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The Gift of Grace #1
Grace Under Fire
Grace Moore is a Seattle woman with a unique sense of fashion, an obsession for delicious and exotic food, and a highly illegal magical ability to change the reality around her. When the summoners in nearby Spokane are wiped out, her own Grove pulls her from a cushy research position and sends her as an understrength, token response to the attack.
Robert Lorents is a foster kid living in Spokane. A teenage band nerd with his head wrapped around romantic fantasies and his heart firmly ensconced in his saxophone case, the sudden death of his one remaining biological relative launches him down a path to learn his own fantastic—if felonious—powers.
These two are forced together by circumstance-- an unwilling mentor and an uncontrolled student-- to face a threat on their own that has already annihilated summoners far more powerful than they. To save reality as we know it, they must learn to work with one another, discover the true nature of their opponent, and, of course, avoid getting arrested for trying to save our existence.
Robert Lorents is a foster kid living in Spokane. A teenage band nerd with his head wrapped around romantic fantasies and his heart firmly ensconced in his saxophone case, the sudden death of his one remaining biological relative launches him down a path to learn his own fantastic—if felonious—powers.
These two are forced together by circumstance-- an unwilling mentor and an uncontrolled student-- to face a threat on their own that has already annihilated summoners far more powerful than they. To save reality as we know it, they must learn to work with one another, discover the true nature of their opponent, and, of course, avoid getting arrested for trying to save our existence.
- GenresFantasy
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2012
28 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Frog Jones
23 books15 followersFrog met his wife Esther as they attended Eastern Washington University. After a decade, they finally managed to combine their writing talents. Criminal defense attorney by day and fantasy author by night, Frog Jones brings his knowledge of the criminal justice and child protection systems to life in the Grace Under Fire series
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 6, 2012
I loved this 24 chapter book. It was narrated in Grace’s first person point-of-view and in Robert’s first person point-of-view, each rotating chapters. As a reader, I appreciated how the story would show an event through one person’s eyes, then the next chapter would rewind a little bit to show what the other person experienced during that time frame. It was definitely neat when this technique was used for the mall scene.
Since I’m a writer, I carry a black notebook with me everywhere I go. It was a cool concept that Grace’s black notebook was like a passport or I.D., something where she could keep her summoners information in.
My favorite lines were: 1) “Mix the truth into the lie; always made it smoother.” 2) “I decided to go with honesty, up to a point, I hate keeping track of lies.” 3) “I didn’t think I acted like someone who loved to go on suicide missions. I thought of myself as a bookish type.”
I enjoyed the beginning, how we meet Grace and the Council of Summoners she’s involved in. I like how Robert’s high school life was introduced, how he beat the odds of the geeky bandmate getting with the beautiful cheerleader. But turned out Jeanelle used him until her athlete ex-boyfriend took her back. All this tied into how when Grace and Robert meet, they’re strangers. I liked that they didn’t know each other; that the relationship was in the beginning stages, that they had to learn to trust each other. Both had trust issues.
My favorite scenes: 1) the scene where the Council treats Grace as a sacrificial lamb. They tell her she has to travel to Spokane to investigate a gruesome of murders that people more powerful than her couldn’t survive against 2) the mall scene–had many different layers. First, disgusting event, then fear, then action, then suspense, then humor 3) when they reach Uncle Herman’s cabin for the first time. I loved how Robert pondered back to his childhood to realize crazy uncle in fact wasn’t crazy after all 4) the jail scene–loved the action and with Robert trying his best to help Grace escape even though he’s still only a newbie to his powers.
The story was very entertaining. It had many different layers–one minute there would be sarcastic humor, next action, next drama (sad backstory for Robert), next suspense sitting on edge of seat worried about their safety. I liked that the explanations of Summoners and how they used magic and their equipment was used in the tone of the characters. It didn’t sound like the explanation belonged in an encyclopedia nor did it drag on, slowing the pace down.
