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Black Magic Outlaw #3
Heart Strings
Black Magic gets a bad rap. Trust me. When people see me, they don't see Cisco Suarez, they see a rogue. A shadow charmer. A black magic outlaw.
Maybe they're right. Maybe everything I touch withers and dies. But that doesn't give the SWAT team a right to come in guns blazing.
I tell you. A little collateral damage to city hall and all of a sudden you're Public Enemy Number One.
But I'm doing some policing myself. Got my own Cisco's Most Wanted. Pop quiz: Who's more dangerous? A conspiratorial mage, a volcanic elemental, or a dirty Miami politician?
The answer might surprise you because I never saw it coming.
Maybe they're right. Maybe everything I touch withers and dies. But that doesn't give the SWAT team a right to come in guns blazing.
I tell you. A little collateral damage to city hall and all of a sudden you're Public Enemy Number One.
But I'm doing some policing myself. Got my own Cisco's Most Wanted. Pop quiz: Who's more dangerous? A conspiratorial mage, a volcanic elemental, or a dirty Miami politician?
The answer might surprise you because I never saw it coming.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2016
178 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Domino Finn
32 books212 followersDomino Finn is an entertainment industry veteran, a contributor to award-winning video games, and the grizzled Urban Fantasy author of the best-selling Black Magic Outlaw series. His stories are equal parts spit, beer, and blood, and are notable for treating weighty issues with a supernatural veneer. If Domino has one rallying cry for the world, it's that fantasy is serious business.
Take up arms at DominoFinn.com
Take up arms at DominoFinn.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 19, 2018
I'm Cisco Suarez: necromancer, shadow charmer, black magic outlaw. Sounds kinda cool, doesn't it? It was, right until I woke up half dead in a dumpster.
Did I say half dead? Because I meant 100% dead. Full on. I don't do things halfway.
The Black Magic Outlaw series really does have a good tagline! This third instalment of the series was pretty decent. The story was short in length but packed in plenty of action and moved along at a fast pace.
The best thing the Black Magic Outlaw series has going for it is the fact that the story is told in the first person and Cisco Suarez is a compelling and amusing narrator. The guy is far from perfect, he can be a selfish ass at times, but he does tell an amusing tale and is still likeable enough, most of the time, that it is easy to root for him against his enemies.
This third instalment saw Cisco laying low after drawing the ire of a corrupt local Miami politician in the last book. He is public enemy number one and has the full force of Miami law enforcement on his case as well as the usual magical enemies who want him dead. Not that it stops him from tracking down a few leads on the leader of the organisation that enslaved him! He even gets out for a quick trip to the Cayman Islands. To make matter even more complicated Cisco also managed to get tangled up in Fey politics after his decision to hide from the police in a nether bolt hole got him stuck in the middle of a Fey power play!
It was all fun and fast paced stuff! The change of setting meant we got to met a bunch of fun new characters and we also made some good progress in terms of the plot and main story arc.
The shadow magic, elemental magic, and necromancy feel fairly fresh and cool. Though that might just be because I've not read many other books with them as the focus lately.
This is one of those macho manly series so usually the story is held back by an annoying bit of misogyny but to be fair I feel like that was toned down a good bit in this instalment. Yeah, the woman are all sex objects, but they are far more kick-ass and significant now than they were in the early stages of the series.
All in all I felt like this was a good instalment of the BMO series and I look forward to reading the next adventure of everyone's favourite ex-zombie!
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: I think Neil Hellegers gave an excellent performance of this story. He gets the humor and his voice seems a great fit for Cisco.
Did I say half dead? Because I meant 100% dead. Full on. I don't do things halfway.
The Black Magic Outlaw series really does have a good tagline! This third instalment of the series was pretty decent. The story was short in length but packed in plenty of action and moved along at a fast pace.
The best thing the Black Magic Outlaw series has going for it is the fact that the story is told in the first person and Cisco Suarez is a compelling and amusing narrator. The guy is far from perfect, he can be a selfish ass at times, but he does tell an amusing tale and is still likeable enough, most of the time, that it is easy to root for him against his enemies.
This third instalment saw Cisco laying low after drawing the ire of a corrupt local Miami politician in the last book. He is public enemy number one and has the full force of Miami law enforcement on his case as well as the usual magical enemies who want him dead. Not that it stops him from tracking down a few leads on the leader of the organisation that enslaved him! He even gets out for a quick trip to the Cayman Islands. To make matter even more complicated Cisco also managed to get tangled up in Fey politics after his decision to hide from the police in a nether bolt hole got him stuck in the middle of a Fey power play!
It was all fun and fast paced stuff! The change of setting meant we got to met a bunch of fun new characters and we also made some good progress in terms of the plot and main story arc.
The shadow magic, elemental magic, and necromancy feel fairly fresh and cool. Though that might just be because I've not read many other books with them as the focus lately.
This is one of those macho manly series so usually the story is held back by an annoying bit of misogyny but to be fair I feel like that was toned down a good bit in this instalment. Yeah, the woman are all sex objects, but they are far more kick-ass and significant now than they were in the early stages of the series.
All in all I felt like this was a good instalment of the BMO series and I look forward to reading the next adventure of everyone's favourite ex-zombie!
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: I think Neil Hellegers gave an excellent performance of this story. He gets the humor and his voice seems a great fit for Cisco.
July 15, 2016
Heart Strings is definitely a big step down for this series. There were a number of elements that frustrated me in the last book, but I was riding high enough on my enjoyment of the first novel to overlook them and award a second 4 star read for this series. However, with the same issues cropping up again in this book, they became a much larger factor in my reading experience.
The main issues I have with this book include:
1 - LACK OF PROGRESSION - This is the third novel and only 3 weeks have passed. This minuscule time frame for these three books robs the story of some much-needed depth. It seems like the small time frame is just an excuse for situations and characters that have not grown, changed and progressed over the course of three novels. In spite of some plot twists, the characters are very much who they were when we first met them, as are a large number of the story lines.
