant to be more a find and seek police case rather than an puzzle to solve.

It's cute and quirky and fun, but it's also dark and addictive. I'm already on the second book in the series, couldn't resist, just a shame there's only three.

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This got off to a slow start, but ended up being a lot better than I expected. The first 50 pages of the book were slooooooooooow. It took me around a month, reading a page at a time, because it got off to such a bad start, and the premise didn't seem as promising as the blurb read.

Daisy is the daughter of a minor demon and a human woman whom it sounded like he raped. She lives in the town of Pemkowet, which exists in a world that knows of the existence of supernatural creatures. It's not an alternate universe or anything, it's still the US, just one in which the supernatural and the human exist rather uneasily side-by-side, and racial relations are not that smooth. Daisy is Hel's liason/representative (that's a Norse goddess, and not a misspelling of Hell), and officially works as a paper pusher at the police station, while unofficially investigates things on the supernatural side of things for the police. Some college boys were fooling around the river, and one of them drowned; the chief of police is not entirely happy that things are accidental, and sends Daisy and her high school crush, a werewolf named Cody, to investigate.

This is the beginning of a new series, and there are a lot of character introductions. I'm happy to say I like all the characters, at least the ones that are on Daisy's side. I was not fond of the idea of a world in which there are strained inter--uh, how do I say this, species? Races? Whatever, a world in which the supernatural and the human mix and aren't fond of another...just a reading quirk of mine. I hate the strain of it all, but I'm happy to say that this book does it well. Conflict is presented, but never becomes a boiling point in the book where both sides are ready to tear each other a new one.

Daisy is a competent, strong character, she mostly relies on herself, and is reasonable and rational enough to not get herself into any stupid situations. I'm sure I'm not the only reader who hates overly strong characters, Daisy is realistic, and that's what I like about her. Cody is not an alpha (no pun intended) male, and the rest of the supporting cast are quirky and fun to get to know. The mystery is well done, logical, and enjoyable. I'm very much looking forward to the next book.

[Brigid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I try out Dark Currents, you ask? Because of a little comment dearest Kat made:

 



Thanks to Kat, I picked up this glory of urban fantasy novelization (It's a word. I'm sure of it).

I now bow to your great scepter-ness (according to my mind, this is also a word. I dare you to defy me) Kat. Your welcome.



*Kat and her sceptor-ness take no prisoners.*

She's really a nice person, ignore Katy Perry's bitch glare.

____________________________________________



A half-demon.

A mermaid.

A goddess of the Norse mythology.

Some abs.

A shiny dagger.

A MURDER.

It's all there. I did not expect the world to be this interesting, when I first went in. At first the book was a little slow. But then it really started to pick up. Don't expect it to be a fast paced roller coaster ride, guys. It's really good, but it's written with plot and character development in mind. Be patient. I am so shocked at the intense creativity of the world. Daisy has the sad fortune of being the daughter of a minor demon. When she gets even a little angry things happen. She works really hard to control her temper. As the daughter of a demon, she's very aware of the seven deadly sins. If I had a tail due to being the daughter of a demon, I too would be aware of my humanity and its fragility.

Daisy is Hel's liaison and does the occasional supernatural job for the local chief of police. Hel is the Norse goddess of the underworld and daughter of Loki. She presides over the town in the connecting underworld Little Nieflheim. She has authority over the eldritch community.

Daisy's job just got a lot harder. She and her old high school crush, Cody, are thrown together to try to solve the crime. I have to say that Carey handled the mystery very well. Mystery readers like to try to figure it out for themselves. I love to try to look at the clues and speculate which sentences could have been a foreshadow. At a certain point, I was almost ninety percent sure I knew who it was and I think this was intentional on the author's part. She had planted all the clues and to me they all pointed to a particular person. I was thrown between the idea that maybe the author made it too obvious and wondering whether it was setup. Jacqueline completely threw the ball out of the game. She manipulated the fuck out of me. And, I loved that she did. MINDFUCKED.



*MINDFUCKED*

Daisy is odd. She's attracted to certain body parts and things that a human wouldn't be. But as a half demon, she's more attracted to supernaturals than she is with humans. Nothing gross or anything, don't worry. She admits to being bisexual when it comes to the eldritch.

Dominant MC's kick balls.

She's a forceful person. She's very assertive and does her job with intelligence, maturity, and strength. She doesn't let people walk all over her. She doesn't become silent when someone insults her. Daisy understands that as a woman working in a male workforce, she needs to be assertive. She has to look at her orders with maturity, without writing it off as that person being a jerk because she's female. She has the strength and intelligence to not be offended by a demanding employer or co-worker. She doesn't cry when someone calls her a name. I like this. She doesn't take it personally because she knows it's a hard place to work in. But she also doesn't just write it off. When you work around a lot of guys who are very assertive and dominant, you learn to not take things personally. You learn to be as fucking bold and assertive as they are. Daisy has done this. She does what she had to do as Hel's liaison. She doesn't shy away from taking charge or killing someone.