Questions rose throughout the story and answers were revealed at the end. The only thing I still wonder about: what happened to Jake, Robert’s best friend, after all the violence in the mall? Did he survive? Get hurt?
Both authors had a brilliant talent with characterization and voice. Both point-of-views were so distinctive that it wasn’t confusing to read. I enjoyed Grace’s sarcastic sense of humor; she was 32 years old, dealing with a lot of obstacles. She had to keep the town of Spokane safe all the while avoiding the cops. Had to mentor Robert and keep him safe. I like how she called him out on his behavior, how she never gave up. It was fun reading their back and forth; his teenager ways plucked her last nerves LOL.
Robert was 17 years old; I found him the most engaging. His narration had a way of speaking with the reader as though we were right beside him, experiencing the same things as him. It felt like he was talking directly to me, allowing me to get lost in the story. I felt bad for him because he was an orphan who kept being transferred to foster homes–some violent, some whack jobs. Then he finds out his uncle passed away. I liked that he was a typical teen (full of resentment, manipulated his current foster parents, tested his boundaries to see what he could get away with, felt alone). It was cool that the Summoner’s world was all new to Robert; he talked about it in a naive, child like manner so he could cope. For example, instead of seeing the monster as a demonic, gigantic raccoon terrorizing the city, he associated the monster to one of his childhood idols–which gave it the nickname Rick.
Both characters (all of them really) were three-dimensional. Definitely not Mary Sue or Gary Stu types.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
Since I’m a writer, I carry a black notebook with me everywhere I go. It was a cool concept that Grace’s black notebook was like a passport or I.D., something where she could keep her summoners information in.
My favorite lines were: 1) “Mix the truth into the lie; always made it smoother.” 2) “I decided to go with honesty, up to a point, I hate keeping track of lies.” 3) “I didn’t think I acted like someone who loved to go on suicide missions. I thought of myself as a bookish type.”
I enjoyed the beginning, how we meet Grace and the Council of Summoners she’s involved in. I like how Robert’s high school life was introduced, how he beat the odds of the geeky bandmate getting with the beautiful cheerleader. But turned out Jeanelle used him until her athlete ex-boyfriend took her back. All this tied into how when Grace and Robert meet, they’re strangers. I liked that they didn’t know each other; that the relationship was in the beginning stages, that they had to learn to trust each other. Both had trust issues.
My favorite scenes: 1) the scene where the Council treats Grace as a sacrificial lamb. They tell her she has to travel to Spokane to investigate a gruesome of murders that people more powerful than her couldn’t survive against 2) the mall scene–had many different layers. First, disgusting event, then fear, then action, then suspense, then humor 3) when they reach Uncle Herman’s cabin for the first time. I loved how Robert pondered back to his childhood to realize crazy uncle in fact wasn’t crazy after all 4) the jail scene–loved the action and with Robert trying his best to help Grace escape even though he’s still only a newbie to his powers.
The story was very entertaining. It had many different layers–one minute there would be sarcastic humor, next action, next drama (sad backstory for Robert), next suspense sitting on edge of seat worried about their safety. I liked that the explanations of Summoners and how they used magic and their equipment was used in the tone of the characters. It didn’t sound like the explanation belonged in an encyclopedia nor did it drag on, slowing the pace down.
Questions rose throughout the story and answers were revealed at the end. The only thing I still wonder about: what happened to Jake, Robert’s best friend, after all the violence in the mall? Did he survive? Get hurt?
Both authors had a brilliant talent with characterization and voice. Both point-of-views were so distinctive that it wasn’t confusing to read. I enjoyed Grace’s sarcastic sense of humor; she was 32 years old, dealing with a lot of obstacles. She had to keep the town of Spokane safe all the while avoiding the cops. Had to mentor Robert and keep him safe. I like how she called him out on his behavior, how she never gave up. It was fun reading their back and forth; his teenager ways plucked her last nerves LOL.