2 - OVERLY LONG ACTION SEQUENCES - Going hand in hand with the previous point, this book is filled with overly long action sequences that mask the lack of progression in the story. These many sequences, that can each be as long as 5-10% of the book with only a few lines of exposition and dialogue thrown in amongst the action, either end up in a stalemate or result in a retreat to the status quo. They are very samey, lack excitement and a sense of danger, and are frustrating in the constant absence of finality.
3 - CHARACTERS REACT AHEAD OF THE PLOT - We the reader, don't yet know where the plot will take us. However, this should also be true for the characters. We are given exactly the same clues and information that Cisco has which makes me question why he keeps acting in certain ways. Throughout this novel and the last he constantly trusts people who haven't earned it (or are outright proved to be untrustworthy), makes leaps of logic that have very little to do with previous events, or simply acts towards characters and situations in ways that seem completely unnatural. At least that is how it seems until you come across the plot twist at the end of the novel and realise that he was right to do these things all along... the question is, how did he know to be right about these things in the first place?
4 - A BATMAN UTILITY BELT OF POWERS - Cisco's powers seem to pop up out of nowhere as and when he needs them. In the last book, he actually used a phrase along the lines of, Did I forget to mention I know a little bit of this type of magic? before gaining a new and incredibly handy ability. There is no foreshadowing of him learning new skills in this book, but when the situation calls for it, they appear from nowhere with a quick head nod to the fact that he has been learning from the necromancer spirit... though no mention of this was made before.
5 - CISCO - It's getting harder and harder to believe in the protagonist. He keeps acting as though the events of the previous novels haven't happened and is not learning from his mistakes. The motives for his actions are dubious at best, and he is always inconsistent with his actions and decisions. The main issue I have though, is that he doesn't act like a man who lost 10 years of his life and has suffered a great loss. He has only been back from the dead for three weeks but he is already pretty acclimated with this new world and his place in it. The kind of loss he has suffered (both the loss of years and loved ones) would have a much bigger impact on a person and I keep feeling as though he is treating it all as though it's no big deal which kind of ignores one of the main hooks about his character.
Overall I am not impressed with this book. It's mainly one long action sequence that constantly ends in a draw, I never really feel any raising stakes, and I am actually becoming less invested in the characters rather than becoming more interested in them. I enjoyed the first book and the second was a pleasant, if somewhat samey, read; therefore I'll stick with this series through book 4, but that has some serious work to do to get this series back on track.
The main issues I have with this book include:
1 - LACK OF PROGRESSION - This is the third novel and only 3 weeks have passed. This minuscule time frame for these three books robs the story of some much-needed depth. It seems like the small time frame is just an excuse for situations and characters that have not grown, changed and progressed over the course of three novels. In spite of some plot twists, the characters are very much who they were when we first met them, as are a large number of the story lines.
2 - OVERLY LONG ACTION SEQUENCES - Going hand in hand with the previous point, this book is filled with overly long action sequences that mask the lack of progression in the story. These many sequences, that can each be as long as 5-10% of the book with only a few lines of exposition and dialogue thrown in amongst the action, either end up in a stalemate or result in a retreat to the status quo. They are very samey, lack excitement and a sense of danger, and are frustrating in the constant absence of finality.
3 - CHARACTERS REACT AHEAD OF THE PLOT - We the reader, don't yet know where the plot will take us. However, this should also be true for the characters. We are given exactly the same clues and information that Cisco has which makes me question why he keeps acting in certain ways. Throughout this novel and the last he constantly trusts people who haven't earned it (or are outright proved to be untrustworthy), makes leaps of logic that have very little to do with previous events, or simply acts towards characters and situations in ways that seem completely unnatural. At least that is how it seems until you come across the plot twist at the end of the novel and realise that he was right to do these things all along... the question is, how did he know to be right about these things in the first place?
4 - A BATMAN UTILITY BELT OF POWERS - Cisco's powers seem to pop up out of nowhere as and when he needs them. In the last book, he actually used a phrase along the lines of, Did I forget to mention I know a little bit of this type of magic? before gaining a new and incredibly handy ability. There is no foreshadowing of him learning new skills in this book, but when the situation calls for it, they appear from nowhere with a quick head nod to the fact that he has been learning from the necromancer spirit... though no mention of this was made before.
5 - CISCO - It's getting harder and harder to believe in the protagonist. He keeps acting as though the events of the previous novels haven't happened and is not learning from his mistakes. The motives for his actions are dubious at best, and he is always inconsistent with his actions and decisions. The main issue I have though, is that he doesn't act like a man who lost 10 years of his life and has suffered a great loss. He has only been back from the dead for three weeks but he is already pretty acclimated with this new world and his place in it. The kind of loss he has suffered (both the loss of years and loved ones) would have a much bigger impact on a person and I keep feeling as though he is treating it all as though it's no big deal which kind of ignores one of the main hooks about his character.
Overall I am not impressed with this book. It's mainly one long action sequence that constantly ends in a draw, I never really feel any raising stakes, and I am actually becoming less invested in the characters rather than becoming more interested in them. I enjoyed the first book and the second was a pleasant, if somewhat samey, read; therefore I'll stick with this series through book 4, but that has some serious work to do to get this series back on track.
December 27, 2019
Another excellent novel by Domino Finn.
Heart Strings brings us even more creatures from other realms. That equals more excitement and a broader horizon to write upon.
My addiction with Domino Finn is in full swing. I'm already in possession of book 4 and I'm eager to discover what his other series has to offer.
September 16, 2017
Note: As Book 3 in this series, it works best if you’ve read the previous books. I wouldn’t recommend reading this as a stand alone.
Cisco Suarez, dead necromancer, and Milena (Cisco’s dead sister’s best friend) team up to take out some serious foes. It doesn’t help that a SWAT team lead by his former best friend Evan Cross is breathing down his neck as well. As the Miami heat rises, so do the stakes. It’s only been 3 weeks since Cisco awoke from his zombie status (Book 1) to find that 10 years of his life had gone by as well as losing his closest family members.
This wasn’t my favorite of the series even though some significant things happen in this book. I think this is because Cisco seems to have a new power every other chapter. I like him complicated and desperate, as he was in Book 1, yet here he’s getting his feet under him (which is good) but he has new skills that give him the upper hand one too many times.
