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Harrietta Lee #1
Deadline
Disgraced witch Harrietta Lee has made a lot of mistakes in her life; there's a reason she's got a sizable burn scar slapped across the side of her neck and a formal letter of excommunication from the international underground magical community. But who has time to dwell on the past when you're trying to make rent in New York? Things are mostly clean and simple, until her next odd job is brought to her by a representative of a powerful corporate family—a family she once had close personal ties to. As she unwillingly digs through six years' worth of personal baggage, she's also got to contend with an inhuman admirer shadowing her in the street.
But hey, maybe it'll be worth it for the beautiful women she gets to kiss...
(Warning: Contains elements of BDSM)
But hey, maybe it'll be worth it for the beautiful women she gets to kiss...
(Warning: Contains elements of BDSM)
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2018
101 people are currently reading
1564 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Ahn
5 books95 followersStephanie Ahn is a debut author and college student who tends to write about young-ish adults just trying to get by in life. Wonder where she got that idea?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
July 14, 2019
3.75 Stars. I needed a little break from ARC’s so I decided to give Deadline a chance. Parts of this book I really enjoyed, others I had some issues with. I had some high expectations before reading this so part of my discontent might be an issue of my own making. On the other hand I did enjoy this enough to read book 2.
I was impressed with the writing. This was a debut by a college student so that blew me away a bit. Ahn has a good imagination and it showed. I was happy with the world building. Ahn, did not fall into the trap of info-dumping on the reader which was so appreciative. She withheld the information and surprises and slowly leaked a little bit and a little bit more as the book went on. To see this so well done by a debut Urban Fantasy author was really impressive.
What I struggled with was the at times passive main character that could be dumber than a box of rocks. There were parts of Harry that I loved but she also drove me nuts. I like strong kickass women but she was more a strong woman who gets her ass kicked. I don’t expect her character to do a 180, but I am hoping she is a little smarter in the next book.
There is no romance in this book. Harry has maybe two possible love interests. Is it weird that I’m rooting for the demon Lilith to get with Harry? I can’t help it since Miriam, the other possible love interest, was too annoying for me with her constant criticisms of Harry. As a reader it only took me a few minutes to realize Harry’s limitations including her lack of common sense. After knowing Harry for years Miriam should not be acting like Harry’s faults are a big surprise. While Harry gets kissed a few times there is no sex in this book either. There is a bit of pain kink meaning whips and the like. Harry is part masochist and uses pain to boost her magic which I found to be an interesting twist.
This book definitely had its up and downs but for me it was nice to read a well written UF book. Even the parts of Harry’s character that drove me nuts, she was endearing enough that I want to know more. I will be reading book 2 when I get another ARC break so fingers crossed it’s even better than this one.
I was impressed with the writing. This was a debut by a college student so that blew me away a bit. Ahn has a good imagination and it showed. I was happy with the world building. Ahn, did not fall into the trap of info-dumping on the reader which was so appreciative. She withheld the information and surprises and slowly leaked a little bit and a little bit more as the book went on. To see this so well done by a debut Urban Fantasy author was really impressive.
What I struggled with was the at times passive main character that could be dumber than a box of rocks. There were parts of Harry that I loved but she also drove me nuts. I like strong kickass women but she was more a strong woman who gets her ass kicked. I don’t expect her character to do a 180, but I am hoping she is a little smarter in the next book.
There is no romance in this book. Harry has maybe two possible love interests. Is it weird that I’m rooting for the demon Lilith to get with Harry? I can’t help it since Miriam, the other possible love interest, was too annoying for me with her constant criticisms of Harry. As a reader it only took me a few minutes to realize Harry’s limitations including her lack of common sense. After knowing Harry for years Miriam should not be acting like Harry’s faults are a big surprise. While Harry gets kissed a few times there is no sex in this book either. There is a bit of pain kink meaning whips and the like. Harry is part masochist and uses pain to boost her magic which I found to be an interesting twist.
This book definitely had its up and downs but for me it was nice to read a well written UF book. Even the parts of Harry’s character that drove me nuts, she was endearing enough that I want to know more. I will be reading book 2 when I get another ARC break so fingers crossed it’s even better than this one.
June 4, 2018
Excuse me, but for a debut author, college student Stephanie Ahn puts many a seasoned writer to shame. Deadline (first installment of the Harrietta Lee Series) was rocking from page one. What a fantastic read! It has humor, it has drama, it has a kick-ass witch with a troubled past, some kink, a sexy demon, a lost magical artifact.
I loved this part:
It’s not really for Johanna at all. It’s more for Luce and me, the two bereaved apprentices struggling to realize we’re not apprentices anymore. Luce is bearing that struggle better than I am. She has her head held up high, black dress neatly pressed, pink dye wrung out of her hair and replaced with a fishnet veil that leaves her face unobscured while politely telling people to fuck off.
Me? I barely managed to get out of bed this morning. My suit is just as well-tailored as Luce’s dress, but at best it’s an abandoned window display for a Christmas shop in June. Somewhere deep, deep inside, the real me is hiding under covers and smothering herself with sleep, in a room inside of a room inside of a room. Knock knock, who’s there? Knock knock, who’s there? Knock knock, knock knock, knock knock…
The plot is fast-paced and original. The author does not let you off the hook for one second and you just have to keep turning those pages. I really really look forward to part two!
f/f
Themes: Harry has some serious baggage, intriguing characters all around, fun magic, well written.
