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Kincaid Strange #1
The Voodoo Killings
For the first time since we launched Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, Random House Canada is thrilled to announce the debut of a new urban fantasy series. Kristi Charish's The Voodoo Killings introduces Kincaid Strange, not your average voodoo practitioner...
For starters, she's only 27. Then there's the fact that she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti. And she's broke. With raising zombies outlawed throughout the continental USA, Kincaid has to eke out a living running seances for university students with more money than brains who are desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker--who happens to be Kincaid's on-again, off-again roommate.
Then a stray zombie turns up outside her neighbourhood bar: Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Not only is it dangerous for Kincaid to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes he's tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle's infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City's oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help. Raising ghosts and zombies is one thing, but finding a murderer? She's broke, but she's not stupid.
And then she becomes the target...As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, especially in Seattle.
For starters, she's only 27. Then there's the fact that she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti. And she's broke. With raising zombies outlawed throughout the continental USA, Kincaid has to eke out a living running seances for university students with more money than brains who are desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker--who happens to be Kincaid's on-again, off-again roommate.
Then a stray zombie turns up outside her neighbourhood bar: Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Not only is it dangerous for Kincaid to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes he's tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle's infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City's oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help. Raising ghosts and zombies is one thing, but finding a murderer? She's broke, but she's not stupid.
And then she becomes the target...As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, especially in Seattle.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2016
27 people are currently reading
1761 people want to read
About the author
Kristi Charish
14 books309 followersKristi is the author of OWL AND THE JAPANESE CIRCUS (Simon and Schuster Canada/Pocket Books), an urban fantasy about a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world, and THE VOODOO KILLINGS (Random House Canada), an urban fantasy/mystery about a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle with the ghost of a deceased grunge rocker.
She writes what she loves; adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the mix. She’s also a co-host for the Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing Podcast.
Before becoming an author Kristi was a research scientist. She holds a BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Her specialties are genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology, all of which she draws upon in her writing. She is represented by Carolyn Forde at Westwood Creative Artists.
FB: http://www.facebook.com/KristiCharish...
AISFP Podcast: http://www.adventuresinscifipublishin...
She writes what she loves; adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the mix. She’s also a co-host for the Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing Podcast.
Before becoming an author Kristi was a research scientist. She holds a BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Her specialties are genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology, all of which she draws upon in her writing. She is represented by Carolyn Forde at Westwood Creative Artists.
FB: http://www.facebook.com/KristiCharish...
AISFP Podcast: http://www.adventuresinscifipublishin...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
March 20, 2021
Always on the look-out for something new in urban fantasy, Charish did not disappoint with her light-hearted take on death magic. I had previously read two books in her Owl series Owl and the Japanese Circus, a fun take on a thief trope with a more mythological/archeological focus. Verdict? Diverting. It’s a quick, summer-drink kind of book that focuses on the personal.
In true middle-rating fashion, I find myself both uninspired and lazy with little to offer in the way of summary. Tadiana has a great review that lays out the parameters of the story. In short, Kincaid Strange, roommate to the ghost of a Seattle grunge star, is saddled with a suspiciously alive zombie as the most likely maker–her former mentor–has disappeared. There's a very second-to-tertiary plot line with a former boyfriend that puts it firmly outside the paranormal category, which is a plus in my book.
What I will offer instead is comparisons. The set up feels just a little like early Anita Blake. Remember when she raised zombies to help resolve inheritance disputes? (you know, back before group sex). That’s where society is now with zombies. There’s ghosts, ghouls, and poltergeists (oh my), but no weres or vampires yet (a feature for some, a detraction for others). The magic system actually reminded me a great deal of Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series. I’m not entirely sure that Charish has worked out all the finicky details with souls, religion, and such, and I’m okay with that. However, she has created a very interesting vision of an underground and undead Seattle that I found intriguing (although perhaps not on my TripAdvisor list).
What is more of a challenge is the writing style. It’s improved since Charish’s early writing, certainly. She occasionally spends too much time with adjectives, and the internal voice is that of a snarky twenty-seven year-old, but mostly it’s this strange kind of UF style that feels like inexperienced writers, or writers without editors (which sounds like a bizarre gang). It’s not bad; it’s just not great. But hey, it was better than a number of the books I tried (and even read) under quarantine brain. A random early sample (and yes, the line breaks reflect the book spacing):
“‘He glanced up from his mug, the sun catching the yellow flecks in his eye. ‘Everything comes with a price. You know that.’
And sometimes the steepest price isn’t monetary. What had Cameron had to pay?
As if reading my thoughts, Max added, ‘All you need know is we reached a mutually beneficial arrangement.’
Yeah, I’ll just bet. ‘And the fact that your services could gain you some publicity and validation was nothing to you?'”
So, read it; don’t. No skin here. You could certainly do both better and worse. But in the crowded UF field, there’s something to be said for an entertaining book without a vampire or were in sight. I’ll definitely check out the next.
In true middle-rating fashion, I find myself both uninspired and lazy with little to offer in the way of summary. Tadiana has a great review that lays out the parameters of the story. In short, Kincaid Strange, roommate to the ghost of a Seattle grunge star, is saddled with a suspiciously alive zombie as the most likely maker–her former mentor–has disappeared. There's a very second-to-tertiary plot line with a former boyfriend that puts it firmly outside the paranormal category, which is a plus in my book.
What I will offer instead is comparisons. The set up feels just a little like early Anita Blake. Remember when she raised zombies to help resolve inheritance disputes? (you know, back before group sex). That’s where society is now with zombies. There’s ghosts, ghouls, and poltergeists (oh my), but no weres or vampires yet (a feature for some, a detraction for others). The magic system actually reminded me a great deal of Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series. I’m not entirely sure that Charish has worked out all the finicky details with souls, religion, and such, and I’m okay with that. However, she has created a very interesting vision of an underground and undead Seattle that I found intriguing (although perhaps not on my TripAdvisor list).
What is more of a challenge is the writing style. It’s improved since Charish’s early writing, certainly. She occasionally spends too much time with adjectives, and the internal voice is that of a snarky twenty-seven year-old, but mostly it’s this strange kind of UF style that feels like inexperienced writers, or writers without editors (which sounds like a bizarre gang). It’s not bad; it’s just not great. But hey, it was better than a number of the books I tried (and even read) under quarantine brain. A random early sample (and yes, the line breaks reflect the book spacing):
“‘He glanced up from his mug, the sun catching the yellow flecks in his eye. ‘Everything comes with a price. You know that.’
And sometimes the steepest price isn’t monetary. What had Cameron had to pay?
As if reading my thoughts, Max added, ‘All you need know is we reached a mutually beneficial arrangement.’
Yeah, I’ll just bet. ‘And the fact that your services could gain you some publicity and validation was nothing to you?'”
So, read it; don’t. No skin here. You could certainly do both better and worse. But in the crowded UF field, there’s something to be said for an entertaining book without a vampire or were in sight. I’ll definitely check out the next.
January 23, 2019
3.25 stars for this zombie fantasy set in Seattle, Washington. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Kincaid Strange is one of only two known remaining voodoo practitioners in Seattle. She’s had a hard time making end meet, ever since new laws went into effect restricting the raising of zombies. Permanent zombies ― called five-line zombies for the magical lines that anchor their four limbs and head to life ― are outlawed entirely; four-line temporary zombies (who are missing the magical line to the head) may be raised only under severely restricted circumstances. Temporary zombies are actually quite useful in resolving issues like murders and last will and testament disputes, but under the new laws that’s mostly forbidden as well.
Kincaid’s prior job as an independent consultant for the Seattle police department has ended as well; the new police chief is adamantly anti everything paranormal. So Kincaid gets by with the help of her roommate Nathan Cade, the ghost of a grunge rocker who still gives concerts when he’s in the mood, and who can down a surprising amount of beer. (Nate manages to run up quite the beer tab on Kincaid.)
Matters get more complicated when Kincaid gets a phone call from a brand new zombie, Cameron Wight, who was a local artist. Cameron has no memory of how he died or why he’s been raised as an illegal zombie ― an impossible mix between a four-line and five-line zombie. As Kincaid tries to help Cameron, her investigation of his situation seems to tie in to people ― and zombies ― who are starting to die (or die again) at some unknown murderer’s hand. Not to mention that there’s an extremely hostile and powerful ghost who’s beginning to haunt Kincaid, wanting something from her that she has no idea how to give him.
The Voodoo Killings is an urban fantasy focused on zombies, but mixes in ghosts, ghouls and some other supernatural doings along with its murder mystery plot. In this world, zombies will stay intelligent and rational ― and will refrain from attacking and eating people ― as long as they get enough human brains in their diet … so there’s a black market in brains. It’s amusing, if a little gross, to see Kincaid trying to convince Cameron to drink his brains milkshake. Kristi Charish creates an entire underground (literally) city of zombies, hidden underneath Seattle. It’s an interesting concept, but I couldn’t help but wonder how they found enough human brains to feed the zombies there and keep them from going on a zombie rampage.
Charish’s writing style is straightforward, without any literary frills or pretensions, but some humor. Charish does have the habit of dropping odd facts into Kincaid’s narrative, like the fact that she has a ghost for a roommate, her rocky family history, or her issues with her ex-boyfriend Aaron, a Seattle homicide detective whose phone calls she’s assiduously avoiding, without much, if any, context. Much later on, the background information shows up in the narrative. I suppose it’s a way to avoid too much info-dumping early on, but I found it rather distracting.
The Voodoo Killings is a reasonably good urban fantasy, not quite up to Ilona Andrews’ standards of imagination and humor (not to mention romance, which is almost an afterthought in Voodoo Killings), but ― in my mind at least ― comparable to Faith Hunter’s JANE YELLOWROCK series. If you’re a Jane Yellowrock fan, I’d suggest giving Kincaid Strange a shot. The murder plot is resolved in the end, but there’s an unexpected twist in the final pages as a teaser for the second book in the KINCAID STRANGE series, the just-published Lipstick Voodoo. I found the world of Kincaid Strange engaging enough that I jumped right into Lipstick Voodoo when I was finished with this one.
Initial Post: I got about 100 pages into the just-published sequel to this book, Lipstick Voodoo, and realized that its plot really hangs off on a lot of the events in this first book. The publicist was kind enough to shoot me a PDF of this first book yesterday, and I downed it in one evening (it kept me up until about 2 am).
Content notes: Scattered F-bombs and a fair amount of violence. Also, eating (and drinking!) of brains.
Kincaid Strange is one of only two known remaining voodoo practitioners in Seattle. She’s had a hard time making end meet, ever since new laws went into effect restricting the raising of zombies. Permanent zombies ― called five-line zombies for the magical lines that anchor their four limbs and head to life ― are outlawed entirely; four-line temporary zombies (who are missing the magical line to the head) may be raised only under severely restricted circumstances. Temporary zombies are actually quite useful in resolving issues like murders and last will and testament disputes, but under the new laws that’s mostly forbidden as well.
Kincaid’s prior job as an independent consultant for the Seattle police department has ended as well; the new police chief is adamantly anti everything paranormal. So Kincaid gets by with the help of her roommate Nathan Cade, the ghost of a grunge rocker who still gives concerts when he’s in the mood, and who can down a surprising amount of beer. (Nate manages to run up quite the beer tab on Kincaid.)
Matters get more complicated when Kincaid gets a phone call from a brand new zombie, Cameron Wight, who was a local artist. Cameron has no memory of how he died or why he’s been raised as an illegal zombie ― an impossible mix between a four-line and five-line zombie. As Kincaid tries to help Cameron, her investigation of his situation seems to tie in to people ― and zombies ― who are starting to die (or die again) at some unknown murderer’s hand. Not to mention that there’s an extremely hostile and powerful ghost who’s beginning to haunt Kincaid, wanting something from her that she has no idea how to give him.