Setting that aside, I really liked that things have gotten messy between him and his friend Evan. The SWAT team is even hunting Cisco! Of course, this means things are strained between Cisco and his ex-girlfriend Emily (who is Evan’s wife now). Fran, Emily’s daughter, also plays an important role in this story, tugging on Cisco’s heart strings.
There’s a covey of magic users that want something Cisco has and one member of the covey (a paper mage) comes pretty close to taking Cisco out more than once. Speaking of that coveted object – the Horn of Subjugation – it comes with the Spaniard, who has glowing red eyes. The Spaniard is easily one of my favorite characters. In some ways he reminds me of an evil-held-in-check Bob the Skull from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
This book pulls in creatures from the Nether and Aether – the Silvans and the Fae. I am still impressed in how Finn keeps tying in various cultures and mythologies. Miami is the perfect place to center this series as it’s so full of people from all over the world. I’m glad to see that he continues to draw on that. A few other mythical beings are tossed in like Throok the Minotaur, mermaids, and a satyr.
All together, it was enjoyable even if I got a little battle fatigue here and there. The big series arc mystery continues to interest me and the ending here left some questions answered while opening up a whole new set of questions. Looking forward to Book 4.
I received a free copy of this book.
The Narration: Neil Hellegers continues to impress. Of course, he does Cisco justice in this book once again. As more creatures are pulled into the series, Hellegers has to come up with more unique voices. He certainly rises to that challenge and delivers. Great narration!
Cisco Suarez, dead necromancer, and Milena (Cisco’s dead sister’s best friend) team up to take out some serious foes. It doesn’t help that a SWAT team lead by his former best friend Evan Cross is breathing down his neck as well. As the Miami heat rises, so do the stakes. It’s only been 3 weeks since Cisco awoke from his zombie status (Book 1) to find that 10 years of his life had gone by as well as losing his closest family members.
This wasn’t my favorite of the series even though some significant things happen in this book. I think this is because Cisco seems to have a new power every other chapter. I like him complicated and desperate, as he was in Book 1, yet here he’s getting his feet under him (which is good) but he has new skills that give him the upper hand one too many times.
Setting that aside, I really liked that things have gotten messy between him and his friend Evan. The SWAT team is even hunting Cisco! Of course, this means things are strained between Cisco and his ex-girlfriend Emily (who is Evan’s wife now). Fran, Emily’s daughter, also plays an important role in this story, tugging on Cisco’s heart strings.
There’s a covey of magic users that want something Cisco has and one member of the covey (a paper mage) comes pretty close to taking Cisco out more than once. Speaking of that coveted object – the Horn of Subjugation – it comes with the Spaniard, who has glowing red eyes. The Spaniard is easily one of my favorite characters. In some ways he reminds me of an evil-held-in-check Bob the Skull from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
This book pulls in creatures from the Nether and Aether – the Silvans and the Fae. I am still impressed in how Finn keeps tying in various cultures and mythologies. Miami is the perfect place to center this series as it’s so full of people from all over the world. I’m glad to see that he continues to draw on that. A few other mythical beings are tossed in like Throok the Minotaur, mermaids, and a satyr.
All together, it was enjoyable even if I got a little battle fatigue here and there. The big series arc mystery continues to interest me and the ending here left some questions answered while opening up a whole new set of questions. Looking forward to Book 4.
I received a free copy of this book.
The Narration: Neil Hellegers continues to impress. Of course, he does Cisco justice in this book once again. As more creatures are pulled into the series, Hellegers has to come up with more unique voices. He certainly rises to that challenge and delivers. Great narration!
November 26, 2017
This series is more or less another take on the Dresdan Files formula. I like Sisco Suarez. The magic is believable in context -- even if many of his powers materialize in ex machina fashion, without explanation and just as he needs it. In fact, a lot of what I initially considered nitpicks began to mount in this outing. For one thing, Sisco is kind of a dummy. I could deal with that if it was intentional. But it’s done in that way of “he’s so good that he can’t help but hand his enemy a loaded weapon in the middle of a fight” kind of way. “But I love my enemy, and they need help!”
That’s not actual dialogue from the book, but it could easily be. Finn is insecure without rushing into conflict, and it’s annoying. I find myself skipping whole parts of fights because it’s just boring and I know how it’s going to end anyway. So it comes off as padding.
The big problem, the missing element, is there’s nothing really interesting going on. The guy was a zombie for ten years. Wakes to find he killed his family, wife is evil, has a daughter he can’t see, “best friend” married his evil girl (and is hunting him). But it doesn’t affect Sisco that much. None of it. They’re problems he has to fix, but he doesn’t wrestle with any of it. Doesn’t even get drunk and start a bar fight. Doesn’t even indulge sex with women trying to get with him (unless it turns out they’re trying to kill him -- CONFLICT!!).
The biggest sin of this book is the GIANT twist reveal at the end of the previous book. The evil girl friend thing. I sped right to this book on momentum of that. But Finn more or less avoids the issue as much as he possibly can.
This is a frustrating series to say the least. It has such potential. I’m not sure I want to go on because it sorta pains me. Like when the bad guy gets up after being killed and you jump -- but because you’re distressed at the nonsense going on longer rather than because you’re invested.
That’s not actual dialogue from the book, but it could easily be. Finn is insecure without rushing into conflict, and it’s annoying. I find myself skipping whole parts of fights because it’s just boring and I know how it’s going to end anyway. So it comes off as padding.
The big problem, the missing element, is there’s nothing really interesting going on. The guy was a zombie for ten years. Wakes to find he killed his family, wife is evil, has a daughter he can’t see, “best friend” married his evil girl (and is hunting him). But it doesn’t affect Sisco that much. None of it. They’re problems he has to fix, but he doesn’t wrestle with any of it. Doesn’t even get drunk and start a bar fight. Doesn’t even indulge sex with women trying to get with him (unless it turns out they’re trying to kill him -- CONFLICT!!).