*Emma Watson level of Badass*

A lot of urban fantasy books don’t include female friendships.

It’s one of the reasons I’ve strayed from the genre. You have this heroine who wears black and hates anything girly, right. She’s a loner. Kind of like a stray dog that bites anyone that goes near her. She gets along with guys, but whenever a female shows up she barks and bitches and barks and bitches ending with a big slut shaming end. I hate that shit. Daisy has female friendships.

I bloody (I'm not British but I'm using this work. SUCK IT) loved the relationship development between Cody and Daisy. When they’re thrown together as partners, they barely tolerate each other. Cody is a werewolf and is very secretive about it. He has preconceived notions about Daisy because she is half demon. As anyone would, really. Daisy has preconceived notions about Cody. She thinks that the rumors she hears about him are true, which is understandable until you actually ask the person whether they’re true.

Cody and Daisy slowly get to know each other. They go from tolerating each other, to friends, to having a friendship that could possibly turn into something romantic.

Hell yes! it’s not about sex or how hot the guys are. SMILES ABOUND.



*Holy Shit! Is the apocalypse coming?*

There’s some abs and pecks for sure, but it doesn’t dominate the story. It’s a very low key detail. This book is not about the romantic entaglements of the main character, it’s about her struggle as a half demon and the murder mystery. Her friendship with Cody is my favorite thing about this book because it shows that the best relationships develop from friendship. By the end of this book, I was incredibly happy that they stayed friends and that it didn’t turn into a romance. It stayed an urban fantasy with the possibility of including a slow burn in the future.

Carey presents us with religion, myths, supernatural creatures, and the struggles all those elements face when combined without preaching her own personal religious beliefs. She provides us with the elements as a story. She shows us a very real thing: overly religious individuals who try to preach another person’s faults based on their religion. Just because she makes religion a contributing factor in this book does not mean that she is pushing her own religious beliefs on her reader. Just because it’s there or that it’s presented in a certain way does not make this so.

The eldritch community (supernatural creatures) is not polar opposite to the very conservative and religious community. It would have been a cliché had they been non-religious atheists who detested religion with every fiber of their being. Many didn’t claim any religion, some didn’t comment on it, and some were very much religious. The characters in this novel were individuals when it came to their religion. They weren’t sectioned off by their species or race when it came to what they believed in. Even Daisy didn’t know where she stood when it came to religion.

I got some problems with the book, guys.

1. I hated that Daisy used the words: Gah! and Oh crap! so much. It was too  much. It threw me out of the book. Why? Those are words teens use, rather than an independent woman who is very aware of the dangers she faces. I would think a woman in her 20's would be okay with using fuck or shit. I'm very fond of those words myself.

2. There's a moment where Daisy takes it upon herself to judge 2 adults for their decision not to send their kids to public school because they feel it's too dangerous for their kids. Okay, no one has the right to judge another parent's decision on an important matter. I'm not a parent, but you need to respect that parent's decisions especially if you don't have kids yourself.

3. The drama between Daisy and her friend Jen over Cody was fake. I didn't buy it. I loved that Daisy was quick to realize her mistakes and owns up to the fact that she fucked up. But Jen seemed completely oblivious to the fact that her friend had a crush on Cody. I know that me and my friends are always aware of who has the hots for who, even if we're not told. It's just how we are. You don't break the code. Okay. You just don't. Either Jen is just being immature or she is fucking oblivious to everything. Your choice.

And now, I leave you with an exploding Taco: Because that is what this book sums up to. It has it's faults. You have to wait for the awesome. But, when that explosion hits it all comes together to form something intricate, interesting, and a little weird. It's so pretty. Look! EXPLODING TACO!!!



trigger warning: There are mild to low trigger warning for rape in this novel. If you are a rape victim who has previously been sensitive to just the mention of rape and the involvement of rape as a plot point, then this could be an problem for you if you read this book. There is nothing graphic. But, there is a plot point in this novel that has to do with an abused rape victim.

[new_user · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I liked this. LOL. A murder mystery, a supernatural-ridden city, and even a love triangle- Dark Currents resembles every urban fantasy we've read. Though Jacqueline Carey does differentiate hers in some ways: supes attract tourists, and protagonist Daisy confesses to her crush instead of waiting five books.

But hellspawn Daisy's also a goody two-shoes. If she gives into her baser urges -the "Seven Deadlies" provide her moral compass; talk about a bandaid- she'll trigger Armageddon. This means she fantasizes often about wielding a fire whip but falls limp when she finally does get a superweapon against baddies, so all of Currents' differences aren't created equal.

On the other hand, I liked the featured creatures, lamias, nymphs, ogres and a hot ghoul (whodathunkit) and the refreshing maturity and honesty to Daisy and her relationships. She's not so der-stupid about her feelings that she isn't aware of them for ten books, and everyone doesn't avoid discussions for plot purposes. It's more true to life. Carey's tight, refined writing also moves this along at a fast pace, so I didn't even notice the minimal action, which is saying something. I liked the secondary characters, even if shallow. I'll read the next book, probably, because I'm assuming she becomes badass -she can only go up from here- and to see if she hooks up with Stephen.