The Voodoo Killings is an urban fantasy focused on zombies, but mixes in ghosts, ghouls and some other supernatural doings along with its murder mystery plot. In this world, zombies will stay intelligent and rational ― and will refrain from attacking and eating people ― as long as they get enough human brains in their diet … so there’s a black market in brains. It’s amusing, if a little gross, to see Kincaid trying to convince Cameron to drink his brains milkshake. Kristi Charish creates an entire underground (literally) city of zombies, hidden underneath Seattle. It’s an interesting concept, but I couldn’t help but wonder how they found enough human brains to feed the zombies there and keep them from going on a zombie rampage.
Charish’s writing style is straightforward, without any literary frills or pretensions, but some humor. Charish does have the habit of dropping odd facts into Kincaid’s narrative, like the fact that she has a ghost for a roommate, her rocky family history, or her issues with her ex-boyfriend Aaron, a Seattle homicide detective whose phone calls she’s assiduously avoiding, without much, if any, context. Much later on, the background information shows up in the narrative. I suppose it’s a way to avoid too much info-dumping early on, but I found it rather distracting.
The Voodoo Killings is a reasonably good urban fantasy, not quite up to Ilona Andrews’ standards of imagination and humor (not to mention romance, which is almost an afterthought in Voodoo Killings), but ― in my mind at least ― comparable to Faith Hunter’s JANE YELLOWROCK series. If you’re a Jane Yellowrock fan, I’d suggest giving Kincaid Strange a shot. The murder plot is resolved in the end, but there’s an unexpected twist in the final pages as a teaser for the second book in the KINCAID STRANGE series, the just-published Lipstick Voodoo. I found the world of Kincaid Strange engaging enough that I jumped right into Lipstick Voodoo when I was finished with this one.
Initial Post: I got about 100 pages into the just-published sequel to this book, Lipstick Voodoo, and realized that its plot really hangs off on a lot of the events in this first book. The publicist was kind enough to shoot me a PDF of this first book yesterday, and I downed it in one evening (it kept me up until about 2 am).
Content notes: Scattered F-bombs and a fair amount of violence. Also, eating (and drinking!) of brains.
May 18, 2016
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/05/18/...
I want to say right off the bat, this was the most fun I’ve had with an urban fantasy in ages! Not only was I blown away by the potential—the most I’ve seen when it comes to a new series—Kristi Charish appears to have this uncanny ability to push all my right buttons. I became a fan of hers after the Adventures of Owl, and I’ve been hankering for anything she writes ever since. That’s how this first book of her new series came to my attention. Hard to imagine anything beating a fast-talking, tomb-raiding, RPG-playing ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, but Kincaid Strange of The Voodoo Killings might actually give Owl a run for her money.
For one thing, she’s not your typical voodoo practitioner, nor is this book your typical ghosts-and-zombies fare. However, like a lot of her peers in the UF genre, Kincaid is flat broke. And while she might be the best at what she does, what she does best isn’t exactly paying the bills these days. New Seattle laws against the raising of zombies have dried up her source of income, leaving her scrounging for séance jobs among the city’s population of university students, especially those with an obsession with grunge rock. It helps a little that the ghost of Nate Cade, the legendary Seattle grunge rocker who died in the late 90s, is her roommate. The two of them make a great team.
Then one day, Kincaid gets a call about the stray zombie of prominent local artist, and before she knows it, she’s his brand new guardian. Cameron can’t remember who raised him or even how he died, but an unauthorized zombie walking around town spells very bad news for everyone, so Kincaid takes it upon herself to help him piece together the final days of his life. The investigations go south when she connects Cameron’s death to a string of recent murders, and the victims are all zombies and other voodoo practitioners like her—which can only mean one thing: it’s only a matter of time before the killer comes gunning for her.
As I said, The Voodoo Killings is not your typical UF. The world Kristi Charish has crafted here is all her own, and I love what she’s done with the magic and mythos behind the raising of zombies and summoning of ghosts. There’s an intricate process behind animating a corpse involving a complex series of spell threads that only someone with the skills can recognize and manipulate. A practitioner’s relationship with the “Otherside” is one of the most fascinating aspects of the story, hooking me in right from the very start. It’s also the wild little details that make me want to giggle and rub my hands together with glee, like the practice of writing on mirrors to communicate with ghosts, or Cameron having to pan-fry his servings of human brains that come neatly packaged in highly illegal (but highly convenient!) vacuum-sealed packets.
The characters themselves are instant favorites. There’s a special place in my heart reserved for all the underdogs of UF, and Kincaid definitely counts. In truth she actually shares a lot of traits with Owl from Charish’s other series, save for the recklessness and smart-alecky mouth, which made connecting with Kincaid a lot faster and easier. Like Owl again, Kincaid has few human friends and spends the bulk of her time associating with other practitioners and supernatural beings, and as a result we have a fascinating and very diverse cast of supporting characters. First and foremost is Nate, who is in no way your everyday sidekick ghost, though his loyalty to Kincaid is unequaled. Then there’s Lee Ling, the centuries old mysterious zombie who runs a tavern in the magical underground and who will keep you guessing at her motives at every turn. And last but not least, there’s Cameron, the stray zombie Kincaid so reluctantly took under her wing. Throw everything you think you know about zombies out the window, because he will make you see them in a whole new light.
The plot is also fast-paced there’s never a dull moment. This story hits the ground running and not once do we hit a lull. Kincaid Strange appears to belong to the same school of UF protagonists as Harry Dresden, where the heroes and heroines must handle the challenges of juggling a million crises at once while multiple fires around them keep screaming to be put out. Still, while there may be a lot of things going on in this book, I didn’t actually find any of it to be too much or overwhelming. All it did was make it hard to stop reading.
While I still love Owl and her Indiana Jane persona, Kincaid really appealed to me in her own unique way. Whenever I read urban fantasy, it’s not uncommon for a new series to take several installments—two, three, sometimes even four books—for the characters and world to draw me in. Rarely does it happen with the very first book, but that’s exactly what happened here with The Voodoo Killings. If you’re a fan of the genre, I can’t recommend this one highly enough! Hands down, this is my favorite book by Kristi Charish right now, and to my happy surprise, I think I’ve also found a new favorite urban fantasy series.
I want to say right off the bat, this was the most fun I’ve had with an urban fantasy in ages! Not only was I blown away by the potential—the most I’ve seen when it comes to a new series—Kristi Charish appears to have this uncanny ability to push all my right buttons. I became a fan of hers after the Adventures of Owl, and I’ve been hankering for anything she writes ever since. That’s how this first book of her new series came to my attention. Hard to imagine anything beating a fast-talking, tomb-raiding, RPG-playing ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, but Kincaid Strange of The Voodoo Killings might actually give Owl a run for her money.
For one thing, she’s not your typical voodoo practitioner, nor is this book your typical ghosts-and-zombies fare. However, like a lot of her peers in the UF genre, Kincaid is flat broke. And while she might be the best at what she does, what she does best isn’t exactly paying the bills these days. New Seattle laws against the raising of zombies have dried up her source of income, leaving her scrounging for séance jobs among the city’s population of university students, especially those with an obsession with grunge rock. It helps a little that the ghost of Nate Cade, the legendary Seattle grunge rocker who died in the late 90s, is her roommate. The two of them make a great team.
Then one day, Kincaid gets a call about the stray zombie of prominent local artist, and before she knows it, she’s his brand new guardian. Cameron can’t remember who raised him or even how he died, but an unauthorized zombie walking around town spells very bad news for everyone, so Kincaid takes it upon herself to help him piece together the final days of his life. The investigations go south when she connects Cameron’s death to a string of recent murders, and the victims are all zombies and other voodoo practitioners like her—which can only mean one thing: it’s only a matter of time before the killer comes gunning for her.
As I said, The Voodoo Killings is not your typical UF. The world Kristi Charish has crafted here is all her own, and I love what she’s done with the magic and mythos behind the raising of zombies and summoning of ghosts. There’s an intricate process behind animating a corpse involving a complex series of spell threads that only someone with the skills can recognize and manipulate. A practitioner’s relationship with the “Otherside” is one of the most fascinating aspects of the story, hooking me in right from the very start. It’s also the wild little details that make me want to giggle and rub my hands together with glee, like the practice of writing on mirrors to communicate with ghosts, or Cameron having to pan-fry his servings of human brains that come neatly packaged in highly illegal (but highly convenient!) vacuum-sealed packets.
The characters themselves are instant favorites. There’s a special place in my heart reserved for all the underdogs of UF, and Kincaid definitely counts. In truth she actually shares a lot of traits with Owl from Charish’s other series, save for the recklessness and smart-alecky mouth, which made connecting with Kincaid a lot faster and easier. Like Owl again, Kincaid has few human friends and spends the bulk of her time associating with other practitioners and supernatural beings, and as a result we have a fascinating and very diverse cast of supporting characters. First and foremost is Nate, who is in no way your everyday sidekick ghost, though his loyalty to Kincaid is unequaled. Then there’s Lee Ling, the centuries old mysterious zombie who runs a tavern in the magical underground and who will keep you guessing at her motives at every turn. And last but not least, there’s Cameron, the stray zombie Kincaid so reluctantly took under her wing. Throw everything you think you know about zombies out the window, because he will make you see them in a whole new light.
The plot is also fast-paced there’s never a dull moment. This story hits the ground running and not once do we hit a lull. Kincaid Strange appears to belong to the same school of UF protagonists as Harry Dresden, where the heroes and heroines must handle the challenges of juggling a million crises at once while multiple fires around them keep screaming to be put out. Still, while there may be a lot of things going on in this book, I didn’t actually find any of it to be too much or overwhelming. All it did was make it hard to stop reading.
While I still love Owl and her Indiana Jane persona, Kincaid really appealed to me in her own unique way. Whenever I read urban fantasy, it’s not uncommon for a new series to take several installments—two, three, sometimes even four books—for the characters and world to draw me in. Rarely does it happen with the very first book, but that’s exactly what happened here with The Voodoo Killings. If you’re a fan of the genre, I can’t recommend this one highly enough! Hands down, this is my favorite book by Kristi Charish right now, and to my happy surprise, I think I’ve also found a new favorite urban fantasy series.
October 17, 2017
2 Stars
Voodoo Killings is not a bad novel it's just not a really good novel either. It lives in that 'meh' territory. The I can take it or leave it type of read. The one that is enjoyable enough at the time but given a few years you'll not remember ever reading it.
This novel follow the adventure Kincaid Strange a Voodoo practitioner (a person that raises the dead, talks to ghosts, and has seances) as she gets roped into helping a murder investigation, babysitting a zombie suffering from anesthesia, avoiding her ex-boyfriend, trying not get arrested, and warding off a sociopathic ghost.
Kincaid is your typical urban fantasy heroine. A 20-something attractive female dressed head-to-toe in leather with a lot of snark. Kincaid puts herself in constant danger and seems to have little regard for her life which at times borders on frustrating. If this book was a horror film she'd be the girl that wanders into the dank dark basement when she hears a noise. Other than her idiocy when it comes to entering life threatening situations she is a relatively fun and simple character to follow. She is light and fluffy. Easy breezy beautiful cover girl.
The author tries to cram a lot into her debut novel but due to simplistic writing style and fun characters it's easy to follow.
Why the two star rating? Well my biggest issue is the magic behind our leading lady. To contact the spirit world or to properly focus on a zombie she has to "tap the other-side" or "pull a globe" all which basically means taking a peak into a spirit realm. Kristi Charish describes this as seeing chords and symbols appearing on an individual. It is so fucking boring. I can not stress how dull this is to read. Imagine every chapter getting interrupted at least once with this type of running dialogue in our leading lady's head "wow, there should only be 4 chords in this zombie but I see 5 and is this chord spinning, and oh my god that chord is anomaly because it adapts and is that symbol in Arabic because thats the most complex and let me tie this chord in a knot to free this chord and chord chord chord chord chord chord chord... Annoying right?!?
So many times I started to get drawn into the plot and then the chord talk would start and my eyes would glaze over. It took up way too much passages in this novel and was major reason why I had trouble getting into this story and probably had at least 4 false starts when attempting to read. It's marketed as a Urban Fantasy read and if I'm not liking how the magic is being conveyed I'm going to struggle with the novel.