The biggest sin of this book is the GIANT twist reveal at the end of the previous book. The evil girl friend thing. I sped right to this book on momentum of that. But Finn more or less avoids the issue as much as he possibly can.
This is a frustrating series to say the least. It has such potential. I’m not sure I want to go on because it sorta pains me. Like when the bad guy gets up after being killed and you jump -- but because you’re distressed at the nonsense going on longer rather than because you’re invested.
July 7, 2025
2/5 – Falls into classic pacing and character development traps
Heart Strings struggles with a common issue in urban fantasy: everything happens in an unrealistically short time span. Major events, fights, meetings, and emotional shifts are stacked back to back without room for consequences, downtime, or character reflection.
The protagonist, Sisco, shows little real growth. He makes the same bad decisions repeatedly, often while admitting they are bad, and ends up in nearly identical situations with no lessons learned. He comes off as reactive and reckless rather than competent. Without plot armor, he wouldn’t survive half the book. For someone meant to be a powerful necromancer, he rarely acts like one.
Other issues pile up. Sisco’s super healing is used to excuse the fast pacing, but other characters who suffer serious injuries seem to recover instantly with no explanation. Important side characters vanish for large portions of the story. Tools and allies introduced in earlier books, like the powerful wraith companion, are ignored with no justification. Cisco doesn’t fix his magical watch warning system, deal with the ghost in his truck, or invest in basic improvements like new clothes, weapons, or spells. Well he does offscreen for one chapter at the beginning then it all gets thrown out after he leaves his swamp hideout.
The magic system itself feels underused. Rather than showing depth or creativity, the series leans on action and a few magical shotgun shells, which feel out of place in a story centered on necromancy.
Final verdict: The book wants to channel the energy of the Dresden Files or Alex Verus, but without character development, world consistency, or a protagonist who actually learns and prepares, it misses the mark. Won't continue further with this series, only got this far because of the 1-3 volume pack I picked up.
Heart Strings struggles with a common issue in urban fantasy: everything happens in an unrealistically short time span. Major events, fights, meetings, and emotional shifts are stacked back to back without room for consequences, downtime, or character reflection.
The protagonist, Sisco, shows little real growth. He makes the same bad decisions repeatedly, often while admitting they are bad, and ends up in nearly identical situations with no lessons learned. He comes off as reactive and reckless rather than competent. Without plot armor, he wouldn’t survive half the book. For someone meant to be a powerful necromancer, he rarely acts like one.
Other issues pile up. Sisco’s super healing is used to excuse the fast pacing, but other characters who suffer serious injuries seem to recover instantly with no explanation. Important side characters vanish for large portions of the story. Tools and allies introduced in earlier books, like the powerful wraith companion, are ignored with no justification. Cisco doesn’t fix his magical watch warning system, deal with the ghost in his truck, or invest in basic improvements like new clothes, weapons, or spells. Well he does offscreen for one chapter at the beginning then it all gets thrown out after he leaves his swamp hideout.
The magic system itself feels underused. Rather than showing depth or creativity, the series leans on action and a few magical shotgun shells, which feel out of place in a story centered on necromancy.
Final verdict: The book wants to channel the energy of the Dresden Files or Alex Verus, but without character development, world consistency, or a protagonist who actually learns and prepares, it misses the mark. Won't continue further with this series, only got this far because of the 1-3 volume pack I picked up.
August 10, 2017
This has turned into a soap opera.
The first book introduced an interesting character and situation, but book 2 and book 3 have been an increasing disappointment. The main character does not progress in any way. He keeps relying on 2-3 tricks and doesn't even try to learn something new. Even though we were told in Book 1 that his magic relies on preparation, there is never any - it is all on the run and by the seat of his pants. Makes it all feel like amateur hour. If it weren't for the author always saving him with unexpected, "miracle" solutions, he should have been killed many times over.
His macho talk is just abrasive instead of macho or smart. Instead of winning allies he irritates and insults people with the explanations for his behavior making no real sense. For all his big talk, he a fraternity kid and fails to plan or resolve his issues.
The books are increasingly full of endless fights which fail to defeat his enemies and unexpected convenient solutions to situations which always save him as needed. He keeps getting artificially pushed into bad situations for no good reason and people close to him turn "evil" just for the shock effect.
The author keeps introducing more and more new creatures and worlds, but they all feel like boosts of glitter to keep people reading. The already introduced themes are not developed - their development stops just to introduce something new, which is then abandoned when the author didn't know where to go with it, just to introduce the next new thing.
My life is too short to keep reading the series.
The first book introduced an interesting character and situation, but book 2 and book 3 have been an increasing disappointment. The main character does not progress in any way. He keeps relying on 2-3 tricks and doesn't even try to learn something new. Even though we were told in Book 1 that his magic relies on preparation, there is never any - it is all on the run and by the seat of his pants. Makes it all feel like amateur hour. If it weren't for the author always saving him with unexpected, "miracle" solutions, he should have been killed many times over.
His macho talk is just abrasive instead of macho or smart. Instead of winning allies he irritates and insults people with the explanations for his behavior making no real sense. For all his big talk, he a fraternity kid and fails to plan or resolve his issues.
The books are increasingly full of endless fights which fail to defeat his enemies and unexpected convenient solutions to situations which always save him as needed. He keeps getting artificially pushed into bad situations for no good reason and people close to him turn "evil" just for the shock effect.
The author keeps introducing more and more new creatures and worlds, but they all feel like boosts of glitter to keep people reading. The already introduced themes are not developed - their development stops just to introduce something new, which is then abandoned when the author didn't know where to go with it, just to introduce the next new thing.
My life is too short to keep reading the series.
August 1, 2021
Interested mix of new creatures
So I actually liked the 2nd book best so far but this is good two because it expanded on why the whole thing happened. I liked that and the additional realms but where the heck was the Spaniard in all this? He travels all over the place with no allies but doesn’t bring his one ally with him? He did in the 2nd one. That made no sense to me.
So I actually liked the 2nd book best so far but this is good two because it expanded on why the whole thing happened. I liked that and the additional realms but where the heck was the Spaniard in all this? He travels all over the place with no allies but doesn’t bring his one ally with him? He did in the 2nd one. That made no sense to me.