PS. Props for a Jamaican. Props for loteria. Minus props for Scandinavian protagonist #5564616846251. They're never called Scandinavian, but c'mon, who else is really blonde? You know half the country's bottled, LOL. Also, her repeated 'gah!' made me think Professor Frink.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

What happened to the eloquent style of Jacqueline Carey? Where is the intricate character development? Where is the world-building? The political intrigue? Where is the attention to detail?

Daisy the "heroine" is a flat, pathetic shadow of Anastasia Steele from the Shades of Grey trilogy (the only positive comment I can make about Shades of Grey is that the sentence structure was decent). The language is simplistic and repetitive. Daisy's dialog is particularly annoying, littered with clichés and - like Miss Steele - overly fond of "gah" when overwhelmed.

If I hadn't read the Kushiel series or Santa Olivia, I might have given this book an extra star, grouped it with the likes of the Stephanie Plum novels (more mindless dribble for the masses), and made a note to not pick up another one of her works. I continued reading because I adore Jaqueline Carey's writing style and expected it to appear. It didn't.

This is the weakest work by Carey I've read (so much worse than the Sundering series, which - while slow moving - was still so well written... and the concept was an interesting one). Carey is better than this.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a nutshell: If you like urban fantasy and need a new, quick read, I'd grab this one from the library and wait to see if later volumes in the series improve. If you want something more substantial, re-read Emma Bull's War for the Oaks.

I kept on wanting to not be disappointed by this book, but it just got more and more mediocre as it went on. Now, since it's Jacqueline Carey, her mediocre still trumps a lot of what's out on the shelves, but it's absolutely the weakest book of hers I've read (I've finished all but the Sundering duology).

Firstly, the language is overly simplistic and repetitive (as others have said, 'gah' shows up again and again), and listing a character's favorite movies isn't the same as developing their character (particularly when the protagonist Daisy's go-to references are all appropriate to someone 10+ years her senior). The characters were all rather simplistic and straightforward, no one is dealing with internal struggles or growth, and none of the 'dangers' that the main characters faced ever threatened to have consequences. The plot had room for this, but the breezy tone and lack of emotional investment from Daisy meant that success was always a foregone conclusion. Finally, one of the characters who comes into the narrative towards the end of the book sounds like a carbon copy of Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which struck me as a surprisingly lazy choice.

I liked how Carey structured the timing within the book: starting the story up after Daisy has been working with the Police to solve not-so-human crimes for a while meant that the quick pace of a murder investigation wasn't bogged down with lots of establishing narrative. However, I think that she ended up muddling the mythology of her world by skipping some of the introductions. She assumes a general Christian spirituality (heaven, hell, 'the Seven Deadlies'), but doesn't go into what parts of Christianity are relevant. Uncertainty in a world can be compelling if it's done well, but since Carey seemed to be relying on a fear of 'evil' as a large part of Daisy's characterization, being vague as to what that 'evil' is just ends up reinforcing Daisy's lack of substance. And since Daisy worries about wanting to hit on a singer with about the same amount of concern she uses for worrying about what she'll do if she needs to kill someone, she's not going to sell this world's morality on her own.

This book is going into my 'to sell' pile, and although I'll probably check out the sequel at the library, Carey's track record with sequels means I'm going to keep my expectations low, while staying optimistic about whatever series comes next.

[Kiku · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected so much more from Jacqueline Carey. She's already proven that she can create compelling characters with her other series, which is why I'm baffled as to how she found it completely impossible here. Her main character, Daisy, is a 14 year old goth chick's Mary Sue wet dream--all she needs is violet eyes that change color and we're set. In an attempt to make the character 'modern', the page is peppered with really offputting turns-of-phrase; she constantly refers to the 'Seven Deadlies' ("It wasn't quite one of the Seven Deadlies yet, but I allowed myself to stare at his ass. My demon-tail twitched in involuntary pleasure, and right in front of my BFF!!") There are points of this book that seriously read as an Anita Blake-esque self-insert fanfic written by someone afraid of sex (which Carey certainly is not, but Daisy is such a boring, one-note goody-goody that it's impossible to believe that she's supposed to be in her 20s AND half-demon). She is introduced as an agent of the Norse goddess Hel, but even though her character is asked point-blank how that came about...

"Oh, she just asked me."

...oh. So, we're supposed to believe that before this book happened, Daisy was just so awesome and rad cool that a Norse goddess carved a rune in her hand and made her the Mariska Hargitay of all the eldritch folk, and there's no story behind that whatsoever.

Throw in some stupid bullshit flavor-of-the-month vampire and werewolf love interests, and...that's pretty much this book. I'm glad I didn't invest in this entire series thinking that a usually exceptional author would change my mind about the 'urban fantasy' genre (even though I was hoping she would).