Overall I wanted to like this book it should have been a simple fun read but I had trouble fully letting go and getting truly into this novel. My mind would drift, I'd get distracted, and at times it felt like I was just going through the motions of reading. I don't like DNFing novels but this one had me on the verge a few times. I think if you're new to urban fantasy this read would be a good enjoyable introduction but if you're a seasoned pro like myself its going to not to live up to the high expectations writers like Kim Harrison and Karen Marie Moning have laid out for the genre.
Voodoo Killings is not a bad novel it's just not a really good novel either. It lives in that 'meh' territory. The I can take it or leave it type of read. The one that is enjoyable enough at the time but given a few years you'll not remember ever reading it.
This novel follow the adventure Kincaid Strange a Voodoo practitioner (a person that raises the dead, talks to ghosts, and has seances) as she gets roped into helping a murder investigation, babysitting a zombie suffering from anesthesia, avoiding her ex-boyfriend, trying not get arrested, and warding off a sociopathic ghost.
Kincaid is your typical urban fantasy heroine. A 20-something attractive female dressed head-to-toe in leather with a lot of snark. Kincaid puts herself in constant danger and seems to have little regard for her life which at times borders on frustrating. If this book was a horror film she'd be the girl that wanders into the dank dark basement when she hears a noise. Other than her idiocy when it comes to entering life threatening situations she is a relatively fun and simple character to follow. She is light and fluffy. Easy breezy beautiful cover girl.
The author tries to cram a lot into her debut novel but due to simplistic writing style and fun characters it's easy to follow.
Why the two star rating? Well my biggest issue is the magic behind our leading lady. To contact the spirit world or to properly focus on a zombie she has to "tap the other-side" or "pull a globe" all which basically means taking a peak into a spirit realm. Kristi Charish describes this as seeing chords and symbols appearing on an individual. It is so fucking boring. I can not stress how dull this is to read. Imagine every chapter getting interrupted at least once with this type of running dialogue in our leading lady's head "wow, there should only be 4 chords in this zombie but I see 5 and is this chord spinning, and oh my god that chord is anomaly because it adapts and is that symbol in Arabic because thats the most complex and let me tie this chord in a knot to free this chord and chord chord chord chord chord chord chord... Annoying right?!?
So many times I started to get drawn into the plot and then the chord talk would start and my eyes would glaze over. It took up way too much passages in this novel and was major reason why I had trouble getting into this story and probably had at least 4 false starts when attempting to read. It's marketed as a Urban Fantasy read and if I'm not liking how the magic is being conveyed I'm going to struggle with the novel.
Overall I wanted to like this book it should have been a simple fun read but I had trouble fully letting go and getting truly into this novel. My mind would drift, I'd get distracted, and at times it felt like I was just going through the motions of reading. I don't like DNFing novels but this one had me on the verge a few times. I think if you're new to urban fantasy this read would be a good enjoyable introduction but if you're a seasoned pro like myself its going to not to live up to the high expectations writers like Kim Harrison and Karen Marie Moning have laid out for the genre.
May 15, 2016
I've been waiting for like a year for this one to pop up. DO WANT.
February 7, 2017
If not for one particularly frustrating thing, I would have adored this book. The thing in question is just a personal preference of mine that shouldn't play any role anywhere else except in my mind (I wish I could ignore it too).
The world building is good. You don't get too much of it; you get just enough for the first book in the series. Dealing with ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists and zombies is public, but it doesn't mean the law is okay with it (at least, at this point). Kincaid Strange is a practitioner who used to work with the police. Now she and her sidekick, a ghost of a grunge star, have to make ends meet by accepting all kinds of jobs because the new police captain would like nothing more but to ban everything connected to paranormal.
Raising zombies is against the law now.
One night Kincaid gets a call from a newly created zombie who neither remembers who created him nor when. If he is discovered it could be a huge problem for her and everyone else in paranormal circles.
There is even a bigger problem - someone is killing zombies and practitioners and Kincaid has to deal with her ex, the cop, because of that.
That brings me to the reason I couldn't fully enjoy this book.
The rest of the story is more than good. The magic various practitioners and some other entities use is interesting and Kincaid just scratched the surface of Otherside and various bindings. You know there's more to come. The cases from this book are solved, but many other things are left open. The book ends perfectly.
The world building is good. You don't get too much of it; you get just enough for the first book in the series. Dealing with ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists and zombies is public, but it doesn't mean the law is okay with it (at least, at this point). Kincaid Strange is a practitioner who used to work with the police. Now she and her sidekick, a ghost of a grunge star, have to make ends meet by accepting all kinds of jobs because the new police captain would like nothing more but to ban everything connected to paranormal.
Raising zombies is against the law now.
One night Kincaid gets a call from a newly created zombie who neither remembers who created him nor when. If he is discovered it could be a huge problem for her and everyone else in paranormal circles.
There is even a bigger problem - someone is killing zombies and practitioners and Kincaid has to deal with her ex, the cop, because of that.
That brings me to the reason I couldn't fully enjoy this book.
The rest of the story is more than good. The magic various practitioners and some other entities use is interesting and Kincaid just scratched the surface of Otherside and various bindings. You know there's more to come. The cases from this book are solved, but many other things are left open. The book ends perfectly.
July 22, 2016
The Voodoo Killings is a brand new Urban Fantasy series by Kristi Charish which introduces Kincaid Strange, a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle, Washington. Struggling to make ends meet after losing her job with the Seatle PD and now that raising zombies is technically illegal, Kincaid resorts to making the rent by performing seances. Her roommate, a deceased Seattle grunge rocker by the name of Nate Cade, occasionally assists her with these but it’s often difficult for her to persuade him to stop playing video games to do so. When a local bar owner calls to inform her that an abandoned zombie was discovered in his alley, Kincaid Strange becomes his temporary guardian while she tries to not only find out who turned him and why but to keep others from finding out, mainly her ex-boyfriend Aaron who still works for the Seattle PD.
This book didn’t even make it onto my radar (and I compile an entire list of book releases on my blog so I don’t know how I missed this) but thankfully a blogger friend (Thanks, Tammy!) brought this to my attention and I’m so very glad. I knew next to nothing about this story or the author, only discovering it was about zombies (and ghosts!) and I immediately was all on board. With an intriguing form of magic in addition to a fascinating mystery and a most charming cast of characters, The Voodoo Killings was enticing and incredibly entertaining.
“I mean, there’s hell freezing over, pigs flying, and then there’s me and responsibility.”
It’s so refreshing to read about a heroine that is not only a total badass but has flaws and power limitations and isn’t some perfect superhuman, and that’s exactly how Kincaid Strange is written. She’s brazen, headstrong, and isn’t afraid of handling business. In addition to a lead character that can hold her own, her roommate Nate is all that was needed to make up the perfect dynamic duo. But wait, there’s more! The zombies practically adopts, Cameron, fits right into the group. Kindcaid is constantly finding herself in a bind (or three) and her two sidekicks have her back and are constantly keeping her out of trouble. And even better, there is zero romantic inclinations, just pure, unadulterated friendship.
I loved the characters far more than I expected, but I really relished the intricate details of Charish’s magical world. Rather than your typical post-apocalyptic world where some virus has been unleashed causing the existence of zombies, these zombies only come alive because a voodoo practitioner makes it so. The added details regarding the dead being brought back to life to solve land disputes or to discover who murdered them was an amusing concept. Just as long as they consumed a steady supply of brains (animals brains worked in a pinch but human brains really did the trick) they remained fairly coherent for the most part. Additional interesting tidbits included details about different bindings as well as much discussion about Otherside or the energy Kindcaid draws from which comes from the land of the dead.
It was an incredibly compelling story and I enjoyed every minute of it and I do mean every minute in the literal sense. I listened to the audiobook and Susannah Jones’ narration was absolutely brilliant. I am not a night owl at all but I found myself staying up till 1:30am one night because I couldn’t stop listening. Her various voices and accents for both male and female was phenomenal and she no doubt made this already fantastic story into something even better.
Urban Fantasy fans, don’t let this one go unnoticed! The Voodoo Killings possesses a mystery that will keep you guessing, a cast of character you wish you could call friends, and a unique magic system. The ending will leave you hoping there was a second installment ready and waiting. Alas, there isn’t yet. I definitely wont be letting that one fly under my radar though.
It’s a bit difficult to find a copy of this one considering it was published by Random House Canada and currently the only format that can be purchased in the US is the audible version (but I highly recommend the audio!)
This book didn’t even make it onto my radar (and I compile an entire list of book releases on my blog so I don’t know how I missed this) but thankfully a blogger friend (Thanks, Tammy!) brought this to my attention and I’m so very glad. I knew next to nothing about this story or the author, only discovering it was about zombies (and ghosts!) and I immediately was all on board. With an intriguing form of magic in addition to a fascinating mystery and a most charming cast of characters, The Voodoo Killings was enticing and incredibly entertaining.
“I mean, there’s hell freezing over, pigs flying, and then there’s me and responsibility.”
It’s so refreshing to read about a heroine that is not only a total badass but has flaws and power limitations and isn’t some perfect superhuman, and that’s exactly how Kincaid Strange is written. She’s brazen, headstrong, and isn’t afraid of handling business. In addition to a lead character that can hold her own, her roommate Nate is all that was needed to make up the perfect dynamic duo. But wait, there’s more! The zombies practically adopts, Cameron, fits right into the group. Kindcaid is constantly finding herself in a bind (or three) and her two sidekicks have her back and are constantly keeping her out of trouble. And even better, there is zero romantic inclinations, just pure, unadulterated friendship.
I loved the characters far more than I expected, but I really relished the intricate details of Charish’s magical world. Rather than your typical post-apocalyptic world where some virus has been unleashed causing the existence of zombies, these zombies only come alive because a voodoo practitioner makes it so. The added details regarding the dead being brought back to life to solve land disputes or to discover who murdered them was an amusing concept. Just as long as they consumed a steady supply of brains (animals brains worked in a pinch but human brains really did the trick) they remained fairly coherent for the most part. Additional interesting tidbits included details about different bindings as well as much discussion about Otherside or the energy Kindcaid draws from which comes from the land of the dead.
It was an incredibly compelling story and I enjoyed every minute of it and I do mean every minute in the literal sense. I listened to the audiobook and Susannah Jones’ narration was absolutely brilliant. I am not a night owl at all but I found myself staying up till 1:30am one night because I couldn’t stop listening. Her various voices and accents for both male and female was phenomenal and she no doubt made this already fantastic story into something even better.
Urban Fantasy fans, don’t let this one go unnoticed! The Voodoo Killings possesses a mystery that will keep you guessing, a cast of character you wish you could call friends, and a unique magic system. The ending will leave you hoping there was a second installment ready and waiting. Alas, there isn’t yet. I definitely wont be letting that one fly under my radar though.
It’s a bit difficult to find a copy of this one considering it was published by Random House Canada and currently the only format that can be purchased in the US is the audible version (but I highly recommend the audio!)
June 1, 2016
Fans of Georgia Kincaid, Kim Harrison and Ilona Andrews will feel right at home slipping into Kincaid Strange’s world. The setting and world had aspects that I am familiar with making it easy to lose myself in the story. Charish added a nice spin to it with the voodoo, world building, and summoning rituals.
Kincaid is twenty-seven, broke, single and living in Seattle with a ghost. She is a Voodoo Practitioner who aids police by raising the dead to find out who murdered them. She also does odd jobs like resolving family will disputes and more. I immediately liked Kincaid. She is quirky, does her own thing and on occasionally loses her cool. I loved Nate, her ghostly roommate and Charish did a fantastic job of sharing their friendship. They worked wonderfully on the case together. Think Rachel Morgan and Jenks. It quickly becomes clear that Kincaid is more comfortable around the deceased than the living.
The world building is solid, and something I have begun to expect from this author. I was surprised this was not set in NOLA, but that also tells you I agreed to review this by the author's name alone. If you have not read her series, Adventures of Owl I totally recommend them. Back to the review- we are in Seattle, in a world where the paranormal, zombies, ghouls and ghosts exist. Laws are in place regarding the raising of zombies and holding séances but the new Chief of Police wants to ban Voodoo and denies the paranormal exist.