August 17, 2022
Enjoying the ride
I've been on an urban fantasy kick for a while and I've been on a mad search for a series to sink my teeth in. This one is currently fitting the bill. It's fast paced and interesting enough to have me keep reading. It also takes on a different mythology than most, so it doesn't read like a Dresden knockoff.
I've been on an urban fantasy kick for a while and I've been on a mad search for a series to sink my teeth in. This one is currently fitting the bill. It's fast paced and interesting enough to have me keep reading. It also takes on a different mythology than most, so it doesn't read like a Dresden knockoff.
June 11, 2017
Never Disappointing
I'm really enjoying this series by Finn. The main character is totally likable and the stories all have surprising twists. Read on Kindle Unlimited and well worth the download.
I'm really enjoying this series by Finn. The main character is totally likable and the stories all have surprising twists. Read on Kindle Unlimited and well worth the download.
August 20, 2017
Felt short
And rushed. After all the build up in the first two, the answers just seemed to come to quickly and easily in this book.
I recommend this book because it is well written, and I know there is more to come.
And rushed. After all the build up in the first two, the answers just seemed to come to quickly and easily in this book.
I recommend this book because it is well written, and I know there is more to come.
January 3, 2020
I Truly enjoyed this addition to the story. Cisco has a deeper backstory this time and more heartache ensues as a result. I was a little disappointed that Cisco didn’t release the Spaniard but I do understand where it is headed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2017
Loved it, lots of adventure and crazy creatures.
I am looking forward to the next adventure.
I am looking forward to the next adventure.
July 24, 2017
Nice & entertaining...nothing too deep...
August 23, 2017
Best yet in the series.
August 10, 2018
Great read
Well developed characters and plot. Fun read with the right amount of tension. Hopefully we will see the new allies again.
Well developed characters and plot. Fun read with the right amount of tension. Hopefully we will see the new allies again.
January 10, 2019
Wow
This book was awesome. The different mythical creatures that Cisco tangles with. So cool. I am looking forward to reading book 4.
This book was awesome. The different mythical creatures that Cisco tangles with. So cool. I am looking forward to reading book 4.
January 16, 2019
Domino creates a wonderful tale of a broken man and his quest for vengeance.
October 5, 2019
Picks up more here!
Our Miami Necromancer unravels more here. I'll just leave it at that. If you like the first two books then keep going.
Our Miami Necromancer unravels more here. I'll just leave it at that. If you like the first two books then keep going.
November 16, 2020
Great series.
October 28, 2021
Very well done.
October 15, 2017
Loved it! An exciting and well written plot, great chracters. I am looking forward to the next in this series.
February 2, 2020
Recensione pubblicata su Cronache di Betelgeuse
Come riesca il nostro protagonista a cacciarsi in situazioni al limite dell’impossibile non è dato di sapere. Anche in questo libro riuscirà a rendere intricato e adrenalinico una semplice camminata nel parco.
Insieme a lui scopriremo letteralmente una nuova dimensione, popolata da creature strane e pericolose. Non che Cisco di solito frequenti delle persone normali, ma questa volta il suo coinvolgimento è del tutto involontario. Sembra quasi una scena da Alice nel paese delle meraviglie, dove però ci sono mostri in agguato pronti a ucciderti solo per il fatto di trovarsi nel posto sbagliato.
Purtroppo sul piano sentimentale la vita del nostro protagonista subisce vari colpi bassi che avrebbero fatto piangere chiunque. L’unico amore della sua vita, con cui ha avuto una figlia, potrebbe non essere la dolce ragazza che ha sempre pensato Cisco. Visto come in precedenza ha già subito delusioni e ha dovuto dare brutte notizie, inizialmente cerca d’indagare al meglio per scoprire di più sul passato di Emily. Questo lato indagatore ci permetterà di scoprire alcuni retroscena molto interessanti, che giocano un ruolo molto importante in questo libro e saranno parte integrante dei prossimi.
Il comportamento di Evan è in parte comprensibile. Lui è un poliziotto, deve difendere la legge. Si è rifatto una vita con Emily e ha cresciuto la figlia del suo migliore amico, creduto morto, come sua. Vedere comparire Cisco a scombussolare il tutto non è facile da accettare. Soprattutto quando ovunque vada porta solo morte e distruzione. Però mi piacerebbe vedere più consapevolezza da parte sua su alcuni particolari che stridono e che Cisco continua a sottolineare.
Le scene di combattimento sono sempre adrenaliniche e riescono a mostrare la destrezza e il coraggio del nostro negromante preferito. Cisco si trova spesso ad affrontare creature superiori a lui per forza e conoscenza, ma riesce sempre a estrarre un asso dalla manica per limitare i danni. Il suo è un modo di combattere in cui non deve subire troppi danni, limitare il dispendio di energie e non rimanere ucciso. E’ un equilibrio molto fragile, che spesso viene spinto al limite di non ritorno. Dobbiamo solo sperare che Cisco sopravviva abbastanza per risolvere la rete d’intrighi che avvolge la sua vita.
Come riesca il nostro protagonista a cacciarsi in situazioni al limite dell’impossibile non è dato di sapere. Anche in questo libro riuscirà a rendere intricato e adrenalinico una semplice camminata nel parco.
Insieme a lui scopriremo letteralmente una nuova dimensione, popolata da creature strane e pericolose. Non che Cisco di solito frequenti delle persone normali, ma questa volta il suo coinvolgimento è del tutto involontario. Sembra quasi una scena da Alice nel paese delle meraviglie, dove però ci sono mostri in agguato pronti a ucciderti solo per il fatto di trovarsi nel posto sbagliato.
Purtroppo sul piano sentimentale la vita del nostro protagonista subisce vari colpi bassi che avrebbero fatto piangere chiunque. L’unico amore della sua vita, con cui ha avuto una figlia, potrebbe non essere la dolce ragazza che ha sempre pensato Cisco. Visto come in precedenza ha già subito delusioni e ha dovuto dare brutte notizie, inizialmente cerca d’indagare al meglio per scoprire di più sul passato di Emily. Questo lato indagatore ci permetterà di scoprire alcuni retroscena molto interessanti, che giocano un ruolo molto importante in questo libro e saranno parte integrante dei prossimi.
