If jumping off a building to save a raccoon doesn't kill Corbin Pierce then his next altruistic impulses just might.
Pierce, ex-Ivy League community college adjunct and environmental activist, has his hands full keeping the local spirit-creatures out of the hands of poachers while teaching his students about history they shouldn't repeat. As if he didn't already have enough on his plate, he and his new mentee-turned-apprentice discover the murder of a homeless man.
As one murder becomes two, Corbin suspects the involvement of The Hand, a secret cabal of high magicians. It won't be his first conflict with them, but if he can't find a way to stop them, it could well be the last.
Even worse, ancient spirits are waking to wreak havoc on the city as the bodies pile up. To end it all, Corbin must decide what he's willing to sacrifice. If he doesn't, the city and everyone he loves will be gone. Can Corbin take the final leap, knowing he might pay the ultimate price?
Tropes: Urban Fantasy, Animal Sidekicks, Found Family, Complex Characters, Secret Societies, Magic, Ancient Spirits, Betrayal, and Fantasy.
Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Ben Schenkman.
Corbin Pierce can see and do magic and he works his butt off each and every day to ensure that those who can't see or do magic or even those who don't know enough don't end up killing everyone and everything in the process.
Corbin also works as a community college teacher, it doesn't really doesn't pay the bills, but Corbin knows that every little bit helps in the end. It's when Corbin meets Taylor, someone who it turns out has the same abilities that Corbin does, and together Corbin and Taylor end up stumbling on the murdered corpse of a homeless man, suddenly Corbin finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into danger.
Adding to all the chaos, first there's the decision to have the Green, a local park that happens to be privately owned that's been developed into something that's going to destroy the local park.
But, Corbin realizes that not everything is really as it seems and Corbin is forced into making some really difficult choices before he's done. Corbin is aided by Scratch, the Raccoon he had managed to befriend, all in a heist, with some luck, Corbin had managed to save the Green, at least for now, but in doing so Corbin also discovers yet another murder victim.
For Corbin, the obvious suspect is The Hand, this local and super secret cabal of high magicians who have a leader who has a leader who has a score to settle with Corbin. But, Corbin has no proof, Corbin now can only keep his eyes open from now on and now hope for the best. Now, with betrayal stinging like a knife in the back and murders surrounding him. But, Corbin's realizes that his luck might just have finally run out.
This is the first book by Ben Schenkman that I have read and I found that I really enjoyed it. Corbin was relatable and really very likeable. He has this altruism within him and I loved the way that he would help anyone who needed it.
Corbin found himself a cute little found family and I just loved that. Scratch, he was just the cutest of all raccoons and I just fell in love with him. The plot of this book was perfect and I loved the way that it was resolved and now I plan to go back and read the first book in this series and I am going to be going to reading the next books in the series as they are released.
If you enjoy Urban Fantasy, Animal Sidekicks, Found Families, and Complex Characters then this would be a wonderful book for you to pick up and read. I am sure you will enjoy this book just as much as I did.
And I just have to say, Scratch the Racoon, he's just hilarious.