[Mitticus · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re vacationing in Pemkowet, or anywhere on the planet with a functioning underworld, do not mess around with a Ouija board. The spirit you summon might just pay a visit. Mom learned that the hard way, and I’m living proof of it.
Daisy Johanssen, reluctant hell-spawn. That’s me




Le iba a poner 3,5 estrellas, pero considerando el buen rato que pasé leyendolo, lo dejo así.

Pemkowet es un pueblo pequeño a lo Bon Temps (versión TrueBlood), con una variada (enfasis en variada) comunidad paranormal que convive codo a codo con los humanos amparados por un inframundo mitologico nórdico presidido por la diosa Hel (quien en caso que se lo pregunten es la hija de Odin, encargada de un reino de los muertos -Niflheim- , debajo de una de las raices de Yggdrasil).

-----------------
Daisy is a desk employee in Penwoket Police Station because the chief is aware of her special connections - she is half-demon and the agent of Hel (the goddess).

Hel keeps most of the eldritch folk in line. The rune inscribed on my left palm is a symbol that I’m licensed to enforce her rules and act as her liaison between the underworld and the mundane authorities. It works pretty well most of the time, at least with the eldritch who respect order. Unfortunately, there are plenty who prefer chaos.

The book start with the find of the body of a young man, maybe drowned. So we happen to be following clues trying to find the guilty part. And so we learn about the town, and the habitants: witches, fairies, vampires, driads, ondines, not-out-werewolves, the norse mentioned above, the Paranormal Tourism Office (we feel like watching Jaws again with those guy$), humans and their problems.

Daisy had to partner on this with a policeman -her childhood crush Cody (a werewolf), but things are not that simple, because of the only-mate-with-another werewolf thing (yep, we have Alcides all over again people!)

Did I mention that Daisy giving up in the dark side is not of the good? :nods sagely:

Oh, and don't forget about the yummy so-called-ghoul because THAT is not a ghoul! everybody knows that ghouls eat dead flesh from cemeteries! Well, in this case :
In a sense, they are tragic figures. They are beings who were once ordinary mortal humans, slain at the height of great passion and rejected by heaven and hell alike. Because they are immortal creatures born of surpassing passion, they require emotion to sustain their existence Talking about emotional junkies! He is more like a knight on a motorbyke type.

So love/lust/doomed triangle >.<

And don't even start with the nice-and-to-die-for-thighs guy who runs the fairysighseeing business.

Love/lust er quartet?

*Disturbing things happen in this book. Above all violence against women. Not just the veiled non-con of Daisy's mom.
AKA: That poor siren, and those evil and cowards men

*Interesting characters:


And more fun to come

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best UF books I’ve read in a long time. It was engaging and original. For once it didn’t feel like I was reading about the same old regurgitated tropes. Best of all it didn’t have a special snowflake, and it easily could have gone in that direction since Daisy is half human and half demon.

The world was unique. Random places around the world have pockets of hell that overlap with Earth. Supernatural creatures gathered in those places because their magic didn’t last long outside of them. Humans still lived in those places although many of them didn’t approve of the supernatural. The regular supernatural creatures were in this, but it had a host of less common supes like ghouls, nymphs, mermaids, and the Norse goddess Hel. The attention was divided fairly equally amongst the various creatures. This story took place in a small town in Michigan. A college kid died and some things about his death weren’t adding up. Supes were involved somehow, but humans were not happy with the investigation.

I really liked the characters. Daisy was tough and didn’t back down from a fight. Being Hel’s liaison and half demon made her fairly unique, but she wasn’t all powerful because of it. She constantly struggled with overcoming her dark nature. For a werewolf Cody was really nice and didn’t have a strong alpha feel to him. Surprisingly I liked him a lot. Lurine and Stefan were both interesting, but their origins were mysterious. Jen was annoying at first because she acted childish, but she got better at the story went along.

It had somewhat of a love triangle vibe since Daisy was interested in Cody and Stefan. Actually she had the hots for several people including a woman, so her interest in the two men didn’t necessarily indicate a love triangle will occur. Her dad was an incubus, so falling prey to lust may have been second nature to her. The romantic angle was not front and center, so it didn’t get on my nerves too much.

I had been hesitant to read this because I read Jaqueline Carey’s book Kushiel’s Dart and hated it. I was deeply afraid this was going to be another epic fail much like that was. Dark Currents excelled in all of the ways her other book didn’t. Then again that was fantasy and this was UF, and I don’t like fantasy anywhere near as much as UF. Anyway just read this. It’s damn good.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that this is NOTHING like Jacqueline Carey's other books. If you're reading this for the intrigue and the politics, you'll be sorely disappointed. This is light Urban Fantasy at its best.

Daisy, our MC, is the daughter of a human and a demon/incubus. As a result Daise has a tail (A TAIL!), a terrible temper, and has to carefully control herself to not fall for the seven deadly sins. I really really liked her; she's so... nice. So refreshing! She doesn't have all the answers, she doesn't posture, she's not snarky, she doesn't mind humiliating herself or backing down from showdowns and she's happy with getting the job done at the end of the day, even in unconventional ways.