5 stars
I loved this part:
It’s not really for Johanna at all. It’s more for Luce and me, the two bereaved apprentices struggling to realize we’re not apprentices anymore. Luce is bearing that struggle better than I am. She has her head held up high, black dress neatly pressed, pink dye wrung out of her hair and replaced with a fishnet veil that leaves her face unobscured while politely telling people to fuck off.
Me? I barely managed to get out of bed this morning. My suit is just as well-tailored as Luce’s dress, but at best it’s an abandoned window display for a Christmas shop in June. Somewhere deep, deep inside, the real me is hiding under covers and smothering herself with sleep, in a room inside of a room inside of a room. Knock knock, who’s there? Knock knock, who’s there? Knock knock, knock knock, knock knock…
The plot is fast-paced and original. The author does not let you off the hook for one second and you just have to keep turning those pages. I really really look forward to part two!
f/f
Themes: Harry has some serious baggage, intriguing characters all around, fun magic, well written.
5 stars
June 7, 2018
I'm not really sure why I just jumped into this blindly. I'd a vague recollection of the book description before I started, but all I really knew was that the book involved magic, witches, and a woman in a suit called Harry.
A story about a too stupid to live character who stumbles around doing dumb fucking things, getting in trouble for it, getting off on it (if it involved being whipped by a succubus), and somehow stumbling powerfully through things no one actually believes she has the power to get through. That's what I found. She isn't drunk throughout, but she kind of acted like it. Like she wasn't really paying attention to the world around her, got vague ideas to do certain things, so did that, and was mostly numb to pain until she remembered pain, whereupon she realized she was in a tremendous amount of pain. That, that's the story. Oh, and flashbacks to a mentor witch.
I was going to do a less vague, this is what the story is about, but everything I thought of I immediately rejected as being too spoiler-y. So... . um ....
The story takes place in Manhattan (didn't feel like Manhattan but . . . *shrugs*), and stars a woman named Harrietta Lee who mostly goes by Harry. She's something like a private investigator or something like that. Is given a case to solve, or a mystery to unravel or . . . okay a sword got stolen and she was asked to help retrieve it. She has a sister named Luce. A friend (ex?) named Miriam who has some connection to a 'family' who, for the longest time, I thought was an ex-girlfriend, but I think now was always just a friend before she became an ex-friend? Is confusing. There's also others, like the lion demoness, and Succubus, and Tristan the guy who wants help find the sword.
Weird and wacky story.
I've no real idea how to rate this story.
Oh, one last thing I was going to mention then forgot. I think Harry might be Korean. Based on a brief mention of Seoul and comparison of that city with her new city that she's been in for . . . 2? years (Manhattan).
Rating: 3.3
June 6 2018
A story about a too stupid to live character who stumbles around doing dumb fucking things, getting in trouble for it, getting off on it (if it involved being whipped by a succubus), and somehow stumbling powerfully through things no one actually believes she has the power to get through. That's what I found. She isn't drunk throughout, but she kind of acted like it. Like she wasn't really paying attention to the world around her, got vague ideas to do certain things, so did that, and was mostly numb to pain until she remembered pain, whereupon she realized she was in a tremendous amount of pain. That, that's the story. Oh, and flashbacks to a mentor witch.
I was going to do a less vague, this is what the story is about, but everything I thought of I immediately rejected as being too spoiler-y. So... . um ....
The story takes place in Manhattan (didn't feel like Manhattan but . . . *shrugs*), and stars a woman named Harrietta Lee who mostly goes by Harry. She's something like a private investigator or something like that. Is given a case to solve, or a mystery to unravel or . . . okay a sword got stolen and she was asked to help retrieve it. She has a sister named Luce. A friend (ex?) named Miriam who has some connection to a 'family' who, for the longest time, I thought was an ex-girlfriend, but I think now was always just a friend before she became an ex-friend? Is confusing. There's also others, like the lion demoness, and Succubus, and Tristan the guy who wants help find the sword.
Weird and wacky story.
I've no real idea how to rate this story.
Oh, one last thing I was going to mention then forgot. I think Harry might be Korean. Based on a brief mention of Seoul and comparison of that city with her new city that she's been in for . . . 2? years (Manhattan).
Rating: 3.3
June 6 2018
June 15, 2018
I'm hooked... and now I have to wait!
June 3, 2018
I have to say I really like the cover. There’s just something about a woman in a sharp suit that makes me happy. The MC Harry is an unapologetic butch lesbian, although in this universe there doesn’t seem to be any stigma against homosexuality. In fact, most of the characters we meet are gay. I’m giving this novel 3.5 stars because there was a mix of good and things that bugged me.
The good;
The world building was interesting and there wasn’t a lot of explanation to slow down the action. I like how we were given just enough info to know more or less what is going on while hinting at the rest until the end where we get some flashbacks that answer a few major questions. There is just enough left unexplained that I’m expecting will be brought up in a sequel.