It looks like each novel will surround a case, and in Voodoo Killings a stray zombie turns up in Kincaid’s neighborhood. Cameron Wight has no idea how he died and why he is a zombie. Finding her number at a local bar he calls Kincaid for help. This puts Kincaid in a bit of pickle because being caught with an unauthorized zombie could land her in jail. Kincaid’s problems only escalate as a rash of murders targeting zombies and voodoo practitioners puts her and the entire Underground City (a paranormal hub located under Seattle) in danger. The story was fast paced, filled with snark, danger and relationship tension. I thought the mystery was well done, and even the villains were creepy, bitchy and fleshed out. Charish had me engaged with the characters and even managed to tug at my heartstrings. I am curious about Kincaid’s relationship with a certain detective.
Susannah Jones narrates The Voodoo Killings and I think she is a perfect match for this series. Her voice for Kincaid rocked and reminded me a little of Georgina Kincaid. She had just the right mix of snark and sweet. I liked her pacing, and listened to this at 1.2X. She provided different voices for the characters, even some of the scary paranormal ones, which only enhanced my enjoyment. The story unraveled in vivid 3D for me as I listened. My only issue and it is a small one, was that I kept hearing a noise. At first, I thought it was paper or pages turning. About 50% in I realized it was Jones swallowing. I have heard narrators catch their breath or exhale, but most of the time it is edited out. It is silly, but it distracted me a little and I found myself waiting for her to swallow again.
Audio provided by author. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Kincaid is twenty-seven, broke, single and living in Seattle with a ghost. She is a Voodoo Practitioner who aids police by raising the dead to find out who murdered them. She also does odd jobs like resolving family will disputes and more. I immediately liked Kincaid. She is quirky, does her own thing and on occasionally loses her cool. I loved Nate, her ghostly roommate and Charish did a fantastic job of sharing their friendship. They worked wonderfully on the case together. Think Rachel Morgan and Jenks. It quickly becomes clear that Kincaid is more comfortable around the deceased than the living.
The world building is solid, and something I have begun to expect from this author. I was surprised this was not set in NOLA, but that also tells you I agreed to review this by the author's name alone. If you have not read her series, Adventures of Owl I totally recommend them. Back to the review- we are in Seattle, in a world where the paranormal, zombies, ghouls and ghosts exist. Laws are in place regarding the raising of zombies and holding séances but the new Chief of Police wants to ban Voodoo and denies the paranormal exist.
It looks like each novel will surround a case, and in Voodoo Killings a stray zombie turns up in Kincaid’s neighborhood. Cameron Wight has no idea how he died and why he is a zombie. Finding her number at a local bar he calls Kincaid for help. This puts Kincaid in a bit of pickle because being caught with an unauthorized zombie could land her in jail. Kincaid’s problems only escalate as a rash of murders targeting zombies and voodoo practitioners puts her and the entire Underground City (a paranormal hub located under Seattle) in danger. The story was fast paced, filled with snark, danger and relationship tension. I thought the mystery was well done, and even the villains were creepy, bitchy and fleshed out. Charish had me engaged with the characters and even managed to tug at my heartstrings. I am curious about Kincaid’s relationship with a certain detective.
Susannah Jones narrates The Voodoo Killings and I think she is a perfect match for this series. Her voice for Kincaid rocked and reminded me a little of Georgina Kincaid. She had just the right mix of snark and sweet. I liked her pacing, and listened to this at 1.2X. She provided different voices for the characters, even some of the scary paranormal ones, which only enhanced my enjoyment. The story unraveled in vivid 3D for me as I listened. My only issue and it is a small one, was that I kept hearing a noise. At first, I thought it was paper or pages turning. About 50% in I realized it was Jones swallowing. I have heard narrators catch their breath or exhale, but most of the time it is edited out. It is silly, but it distracted me a little and I found myself waiting for her to swallow again.
Audio provided by author. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
October 3, 2023
I really liked this author's Owl series, so I was looking forward to this book, the debut of a new series. Unfortunately, I found I didn't connect with the main character and first-person narrator, Kincaid Strange. More than just a badass heroine, she seems to have a great deal of hostility and shows it at least from time to time in her interactions with everyone--and a lot of her problems in this adventure could have been reduced if she could just have gotten over herself and simply communicated with people who were ready to help out.
Granted, she is in a tough place. She's a voodoo practitioner in an alternate Seattle, on the outs with her mentor Max (a much more powerful voodoo practitioner) and her ex-lover Aaron, a police detective. She worked for the police department raising corpses as "four-line" zombies to help investigators until a new chief of police banned everything to do with the paranormal and put her out of a job. Now she just manages to get by via seances with her roommate Nate (my favorite character--he's a lot of fun and really a true friend to Kincaid if she could only see that)--Nate is the ghost of a grunge musician who died in the 1990s, and he lets her "bring him back" onstage to perform for college groups.
Kincaid calls Nate by writing on any mirror (or other reflective surface) in lip liner, and he materializes partly or wholly in response, but as you've gathered from what I've said, she's not very nice even to him, a lot of the time. Still, scenes with Nate were the most fun for me in the book. Other ghosts appear, and one of them is a powerful sorceror's ghost from long ago named Gideon. I thought his character was well developed--and very ambiguous between ally and adversary to Kincaid.
Kincaid becomes a temporary caretaker for a unique zombie named Cameron, who has just died and been raised but has no memory of it. He's not just a dangerous "five-line" zombie--the lines of "Otherside" that reanimate a corpse are much more complicated in him. Yet he's a rather nice fellow, an artist who just wants to complete his work, and Kincaid must try to prevent the ferocious zombie nature from coming out in him until she can return him to her mentor (whom she has problems with, remember).
So, trying to find out how Cameron died and who raised him, Kincaid gets entangled in a series of murders involving some very dark forces--and ghouls, poltergeists, etc. The adventure gets quite intense, and more than once Kincaid barely survives. There's a secret underground city populated by zombies and other paranormal beings, and there are constant intrusions in the story from Otherside, which seems to be a dimension, an essence, energy, and more, all at once.
Here was my other problem with this book--I was never able to visualize those scenes with Otherside clearly. To do any of the paranormal things she does, Kincaid has to "pull up a globe" first, and it always takes a lot out of her to do that and to maintain it. Once she's finished what she's doing with Otherside, she "lets the globe fall." Sometimes she has to go through several globes in the same day, until she can't raise any more of them. I'm still puzzled at what a "globe" is or what it would look like in any of the action scenes.
It's an exciting adventure, full of suspense and danger, and an actual mystery with a mildly surprising solution. And if my caveats don't put you off, you may enjoy it much more than I did!
Granted, she is in a tough place. She's a voodoo practitioner in an alternate Seattle, on the outs with her mentor Max (a much more powerful voodoo practitioner) and her ex-lover Aaron, a police detective. She worked for the police department raising corpses as "four-line" zombies to help investigators until a new chief of police banned everything to do with the paranormal and put her out of a job. Now she just manages to get by via seances with her roommate Nate (my favorite character--he's a lot of fun and really a true friend to Kincaid if she could only see that)--Nate is the ghost of a grunge musician who died in the 1990s, and he lets her "bring him back" onstage to perform for college groups.
Kincaid calls Nate by writing on any mirror (or other reflective surface) in lip liner, and he materializes partly or wholly in response, but as you've gathered from what I've said, she's not very nice even to him, a lot of the time. Still, scenes with Nate were the most fun for me in the book. Other ghosts appear, and one of them is a powerful sorceror's ghost from long ago named Gideon. I thought his character was well developed--and very ambiguous between ally and adversary to Kincaid.
Kincaid becomes a temporary caretaker for a unique zombie named Cameron, who has just died and been raised but has no memory of it. He's not just a dangerous "five-line" zombie--the lines of "Otherside" that reanimate a corpse are much more complicated in him. Yet he's a rather nice fellow, an artist who just wants to complete his work, and Kincaid must try to prevent the ferocious zombie nature from coming out in him until she can return him to her mentor (whom she has problems with, remember).
So, trying to find out how Cameron died and who raised him, Kincaid gets entangled in a series of murders involving some very dark forces--and ghouls, poltergeists, etc. The adventure gets quite intense, and more than once Kincaid barely survives. There's a secret underground city populated by zombies and other paranormal beings, and there are constant intrusions in the story from Otherside, which seems to be a dimension, an essence, energy, and more, all at once.
Here was my other problem with this book--I was never able to visualize those scenes with Otherside clearly. To do any of the paranormal things she does, Kincaid has to "pull up a globe" first, and it always takes a lot out of her to do that and to maintain it. Once she's finished what she's doing with Otherside, she "lets the globe fall." Sometimes she has to go through several globes in the same day, until she can't raise any more of them. I'm still puzzled at what a "globe" is or what it would look like in any of the action scenes.
It's an exciting adventure, full of suspense and danger, and an actual mystery with a mildly surprising solution. And if my caveats don't put you off, you may enjoy it much more than I did!
May 16, 2016
Originally posted at SmexyBooks-http://smexybooks.com/2016/05/review-...
Favorite Quote: “Look kid, I’m not raising a zombie so you can send it to buy beer.”
Kincade Strange is a 27-year-old freelance voodoo practitioner living in Seattle, WA. Hard-pressed for funds and pulling seances for bored, rich kids, Kincade finds herself in the middle of a mystery when she happens upon a zombie who was a famous artist while alive and whose animation looks to be the work of her former mentor. Zombie raising is illegal in the United States, forcing Kincade to hide the zombie in her home until she can figure out how he died, who raised him, and why. When zombies and voodoo practitioners begin to turn up murdered around Seattle and seem to be tied to her new roommate, Kincaid finds herself trusting no one. Especially when it looks like she is the next victim.
Fans of Charish’s The Adventures of Owl series are sure to enjoy her newest Urban Fantasy series that introduces us to a unique heroine whose voodoo brings all the zombies, ghouls, and ghosts to her yard. This suspense laced atmospheric adventure is heavy on the world building as Charish introduces us to a supernaturally enhanced Seattle that houses a voodoo practitioner heroine, a host of intriguing supernatural entities, and a multi-layered mystery that leaves you guessing till the end. Well written with an undercurrent of anticipation, Charish carefully layers the world and characters, giving readers ample background while setting up the main storyline and building subplots to be addressed as the series unfolds. A diverse abet secretive cast of secondary characters offers drama, humor, and insight to both the world and the story as each one offers clues to the mysterious happenings,
Kincade Strange is your average urban fantasy heroine-low key, magically enhanced, reluctantly heroic, and broke. Her ability to travel the Otherworld, a name for the space in between life and death, gives her an added edge but we learn it’s not without its problems. A loner seemingly stuck in a rut with a secretive, painful past and abandonment issues. Her sidekick is the ghost of a famous grunge era musician (think Kurt Cobain) whose drinking issues are only surpassed by his love of video games. On a current “break” from her detective boyfriend who’s boss made him choose his job or his girlfriend, Kincade isn’t feeling the love like she used to. I enjoyed getting to know Kincade. Her intelligence and loyalty is underscored by her willingness to jump straight into the deep end when she is faced with a problem-regardless of the consequences. Dry wit and an ability to accept she was wrong shows the potential for Kincade’s character growth is abundant.
Humor and horror walk hand in hand as two separate but equally important storylines intertwine and reveal together-why a famous artist was made into a zombie and who is murdering the zombies and practitioners. Both are interesting and blend well together without taking each other over. Well plotted with a hint of suspense, horror, and plenty of action, Charish allows the reader to follow along with her characters as they discover who/what is stalking the supernaturals of Seattle and why. Strong investigative procedural actions infiltrates this storyline, giving a realistic vibe to this fantasy. I liked that there was a healthy amount of trial and error to be seen with no one whipping out a magical wand or has an undefeatable super power to save the day. Ingenuity and common sense rule even though bad decisions are made and failures are seen. The humanization of the supernaturals gives readers a common ground on which to empathize with the characters and events playing out.