Robert was 17 years old; I found him the most engaging. His narration had a way of speaking with the reader as though we were right beside him, experiencing the same things as him. It felt like he was talking directly to me, allowing me to get lost in the story. I felt bad for him because he was an orphan who kept being transferred to foster homes–some violent, some whack jobs. Then he finds out his uncle passed away. I liked that he was a typical teen (full of resentment, manipulated his current foster parents, tested his boundaries to see what he could get away with, felt alone). It was cool that the Summoner’s world was all new to Robert; he talked about it in a naive, child like manner so he could cope. For example, instead of seeing the monster as a demonic, gigantic raccoon terrorizing the city, he associated the monster to one of his childhood idols–which gave it the nickname Rick.
Both characters (all of them really) were three-dimensional. Definitely not Mary Sue or Gary Stu types.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
November 5, 2012
One day I was surfing the 'Net and I decided to Google my own name for fun. I wanted to see what I would find. I found a blog written by a woman named Esther Jones and her husband Frog Jones. I was intrigued to discover that, like me, Frog and Esther are writers. Not only that, they write my favourite genre: fantasy. I had to read their debut novel, Grace Under Fire. I would have been very disappointed if it hadn't been good. I was not disappointed.
The story is written in first person POV with two narrators, which could be a confusing mess, but isn't. The two voices are distinct and clear. Grace is a wonderfully interesting, well-rounded character. We are given glimpses of her backstory: just enough to make me want to know more. Robert sounds like the teenager he is; the most important thing in his life is the girl he's crushing on. That is, until he meets Grace and ends up in the fight of his life.
There are some heavy themes here. On the personal level, Robert learns that angry, thoughtless revenge can have far-reaching, unintended consequences. On a more global level, summoners are illegal just because of who/what they are, and are arrested for existing.
I loved this book, and cannot wait for the next one in the series.
The story is written in first person POV with two narrators, which could be a confusing mess, but isn't. The two voices are distinct and clear. Grace is a wonderfully interesting, well-rounded character. We are given glimpses of her backstory: just enough to make me want to know more. Robert sounds like the teenager he is; the most important thing in his life is the girl he's crushing on. That is, until he meets Grace and ends up in the fight of his life.
There are some heavy themes here. On the personal level, Robert learns that angry, thoughtless revenge can have far-reaching, unintended consequences. On a more global level, summoners are illegal just because of who/what they are, and are arrested for existing.
I loved this book, and cannot wait for the next one in the series.
October 17, 2012
A fun fast paced read. Robert and Grace are two engaging and fun characters in a great dynamic. I recommend for anyone who's a fan of modern fantasy!
April 4, 2013
Grace Moore is a Summoner that uses the Weave to protect humanity from Vistors. Grace has worked hard to be the fastest with runes during summoning. Grace's hometown of Seattle has it's own Grove and everyone does their part. Tragedy has struck Spokane Grove and it's up to Grace to find out the cause before something else happens. Grace arrives in Spokane but things are far more worse when seeing the scope of damage to the Grove. Grace tests the Weave finding it full of holes and possible location of Vistor. Robert Lorents is in foster care, enjoys playing his saxophone, and has major crush on Jeanelle Harris. Robert is thrilled that Jeanelle accepts his affection and attention. Robert feels the sting of betrayal that leaves him resentful and angry. Robert's world is about to become so unpredictable when a nasty Vistor zeros in on him. Grace spies a teenage boy staring open mouthed at the Vistor charging towards him. Grace saves Robert's life and discovers that he's also a Summoner with alot of power. What really happened to Spokane Grove? Can Grace repair the damage to the Weave? Will Robet become an apprentice? Can the Vistor be stopped? Your answers await you in Grace Under Fire.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great start to the series. A very easy read. I especially liked Grace. She had such passion and charisma that was a pleasure from beginning to end. I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter to get to the end fast. I will definitely be looking out for the next installment in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great start to the series. A very easy read. I especially liked Grace. She had such passion and charisma that was a pleasure from beginning to end. I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter to get to the end fast. I will definitely be looking out for the next installment in the series.