The story is paced well with a lot happening and the narrative is fresh with a distinct voice. It’s told in first person present which gives a young vibe to the story and fits with the genre.
The not so good:
The MC is a fuckup, which isn’t a bad thing because a perfect MC would be annoying, but I got a bit tired when she does the absolutely wrong thing every single time and constantly makes bad decisions for no real reason. For example, she does something permanent and extremely dangerous that her mentor specifically told her never to do, with excellent reasons, on a whim to solve a problem that could be done a hundred other ways.
There are way too many coincidences that are necessary to keep the story going. Harry gets chased and falls into just the place she has to find, she lets a situation go on way too long when she is able to stop it at any time, and gets herself physically incapacitated, again for no real reason in the middle of a time-sensitive crisis and her healer sister just happens to drop by, etc etc. The coincidences take away from the intelligence of the MC and the suspense of the storyline.
I got this book for free, so I shouldn’t be too nit picky. Overall it was a good story with a few sticking points that took away from the enjoyment. Still, I can see this becoming an interesting series as more of the world is explored and characters are revealed.
The good;
The world building was interesting and there wasn’t a lot of explanation to slow down the action. I like how we were given just enough info to know more or less what is going on while hinting at the rest until the end where we get some flashbacks that answer a few major questions. There is just enough left unexplained that I’m expecting will be brought up in a sequel.
The story is paced well with a lot happening and the narrative is fresh with a distinct voice. It’s told in first person present which gives a young vibe to the story and fits with the genre.
The not so good:
The MC is a fuckup, which isn’t a bad thing because a perfect MC would be annoying, but I got a bit tired when she does the absolutely wrong thing every single time and constantly makes bad decisions for no real reason. For example, she does something permanent and extremely dangerous that her mentor specifically told her never to do, with excellent reasons, on a whim to solve a problem that could be done a hundred other ways.
There are way too many coincidences that are necessary to keep the story going. Harry gets chased and falls into just the place she has to find, she lets a situation go on way too long when she is able to stop it at any time, and gets herself physically incapacitated, again for no real reason in the middle of a time-sensitive crisis and her healer sister just happens to drop by, etc etc. The coincidences take away from the intelligence of the MC and the suspense of the storyline.
I got this book for free, so I shouldn’t be too nit picky. Overall it was a good story with a few sticking points that took away from the enjoyment. Still, I can see this becoming an interesting series as more of the world is explored and characters are revealed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2019
Who is Stephanie Ahn? What is Harrietta Lee series about? Truth be told, I had no knowledge, whatsoever, about the existence of this author, let alone her series! That was until Lex's review of "Deadline," Book 1 of Ahn's Harrietta Lee series, showed up on my GR timeline recently (cheers, Lex! :D)! At first glance, the cover threw me a little bit because it looked like a manga book. Why? Because having been a fan of manga since I was a kid, I never thought I'd see the day where there would be manga in lesfic! Hence, my initial double-take! Then almost immediately, I was curious as to how this could be in lesbian fiction! See, when "Legend of Korra" finally gave us Korrasami, I finally dared to hope that manga would expand into lesbian fiction!
*Ha! I finally found a good reason to include Korrasami images on my blog! Fancy that! If it weren't for the cover of this book and writing style, I prolly wouldn't find any rhyme or reason to! So, cheers, Ms. Ahn!*
So far, though, I'm still a little "obsessed" with Korra and Asami so I haven't actually actively looked for others in manga so I don't know what the current situation is.
Oops, I digress!!!
Back to my point.... and I DO have one, mind! Wait...
OK, so back to Ahn's "Deadline." First and foremost, it's NOT manga. Well...I'll get back to this in a bit. Anyway, at Lex's mention of a demon girl, Lilith, that was it. With my curiosity already spilling over because I kept wondering why the book cover was in manga art form, and now a demon girl in the mix?! I just HAD to read to find out more!
Full commentary here.... In Bugs' Own Words
*Ha! I finally found a good reason to include Korrasami images on my blog! Fancy that! If it weren't for the cover of this book and writing style, I prolly wouldn't find any rhyme or reason to! So, cheers, Ms. Ahn!*
So far, though, I'm still a little "obsessed" with Korra and Asami so I haven't actually actively looked for others in manga so I don't know what the current situation is.
Oops, I digress!!!
Back to my point.... and I DO have one, mind! Wait...
OK, so back to Ahn's "Deadline." First and foremost, it's NOT manga. Well...I'll get back to this in a bit. Anyway, at Lex's mention of a demon girl, Lilith, that was it. With my curiosity already spilling over because I kept wondering why the book cover was in manga art form, and now a demon girl in the mix?! I just HAD to read to find out more!
Full commentary here.... In Bugs' Own Words
July 8, 2018
I looked forward to this, lots of great reviews on Amazon, so I bought it. Yeah. So it's an OK, but almost meh kinda read.
Told in first person, I have a love hate with first person. When done well it is awesome, when it isn't, then it become irritating. The phraseology used and the narrative voice got my back up more than once. Personal choice I think.