The romance angle is hinted but not really developed in this book, which I really liked. And there's a nice cast of characters and mythology involved.

The writing is superb (as expected) and a bit puny (unexpected but nice) and I was so into the story that I picked the next two books and read them in a row! Reviews of them to come soon.

[Mir]

EDit: since no one jumped in to tell me the book becomes wonderful later, I'm DNFing it at page 95.
There was a clue in their weak-ass investigation of the lame mystery, and it promises to be even more boring, so...
---
So, people who have read this -- does it become more original? So far it feels like paint-by-numbers UF. Like, she got an outline to follow, as one (allegedly) does for various Romance imprints. Is she spoofing the genre, or something? It's hard to believe this is from the same author as Santa Olivia or, even though I didn't like it personally, Kushiel's Dart.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't work for me. Read like a YA Charley Davidson. Silly, punny, and the snark just wasn't sharp enough. Not horrible, I just can't spare a care for any of the characters.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacqueline Carey doing urban fantasy. I'm intrigued. Wish it was out sooner ....

This series introduces a new open urban fantasy universe, where members of the eldritch community tend to cluster above cities and towns with functioning underworlds. Pemkowet is a Midwestern resort town that is ruled by Hel, the Norse goddess of the dead.

Daisy Johanssen, the lead female point of view character is Hel's enforcer. Her mother is fully human. Her father an incubus. As such, Daisy has a hell-spawn heritage that she has to be careful not to invoke. (Think Armageddon.)

On the books, Daisy does filing for the local police department. Off the books, she serves as the liaison to the eldritch community. As the book opens, there is a drowning that appears to be more than a mundane accident. Daisy ends up paired up with her long time unrequited crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, an "in the closet" werewolf.

While investigating the case, we visit with ghouls, faeries, naiads and vampires, as well as a mermaid and a lamia. The ghouls, in particular, are a different creature than I usually read about in urban fantasy. Carey's ghouls are passionate individuals who died and were rejected by both heaven and hell. They feed on emotions and cannot die using mundane means.

Overall, I enjoyed the introduction to Daisy's world. There are three potential love interests for Daisy, but no real romance ... yet. Just a bit of lust on Daisy's part.

Those familiar with Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series will find this work more modern and less dense when it comes to writing style. (I adore the Kushiel's Legacy series, so "dense" is not intended as a negative, only a descriptor.)

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, Jacqueline Carey has jumped on the paranormal fantasy bandwagon.

I was excited to hear about this book, and I bought it with no other recommendation than the author's name. Unfortunately, Carey doesn't seem to be able to pull off the paranormal sub-genre with the same elegance as her epic fantasy. It's as if she takes the "real-world" setting as an excuse not to develop or explain anything, because, after all, people know about how the world works, right?

Mundanes just shouldn't attempt to write paranormal fiction. Really.

Okay, I'm a snob. I admit it. I've studied world mythology and folklore since I could read. I've studied "the occult" since I was about eight or so, and read Tarot since I was twelve. Professionally. So I have an extremely high standard for this kind of work. Most writers don't measure up. From the depth and breadth of her other work, I expected Carey to. That she didn't disappointed me almost beyond belief.

Pemkowet, Michigan, is a Great Lakes resort town. It has what is termed a "functioning underworld," a term that is never fully explained except inasmuch as it gives the author an excuse to populate her setting with every supernatural creature in the book. Demon spawn, vampires, ghouls, werewolves, faeries, naiads, frost giants, you name it, Pemkowet's got it. It's as if Carey Googled a list and just stuck everything in there she could find, and she doesn't have anything new to say about them. This whole mishigoss is presided over by the Norse goddess of the underworld, Hel. Her being resident in Podunk, Michigan is never explained, either. Or why she would care about anything outside the Norse cosmology. Just because she's a goddess? Um, no. Unlikely.

Anyway. The female protagonist, Daisy Johanssen, is the daughter of a mundane woman and an incubus. Being a "half-breed" has given Daisy substantial anger management issues and a tail, but very little else. It certainly didn't give her any personality. For more reasons that are never explained, Hel has chosen Daisy as her "liaison" with the mundane realm. This duty seems to involve Daisy flashing a rune-marked palm at any supernatural entity who irks her. Later, Hel gives Daisy a magic dagger. It looks really cool with her jeans.

Daisy works for the police department as a file clerk and part-time adviser on the "eldritch" community. Kudos for use of the word "eldritch," by the way. It was the one thing in this book that I liked. I couldn't really figure why the police department needed this kind of adviser, as the eldritch community has no legal status. But I suppose the authorities do have some responsibility to keep track. So, a local kid turns up drowned, and the Chief of Police's magic pocket watch detects magic of some sort. Daisy gets stuck into the investigation, partnered with Cody Fairfax, a werewolf she's had a crush on since high school. This gives Daisy a lot of opportunity to make comments about how hot Cody is. And I guess that's okay, because other than his beautiful, stubble-covered jaw and his remarkable six-pack abs, Cody doesn't have anything going for him, either.