August 22, 2015
I really enjoyed this action packed story! I was torn between rating it 4 or 5 stars. I loved the tone of the book, the characters, and all the fast action. I thought the book was well written, and I liked learning about the summoners and their craft. What wasn't there for me was intense emotional involvement (not to lead you on to thinking there is no emotion--that's not it!). Don't get me wrong, I cared about Grace and Robert and thought they were well rounded characters, but aside from having to join forces to fight off the super-freak "visitor" from another realm, there wasn't a high level of interpersonal emotion going on. Robert had his teenage drama going on, which was great, don't get me wrong, but I guess what I mean is that nothing made me cry or sigh or get overly emotional. I think I need that level of involvement to get to five stars. But, wow, what a ride! I did laugh, get excited, and turn pages furiously. It was so action packed and interesting, I can't wait to find out what happens next in the series!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2023
In the world of Grace Moore, there exist summoners. The simplest explanation is that they have the power to magically, and instantaneously, move things from point A to point B, either within this world, or to and from adjoining dimensions called Weaves. There's more to it of course, but the details and wrinkles, are fleshed out in the book. It seems like something that could make the world an interesting place, except for the small detail that the government has declared all summoners to be innately evil, and requires them to be neutralized on sight. Which makes having a career a little difficult.
Not that it's going to stop people. Summoners live and work in secret, establishing communities called Groves in various cities. Grace works for the Seattle Washington Grove, filling a magical role similar to the gritty cop that plays by her own rules and is always being hauled before the commissioner to explain her latest stunt. She's not terribly powerful as summoners go, but she's extraordinarily clever at using the power she has; which can be far far more annoying to the powers that be.
As the book begins, Grace is just trying to get a bite to eat when she's forced to deal with a bunch of creatures that have come visiting from another Weave. This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen, the boundaries between the Weaves are supposed to be strong enough to keep things from slipping through accidentally. And by the time she sends them all home and gets to the Grove to report in, things have gone from bad to apocalyptic. The Grove had received news that the neighboring Spokane Washington Grove has been completely destroyed, down to the last student summoner. The only survivor is a relative of one of the summoners, but who lacks any ability of his own. Naturally, the leaders of the Grove come up with the most expedient idea to investigate the slaughter without putting Seattle at risk. They're going to send Grace to Spokane, all by herself.
The other half of the book's team is a teenager, Robert Lorents: orphan, high-school student, music lover and, unknowingly, a summoner himself. Robert inherited his uncle's notes and personal effects. And thus discovered that his uncle was a summoner, which is hard for him to accept, given that all summoners are evil incarnate. Added to the mix is the fact that Robert is, like so many geeks in high school, unlucky in love. Perhaps, he thinks to himself, this summoning stuff might help him get a little revenge on his rival. After all, just a little tiny bit of revenge can't damn his soul. He can stop whenever he wants. Note: this is like handing a teenager a machine gun and having him say: "I'll just shoot the cigarette out of that guy's mouth. What could possibly go wrong?"
What goes wrong is that Robert breaks several summoner laws, not to mention attracts the attention of the force that slaughtered an entire Grove. A force that eats summoners for their power and would dearly love to snack on Robert. And would have succeeded, if not for the timely intervention of Grace, with the unfortunate repercussion of the destruction of a city mall and attracting the attention of dozens of summoner-fearing police officers. Thus begins the chasing, the running, and the fighting, as the pair try to figure out what they're facing and how to stop it, without being killed by a ravenous summoner-eating beast, or arrested and killed by the very people they're trying to protect.
The magic system underlying the summoners in Grace Under Fire is refreshing in that it's self-limiting. Each summoner has a certain level of power, and that's all they're ever going to have. This eliminates the need to have bigger and badder villains in each book, with the heroes powering up to planet-shattering, God-like powers by the end. Grace has the power she has, and she's comfortable with that. Robert is actually more powerful, though he doesn't really understand how to use his powers yet, making him less useful but more dangerous at the same time. What makes Grace shine is her ability to out-think her opponents, pulling all manner of things out of thin air in creative and unexpected ways.