For the first 50% I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd stared book two in a series rather than book one. Things are mentioned, places are mentioned, and I hadn't got a clue. I know this is kinda suggested at in the book blurb, but saying this is all in the past and giving nothing more is a bit of a bummer.
Main character is insipid bad girl wannabe with very little depth of character. Automatically does the right thing to solve the immediate problem but without working it out with any kind of forethought. Like she has to put out a conjured flame, but nothing is said about her conjuring a flame in the first place. Lots of that. And by the time I'd reached 75% I knew, for sure, that I didn't care about the MC at all.
The story has great potential. It just doesn't do it for me.
Told in first person, I have a love hate with first person. When done well it is awesome, when it isn't, then it become irritating. The phraseology used and the narrative voice got my back up more than once. Personal choice I think.
For the first 50% I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd stared book two in a series rather than book one. Things are mentioned, places are mentioned, and I hadn't got a clue. I know this is kinda suggested at in the book blurb, but saying this is all in the past and giving nothing more is a bit of a bummer.
Main character is insipid bad girl wannabe with very little depth of character. Automatically does the right thing to solve the immediate problem but without working it out with any kind of forethought. Like she has to put out a conjured flame, but nothing is said about her conjuring a flame in the first place. Lots of that. And by the time I'd reached 75% I knew, for sure, that I didn't care about the MC at all.
The story has great potential. It just doesn't do it for me.
July 23, 2019
apparently my weakness is sarcastic lesbians. who'd have thought
representation: Korean American lesbian mc
June 6, 2019
Holy damn, this is one of the best paranormal/urban fantasy mysteries I've ever read! It has pretty much everything you could ever want in a book: magic, lesbians, humor, terrifying creatures that might not be so terrifying once you get to know them, demons, cute fire sprites, a bit (ok, kind of a lot) of kink, and a really cool mystery around a missing needle, I mean, sword. But is it really missing...?
Content warnings include: violence, BDSM (no sex, mild D/s, heavy impact play), blood magic; mentions of death, scarring, magical disability.
Oh man I don't even know where to start because this was so good!
It was not just exciting, with great world-building, interesting characters and an engaging plot, not to mention that cover , but it's also hilarious. Harietta "Harry" Lee, the protagonist, has a wonderfully present humor and her remarks made me grin several times.
Harry is a lesbian korean-american blood witch with a burn scar on her neck that altered her magic. She's one of those protagonists that totally made me swoon, from her snark to the way she dresses (may I direct you attention to the amazing cover again?)
She definitely has a past going on, which is slowly uncovered over the course of the novella, with a lot of things kept vague and hinted at, but this was executed in a way that never caused frustration!
The plot was exciting, woven between action, new discoveries, old acquaintances and glimpses of the past. For a novella there were a lot of twists and turns and I had no way of predicting what was gonna happen (which I love.)
There is no romance, though at one point Harry goes to a dungeon (it's for the job, no, really) where she has quite a big of fun (though no sex - also all for the job, I promise!)
Harry's relationship are all... complicated. She has a sister she seems close to but who mostly ends up putting her back together after fights, and while she shares a history with several other characters, it's not always clear what that history entailed - other than estrangement.
I had such a great time reading this, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!
Content warnings include: violence, BDSM (no sex, mild D/s, heavy impact play), blood magic; mentions of death, scarring, magical disability.
Oh man I don't even know where to start because this was so good!
It was not just exciting, with great world-building, interesting characters and an engaging plot, not to mention that cover , but it's also hilarious. Harietta "Harry" Lee, the protagonist, has a wonderfully present humor and her remarks made me grin several times.
Harry is a lesbian korean-american blood witch with a burn scar on her neck that altered her magic. She's one of those protagonists that totally made me swoon, from her snark to the way she dresses (may I direct you attention to the amazing cover again?)
She definitely has a past going on, which is slowly uncovered over the course of the novella, with a lot of things kept vague and hinted at, but this was executed in a way that never caused frustration!
The plot was exciting, woven between action, new discoveries, old acquaintances and glimpses of the past. For a novella there were a lot of twists and turns and I had no way of predicting what was gonna happen (which I love.)
There is no romance, though at one point Harry goes to a dungeon (it's for the job, no, really) where she has quite a big of fun (though no sex - also all for the job, I promise!)
Harry's relationship are all... complicated. She has a sister she seems close to but who mostly ends up putting her back together after fights, and while she shares a history with several other characters, it's not always clear what that history entailed - other than estrangement.
I had such a great time reading this, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!
April 16, 2019
(CW at the end, because there was some stuff I was not expecting and I think could be triggering for some.) I picked this up for free last year, and if I'd realized how entertaining it would be I wouldn't have waited so long to read it. It's a pretty simple story, but it manages to make three things I generally avoid (UF, first person narration, and this particular type of snarky humor) all work for me. Harry's character voice is great, the world-building was just right for the length, and the plot is fast-paced and exciting. There are definitely some flaws - logical gaps, coincidences, stupid decisions by the protagonist - but I enjoyed the storytelling enough to mostly ignore them.