A small romantic element is seen though we arrive at the end of it-not the beginning. Prejudice and discrimination is an issue Kincaid and her comrades face daily and this is a huge part of her problem with her on/off again boyfriend. Especially when she has to learn of his decisions second hand. A cast of diverse secondary characters are complex in nature and personality, yet easy to relate to. Some add to the overall bleakness of the landscape while others are shining lights illuminating the story. Everyone has their own agenda and their background stories add depth and humor to the story. I look forward to learning more about them.
There were a few minor issues I had problems with though I do feel they will iron themselves out as the series progresses. One is a standard problem I hate in any story-the “need to know” plot thread. It creates some drag in the story as Kincade walks blindly into multiple situations that could have been better resolved had she got all the information she needed up front. I also would have enjoyed more in depth information on Kincade’s voodoo training and her relationship with her teacher. Even with my questions, I do feel Charish has written another winner.
Similar in design to Kit Richardson’s Greywalker series, fans of dark urban fantasy are sure to enjoy this new and entertaining paranormal investigative style series.
Grade: B
Favorite Quote: “Look kid, I’m not raising a zombie so you can send it to buy beer.”
Kincade Strange is a 27-year-old freelance voodoo practitioner living in Seattle, WA. Hard-pressed for funds and pulling seances for bored, rich kids, Kincade finds herself in the middle of a mystery when she happens upon a zombie who was a famous artist while alive and whose animation looks to be the work of her former mentor. Zombie raising is illegal in the United States, forcing Kincade to hide the zombie in her home until she can figure out how he died, who raised him, and why. When zombies and voodoo practitioners begin to turn up murdered around Seattle and seem to be tied to her new roommate, Kincaid finds herself trusting no one. Especially when it looks like she is the next victim.
Fans of Charish’s The Adventures of Owl series are sure to enjoy her newest Urban Fantasy series that introduces us to a unique heroine whose voodoo brings all the zombies, ghouls, and ghosts to her yard. This suspense laced atmospheric adventure is heavy on the world building as Charish introduces us to a supernaturally enhanced Seattle that houses a voodoo practitioner heroine, a host of intriguing supernatural entities, and a multi-layered mystery that leaves you guessing till the end. Well written with an undercurrent of anticipation, Charish carefully layers the world and characters, giving readers ample background while setting up the main storyline and building subplots to be addressed as the series unfolds. A diverse abet secretive cast of secondary characters offers drama, humor, and insight to both the world and the story as each one offers clues to the mysterious happenings,
Kincade Strange is your average urban fantasy heroine-low key, magically enhanced, reluctantly heroic, and broke. Her ability to travel the Otherworld, a name for the space in between life and death, gives her an added edge but we learn it’s not without its problems. A loner seemingly stuck in a rut with a secretive, painful past and abandonment issues. Her sidekick is the ghost of a famous grunge era musician (think Kurt Cobain) whose drinking issues are only surpassed by his love of video games. On a current “break” from her detective boyfriend who’s boss made him choose his job or his girlfriend, Kincade isn’t feeling the love like she used to. I enjoyed getting to know Kincade. Her intelligence and loyalty is underscored by her willingness to jump straight into the deep end when she is faced with a problem-regardless of the consequences. Dry wit and an ability to accept she was wrong shows the potential for Kincade’s character growth is abundant.
Humor and horror walk hand in hand as two separate but equally important storylines intertwine and reveal together-why a famous artist was made into a zombie and who is murdering the zombies and practitioners. Both are interesting and blend well together without taking each other over. Well plotted with a hint of suspense, horror, and plenty of action, Charish allows the reader to follow along with her characters as they discover who/what is stalking the supernaturals of Seattle and why. Strong investigative procedural actions infiltrates this storyline, giving a realistic vibe to this fantasy. I liked that there was a healthy amount of trial and error to be seen with no one whipping out a magical wand or has an undefeatable super power to save the day. Ingenuity and common sense rule even though bad decisions are made and failures are seen. The humanization of the supernaturals gives readers a common ground on which to empathize with the characters and events playing out.
A small romantic element is seen though we arrive at the end of it-not the beginning. Prejudice and discrimination is an issue Kincaid and her comrades face daily and this is a huge part of her problem with her on/off again boyfriend. Especially when she has to learn of his decisions second hand. A cast of diverse secondary characters are complex in nature and personality, yet easy to relate to. Some add to the overall bleakness of the landscape while others are shining lights illuminating the story. Everyone has their own agenda and their background stories add depth and humor to the story. I look forward to learning more about them.
There were a few minor issues I had problems with though I do feel they will iron themselves out as the series progresses. One is a standard problem I hate in any story-the “need to know” plot thread. It creates some drag in the story as Kincade walks blindly into multiple situations that could have been better resolved had she got all the information she needed up front. I also would have enjoyed more in depth information on Kincade’s voodoo training and her relationship with her teacher. Even with my questions, I do feel Charish has written another winner.
Similar in design to Kit Richardson’s Greywalker series, fans of dark urban fantasy are sure to enjoy this new and entertaining paranormal investigative style series.
Grade: B
June 7, 2016
Wow, this was so refreshing!
I miss simple, action-packed, colourful and to the point urban fantasy I fell in love with ten years ago. And Kristi Charish delivers exactly that. This is so like early Anita Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher, I absolutely adored it.
Kincaid is a woman of many secrets and unbeatable tenacity bordering on suicidal recklessness, very much like Rachel Morgan. The reader is thrown right into action and it's presumed that we are supposed to know the basics of otherworldly Seattle and Kincaid's place in it. I quite liked it. It's all matter of fact and nothing needs to be chewed for us specifically. There is absolutely no info-dumping anywhere.
Everything is super vivid and steeped in layers of past history and connections. Kincaid just got out of relationship with a cop, she has an old friend and roomate, ghost of a famous musician Nate, who helps her earn money, she is still in close contact with her mentor, Max, she has a friend who owns a sports bar and helps her out from time to time. Finally she is on friendly terms with an underground zombie queen, Lee Lin.
Charish creates characters and interactions between them as memorable as in the worlds of Ilona Andrews and Rachel Aaron. They are colourful, simpathetic and believable.
There is no romance, this is classic quest journey. Find object A and deliver it to place B. Try not to die in the meantime while everything conspires against you. There are many delicious friends and adversaries. Nate, Cameron and Gideon are fabulous and very different from each other. Lee Lin and the villain, neon girl, Aaron, even the poltergeist, Annabel - all of them leap off the pages, and I found them enormously entertaining.
While everything is localised and tied up to Seattle itself, the reader would not be bored. The narrator herself does a decent job but I wouldn't say that all the characters here are portrayed to their best potential. However, this did not detract in the slightest from my enjoyment, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a read or listen. Well played, Miss Charish!
* * *
Вау, как же это было свежо!
Я иногда скучаю по простому, напичканному экшн, яркому и немногословному городскому фэнтези прошлого. Кристи Чариш как-раз это нам и доставляет. Она очень напомнила мне раннюю Аниту Блэйк, Келли Армстронг, Ким Харрисон и Джима Батчера.
Кинкейд Стрэйнж - женщина многих талантов и прямо-таки бульдожьего упорства, доходящего до самоубийственного безрассудства прямо как Рэйчел Морган. В этой книге нет перегрузки информацией, построение мира в постоянном процессе и никем не объясняется. Читателю приходится собирать его по кусочкам из слов героини или её поступков (что мне кстати пришлось по душе). Действие очень локализованно и не выходит за пределы Сиэттла.
Всё жутко яркое и пронизанно различными связями и прошлым между персонажами. Помимо самой Кинкейд, со страниц прямо спрыгивают характеры Нэйта - призрака, с которым она живёт; молодого зомби Камерона и опасного чародея призрака Гидеона. Возьмите характер Ли Лин - королевы зомби подземного города. Та просто шикарна! Злодеи выписаны с незабываемым флёром, хорош бывший бойфренд Кинкейд - Аарон. Все созданы тщательно и с любовью и напоминают мне ранний стиль Илоны Эндрюс.
Даже не очень хороший рассказчик не смог уменьшить моё удовольствие от этой книги, так что читайте или слушайте. Очень советую!
I miss simple, action-packed, colourful and to the point urban fantasy I fell in love with ten years ago. And Kristi Charish delivers exactly that. This is so like early Anita Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher, I absolutely adored it.
Kincaid is a woman of many secrets and unbeatable tenacity bordering on suicidal recklessness, very much like Rachel Morgan. The reader is thrown right into action and it's presumed that we are supposed to know the basics of otherworldly Seattle and Kincaid's place in it. I quite liked it. It's all matter of fact and nothing needs to be chewed for us specifically. There is absolutely no info-dumping anywhere.
Everything is super vivid and steeped in layers of past history and connections. Kincaid just got out of relationship with a cop, she has an old friend and roomate, ghost of a famous musician Nate, who helps her earn money, she is still in close contact with her mentor, Max, she has a friend who owns a sports bar and helps her out from time to time. Finally she is on friendly terms with an underground zombie queen, Lee Lin.
Charish creates characters and interactions between them as memorable as in the worlds of Ilona Andrews and Rachel Aaron. They are colourful, simpathetic and believable.
There is no romance, this is classic quest journey. Find object A and deliver it to place B. Try not to die in the meantime while everything conspires against you. There are many delicious friends and adversaries. Nate, Cameron and Gideon are fabulous and very different from each other. Lee Lin and the villain, neon girl, Aaron, even the poltergeist, Annabel - all of them leap off the pages, and I found them enormously entertaining.
While everything is localised and tied up to Seattle itself, the reader would not be bored. The narrator herself does a decent job but I wouldn't say that all the characters here are portrayed to their best potential. However, this did not detract in the slightest from my enjoyment, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a read or listen. Well played, Miss Charish!
* * *
Вау, как же это было свежо!
Я иногда скучаю по простому, напичканному экшн, яркому и немногословному городскому фэнтези прошлого. Кристи Чариш как-раз это нам и доставляет. Она очень напомнила мне раннюю Аниту Блэйк, Келли Армстронг, Ким Харрисон и Джима Батчера.
Кинкейд Стрэйнж - женщина многих талантов и прямо-таки бульдожьего упорства, доходящего до самоубийственного безрассудства прямо как Рэйчел Морган. В этой книге нет перегрузки информацией, построение мира в постоянном процессе и никем не объясняется. Читателю приходится собирать его по кусочкам из слов героини или её поступков (что мне кстати пришлось по душе). Действие очень локализованно и не выходит за пределы Сиэттла.
Всё жутко яркое и пронизанно различными связями и прошлым между персонажами. Помимо самой Кинкейд, со страниц прямо спрыгивают характеры Нэйта - призрака, с которым она живёт; молодого зомби Камерона и опасного чародея призрака Гидеона. Возьмите характер Ли Лин - королевы зомби подземного города. Та просто шикарна! Злодеи выписаны с незабываемым флёром, хорош бывший бойфренд Кинкейд - Аарон. Все созданы тщательно и с любовью и напоминают мне ранний стиль Илоны Эндрюс.
Даже не очень хороший рассказчик не смог уменьшить моё удовольствие от этой книги, так что читайте или слушайте. Очень советую!
January 13, 2019
I started reading
The Voodoo Killings
and because of finals week at school and work I wasn't able to devour it in one night like I wanted to. My reading time just wasn't my own and I hated having to put the book down each night. I took it with me on a road trip to my sister-in-law's house in hopes that I would get to finish it but again, I had to talk to people instead of reading. LOL Then I saw it was released on audio so I requested it and was able to listen to the rest of the book on my drive back home (9-hour drive) and it was fantastic!
The Voodoo Killings is a great mix of paranormal and mystery. The title made me think it would be set in New Orleans, but nope it's set in Seattle. Kincaid is a fun and sassy heroine and her ghost roommate Nate is a great partner in crime. I loved their relationship.
I read/listen to a lot of paranormal books so some of the storylines and supernatural creatures get a little stale but Kristi's supernatural world she built in The Voodoo Killings was fresh and unique. I can't wait to find out what happens to Kincaid Strange and the other cast of characters next!
I look forward to experiencing more by Kristi Charish and Susannah Jones. I really hope they team up again for the next Kincaid Strange story.