The end of the book is satisfying as it wraps up the immediate threat but doesn't tie off all the threads. Our heroes are given a bit of respite, but the powers behind the plot against the Groves are still out there, and you know no villain takes defeat gracefully.
Not that it's going to stop people. Summoners live and work in secret, establishing communities called Groves in various cities. Grace works for the Seattle Washington Grove, filling a magical role similar to the gritty cop that plays by her own rules and is always being hauled before the commissioner to explain her latest stunt. She's not terribly powerful as summoners go, but she's extraordinarily clever at using the power she has; which can be far far more annoying to the powers that be.
As the book begins, Grace is just trying to get a bite to eat when she's forced to deal with a bunch of creatures that have come visiting from another Weave. This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen, the boundaries between the Weaves are supposed to be strong enough to keep things from slipping through accidentally. And by the time she sends them all home and gets to the Grove to report in, things have gone from bad to apocalyptic. The Grove had received news that the neighboring Spokane Washington Grove has been completely destroyed, down to the last student summoner. The only survivor is a relative of one of the summoners, but who lacks any ability of his own. Naturally, the leaders of the Grove come up with the most expedient idea to investigate the slaughter without putting Seattle at risk. They're going to send Grace to Spokane, all by herself.
The other half of the book's team is a teenager, Robert Lorents: orphan, high-school student, music lover and, unknowingly, a summoner himself. Robert inherited his uncle's notes and personal effects. And thus discovered that his uncle was a summoner, which is hard for him to accept, given that all summoners are evil incarnate. Added to the mix is the fact that Robert is, like so many geeks in high school, unlucky in love. Perhaps, he thinks to himself, this summoning stuff might help him get a little revenge on his rival. After all, just a little tiny bit of revenge can't damn his soul. He can stop whenever he wants. Note: this is like handing a teenager a machine gun and having him say: "I'll just shoot the cigarette out of that guy's mouth. What could possibly go wrong?"
What goes wrong is that Robert breaks several summoner laws, not to mention attracts the attention of the force that slaughtered an entire Grove. A force that eats summoners for their power and would dearly love to snack on Robert. And would have succeeded, if not for the timely intervention of Grace, with the unfortunate repercussion of the destruction of a city mall and attracting the attention of dozens of summoner-fearing police officers. Thus begins the chasing, the running, and the fighting, as the pair try to figure out what they're facing and how to stop it, without being killed by a ravenous summoner-eating beast, or arrested and killed by the very people they're trying to protect.
The magic system underlying the summoners in Grace Under Fire is refreshing in that it's self-limiting. Each summoner has a certain level of power, and that's all they're ever going to have. This eliminates the need to have bigger and badder villains in each book, with the heroes powering up to planet-shattering, God-like powers by the end. Grace has the power she has, and she's comfortable with that. Robert is actually more powerful, though he doesn't really understand how to use his powers yet, making him less useful but more dangerous at the same time. What makes Grace shine is her ability to out-think her opponents, pulling all manner of things out of thin air in creative and unexpected ways.
The end of the book is satisfying as it wraps up the immediate threat but doesn't tie off all the threads. Our heroes are given a bit of respite, but the powers behind the plot against the Groves are still out there, and you know no villain takes defeat gracefully.
February 11, 2018
The lead character, Grace Moore, strongly reminded me of someone I know in real life, but that is not the only reason I found her sympathetic. She is strong but not egotistical about it, and has a work ethic I can admire, and more common sense than most. That she's considered expendible by her superiors in her own grove adds to her appeal. I was somewhat less sympathetic to the apprentice she acquires along the way, but that is largely because Robert Lorents is a teenager, and going through more than the average teenager. Their prickly relationship helped keep the story moving along, with lots of action along the way. If I could ask for more, though, I would want to get a much better feel for the villain of the piece, a murderous sort from a neighboring dimension. We never get much more than his name, and I finished this book with no idea what his ambitions are, or who he really is. There was also a lengthy car chase where the various exchanges between our heroes and the demonic creature chasing them got repetitive. There were a lot of very inventive uses of the landscape, however, and I really did end up rooting for Grace, despite the occasional urge to slap Robert.