I will note, however, that this was a darker story that I was expecting, in ways that worked well for me but may not be as appealing for other readers. Content warnings (some description of scenes, but not plot spoilery):
I will note, however, that this was a darker story that I was expecting, in ways that worked well for me but may not be as appealing for other readers. Content warnings (some description of scenes, but not plot spoilery):
October 18, 2020
This novella follows Harry, a disgraced witch, who’s just trying to make ends meet when her sister links her up with a new client – a representative of the most powerful witch family in New York. In return for a very large sum of money, Harry has to go on the hunt for a lost magical artefact that will see her making deals with demons, running from alligator/mole chimaera and getting her magic kicked into gear by a succubus in a BDSM dungeon! This one took me by surprise by how much I enjoyed it! It’s a super fast paced read with a really sarcastic (and super gay) main character and I was invested from the get go! I don’t want to say too much about this since it is so short and I don’t want to give anything away, but this is the first book in a series that I’ll definitely be carrying on with and I recommend it if you’re looking for something similar to the Mortal Instruments series but adult, more sapphic, and less problematic!
October 1, 2021
I think the only complaint I have about this book is that it was too short! It felt like it ended at the halfway point of where I would expect it to, but my understanding is that it is intended to be part of a more episodic series, for which it works.
It was a delightful read - I loved the magic system, I loved the narration, I loved the characters, I loved the humor. I don't generally give five stars to books but this one was absolutely fantastic.
The main character's narrative voice was both really funny and immensely relatable, and just plain great at conveying the sort of person she was. She wasn't stupid by far, but she had a very distinct sort of attitude that comes with enough recklessness and lack of care for one's own safety - a really natural and entertaining example of 'show, not tell' when it comes to personality traits and character qualities.
The rest of the characters were similarly very distinctly and immediately characterized, both in their personal characteristics and their relationship with the protagonist. And, honestly - it was so genuinely refreshing (and realistic, given how social groups tend to form) to read a book this populated by non-white non-straight women.
Additionally, the world building and protagonists perspective did a really good job blending how people actually think - you can kind of tell it's written by a young person, but I mean that in the best of ways. The writing quality is fabulous, and I can't remember the last time I read a book where someone actually acted in a way this true to my lived experiences as a college-age (or slightly post) lesbian. Reading this kinda felt like coming home!
All in all, from my perspective, this book was pretty clearly written for exactly my type of audience, and it was a joy to read. Would have gladly paid three times as much for it and I can't wait for the sequels.
It was a delightful read - I loved the magic system, I loved the narration, I loved the characters, I loved the humor. I don't generally give five stars to books but this one was absolutely fantastic.
The main character's narrative voice was both really funny and immensely relatable, and just plain great at conveying the sort of person she was. She wasn't stupid by far, but she had a very distinct sort of attitude that comes with enough recklessness and lack of care for one's own safety - a really natural and entertaining example of 'show, not tell' when it comes to personality traits and character qualities.
The rest of the characters were similarly very distinctly and immediately characterized, both in their personal characteristics and their relationship with the protagonist. And, honestly - it was so genuinely refreshing (and realistic, given how social groups tend to form) to read a book this populated by non-white non-straight women.
Additionally, the world building and protagonists perspective did a really good job blending how people actually think - you can kind of tell it's written by a young person, but I mean that in the best of ways. The writing quality is fabulous, and I can't remember the last time I read a book where someone actually acted in a way this true to my lived experiences as a college-age (or slightly post) lesbian. Reading this kinda felt like coming home!
All in all, from my perspective, this book was pretty clearly written for exactly my type of audience, and it was a joy to read. Would have gladly paid three times as much for it and I can't wait for the sequels.
Read
September 3, 2019This was really fun and quick and surprisingly sexy considering all the demons and evil and whatnot. (Or maybe because of it? Who's to say? Learning new things about my taste all the time!) Looking forward to reading more in the series!
Read
June 30, 2018I'm not giving a rating because I didn't actually get through it, which is less a fault of the story itself and more that I was not expecting my least favorite faction of bdsm to suddenly appear halfway through. I skipped over the scene but having no idea that it was coming turned me off enough that I never managed to pick it back up.
Thoughts from what I did read though:
- It's an interesting world. I would like to have known much sooner how the different kinds of magic work though. At the point where I set the book down, I still had a lot of questions about why certain magic was used during particular scenes and then not in others where it would've been rather useful.
- Harrietta is such dryly snarky, and I very much enjoyed her character. I didn't connect with the other characters nearly as much.
- The plot was less straightforward than I expected (but in a good way.)
- Because of Harrietta's humor, there were points where I really liked the narration, but others where the writing grew a little bulky or repetitive.
(And, this is only a nitpick, but as a math person I wonder why, if Harrietta often uses the "compass" tracking spell, she doesn't know that you can figure out the distance between yourself and what your "compass" points to by walking adjacent to the direction the needle points toward and then using the angle of change and the distance walked...)
Thoughts from what I did read though:
- It's an interesting world. I would like to have known much sooner how the different kinds of magic work though. At the point where I set the book down, I still had a lot of questions about why certain magic was used during particular scenes and then not in others where it would've been rather useful.
- Harrietta is such dryly snarky, and I very much enjoyed her character. I didn't connect with the other characters nearly as much.