Daisy was really, really irritating. You'd think that a person of demon-descent, who'd lived since birth in a community populated with paranormal creatures of every stripe, would be curious enough to figure out how the whole business worked. But, well, she didn't. All too often, when some question came up, Daisy would simply say, "Well, I don't know why it works that way; it just does." I could have bought that once or twice. But it happened so much that it left me feeling as if Carey simply couldn't be bothered to sort out her mythology. And it gave the entire work an underdeveloped, superficial feel. Also, Daisy has the vocabulary of a second-grader. When at a loss for words, she falls back on the weird exclamation, "Oh, Gah!" This happens about once a page. And when she does happen to come up with a good word, she never fails to point out that she learned it from her high school English teacher, Mr. Leary. It made me feel like she wanted a grade. The way she drools over Cody reminded me unpleasantly of reading Fifty Shades. I expected every minute for Daisy to say something like "Oh my! He makes me hot DOWN THERE!"

Oh yeah: there's also the standard fascinating male paranormal entity in the form of an ancient Polish ghoul. He also makes Daisy hot down there.

So anyway: mundane kid murdered, staunch Christian parents up in arms because of Satan's influence (yes, let's not forget to throw in a religious angle, by all means). Enter the Pemkowet Visitor's Bureau!--because, of course, Pemkowet is a tourist destination for people looking to photograph the various supernatural entities they might chance to spot. Now Daisy has to work public relations. This subplot serves no purpose except to show off still more paranormal people, and to introduce the single character in the entire book who might actually be interesting.

Honestly, you know what? I meant to go on with this. But it was so bad, I don't actually think it's worth my time. I write paranormal fantasy myself. Sometimes I read my work and think, "Is this really stupid or what?" I will never think that again. I could not possibly fabricate anything as dumb as this book. The writing is shallow, inept and superficial. The characters are barely two-dimensional. I've seen other reviews from people who really liked this book, found it thrilling and funny and well-developed ("Like Buffy!"). I can only imagine these reviewers have never actually read books, or watched Buffy, either.

Please, Ms. Carey, go back to doing something you do well. For the sake of a genre that already gets maligned enough, leave Pemkowet alone.




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[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pemkowet is the setting of Jaqueline Carey's very entertaining urban fantasy murder mystery. The setting and backdrop for the story is very strong. There is a thin line in Pemkowett between the Underworld and our world. A werewolf pack has a home in the forested area out outside the town. Fairy's are attracted to spells. Naiad's inhabit the rivers, a ghoul biker gang that feeds on human emotion is a major criminal element and there is even a vampire house where bespelled humans are the fodder for the most hideous of monsters. The Norse goddess Hel has made Pemkowet her home. Lurine, a fantastical Lamia, is the godmother to Daisy Johanssen, Carey's main character.

Daisy Johanssen is the daughter of a demon and a human who works as a part time file clerk and full time liaison between the Pemkowet police department and the fantastical creatures that call Pemkowet home. When Vanderhei, a young college student from the nearby human area washes up on shore seemingly drowned in salt water, Johanssen is put on the case with Cody Fairfax, a werewolf, to use her contacts in the supernatural realm to see if she can shed light on the death. The investigation forces Daisy to confront the otherworldly leader of the Ghouls, and the nasty leader of the Vampires, use her godmother to scare the naiads, and learn the nasty secret of a fantastical circus.

The mystery and setting are the strongest parts of this story. The fact that Daisy, who seems too young and too untested, is trusted by Hel to be her warrior and deliverer of justice just did not ring as true for me. But she does prove herself in this engaging novel.

Carey and urban fantasy, its a match made in Hel.

[Dichotomy Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Review 4/21/14:
So, I enjoyed this...but..... It just didn't feel like a Jacqueline Carey Book! First off, it was only 350 Pages, so it was missing at least 500, and It left me feeling like I only got half the story. I mean, a Carey novel, brings you there slowly, from the beginning of the heroine's life. (sometimes before it ala Santa Olivia).

Therefore, it wasn't really possible to know Daisy in the same manner one can know Phedre, or Imriel, or even Loup. So I'm left feeling like I need to rate it on a much harsher scale than I would your average Urban Fantasy, because I know that Carey is capable of so much more.

3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 for Author Love.

[KatieV]

I don't rate books I don't finish and BOY do I have a lot of those lately.

I made it 50% in. What was wrong with it? Nothing, really. It just didn't grab me. The heroine is likeable, but the world didn't draw me in. I probably would have made it if it weren't for the narrator.

She's the same one that did Shelly Laurenston's Crow series and seriously messed with my enjoyment then. It could be just me, but I can't stand the way she narrates. There's this Valley Girl type of quality to her voice and not a lot to differentiate the characters. At least the Laurenston books took place in CA, so I could imagine it was an artistic choice. This book took place in the Midwest, however. Others have enjoyed her work, so YMMV.