August 29, 2024
Fast paced and exciting novel about a solitary woman using her powers for good and her new young apprentice. Intelligent and funny. Loved listening to each song mentioned as I read the chapter. Lovely blast to a pre-Covid time!
July 29, 2016
Grace Under Fire, book 1 in Frog and Esther Jones’ Gift of Grace series, is a criminally-underrated indie gem. If you like smart urban fantasy, you’ll find a lot to enjoy about this series.
In the Gift of Grace world, magic users are known as summoners, due to their ability to summon (that is, move around) matter from place to place. Summoning is an incredibly diverse brand of magic; it can be applied in about a million ways, from combat to healing. Unfortunately, summoning is also totally illegal, which means summoners like Grace have to keep their abilities hidden from the non-magical population. The underground network of summoners, called Groves, are like one giant, secret mafia family. (Yes, it's as cool as it sounds.)
The relationship between Grace and Robert is my favorite thing about this book. They’re wonderful foils—the brash young guy with more raw power than training, and the exasperated older woman who solves problems with cleverness. In fact, Grace Under Fire delivers one of my favorite tropes, rarely seen in the wild: a tough young guy whose mentor is an older woman. (Bonus points if he has to fetch her coffee at some point in the story.) Watching Grace and Robert play off each other, always in unexpected ways, is a delight.
Now, if you know me very well, you probably know that I’m deeply interested in traumatized, emotionally-damaged teenage boys who do magic. That said, it’s no surprise that I’ve become very attached to Robert. He’s an orphan who has bounced from foster home to foster home—and, unbeknownst to him, he’s got some pretty serious magical chops.
I admit that it was hard for me to connect with Robert at first, on an emotional level—but then I realized that was by design. Robert is a very closed-off person. He’s guarded, understandably so. He doesn’t let anybody in right away, not even the reader. I had to get to know him over the course of the story. By the end, I felt like I’d gone on as much of a journey of discovery as Robert himself.
And then there’s Grace, my love and my darling, the light of my life. Grace is an unapologetic foodie with a wild fashion sense. The first time she used her highly-illegal powers to summon takeout from a faraway restaurant, I knew I loved her. While she doesn’t have the same kind of raw magical power that Robert has, she makes up for it with her technical abilities and tenacity.
I have a weakness for stories set in the Northwest, and as such, I can’t say enough good things about this setting. I love Spokane, and it’s so fun to see familiar places become the backdrop of a magical adventure. (Say, is this what people from New York feel like all the time?) Seriously, I’ve never viewed the Spokane Valley Mall quite the same way after reading about Grace and Robert’s epic battle with a demon from another dimension.
All told, Grace Under Fire delivers everything I want in an urban fantasy, in a well-written package: rollicking adventure, a smart magic system, a realistic setting, and most importantly, fleshed-out characters I can root for. Pick up a copy of this book. You deserve it.
In the Gift of Grace world, magic users are known as summoners, due to their ability to summon (that is, move around) matter from place to place. Summoning is an incredibly diverse brand of magic; it can be applied in about a million ways, from combat to healing. Unfortunately, summoning is also totally illegal, which means summoners like Grace have to keep their abilities hidden from the non-magical population. The underground network of summoners, called Groves, are like one giant, secret mafia family. (Yes, it's as cool as it sounds.)
The relationship between Grace and Robert is my favorite thing about this book. They’re wonderful foils—the brash young guy with more raw power than training, and the exasperated older woman who solves problems with cleverness. In fact, Grace Under Fire delivers one of my favorite tropes, rarely seen in the wild: a tough young guy whose mentor is an older woman. (Bonus points if he has to fetch her coffee at some point in the story.) Watching Grace and Robert play off each other, always in unexpected ways, is a delight.