- The plot was less straightforward than I expected (but in a good way.)
- Because of Harrietta's humor, there were points where I really liked the narration, but others where the writing grew a little bulky or repetitive.
(And, this is only a nitpick, but as a math person I wonder why, if Harrietta often uses the "compass" tracking spell, she doesn't know that you can figure out the distance between yourself and what your "compass" points to by walking adjacent to the direction the needle points toward and then using the angle of change and the distance walked...)
September 25, 2019
I'm not usually a reader of first-person books and noir fantasy is not quite a genre I usually read, either, but I thought the protagonist sounded interesting, which was enough for me to give it a shot. Overall verdict: I enjoyed reading it and might read the rest of the series to find out what happens to Harry, an unabashed chaotic good lesbian disaster.
Stuff I liked:
- Harry's narration because that can make or break a book that's written in first-person. I mean, at first it kinda started off sounding like a standard noir PI book, but then Harry really started letting loose with her humorous quips and asides and I had a lot of fun reading it and highlighting my favorite quotes. Also, she's a very unreliable narrator, which is always fun to figure out.
- The story doesn't quite happen as I expected and there's some surprises and twists to keep the readers on their toes while also throwing in some subplots for future books. You can read this book as a standalone and only feel a little bit like you might miss out on stuff in future books, which is pretty much what I hoped for from giving this little indie read a try.
- Miri, Shiny, and Luce were unexpected favorite side characters, as well as Murdoch as the fun background character who (imho) stole every scene or moment where's she's mentioned because she's just so memorable. (I really want an alligator mole for a friend. *sigh*)
- Related to the above, I liked the pacing overall. It was fast, with some interspersed-yet-clearly-marked flashbacks and I could sense the backstory re: Johanna and the political intrigue between the wealthy magical families, even if it wasn't explained in-depth in the book down to every last bit of detail informing the story.
- I love that Harry is so open about her sexuality and being attracted to women from the very beginning to the end. She's just so casual about it and no one is shitty to her for it (well, vampire kings on farms aside) and I just love that.
Stuff I was iffy about:
- I have nothing against writing about kink and I understand YKINMK and all that, but I do think other readers might want a heads up that this is an adult book with adult kink content of the BDSM variety included and fyi, as an outsider to the kink community, I did think it was handled really well and respectfully in the moment, but not flagged beforehand. Either I was completely oblivious (which happens a lot lol) and missed the context from the book promos where that was mentioned or it was a surprise on purpose and hmmmm... Healthy discussions of sexuality and different ways of expressing it are always cool, so if this is your first time hearing about it re: this book, now you know. (Hey, some readers might enjoy reading this book just because of that, so it never hurts to mention it, especially since it's not even a spoiler.)
- Something that nagged at me the entire time:
Stuff I liked:
- Harry's narration because that can make or break a book that's written in first-person. I mean, at first it kinda started off sounding like a standard noir PI book, but then Harry really started letting loose with her humorous quips and asides and I had a lot of fun reading it and highlighting my favorite quotes. Also, she's a very unreliable narrator, which is always fun to figure out.
- The story doesn't quite happen as I expected and there's some surprises and twists to keep the readers on their toes while also throwing in some subplots for future books. You can read this book as a standalone and only feel a little bit like you might miss out on stuff in future books, which is pretty much what I hoped for from giving this little indie read a try.
- Miri, Shiny, and Luce were unexpected favorite side characters, as well as Murdoch as the fun background character who (imho) stole every scene or moment where's she's mentioned because she's just so memorable. (I really want an alligator mole for a friend. *sigh*)
- Related to the above, I liked the pacing overall. It was fast, with some interspersed-yet-clearly-marked flashbacks and I could sense the backstory re: Johanna and the political intrigue between the wealthy magical families, even if it wasn't explained in-depth in the book down to every last bit of detail informing the story.
- I love that Harry is so open about her sexuality and being attracted to women from the very beginning to the end. She's just so casual about it and no one is shitty to her for it (well, vampire kings on farms aside) and I just love that.
Stuff I was iffy about:
- I have nothing against writing about kink and I understand YKINMK and all that, but I do think other readers might want a heads up that this is an adult book with adult kink content of the BDSM variety included and fyi, as an outsider to the kink community, I did think it was handled really well and respectfully in the moment, but not flagged beforehand. Either I was completely oblivious (which happens a lot lol) and missed the context from the book promos where that was mentioned or it was a surprise on purpose and hmmmm... Healthy discussions of sexuality and different ways of expressing it are always cool, so if this is your first time hearing about it re: this book, now you know. (Hey, some readers might enjoy reading this book just because of that, so it never hurts to mention it, especially since it's not even a spoiler.)
- Something that nagged at me the entire time:
June 2, 2018
Great book
Oh my this was a fun book to read. The crazy stunts and the way Harry just doesn't think things through is great!
Oh my this was a fun book to read. The crazy stunts and the way Harry just doesn't think things through is great!
January 9, 2022
That was fun! Lesbian detectives are my favorite trope, such a shame they're so rare. This is a fast-paced, action-packed paranormal romp. Really well written, excellently paced, with great urban fantasy world-building and a vivid sense of the universe. The universe feels so big and real.