If you're looking for a great twist on zombies, ghouls and ghost you should give Kristi Charish's The Voodoo Killings a try and I highly recommend it in print or audio.
The Voodoo Killings is a great mix of paranormal and mystery. The title made me think it would be set in New Orleans, but nope it's set in Seattle. Kincaid is a fun and sassy heroine and her ghost roommate Nate is a great partner in crime. I loved their relationship.
I switched between the print and audio, both were great but the audio kept me listening past my bedtime. Susannah Jones made Kincaid jump off the page. She performed Kincaid how I imaged her in my head when I was reading the print version.
I read/listen to a lot of paranormal books so some of the storylines and supernatural creatures get a little stale but Kristi's supernatural world she built in The Voodoo Killings was fresh and unique. I can't wait to find out what happens to Kincaid Strange and the other cast of characters next!
I look forward to experiencing more by Kristi Charish and Susannah Jones. I really hope they team up again for the next Kincaid Strange story.
If you're looking for a great twist on zombies, ghouls and ghost you should give Kristi Charish's The Voodoo Killings a try and I highly recommend it in print or audio.
June 25, 2016
Full Review at Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2016/0...
Voodoo Killings is a fun and refreshing urban fantasy featuring ghosts and zombies. At the center of this story is Kincaid Strange, a voodoo practitioner struggling to make ends meet in Seattle. Now, what makes her story fun is a combination of her personality (and snark) and the people we encounter through her.
Kincaid is definitely the type of protagonist I enjoy. She’s had a life that keeps her expectations and outlook on things in check and from getting too crazy (in other words, she is a realist rather than an idealist). She also has a knack for finding herself in the middle of chaos.
The pacing in this book works very well. The story just keeps going and entertaining until the end. I found the rainy, grunge-y setting of Seattle to be fun change of pace. It added to the general down and out feel of the story.
Overall, I really don’t have any complaints. It was an enjoyable start to a new series, and I look forward to the next one. I also think perhaps I should bump the Owl books by Charish up my TBR a bit.
Voodoo Killings is a fun and refreshing urban fantasy featuring ghosts and zombies. At the center of this story is Kincaid Strange, a voodoo practitioner struggling to make ends meet in Seattle. Now, what makes her story fun is a combination of her personality (and snark) and the people we encounter through her.
Kincaid is definitely the type of protagonist I enjoy. She’s had a life that keeps her expectations and outlook on things in check and from getting too crazy (in other words, she is a realist rather than an idealist). She also has a knack for finding herself in the middle of chaos.
The pacing in this book works very well. The story just keeps going and entertaining until the end. I found the rainy, grunge-y setting of Seattle to be fun change of pace. It added to the general down and out feel of the story.
Overall, I really don’t have any complaints. It was an enjoyable start to a new series, and I look forward to the next one. I also think perhaps I should bump the Owl books by Charish up my TBR a bit.
December 8, 2016
There really is too much going on in this book.
A great idea is weighed down by excessive clutter.
I could have walked away a few times in the first 50% and
I seriously considered it...I probably would have if any of a
few books I'm waiting for had been released.
So a 5 Star idea but 3 Star execution.
A great idea is weighed down by excessive clutter.
I could have walked away a few times in the first 50% and
I seriously considered it...I probably would have if any of a
few books I'm waiting for had been released.
So a 5 Star idea but 3 Star execution.
July 31, 2018
I was not sure what I was going to find here but I stumbled up on the synopsis for the next book in this series Lipstick Voodoo and it appealed to me BUT I am kinda OCD about reading books in a series out of order so I grabbed this one since it is book 1 and I am SO glad I did.
Kincaid is a "practitioner" which in the version of our present day world is something akin to a cross of voodoo and necromancer which allows her to help law enforcement in the past but a new Captain thinks that is corrupting his dept a bit so he has fired any practitioners from their jobs as consultants which is where we begin. She has to do small stuff with the help of her best friend who happens to be a ghost of a dead grunge rock star who I always visualized as Kurt Cobain when I was reading this story.
As you can see from the title there are some killings, some other crimes and a huge mystery, the story is addicting and I could hardly put it down. I should warn you that I am not sure if I just liked the book so much or if she really did a lot of TSTL things (which usually turns me off in a book) but the way they worked out it was entertaining and added another layer of interest trying to figure out if one of the characters is evil, good, or just so self-absorbed neither label fits.
So without really telling you much because even a little more would be a spoiler, get this book, you will not be sorry. The only bad thing about this book was the price but it was worth it.
Kincaid is a "practitioner" which in the version of our present day world is something akin to a cross of voodoo and necromancer which allows her to help law enforcement in the past but a new Captain thinks that is corrupting his dept a bit so he has fired any practitioners from their jobs as consultants which is where we begin. She has to do small stuff with the help of her best friend who happens to be a ghost of a dead grunge rock star who I always visualized as Kurt Cobain when I was reading this story.
As you can see from the title there are some killings, some other crimes and a huge mystery, the story is addicting and I could hardly put it down. I should warn you that I am not sure if I just liked the book so much or if she really did a lot of TSTL things (which usually turns me off in a book) but the way they worked out it was entertaining and added another layer of interest trying to figure out if one of the characters is evil, good, or just so self-absorbed neither label fits.
So without really telling you much because even a little more would be a spoiler, get this book, you will not be sorry. The only bad thing about this book was the price but it was worth it.
May 15, 2016
Urban Fantasy can be kind of hit or miss for me, but this one sounded intriguing so I thought I've give it a go...
Kincaid is a 27 year old voodoo practitioner/witch who gets called to help when a mysterious newly risen zombie wanders into her local bar. From there a story unfolds with twists and turns. We meet Nate her ghost roommate. Cameron the newly risen Zombie. Max her practitioner mentor, and Aaron her ex-boyfriend a cop. Along the way we also meet some more zombies, ghosts, poltergeists, and ghouls.
I enjoyed this one A LOT. It took a bit to get going, but since this seems to be the first book in a series the author had a lot of World building groundwork to lay. It soon picked up pace and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. It had a great cast of likable characters that I look forward to hearing more from.
Overall I am glad I gave this one a shot and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
Kincaid is a 27 year old voodoo practitioner/witch who gets called to help when a mysterious newly risen zombie wanders into her local bar. From there a story unfolds with twists and turns. We meet Nate her ghost roommate. Cameron the newly risen Zombie. Max her practitioner mentor, and Aaron her ex-boyfriend a cop. Along the way we also meet some more zombies, ghosts, poltergeists, and ghouls.
I enjoyed this one A LOT. It took a bit to get going, but since this seems to be the first book in a series the author had a lot of World building groundwork to lay. It soon picked up pace and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. It had a great cast of likable characters that I look forward to hearing more from.
Overall I am glad I gave this one a shot and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
October 24, 2016
Ah, voodoo... I love you so ;)
This was one of those books that's just easy fun. She also managed to surprise me with both the killer's identity and the... rather interesting ending.
Kincaid Strange is a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle. Most of her business came from working with the police, and thanks to the new Chief of Police (I think he was Chief), practitioners are unwelcome. It's illegal to raise zombies, or at least permanent ones, and the new Chief sees any type of practitioner in the same league.
Now there's a murderer in town targeting zombies and practitioners and the police can't officially ask for her help. This doesn't keep her ex-boyfriend (yes, he's the detective) from asking for a little off the books help.
The underground Seattle was really a cool thing in this. And that scene with the shuffling zombie steps in the underground Seattle was soooo much fun :) Very atmospheric. And there's the magic and voodoo... although it's interesting because Kincaid practices voodoo but there are a lot of other magic systems that come into play. References are mad to Celtic and Norse runes, along with Arabic, Aramaic, and... some other type of symbol. So it's kind of a mixed bag.
Most of the book involves Kincaid running around and getting herself into trouble but that doesn't stop her from summoning her Kurt Cobain-like ghost roommate for a concert, dealing with a five line zombie with some strange symbols, and dealing with a murderous sociopath of a ghost.
Really, this was just good, solid fun. It was very relaxing and kept my attention the whole time.
This was one of those books that's just easy fun. She also managed to surprise me with both the killer's identity and the... rather interesting ending.
Kincaid Strange is a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle. Most of her business came from working with the police, and thanks to the new Chief of Police (I think he was Chief), practitioners are unwelcome. It's illegal to raise zombies, or at least permanent ones, and the new Chief sees any type of practitioner in the same league.
Now there's a murderer in town targeting zombies and practitioners and the police can't officially ask for her help. This doesn't keep her ex-boyfriend (yes, he's the detective) from asking for a little off the books help.
The underground Seattle was really a cool thing in this. And that scene with the shuffling zombie steps in the underground Seattle was soooo much fun :) Very atmospheric. And there's the magic and voodoo... although it's interesting because Kincaid practices voodoo but there are a lot of other magic systems that come into play. References are mad to Celtic and Norse runes, along with Arabic, Aramaic, and... some other type of symbol. So it's kind of a mixed bag.
Most of the book involves Kincaid running around and getting herself into trouble but that doesn't stop her from summoning her Kurt Cobain-like ghost roommate for a concert, dealing with a five line zombie with some strange symbols, and dealing with a murderous sociopath of a ghost.
Really, this was just good, solid fun. It was very relaxing and kept my attention the whole time.
April 30, 2020
I wanted to love this one, I really did. Urban Fantasy was a favourite genre of mine in my late teens/early twenties, and it's books like these that make me remember why I don't read them very often anymore: it's so hard to do well.
The Good: I thought Kincaid was a cool character. In fact, all the characters had the potential to be really interesting. Honestly though, there was something missing from all of them that dropped them down into "characters I don't really care about" territory. Charish obviously knows her shit, having advanced degrees in Archaeology and Zoology, but a smart person does not a brilliant writer make (at least not all the time). The world-building was cool but also quite confusing at times. Again, lots of potential but poor execution.
The Bad: The most difficult thing about Urban Fantasy is often the world-building combined with what I like to call "system-building". System-building involves the magic and/or mythology system that functions inside a created world. This is very hard to do without info-dumping, but even harder to do while using the 'learn as you go' style of writing. The Voodoo Killings was a messy combination of both, and somehow I still had no real idea how everything worked. The zombie mechanics made no sense and the idea of 'Otherside' was cool but presented in such a confusing way. I got the feeling the entire time I was reading that Charish knew a lot about the world she had created, but she just didn't have the writing chops to convey it to anyone else.
TL;DR: Just not at all what I was looking for and pretty dull to be honest. It started out good but went swiftly downhill and I didn't care enough about the 'mystery' to be compelled.
The Good: I thought Kincaid was a cool character. In fact, all the characters had the potential to be really interesting. Honestly though, there was something missing from all of them that dropped them down into "characters I don't really care about" territory. Charish obviously knows her shit, having advanced degrees in Archaeology and Zoology, but a smart person does not a brilliant writer make (at least not all the time). The world-building was cool but also quite confusing at times. Again, lots of potential but poor execution.
The Bad: The most difficult thing about Urban Fantasy is often the world-building combined with what I like to call "system-building". System-building involves the magic and/or mythology system that functions inside a created world. This is very hard to do without info-dumping, but even harder to do while using the 'learn as you go' style of writing. The Voodoo Killings was a messy combination of both, and somehow I still had no real idea how everything worked. The zombie mechanics made no sense and the idea of 'Otherside' was cool but presented in such a confusing way. I got the feeling the entire time I was reading that Charish knew a lot about the world she had created, but she just didn't have the writing chops to convey it to anyone else.
TL;DR: Just not at all what I was looking for and pretty dull to be honest. It started out good but went swiftly downhill and I didn't care enough about the 'mystery' to be compelled.
May 10, 2016
Very different from Owl, Kincaid Strange is more "magic" and less Otherworldly. The action is not as fast paced but just as intense. And where Owl is brimming with personality and quick wit, Kincaid is more cautious and an introvert.
Thanks Kristi for not making Kincaid and Aaron's relationship a romance drama. In fact, thanks for making this actually about voodoo killings and less break-up meltdowns.