Il comportamento di Evan è in parte comprensibile. Lui è un poliziotto, deve difendere la legge. Si è rifatto una vita con Emily e ha cresciuto la figlia del suo migliore amico, creduto morto, come sua. Vedere comparire Cisco a scombussolare il tutto non è facile da accettare. Soprattutto quando ovunque vada porta solo morte e distruzione. Però mi piacerebbe vedere più consapevolezza da parte sua su alcuni particolari che stridono e che Cisco continua a sottolineare.
Le scene di combattimento sono sempre adrenaliniche e riescono a mostrare la destrezza e il coraggio del nostro negromante preferito. Cisco si trova spesso ad affrontare creature superiori a lui per forza e conoscenza, ma riesce sempre a estrarre un asso dalla manica per limitare i danni. Il suo è un modo di combattere in cui non deve subire troppi danni, limitare il dispendio di energie e non rimanere ucciso. E’ un equilibrio molto fragile, che spesso viene spinto al limite di non ritorno. Dobbiamo solo sperare che Cisco sopravviva abbastanza per risolvere la rete d’intrighi che avvolge la sua vita.
September 25, 2019
Cisco Suarez scioglierà quasi tutti i nodi della sua intricata vicenda. Dieci anni di oblio e il ritorno al mondo dei vivi hanno sconvolto la sua ben poco banale esistenza. Cisco Suarez è un animista e l’oscurità è la sua materia.
In questo capitolo che lascia spazio a una caccia successiva, si introducono nella narrazione interessanti antagonisti. La magia infatti si mischia con il mito, dando spazio a sirene, minotauri e satiri. Una scelta decisamente innovativa rispetto ai primi due volumi dove la magia nera voodoo e le pratiche spiritistiche avevano avuto predominanza. L’elemento inserito contribuisce a innovare e a dare movimento alla narrazione, introducendo nuove descrizioni e permettendo all’autore di sbizzarrirsi in maniera più ampia, soprattutto nelle numerose scene di combattimento.
D’altro canto la scelta potrebbe suscitare qualche perplessità nel lettore, ma lo scrittore riesce a non far stridere troppo gli elementi fra di loro, inserendo due nuovi piani di ambientazione che nei libri precedenti erano soltanto accennati : l’Altrove e l’Etere. In queste due nuove “realtà parallele” a quella terrestre si svolge la maggior parte della narrazione. Un cambio di rotta interessante e necessario, che quasi ci fa capire che “ciò che non è di questo mondo, può risolversi soltanto fuori da esso”.
La narrazione rimane veloce e dinamica, la descrizione dei personaggi molto ben caratterizzata, le ambientazioni, come già anticipato, innovative e ben descritte.
I tormenti di Cisco Suarez non sono scomparsi, ma decisamente più accettati dal protagonista stesso, che decide di guardare meno al passato e più al futuro.
Un paranormal fantasy dove l’azione è il motore principale; scontri, combattimenti corpo a corpo e fughe rocambolesche riempiono le pagine creando uno stato continuo di suspense.
Cisco Suarez rimane l’emblema dell’eroe solitario, restìo e quasi costretto a dare fiducia. Non lo aiutano certamente i numerosi intrighi, doppi giochi e colpi di scena che si susseguono nella trama. Cisco fatica a comprendere il disegno principale, così come il lettore, che scopre quali sono le carte sul tavolo poco a poco, fino a ricostruire la dinamica di una complicata partita.
Una conclusione parziale assolutamente interessante che chiude un cerchio senza mettere la parola fine alle avventure di questo originale protagonista.
Recensione a cura di Francesca Giovannetti
In questo capitolo che lascia spazio a una caccia successiva, si introducono nella narrazione interessanti antagonisti. La magia infatti si mischia con il mito, dando spazio a sirene, minotauri e satiri. Una scelta decisamente innovativa rispetto ai primi due volumi dove la magia nera voodoo e le pratiche spiritistiche avevano avuto predominanza. L’elemento inserito contribuisce a innovare e a dare movimento alla narrazione, introducendo nuove descrizioni e permettendo all’autore di sbizzarrirsi in maniera più ampia, soprattutto nelle numerose scene di combattimento.
D’altro canto la scelta potrebbe suscitare qualche perplessità nel lettore, ma lo scrittore riesce a non far stridere troppo gli elementi fra di loro, inserendo due nuovi piani di ambientazione che nei libri precedenti erano soltanto accennati : l’Altrove e l’Etere. In queste due nuove “realtà parallele” a quella terrestre si svolge la maggior parte della narrazione. Un cambio di rotta interessante e necessario, che quasi ci fa capire che “ciò che non è di questo mondo, può risolversi soltanto fuori da esso”.
La narrazione rimane veloce e dinamica, la descrizione dei personaggi molto ben caratterizzata, le ambientazioni, come già anticipato, innovative e ben descritte.
I tormenti di Cisco Suarez non sono scomparsi, ma decisamente più accettati dal protagonista stesso, che decide di guardare meno al passato e più al futuro.
Un paranormal fantasy dove l’azione è il motore principale; scontri, combattimenti corpo a corpo e fughe rocambolesche riempiono le pagine creando uno stato continuo di suspense.
Cisco Suarez rimane l’emblema dell’eroe solitario, restìo e quasi costretto a dare fiducia. Non lo aiutano certamente i numerosi intrighi, doppi giochi e colpi di scena che si susseguono nella trama. Cisco fatica a comprendere il disegno principale, così come il lettore, che scopre quali sono le carte sul tavolo poco a poco, fino a ricostruire la dinamica di una complicata partita.
Una conclusione parziale assolutamente interessante che chiude un cerchio senza mettere la parola fine alle avventure di questo originale protagonista.
Recensione a cura di Francesca Giovannetti
July 14, 2019
Dopo davvero troppo tempo, torno a riempire le pagine di questo blog!