I thought I'd love this since it reminds me a lot of Alexis Hall's Kate Kane series. And I did enjoy it! But I felt it was a little too... Commercial? I swear this is the type of book I would find with Carina Press or Berkeley. While the MC Harry is likeable, she didn't stand out that much. It was like she was blown around by the plot wind. And then you have all these other characters that drop into her life without warning, without rhyme or reason. It really feels like a Book 1 of a Fantasy Series. I will continue with the sequels, but so far it hasn't done much to set itself apart aside from the lesbian MC.
ALSO, I'm deeply disappointed that this doesn't have a romance lol. There's a random BDSM scene with a woman she just met (plot reasons). There's a friend she has a crush on. Maybe it's a slow burn thing. Idk. But for some reason I thought we'd have romance lol so I'm kind of disappointed.
I also wish the MC Harry was given more depth. Again, I sense that we'll learn more about her in the sequels but right now I wish for more than a lady in a trenchcoat.
If you need a quick fantasy lesfic, reminiscent of the 2000s urban fantasy/paranormal craze, give this a shot!
I thought I'd love this since it reminds me a lot of Alexis Hall's Kate Kane series. And I did enjoy it! But I felt it was a little too... Commercial? I swear this is the type of book I would find with Carina Press or Berkeley. While the MC Harry is likeable, she didn't stand out that much. It was like she was blown around by the plot wind. And then you have all these other characters that drop into her life without warning, without rhyme or reason. It really feels like a Book 1 of a Fantasy Series. I will continue with the sequels, but so far it hasn't done much to set itself apart aside from the lesbian MC.
ALSO, I'm deeply disappointed that this doesn't have a romance lol. There's a random BDSM scene with a woman she just met (plot reasons). There's a friend she has a crush on. Maybe it's a slow burn thing. Idk. But for some reason I thought we'd have romance lol so I'm kind of disappointed.
I also wish the MC Harry was given more depth. Again, I sense that we'll learn more about her in the sequels but right now I wish for more than a lady in a trenchcoat.
If you need a quick fantasy lesfic, reminiscent of the 2000s urban fantasy/paranormal craze, give this a shot!
August 30, 2018
This book is actually really good. It took me a while to get into it because I needed to get into Harry, really. But once I realized she was kind of a hot mess blood witch improvising her way through life, I really enjoyed her adventures.
Also, there's one scene of kink (whipping, mostly) that I really liked because first of all, kink without sex is excellent and rare, and secondly, although it was a casual affair I liked the dynamic between Harry and her sadistic succubus partner. (Apparently Harry's sexual energy is really fucking sweet, but also, so sweet it's actually unhealthy, which is exactly like her.) And I like how Harry's slightly masochistic side corresponds with the fact that she's a blood witch--she's able to harness pain and blood to do her magic, which sounds pretty useful.
Also the alligator moles were really cute.
A note: I've shelved this as f/f because of the lesbian MC but there's no real central romance, although Harry does have a couple of casual love interests. Sort of. Anyways I very much recommend :)
Also, there's one scene of kink (whipping, mostly) that I really liked because first of all, kink without sex is excellent and rare, and secondly, although it was a casual affair I liked the dynamic between Harry and her sadistic succubus partner. (Apparently Harry's sexual energy is really fucking sweet, but also, so sweet it's actually unhealthy, which is exactly like her.) And I like how Harry's slightly masochistic side corresponds with the fact that she's a blood witch--she's able to harness pain and blood to do her magic, which sounds pretty useful.
Also the alligator moles were really cute.
A note: I've shelved this as f/f because of the lesbian MC but there's no real central romance, although Harry does have a couple of casual love interests. Sort of. Anyways I very much recommend :)
August 1, 2020
Disgraced witch Harrietta Lee accepts a job from a mage from a powerful family. This kickstarts a reckoning with large scar on her neck, her tainted magic and the relationships she injured along the way. This is a funny and enjoyable urban fantasy set in New York. Harry's relationships in the story, whether platonic, romantic or sexual, are all with women.
By sexual, I mean there is a fairly major, plot centric, extended BDSM scene mid way through the novella. Harry isn't new to the scene, and it sets off some interesting plot elements.
I really liked how Ahn pivoted between showing Harry's relationships with her healer sister, her friend, and her mentor. Each scene revealed more about the world they occupied - which could have too easily fallen on the more typical urban fantasy tropes. Overall, an amusing and progressive read!
By sexual, I mean there is a fairly major, plot centric, extended BDSM scene mid way through the novella. Harry isn't new to the scene, and it sets off some interesting plot elements.
I really liked how Ahn pivoted between showing Harry's relationships with her healer sister, her friend, and her mentor. Each scene revealed more about the world they occupied - which could have too easily fallen on the more typical urban fantasy tropes. Overall, an amusing and progressive read!
April 30, 2020
Well this was a wild ride. I'm not a big fan of urban fantasy because too many popular authors in the genre whitewash it, and nothing annoys me more than a novel chock full of vampires, elves, werewolves and witches but no BIPoC. Didn't have to worry about this with Stephanie Ahn who peoples her contemporary world with diverse characters. Heroine Harrietta Lee has the kind of snark and gets herself into situations that might be way over her head. I appreciate the queer rep as well.