I love this series debut, it has a lot of promise and I'm excited to know WTF and HTH Nate did what he did. It's definitely a cliffy
Thanks Kristi for not making Kincaid and Aaron's relationship a romance drama. In fact, thanks for making this actually about voodoo killings and less break-up meltdowns.
I love this series debut, it has a lot of promise and I'm excited to know WTF and HTH Nate did what he did. It's definitely a cliffy
March 25, 2020
DNF 25% audible version.
I really wanted to like this story but ICBA 🤷🏻♀️ (I cant be arsed). To be fair, once I realized a zombie takes center stage I knew it would be doomed. I’m finicky about zombies 🧟♂️🧟♀️. It is what it is.
I really wanted to like this story but ICBA 🤷🏻♀️ (I cant be arsed). To be fair, once I realized a zombie takes center stage I knew it would be doomed. I’m finicky about zombies 🧟♂️🧟♀️. It is what it is.
June 19, 2018
I always look for new urban fantasy books to read, even when they're already few years old. Also, spice the story with some voodeux, and I'm sold.
The Voodoo Killings has it all - cool synopsis, stray zombies, magic and Voodoo in the title. Basically, I grabbed the copy as soon as I spotted it on Goodreads.
And I liked it. Mostly.
Kincaid Strange lives in Seattle. She's a 27-year-old freelance voodoo practitioner with some financial issues. In order to pay the rent, she pulls seances for rich and bored kids. Her roommate is a ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker. Sometimes he gives guitar lessons to wealthy kids to help pay the rent. Unfortunately, the concept of a managing a budget is alien to him.
One day a stray zombie turns up in the city. It turns out it's Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Being caught with an unauthorised zombie is dangerous and illegal. To make matters worse, Kincaid soon realises Cameron is tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle's infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City's oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help.
There's a lot to like in the story - it manages to find a right balance between humour and horror. They blend very well and in my experience with UF it's not something that happens often. There's plenty of action, suspense and horror that should keep the reader interested in solving the mystery and discovering who and why stalks supernatural Seattle.
There's a small romantic element in the story. Fortunately, it's not crucial to the plot. The pacing was satisfying, although there were some apparent lags and yawn-inducing places.
Traditional New Orleans voodoo is mixed with other mythologies to create a unique and interesting magic system. The undead world is complex, well developed and fascinating. Ghosts can drink beer, and zombies buy brain drinks and slushies. There's plenty of elements that make the story colourful and entertaining. Having said that, I'm slightly disappointed with shallow voodeux interpretation. Don't expect to learn anything new or insightful about it; The Voodoo Killings takes only flashy parts from the tradition. On the other hand, it still manages to entertain the reader.
Characters are likeable if slightly two-dimensional. Kincaid is stubborn and hardheaded, but believable. She's a skilled practitioner, but she's not a powerhouse. Compared to her teacher or future-mentor her skills are ridiculous. It makes her more relatable, I guess. Side-characters are nice and funny at times, but I can't help but feel they lack charisma.
My biggest issue with the story is its ending. I find the climax utterly disappointing. Unfortunately, I can't write why as it would spoil things for potential readers. Suffice to say, the build-up was more surprising and entertaining than the ending.
Ultimately, and despite some reservations, I liked this book. It’s an entertaining mix of murder, voodoo, and a large heaping of ghosts, zombies, and the Seattle Underground City. It’s urban fantasy, but with a modern, mystery twist that should appeal to anyone who’s ever wondered if maybe, just maybe, they really did catch a glimpse of a ghost.
The Voodoo Killings has it all - cool synopsis, stray zombies, magic and Voodoo in the title. Basically, I grabbed the copy as soon as I spotted it on Goodreads.
And I liked it. Mostly.
Kincaid Strange lives in Seattle. She's a 27-year-old freelance voodoo practitioner with some financial issues. In order to pay the rent, she pulls seances for rich and bored kids. Her roommate is a ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker. Sometimes he gives guitar lessons to wealthy kids to help pay the rent. Unfortunately, the concept of a managing a budget is alien to him.
One day a stray zombie turns up in the city. It turns out it's Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Being caught with an unauthorised zombie is dangerous and illegal. To make matters worse, Kincaid soon realises Cameron is tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle's infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City's oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help.
There's a lot to like in the story - it manages to find a right balance between humour and horror. They blend very well and in my experience with UF it's not something that happens often. There's plenty of action, suspense and horror that should keep the reader interested in solving the mystery and discovering who and why stalks supernatural Seattle.
There's a small romantic element in the story. Fortunately, it's not crucial to the plot. The pacing was satisfying, although there were some apparent lags and yawn-inducing places.
Traditional New Orleans voodoo is mixed with other mythologies to create a unique and interesting magic system. The undead world is complex, well developed and fascinating. Ghosts can drink beer, and zombies buy brain drinks and slushies. There's plenty of elements that make the story colourful and entertaining. Having said that, I'm slightly disappointed with shallow voodeux interpretation. Don't expect to learn anything new or insightful about it; The Voodoo Killings takes only flashy parts from the tradition. On the other hand, it still manages to entertain the reader.
Characters are likeable if slightly two-dimensional. Kincaid is stubborn and hardheaded, but believable. She's a skilled practitioner, but she's not a powerhouse. Compared to her teacher or future-mentor her skills are ridiculous. It makes her more relatable, I guess. Side-characters are nice and funny at times, but I can't help but feel they lack charisma.
My biggest issue with the story is its ending. I find the climax utterly disappointing. Unfortunately, I can't write why as it would spoil things for potential readers. Suffice to say, the build-up was more surprising and entertaining than the ending.
Ultimately, and despite some reservations, I liked this book. It’s an entertaining mix of murder, voodoo, and a large heaping of ghosts, zombies, and the Seattle Underground City. It’s urban fantasy, but with a modern, mystery twist that should appeal to anyone who’s ever wondered if maybe, just maybe, they really did catch a glimpse of a ghost.
May 5, 2016
Finished copy provided by the publisher for review consideration.
Normally, I'm not much of a zombie person. Or at least, I'm not really much of a horror zombie kind of person. The apocalypse (which usually comes with zombies) doesn't interest me and beyond serving as a metaphor for death that is nipping at ones heels, they just aren't that interesting of a normal paranormal creature to me.
Normally.
Kristi Charish's Voodoo Killings has made me a fan, of at least her special brand of the classic creature.
Kincaid Strange lives in a world where zombies, ghosts and poltergeists are all quite real, and the latter common place enough that they even have their own enclave hidden beneath the streets of Seattle. Thanks to a police captain (that is the Mayor's sister's husband) that somehow believes that it's your own damn fault if a ghost comes to visit, Kincaid's primary means of living - raising zombies for things like will disputes and helping the police with preternatural crimes - was outlawed and now she's stuck doing seances with the Kurt Cobain analogue of Nate Cade.
Then she's called to do something about a zombie that randomly shows up outside the bar of a good friend and it all goes to pot from there.
If it sounds like their are vague similarities to Anita Blake (the zombies for wills, helping the police) there are, but that's about the full extent of it. Kincaid isn't a medium, she has no innate *need* to raise them like Anita does, and she's very much on the outs with the police in this book, not only because of the outlaw on her craft but because one of the cops happens to also be an ex. Kincaid is very much her own woman and this world is very much its own place.
Like Charish's other protagonist, Owl, Kincaid is a bit of loner in this book too, but that seems to be more by choice as opposed to just pissing everyone off the way that Owl has a knack for. Still, the book has some rather interesting side characters from the aforementioned ghost Nate, to the century+ zombie of Lee Ling who runs the Seattle underground, to the aforementioned ex boyfriend where there's some nice push and pull action between the pair and even a bit of jealousy. Ultimately, for someone who doesn't have a lot of friends, she still feels a heck of a lot more human than a lot of urban fantasy protagonists can often come off as.
As far as Voodoo goes Charish kept her discussion of Voodoo to the actual Otherside - something that obviously none of us are going to have any experience with, so that it can be whatever she wants it to be. Voodoo/Vaundun is a real religion and it would have been easy to go with the obvious stereotypes, and she didn't. It's very much the kind of touch that I personally appreciate when people are putting their own spins on real-world religions and just a bit of an added bonus for me.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't remark on the design of this book. From the hand-drawn appearing title page, to the mirrored page numbers, mirrored author's name and the snakes along each page, the team at Random House CA put a lot of love into this book and shows because rarely does a book get this much attention for such small details. It's fantastic.
My only complaint about this book is that right now this book has only been released in Canada, and as far as I can tell, there aren't any plans for US distribution yet. I really hope that changes as this feels like another fresh entry into one of the most tropey fantasy sub-genres. Do yourself a favor and pick this up from Amazon.ca. Hopefully we can get demand up high enough so more can read this awesome book.
(P.S. I see some people tagging this as Canadian culture. The closest this gets to Canada is that Kincaid has been born there; but this takes place entirely in Seattle just FYI)
(P.P.S. Though not labeled as a series, the ending clearly sets up a sequel. Please buy this book so we can get one!)
Normally, I'm not much of a zombie person. Or at least, I'm not really much of a horror zombie kind of person. The apocalypse (which usually comes with zombies) doesn't interest me and beyond serving as a metaphor for death that is nipping at ones heels, they just aren't that interesting of a normal paranormal creature to me.
Normally.
Kristi Charish's Voodoo Killings has made me a fan, of at least her special brand of the classic creature.
Kincaid Strange lives in a world where zombies, ghosts and poltergeists are all quite real, and the latter common place enough that they even have their own enclave hidden beneath the streets of Seattle. Thanks to a police captain (that is the Mayor's sister's husband) that somehow believes that it's your own damn fault if a ghost comes to visit, Kincaid's primary means of living - raising zombies for things like will disputes and helping the police with preternatural crimes - was outlawed and now she's stuck doing seances with the Kurt Cobain analogue of Nate Cade.
Then she's called to do something about a zombie that randomly shows up outside the bar of a good friend and it all goes to pot from there.
If it sounds like their are vague similarities to Anita Blake (the zombies for wills, helping the police) there are, but that's about the full extent of it. Kincaid isn't a medium, she has no innate *need* to raise them like Anita does, and she's very much on the outs with the police in this book, not only because of the outlaw on her craft but because one of the cops happens to also be an ex. Kincaid is very much her own woman and this world is very much its own place.
Like Charish's other protagonist, Owl, Kincaid is a bit of loner in this book too, but that seems to be more by choice as opposed to just pissing everyone off the way that Owl has a knack for. Still, the book has some rather interesting side characters from the aforementioned ghost Nate, to the century+ zombie of Lee Ling who runs the Seattle underground, to the aforementioned ex boyfriend where there's some nice push and pull action between the pair and even a bit of jealousy. Ultimately, for someone who doesn't have a lot of friends, she still feels a heck of a lot more human than a lot of urban fantasy protagonists can often come off as.
As far as Voodoo goes Charish kept her discussion of Voodoo to the actual Otherside - something that obviously none of us are going to have any experience with, so that it can be whatever she wants it to be. Voodoo/Vaundun is a real religion and it would have been easy to go with the obvious stereotypes, and she didn't. It's very much the kind of touch that I personally appreciate when people are putting their own spins on real-world religions and just a bit of an added bonus for me.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't remark on the design of this book. From the hand-drawn appearing title page, to the mirrored page numbers, mirrored author's name and the snakes along each page, the team at Random House CA put a lot of love into this book and shows because rarely does a book get this much attention for such small details. It's fantastic.
My only complaint about this book is that right now this book has only been released in Canada, and as far as I can tell, there aren't any plans for US distribution yet. I really hope that changes as this feels like another fresh entry into one of the most tropey fantasy sub-genres. Do yourself a favor and pick this up from Amazon.ca. Hopefully we can get demand up high enough so more can read this awesome book.
(P.S. I see some people tagging this as Canadian culture. The closest this gets to Canada is that Kincaid has been born there; but this takes place entirely in Seattle just FYI)
(P.P.S. Though not labeled as a series, the ending clearly sets up a sequel. Please buy this book so we can get one!)