Vi parlo di questa novità Dunwich, anche se pubblicata da qualche settimana. Fra lavoro ed altro, i miei ritmi sono completamente stravolti, così ci ho messo un po' ad iniziarlo ed a ingranare con la storia. Ma come al solito dopo metà il tutto è scivolato via senza che me ne rendessi conto.
Pensavo di incantarmi di più inizialmente, non ricordando molto di quanto accaduto nei capitoli precedenti, ma Domino ci fa un bel regalo: veloci ricapitolazioni attraverso i pensieri di Cisco, così da aiutarci a riportare a galla ciò che era successo. Forse fastidioso per chi li legge in serie, ma per chi segue la pubblicazione è qualcosa di ottimo.
Ritroviamo Cisco, ovviamente in fuga. Si nasconde in una baracca cercando di attendere che le acque si calmino su di lui e che la polizia smetta di cercarlo, ma inutilmente. Infatti già nelle prime pagine l'azione la fa sovrana, mista all'umorismo del nostro protagonista. Ritrovandosi circondato dalla SWAT, con a capo il suo migliore amico, dovrebbe solo usare i suoi poteri per scappare, ma invece le cose si fanno rapidamente più pericolose.
Incontrerà figure che credevamo mitologiche, scopriremo un mondo...anzi due, che sono su diversi piani rispetto alla Terra eppure ne restano in contatto. Insomma, ci saranno grosse novità sovrannaturali.
Ma non ci si dimentica certo del resto, poichè Cisco è ancora intenzionato a smascherare gli autori della sua morte, che sembra si aggirino nel mondo politico di Miami, quindi dovrà aguzzare il cervello per scoprire vari collegamenti che lo potrebbero portare a risolvere questo enigma così complesso.
Tanta, tanta azione, tantissima magia e parecchio umorismo, si mescolano per creare questo terzo capitolo dove alcune risposte sembrano finalmente vedere la luce (il tutto alla fine del libro!).
Forse un po' frettoloso nel finale, dove la vicenda sembra chiudersi davvero in maniera troppo...banale, quasi. Però nel complesso davvero interessante e piacevole come lettura.
Sono curiosa di scoprire come andrà avanti e cosa combinerà questa volta Cisco.
(anche sul blog http://viaggiatricepigra.blogspot.com...)
Vi parlo di questa novità Dunwich, anche se pubblicata da qualche settimana. Fra lavoro ed altro, i miei ritmi sono completamente stravolti, così ci ho messo un po' ad iniziarlo ed a ingranare con la storia. Ma come al solito dopo metà il tutto è scivolato via senza che me ne rendessi conto.
Pensavo di incantarmi di più inizialmente, non ricordando molto di quanto accaduto nei capitoli precedenti, ma Domino ci fa un bel regalo: veloci ricapitolazioni attraverso i pensieri di Cisco, così da aiutarci a riportare a galla ciò che era successo. Forse fastidioso per chi li legge in serie, ma per chi segue la pubblicazione è qualcosa di ottimo.
Ritroviamo Cisco, ovviamente in fuga. Si nasconde in una baracca cercando di attendere che le acque si calmino su di lui e che la polizia smetta di cercarlo, ma inutilmente. Infatti già nelle prime pagine l'azione la fa sovrana, mista all'umorismo del nostro protagonista. Ritrovandosi circondato dalla SWAT, con a capo il suo migliore amico, dovrebbe solo usare i suoi poteri per scappare, ma invece le cose si fanno rapidamente più pericolose.
Incontrerà figure che credevamo mitologiche, scopriremo un mondo...anzi due, che sono su diversi piani rispetto alla Terra eppure ne restano in contatto. Insomma, ci saranno grosse novità sovrannaturali.
Ma non ci si dimentica certo del resto, poichè Cisco è ancora intenzionato a smascherare gli autori della sua morte, che sembra si aggirino nel mondo politico di Miami, quindi dovrà aguzzare il cervello per scoprire vari collegamenti che lo potrebbero portare a risolvere questo enigma così complesso.
Tanta, tanta azione, tantissima magia e parecchio umorismo, si mescolano per creare questo terzo capitolo dove alcune risposte sembrano finalmente vedere la luce (il tutto alla fine del libro!).
Forse un po' frettoloso nel finale, dove la vicenda sembra chiudersi davvero in maniera troppo...banale, quasi. Però nel complesso davvero interessante e piacevole come lettura.
Sono curiosa di scoprire come andrà avanti e cosa combinerà questa volta Cisco.
(anche sul blog http://viaggiatricepigra.blogspot.com...)
October 8, 2019
Recensione a cura di Lucrezia per Feel the Book
Voto 3,5
È divertente Cisco Suarez: è sicuramente un personaggio ben riuscito, ironico, in parte anche un po’ gradasso nel suo considerarsi potente, ma allo stesso tempo capace di farsi cogliere alla sprovvista e ficcarsi nei guai più impensati.
Anche se apparentemente sbruffone, lo vediamo spesso sopportare di buon grado sfortune e eventi inspiegabili che lo circondano e accettare anche le sue sconfitte.
È uno di quei libri che attrae dalla trama perché, giocando sull’ironia, porta una ventata di freschezza, e non si può non considerare geniale il contrasto tra i temi creepy di morti, zombie e forze più o meno oscure di ispirazione palesemente horror con una narrazione che non diventa mai troppo sanguinaria o cupa perché alleggerita dall’umorismo.
Anche in questo terzo romanzo della serie non mancano l’azione e le cose da scoprire, perché Cisco evidentemente ha ancora molte cose in sospeso, quindi sicuramente è un libro che non lascia tempo alla noia.
Conosciamo le creature fatate e capiamo ancora un po’ di più il mondo che lo circonda, in cui quello che si vede non è che una minima parte, ma entriamo ancora un altro po’ nella vita privata del passato di Cisco, fonte, forse, più di problemi che altro…
Ma va sottolineato che come nei precedenti, la leggerezza diventa anche un po’ superficialità, in un testo che scorre come un film ma non approfondisce i personaggi – pur definendo protagonisti e antagonisti con rapide e efficaci pennellate tali da farli emergere dalle pagine – che diverte ma non è indimenticabile.