September 30, 2018
Absolutely loved this! It's a good read either way, but it's especially impressive for a debut book from such a young author. It's got a lot of standard urban fantasy elements but I really like the characters and I thought the plot was interesting and well-paced. Also pretty much from the second I saw the cover and then read the description I thought 'I REALLY hope this is going to be like lesbian John Constantine' and boy I was not disappointed! I'll definitely be continuing this series and am looking forward to seeing more from this author.
May 17, 2018
I must start with the disclaimer that I'm generally not into this genre, but man, Deadline was very enjoyable for me. I don't have much to compare it to, what with the aforementioned lack of reading in this genre, but it's really great, especially for a first-time author.
The prose is witty and sharp and never loses itself in details. The characters are all believable and feel thought-out. The action sequences were enjoyable and easy to read, which is saying something considering how often I've skimmed through action sequences in other books because they felt like a chore.
I read it one sitting, never getting bored, and by the end I was thoroughly hungry for more. Great work!
The prose is witty and sharp and never loses itself in details. The characters are all believable and feel thought-out. The action sequences were enjoyable and easy to read, which is saying something considering how often I've skimmed through action sequences in other books because they felt like a chore.
I read it one sitting, never getting bored, and by the end I was thoroughly hungry for more. Great work!
July 13, 2018
I like the settings and characters, but it suffers from being on the short side and a serious lack of tension or rising action after the sewers. Climax is pretty anticlimactic, and the denouement is just odd. In addition, Harry's survival after the sewers is never explained, why is she still alive at that point? Why was she not killed?
December 13, 2018
This is a fun urban fantasy in Manhattan, starring a down-on-her-luck witch who takes on a job and gets roped into something much bigger. I love Harry's voice; she's snarky and funny, but also felt very authentic as a young adult just trying to get by. The magic was really interesting, and I like how the system was described without feeling like an exposition dump every time. And there was plenty of action to keep the story moving. The casual diversity wrt race and sexuality is also a huge plus.
I can't wait for book 2!
I can't wait for book 2!
June 24, 2018
That was a fun romp through New York's magical underground. Plot is easy to follow, Harry is pretty funny even if you want to shake her sometimes, and there's enough action to keep the pages turning. I look forward to seeing the next installment!
January 31, 2019
This book was very good! Very exactly my shit. :) It was very short, but so it goes. I would love to read the next one.
Oh, the first person very declarative noir style writing did get a Bit grating. I get it, but it wasn't super for me I don't think. Hardly a deal breaker, just a note.
Oh, the first person very declarative noir style writing did get a Bit grating. I get it, but it wasn't super for me I don't think. Hardly a deal breaker, just a note.
May 11, 2021
Somewhere around 3,5
I had fun reading it and I really liked the cover, but it didn't create much of a lasting impression.
I had fun reading it and I really liked the cover, but it didn't create much of a lasting impression.
May 23, 2018
Before Deadline, I'd read only one other series that fit into the Urban Fantasy genre, so I can say I dove into it without really knowing what to expect. The writing is very fluid and gripping, much more than I'd expect from a first-time published author, the characters are fleshed out and, more importantly, believable and relatable, and the story is filled with action, intrigue and "lame" (in a "that was so purposefully bad it made me laugh" way) jokes, mostly by the book's chipper yet intelligent and resourceful main character, Harrietta Lee. The plot moves quickly enough that you never get bored but also knows when to slow down to add suspense or a "calm before the storm" moment. We do not witness Harrietta's story from the beginning of her life but rather once she already has some years of experience and a slew of acquaintances in her pocket, but the author does an excellent job at providing us the information we need to understand the context of what's happening, and gives us peeks into Harrietta's past that leave us intrigued and wanting more. While the main plot of the book does get resolved at the end, therefore leaving the reader with a sense of closure, there are many questions that are left partially or fully unanswered, giving us a sense of what may be to come in the next book(s) and leaving me, personally, very much hungry for more.
tl;dr very wonderful book, great characters, suspenseful plot, excellent writing.
tl;dr very wonderful book, great characters, suspenseful plot, excellent writing.
July 8, 2018
This is a light read, with a bumbling lead character who just stumbles through the story. I found it quite frustrating as the premise of the story is a good one, but very telling when I was near the end I still felt like I had missed a previous book which would give me a clue to what all these random characters meant. Personally for me, it would have benefited from more world building, as it felt you had only the book blurb to work with, more info on Miri (friend/ex?), basically more detail on what was actually happening.
The whipping scene just felt off, and could not see the reason to include this, apart from perhaps felt the need to put in an obligatory sexual scene into the story.
The story is novella size for me, and I found it frustrating that perhaps if it had been longer more backstory and scene setting could have been included to make this an excellent read.
The whipping scene just felt off, and could not see the reason to include this, apart from perhaps felt the need to put in an obligatory sexual scene into the story.
The story is novella size for me, and I found it frustrating that perhaps if it had been longer more backstory and scene setting could have been included to make this an excellent read.
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