I'd like to say I'll pick this up later in print form, but I just wasn't that into it.

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Throw your idea of the normal supernatural regulars out with this book. There are more varieties and they are unique; Werewolves, Brownies, Vampires, Ghouls, Mermaids and more. The head Ghoul, is sexy with a beating heart and blood in his veins. Hel is a Norse goddess who rules supreme over the edritch (supernatural others) that live there.
Daisy is a half demon and agent of Hel. She was raised by her mother, and taught to be 'good.' She has to avoid temptation, called the seven deadlies. If not- She will gain enormous power and then hell on earth will reign. Not easy when she's quick to lose her temper and her demon father is always trying to get her to come over to the dark side. She is single and looking, and there are some nice men to look at. She is a bit immature, and acts a bit like a teen, IMHO. She is new at this, and she grows up before the end of the book.
When a Frat boy turns up drowned, and his death points to supernatural causes, Daisy is partnered up with hot police officer Cody Fairfax. He long time crush. They work together hunting clues and trying to keep her on the non-evil side of the force. -She is a hot head- They meet up with Stefen, the head ghoul and hunky hotness that he his, he stole the show for me. : ) He has powers that can help and offers them. But can he be trusted ?
The humans is town don't like the supernaturals and this killing brings all the craziness out to disgrace the town and the police department. This could be the end of the uneasy balance the town has. The clock is set and them team must rush to solve this case before it gets really bad.
The bad-I was bothered by Daisy's tail, it is brought up too much. it was twitching, it was rubbing, it was...okay I get it she has a tail. The sexual torture, I hate this subject, but it was not detailed nor graphic and I appreciated that. I was also miffed at the lack of romance, but when dealing with the subject of the story i am relieved it was left out. It would have been totally inappropriate. So I guess it's not a problem, I just wanted it. LOL
There are two more books planned and I am jumping on them asap.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this does make use of some of the same tropes and motifs found in too much Urban Fantasy today, it is a cut above. If you are thinking it will be like Carey's Kushiel books, think again. There is a hint at a romantic many sided figure, but just a hint, the main focus is a mystery. So while the heroine, Daisy, feels lust, she doesn't act on it.

So Daisy is a special girl because she is the offspring of a human mother and demon father. I have to say that as much I as enjoy Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld, Carey does a far, far better job than Armstrong in depicting the conflict of being a demon's daughter. This is particularly true in the closing pages of the novel.

I do have to wonder though, has it now become a rule that every urban fantasy novel, but the Kitty Norville books, involving a heroine have a vampire/woman/werewolf love triangle? Granted, here it is a ghoul, but considering that ghouls fed off of emotions, they are still kinda vampire. And since it seems to be the werewolf that will most likely win, I have to wonder why because he had more chemistry with Daisy's BBF, Jen.

But that is the great thing about this book. It's almost the anti-Anita Blake. Not only does Daisy respect the men she works with, who also respect her (because they are all professional), she gets along very well with most of the women in the book. She is very close friends with Jen, and it is a good friendship. She gets along well with her mother, and her fairy godmother (who isn't a fairy and isn't really her godmother, but still). In many ways, while Daisy is the only woman on the local police force (or at least the only woman who investigates), she would not have been able to solve the mystery if she hadn't known she could go to the other women for help.

And Hel is awesome.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book. Jacqueline Carey writing an urban fantasy involving Norse mythology, how could that not be amazing? Well, it's really not. If Robin McKinley were to write a reboot of the Anita Blake books, this is what you would get. A female cop who specializes in the fantastic elements (because of her demon ancestry), solving a murder mystery, even with the setup of a love triangle with a were and a ghoul (which are just a variation on the standard urban vampire). Again, why do all of these urban fantasy series have a main character in law enforcement solving mysteries? There has got to be someone breaking that formula. And in this case, solving a mystery in the most mundane sequence of events possible. I kept waiting for some dramatic twist, like Carey normally delivers, that upsets the whole world. But no, we plod from point A to point B and nothing unexpected happens and the mystery is solved. There's nothing creative about her fantasy parallel world, and it feels vague and undefined. I'm not sure why I keep hoping Carey will come out with something as amazing as the original Kushiel trilogy, but it seems that was her one magic moment.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried to read this author's Kuschiel's series and it was just too much for me and I read erotica. So I thought I wasn't going to be fooled by this book's blurb and while I was reading it I kept expecting any minute some intense sex scene. Didn't happen. In fact although there was violence against a female in the book, none of the details were discussed. So now I'm thinking maybe it was a little too tame. (Just call me Goldilocks - I'm rarely satisfied.)

The story itself was good. I'm planning on reading more of the books.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This review was posted at Under the Covers

I have wanted to read a Jacqueline Carey book in what seems like forever. I've been attracted to and purchased quite a few of them, but never managed to set aside the time to read them. Then this book comes along with this beautiful and fun cover and I just caved and had to read it.