Editing a cura di Ash per Feel the Book
Voto 3,5
È divertente Cisco Suarez: è sicuramente un personaggio ben riuscito, ironico, in parte anche un po’ gradasso nel suo considerarsi potente, ma allo stesso tempo capace di farsi cogliere alla sprovvista e ficcarsi nei guai più impensati.
Anche se apparentemente sbruffone, lo vediamo spesso sopportare di buon grado sfortune e eventi inspiegabili che lo circondano e accettare anche le sue sconfitte.
È uno di quei libri che attrae dalla trama perché, giocando sull’ironia, porta una ventata di freschezza, e non si può non considerare geniale il contrasto tra i temi creepy di morti, zombie e forze più o meno oscure di ispirazione palesemente horror con una narrazione che non diventa mai troppo sanguinaria o cupa perché alleggerita dall’umorismo.
Anche in questo terzo romanzo della serie non mancano l’azione e le cose da scoprire, perché Cisco evidentemente ha ancora molte cose in sospeso, quindi sicuramente è un libro che non lascia tempo alla noia.
Conosciamo le creature fatate e capiamo ancora un po’ di più il mondo che lo circonda, in cui quello che si vede non è che una minima parte, ma entriamo ancora un altro po’ nella vita privata del passato di Cisco, fonte, forse, più di problemi che altro…
Ma va sottolineato che come nei precedenti, la leggerezza diventa anche un po’ superficialità, in un testo che scorre come un film ma non approfondisce i personaggi – pur definendo protagonisti e antagonisti con rapide e efficaci pennellate tali da farli emergere dalle pagine – che diverte ma non è indimenticabile.
Editing a cura di Ash per Feel the Book
September 7, 2021
More fun with my favorite black magic brujo!
Heart Strings is the third book in the Black Magic Outlaw series and it takes place just about 3 weeks after the events of Shadow Play (book 2). True to form, Cisco, our flawed yet lovable protagonist with a unique flair for snark, jumps right into the action with little regard for a game plan. He is still trying to bring down a crooked local politician but finds that the corruption has roots much deeper and far more widespread than he had guessed. There is not a moment’s rest as Cisco’s investigation leads him to cross paths with all sorts of creatures from other realms. What a fun adventure filled with elementals, mages, zombies, ghosts, satyrs, minotaurs, spriggans, mermaids, jinns and more. Never a dull moment with Cisco Suarez. I am looking forward to finding out what manner of mayhem awaits Cisco in the next installment of this highly imaginative and entirely entertaining series. Once again, the narrator, Neil Hellegers, offers a wonderful performance bringing all the different characters to life so whether you choose to read or listen, I recommend this one to all urban fantasy fans.
I was provided with an audio copy of this book by the author and I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
If you find this review helpful, I would thank you for so indicating.
Heart Strings is the third book in the Black Magic Outlaw series and it takes place just about 3 weeks after the events of Shadow Play (book 2). True to form, Cisco, our flawed yet lovable protagonist with a unique flair for snark, jumps right into the action with little regard for a game plan. He is still trying to bring down a crooked local politician but finds that the corruption has roots much deeper and far more widespread than he had guessed. There is not a moment’s rest as Cisco’s investigation leads him to cross paths with all sorts of creatures from other realms. What a fun adventure filled with elementals, mages, zombies, ghosts, satyrs, minotaurs, spriggans, mermaids, jinns and more. Never a dull moment with Cisco Suarez. I am looking forward to finding out what manner of mayhem awaits Cisco in the next installment of this highly imaginative and entirely entertaining series. Once again, the narrator, Neil Hellegers, offers a wonderful performance bringing all the different characters to life so whether you choose to read or listen, I recommend this one to all urban fantasy fans.
I was provided with an audio copy of this book by the author and I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
If you find this review helpful, I would thank you for so indicating.
May 20, 2016
Another action-packed adventure for Cisco Suarez.
Carrying on from the excellent Book Two, he is still trying to find out information without being caught, and struggling to come to terms with what he found out at the end of Book Two.
The people\beings\creatures* he meets (*please delete as and when appropriate) are nothing short of absolutely fascinating, and in some cases just a wee bit too exciting or even downright horrible. (Particularly horrible if you have a phobia of certain nasty creatures with eyes that you can feel watching you, even when you have left the room.). Things may not be what they seem may be the understatement of the year for Cisco.
Really well written, and each book just gets better and better. You can't guess anything, so don't even try. Settle down with the series for a wild ride with a no-messin', entertaining, cool and smooth black magic outlaw. Loved it. Can't wait for the next one!
I was given this as a gift (thank you!) and all opinions are my own and honest.
Carrying on from the excellent Book Two, he is still trying to find out information without being caught, and struggling to come to terms with what he found out at the end of Book Two.
The people\beings\creatures* he meets (*please delete as and when appropriate) are nothing short of absolutely fascinating, and in some cases just a wee bit too exciting or even downright horrible. (Particularly horrible if you have a phobia of certain nasty creatures with eyes that you can feel watching you, even when you have left the room.). Things may not be what they seem may be the understatement of the year for Cisco.
Really well written, and each book just gets better and better. You can't guess anything, so don't even try. Settle down with the series for a wild ride with a no-messin', entertaining, cool and smooth black magic outlaw. Loved it. Can't wait for the next one!
I was given this as a gift (thank you!) and all opinions are my own and honest.
July 11, 2016
The best sculpted and most interesting series in the book to date, Finn keeps up the action in this installment and focuses on all his strengths as a writer. There are tongue-in-cheek nods, and other, loose campiness, but it plays off well.
A few new characters emerge, along with a few new spells. (I believe Throok is my favorite, and I hope to see more of him in the future of the series.)
Hopefully the next book still has a few surprises up its sleeve(s), and I'll be curious to see what Finn does with the series when he releases it.
A few new characters emerge, along with a few new spells. (I believe Throok is my favorite, and I hope to see more of him in the future of the series.)
Hopefully the next book still has a few surprises up its sleeve(s), and I'll be curious to see what Finn does with the series when he releases it.
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