May 27, 2016
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
Kincaid Sinclair has just had her livelihood made illegal, discovers a ghost trap in her lobby and now a random zombie shows up at her favourite bar... She's having a rough day in Seattle. And of course, it's raining.
THE VOODOO KILLINGS takes place in the wet, ghost-filled world of Seattle, where a new police chief has put a stop on using mediums to question murder victims and witnesses, either in zombie or ghost form. Overnight, Kincaid has lost her main source of income and her Detective boyfriend too. He says it's not related, but she figures it is; when you raise the dead for a living, you gotta trust your gut feeling.
The zombies and the voodoo magic make this book. The "otherside" is it's own character, cold and draining, and potentially addictive in the wrong hands. Some people, like Kincaid's mentor Max, can access it as easily as opening a door (although that door doesn't always shut), but Kincaid needs to actually try, needs to concentrate to call on ghosts and to work the bindings that articulate a zombie.
I really liked Kincaid; she was fabulously down to earth for a woman with a ghost for a roommate. She can see her savings disappearing, and the need to make rent makes her make stupid decisions, which I can understand. It doesn't help when she gets a third emergency roommate in the form of a "lost" zombie who doesn't remember how he ended up this way. He needs brains, now, and they don't come cheap.
The plot was excellently twisty. Just when I thought I knew who was behind the lost zombie and the ghost attacks and the ritual murders plaguing the city, another important detail would be revealed. Although it meant a bit of confusion at the beginning, the slow discovery of some of the details really led to a complete understanding of the characters, slowly peeling layer upon layer.
With an electric end and a dramatic cliffhanger that made me swear out loud in surprise, THE VOODOO KILLINGS manages to make magic accessible and scientific at the same time. It's a fun ride with an original setting and a good attention to world-building that I really dug.
Kincaid Sinclair has just had her livelihood made illegal, discovers a ghost trap in her lobby and now a random zombie shows up at her favourite bar... She's having a rough day in Seattle. And of course, it's raining.
THE VOODOO KILLINGS takes place in the wet, ghost-filled world of Seattle, where a new police chief has put a stop on using mediums to question murder victims and witnesses, either in zombie or ghost form. Overnight, Kincaid has lost her main source of income and her Detective boyfriend too. He says it's not related, but she figures it is; when you raise the dead for a living, you gotta trust your gut feeling.
The zombies and the voodoo magic make this book. The "otherside" is it's own character, cold and draining, and potentially addictive in the wrong hands. Some people, like Kincaid's mentor Max, can access it as easily as opening a door (although that door doesn't always shut), but Kincaid needs to actually try, needs to concentrate to call on ghosts and to work the bindings that articulate a zombie.
I really liked Kincaid; she was fabulously down to earth for a woman with a ghost for a roommate. She can see her savings disappearing, and the need to make rent makes her make stupid decisions, which I can understand. It doesn't help when she gets a third emergency roommate in the form of a "lost" zombie who doesn't remember how he ended up this way. He needs brains, now, and they don't come cheap.
The plot was excellently twisty. Just when I thought I knew who was behind the lost zombie and the ghost attacks and the ritual murders plaguing the city, another important detail would be revealed. Although it meant a bit of confusion at the beginning, the slow discovery of some of the details really led to a complete understanding of the characters, slowly peeling layer upon layer.
With an electric end and a dramatic cliffhanger that made me swear out loud in surprise, THE VOODOO KILLINGS manages to make magic accessible and scientific at the same time. It's a fun ride with an original setting and a good attention to world-building that I really dug.
January 4, 2016
Really liked this one - I can see the comparisons to Kelley Armstrong, but also felt strong comparisons to the Darynda Jones series and even to Charish's own Owl series. Kincaid took a little getting used to - she's so closed off that there isn't much to connect you with her at first.
The info about her past at the end of the book was kind of hinted at, but was still surprising - I'm hoping that future books will play on that a bit more, and will give us a deeper understanding into who Kincaid is and why she changed her name and moved away from her Vancouver instead of staying to fight.
Great pacing in this one, and a diverse cast of characters who will grow well with the series. I'm looking forward to book two and to seeing what will happen.
The info about her past at the end of the book was kind of hinted at, but was still surprising - I'm hoping that future books will play on that a bit more, and will give us a deeper understanding into who Kincaid is and why she changed her name and moved away from her Vancouver instead of staying to fight.
Great pacing in this one, and a diverse cast of characters who will grow well with the series. I'm looking forward to book two and to seeing what will happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2018
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was so pleased to be invited to read this Kincaid Strange series. It's urban fantasy which is a favorite. I've always heard good things about this author. The whole voodoo / raising zombies theme seemed perfect for the autumn and Halloween time frame.
Kincaid Strange is really alone. She has some co-workers and ex-colleagues, one of whom is an ex-boyfriend. Her life has been turned inside-out by a new regime in law enforcement. She can no longer consult for the police to make her living and has to find new work utilizing her skills with zombies and ghosts.
But back to Kincaid being alone. I really hated some of her so-called friends for not helping her (with her questions) as people began turning up dead or otherwise not human anymore. She doesn't have any close circle of family, friends or anything. She often has only herself to rely upon and she does, too much. She borders on the TSTL by placing herself in danger at times. Kincaid doesn't seem to ever catch a break.
The Voodoo Killings has a bit of the first book - I'm not sure what's going on here - for me. There is also a fascinating world, interesting implementations of supernaturals, a strong female character who does care about others, and a twisty mysteries with action. I'm going right on reading Lipstick Voodoo now, which releases in January 2019.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was so pleased to be invited to read this Kincaid Strange series. It's urban fantasy which is a favorite. I've always heard good things about this author. The whole voodoo / raising zombies theme seemed perfect for the autumn and Halloween time frame.
Kincaid Strange is really alone. She has some co-workers and ex-colleagues, one of whom is an ex-boyfriend. Her life has been turned inside-out by a new regime in law enforcement. She can no longer consult for the police to make her living and has to find new work utilizing her skills with zombies and ghosts.
But back to Kincaid being alone. I really hated some of her so-called friends for not helping her (with her questions) as people began turning up dead or otherwise not human anymore. She doesn't have any close circle of family, friends or anything. She often has only herself to rely upon and she does, too much. She borders on the TSTL by placing herself in danger at times. Kincaid doesn't seem to ever catch a break.
The Voodoo Killings has a bit of the first book - I'm not sure what's going on here - for me. There is also a fascinating world, interesting implementations of supernaturals, a strong female character who does care about others, and a twisty mysteries with action. I'm going right on reading Lipstick Voodoo now, which releases in January 2019.
Read
November 1, 2017I'm not going to rate this one just yet because I'm DNFing it 50% of the way through. I wish this was better but it's just plain boring. The magic system is way too drawn out and the characters are super flat. Which would I might have been able to look past if this book wasn't set in Seattle.
Why is it that people from not Seattle like to write books about Seattle?
And why is it that they always get it so wrong?
This book puts a heavy emphasis on Seattle politics and how the city voted in a whole bunch of laws to ban zombies/necromancy. Now, yes this is a completely fictitious concept but if voodoo and zombies were real, Seattle would be all over that shit. This is an arcane obsessed city, the author could not convince me to save her life that people would turn in zombies for political reasons.
Why is it that people from not Seattle like to write books about Seattle?
And why is it that they always get it so wrong?
This book puts a heavy emphasis on Seattle politics and how the city voted in a whole bunch of laws to ban zombies/necromancy. Now, yes this is a completely fictitious concept but if voodoo and zombies were real, Seattle would be all over that shit. This is an arcane obsessed city, the author could not convince me to save her life that people would turn in zombies for political reasons.
May 27, 2016
2.75 stars rounded up
It just didn't grab me much. I ended up putting it down several times over, being distracted with Youtube videos or doing online shopping ... I couldn't really explain why it didn't. The characters were okay; I couldn't find faults in them. But it just lacked something to make me emotionally root for either one of them *shrugs*.
Although I did kind of wanting to know more about Cameron .
I am not saying that I dislike it; I just don't really care enough, which is why I'm not categorizing this as 2* read. It is one of those unexplained -- blame it on writing or story chemistry -- factors I guess. I'm not going to bother with the next book.
It just didn't grab me much. I ended up putting it down several times over, being distracted with Youtube videos or doing online shopping ... I couldn't really explain why it didn't. The characters were okay; I couldn't find faults in them. But it just lacked something to make me emotionally root for either one of them *shrugs*.
Although I did kind of wanting to know more about Cameron .
I am not saying that I dislike it; I just don't really care enough, which is why I'm not categorizing this as 2* read. It is one of those unexplained -- blame it on writing or story chemistry -- factors I guess. I'm not going to bother with the next book.
May 9, 2016
*Source* Random House Canada
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
The Voodoo Killings, by author Kristi Charish, is the first installment in a brand new series featuring protagonist Kincaid Strange. Kincaid is a full fledged practitioner (i.e. necromancer) who lives in Seattle and has access to the land of the dead, better known as Otherside. She was once a consultant to the Seattle PD until a new Captain came along and disavowed her. (Before you say this sounds like Anita Blake, just stop. You'd be 100 percent wrong.)
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews 05/09/2016* Link to Follow
Expected publication: May 10th 2016 by Vintage Canada
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
The Voodoo Killings, by author Kristi Charish, is the first installment in a brand new series featuring protagonist Kincaid Strange. Kincaid is a full fledged practitioner (i.e. necromancer) who lives in Seattle and has access to the land of the dead, better known as Otherside. She was once a consultant to the Seattle PD until a new Captain came along and disavowed her. (Before you say this sounds like Anita Blake, just stop. You'd be 100 percent wrong.)
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews 05/09/2016* Link to Follow
Expected publication: May 10th 2016 by Vintage Canada
May 28, 2016
Thanks Penguin Canada for this book.
It's my first urban fantasy read and it was okay. I couldn't compare it to anything as I have never read a book in that genres.
It was a good first book in a series, yet it did leave gaps. Like that it didn't describe what happened in Seattle before the events and before the ban on rising zombies and use them and the ban on using paranormal practitioner to help police solve crimes.
I wish we were able to be inside Nathan and not just have the story from Kincaid Strange pov.
I'm sure some will give it 4 and 5 stars but it was just very out from my usual reading material.
It's my first urban fantasy read and it was okay. I couldn't compare it to anything as I have never read a book in that genres.
It was a good first book in a series, yet it did leave gaps. Like that it didn't describe what happened in Seattle before the events and before the ban on rising zombies and use them and the ban on using paranormal practitioner to help police solve crimes.
I wish we were able to be inside Nathan and not just have the story from Kincaid Strange pov.
I'm sure some will give it 4 and 5 stars but it was just very out from my usual reading material.
January 24, 2019
Kristi Charish is a new-to-me author, and one I am happy to have found. I am always looking for more talent in the realm of urban fantasy, and the Kincaid Strange series has definitely piqued my interest.
Our heroine is Kincaid Strange, a 27 year old voodoo practitioner living in the heart of Seattle. But now that she is no longer allowed to be a paranormal consultant to the local police department, Kincaid is having to make ends meet by doing seances for frat parties. So dealing with a random rogue zombie was not on Kincaid's radar, and she has to babysit this new obligation while trying to discover the culprit behind a slew of voodoo murders. She will have some help from her ghostly roommate, Nate. And a bit of obstruction and meddling, and maybe a little kissing action, from her ex-partner and ex-boyfriend, Aaron, who is a detective with the paranormal division of the PD.
I liked Kincaid as a heroine. Despite being immersed in the world of the paranormal, Kincaid is more down-to-earth and relatable that we would see in a kickass heroine. She is a bit bumbling and gets herself into sticky situations, but she still manages to come out on top without knowing jiu jitsu or how to handle a weapon. I also liked the various paranormal creatures and characters, from zombies to ghosts to practitioners, and I am interested to see what other characters we may see as the series progresses. But most importantly, I can't wait to see what is going to happen between Aaron and Kincaid. Is their relationship doomed, will we see more undeniable chemistry in the future.
Up next for me is Lipstick Voodoo, the second installment of this promising series. So stay tuned!
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