I think I'm in love. This book is not the dark and gritty urban fantasy I thought I would get by reading a Jacqueline Carey book and for me, in this story, it worked marvelous.

DARK CURRENTS is fun, it's spunky and it has a lot personality. It's unique and entertaining. Starting out with a heroine, Daisy, that I found very down to earth and relatable. At the same time she was a lot of fun and someone that you just want to hang out with. She can be badass when absolutely necessary, even though I think she has some growth to do in that department. She has a really cool profession. Her human job is as a paper pusher at the sheriff's office but because she's a supernatural she is starting to be more involved in investigations. Her supernatural job is as Hel's agent. And no, that's not a typo. Hel is a Goddess, not hell as in flames. She is in charge and in power of keeping the order in the human realm and inter-relations between humans and Hel who rules the supernaturals on earth.

Ms. Carey masterfully introduces us to the very unique supernatural world of this series and more importantly to what's going on in Pemkowet. For the amount of world building that took place in this book, not once did I feel like there was an info dump. Such a smooth and amazing job!

The story revolves around a murder mystery, which I always find interesting. The supernatural community in Pemkowet is shaken up, as well as the human sheriff's office, when a college boy is found dead, who presumably drowned. The police department has to find the killer before the supernatural connection is brought to the public's attention. A little bit of mystery and intrigue. A whole lot of normal in the midst of chaos.

I think that was my favorite part. This book has a lot of normal. Daisy is a normal girl, with normal issues. Except maybe one not so normal appendage, but I thought that was cute and funny. She also has a crush on a hot guy, Cody, and she is now put in a situation where she has to work with him to solve the murder. She has a best friend who likes Cody as well. But Jen is human and Cody is a shapeshifter. Then she meets the Master ghoul in town, Stefan, who is hotter than hell and very powerful. And there's a human who can see auras, Sinclair, thrown in the mix for good measure.

While solving a murder she still has to perform her job as Agent of Hel and normal early twenties girl. Wanting to hang out with her BFF, saving her BFF's brother, hanging out with a family of werewolves, and chasing a mermaid. You know, the usual.

When I finished reading the last page of this book I truly wanted more. I want to know who Daisy will end up giving a shot to be with her. I want to see her grow into her powers. But as much as I am dying for the next book, the ending of this one was a bit anticlimactic after the awesome build up throughout the book. This is why I can't give this book 5 stars. Other than that, this was a masterpiece and a keeper for sure!


*ARC provided by publisher

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trilogy Review: “Agent of Hel” is a trilogy about a half-human, half-demon woman named Daisy, whose heritage earned her the job of liaison between the human world and the supernatural kingdom. It’s a job that gets particularly complicated when citizens start showing up dead by supernatural causes…

Jacqueline Carey is one of my top authors, specifically for her “Kushiel’s” and “Imriel’s” Trilogies (which contain some of the best writing I’ve ever read, although I’d recommend it with a strong disclaimer of sexual content… particularly of the S&M variety). I’ve come to love her for her rich character development, expansive world/culture building, beautiful love stories, and epic storytelling. Many of these elements you don’t normally see within urban fantasies, whose storylines typically revolve around mystery, action, and instant gratification. As you can imagine, after reading Carey’s epic fantasies, I was intrigued to see how she would tackle a new genre.

And the verdict? “Agent of Hel” was anything but typical… And I really dug it.

My favorite things about this series were the world building and quirky cast of characters. Both of which I thought were developed expansively enough to merit more than just a trilogy. Carey’s supernatural world was one of the most conceptual and well-imagined of any I’ve ever read. Everything from creature creation to the political hierarchy went one or two steps above what I would consider necessary for a good urban fantasy. It was a lot of fun. Carey’s characters also had a lot of depth and backstory, but there wasn’t enough time within such a short series to explore them all thoroughly. I wanted more, which is more or less a positive way to finish a series. I don’t think Carey has any plans to write more, but one can dream.

Anyway, despite the series ending before I was ready for it to, “Agent of Hel” had great pacing that kept me engaged from start to finish. It had a nice balance of action, mystery, romance, and humor, which are ingredients for an awesome read.

As with many urban fantasies, “Agent of Hel” contained a prominent romance – one which I thought did a good job of balancing the action without overwhelming the plot. As with everything else, the love story was a bit atypical. For starters, it wasn’t always clear who the love interest was supposed to be. Also, the romantic story arc didn’t follow the usual formula. Both were things I actually liked about the series and, at the risk of sounding redundant, I also found myself craving another book to keep it going by the time the series ended. I should clarify that my slight dissatisfaction was because I was really enjoying what I was reading and wanted more, but Carey did do a nice job wrapping up her plot points with clear resolutions.

Overall, I’d rank “Agent of Hel” as one of the better urban fantasies and would recommend it to anyone familiar with the genre. Fair warning though, the series contains sexual content.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com