Now, if you know me very well, you probably know that I’m deeply interested in traumatized, emotionally-damaged teenage boys who do magic. That said, it’s no surprise that I’ve become very attached to Robert. He’s an orphan who has bounced from foster home to foster home—and, unbeknownst to him, he’s got some pretty serious magical chops.
I admit that it was hard for me to connect with Robert at first, on an emotional level—but then I realized that was by design. Robert is a very closed-off person. He’s guarded, understandably so. He doesn’t let anybody in right away, not even the reader. I had to get to know him over the course of the story. By the end, I felt like I’d gone on as much of a journey of discovery as Robert himself.
And then there’s Grace, my love and my darling, the light of my life. Grace is an unapologetic foodie with a wild fashion sense. The first time she used her highly-illegal powers to summon takeout from a faraway restaurant, I knew I loved her. While she doesn’t have the same kind of raw magical power that Robert has, she makes up for it with her technical abilities and tenacity.
I have a weakness for stories set in the Northwest, and as such, I can’t say enough good things about this setting. I love Spokane, and it’s so fun to see familiar places become the backdrop of a magical adventure. (Say, is this what people from New York feel like all the time?) Seriously, I’ve never viewed the Spokane Valley Mall quite the same way after reading about Grace and Robert’s epic battle with a demon from another dimension.
All told, Grace Under Fire delivers everything I want in an urban fantasy, in a well-written package: rollicking adventure, a smart magic system, a realistic setting, and most importantly, fleshed-out characters I can root for. Pick up a copy of this book. You deserve it.
July 9, 2013
Kyra's star ratings:
Story: * * * * *
Characters: * * * * *
Writing: * * * * *
Emotional engagement: * * * * *
Grace Under Fire is a wild ride through a world filled with tricky magic and lurking threats with two amazing characters. Grace is a Summoner with only middling powers but mad rune skillz who is sent to deal with a difficult problem that the other Summoners in her local group (Grove) would really rather not have to deal with. While trying to figure out what wiped out the entire Grove of Summoners in Spokane, she runs across a teenage boy, Robert, a foster kid who has just discovered his own Summoning powers to disastrous effect. Summoning is one of the worst crimes there is in this alternate version of our world, and Grace and Robert have to keep out of trouble with local law enforcement while battling a giant, evil, massively powerful, orange raccoon-porcupine demon from another dimension (dubbed "Rick"). It sounds absurd, and it is, but that thing is also one of the scariest monsters I've ever come across.
The book almost bogs down a little at the beginning, when Grace is explaining how Summoning and runes work, but her voice and the problem she's trying to solve are engaging enough that I kept going, and then she found herself stuck with a much bigger problem. And then it gets to the first chapter in Robert's point of view, and that's where the book really takes off, and never lets go until the end.
The story is told in alternating first-person point of view, which can be hard to pull off, but Grace's and Robert's voices are so distinct and the characters are so engaging that it works beautifully. Robert's voice and outlook especially made the book for me. He's a band geek (as a former band geek myself, I always appreciate finding one as the protagonist in a book, which doesn't happen nearly often enough), a smart kid, world-wise in some ways from being shuffled through the foster-care system for all of his teenage years but still very much a little boy in other ways. Grace is a fun character too, with her interesting combination of skills and obsession with good food.
The magic system is complex, and the one minor flaw in the book is that sometimes the explanations of how it works are a little complicated, but they're integrated pretty well into the action and once I got the hang of the idea behind it, it was pretty easy to follow how it worked.
The action is wild and suspenseful, and even when the fight against Rick the Demon Raccoon lets up for a bit, you still know it's out there and you're wondering how in the world Robert and Grace are going to deal with it. The ending fight is long, but the action is nonstop and constantly escalating, and I couldn't put the story down.
The writing is clear, smooth, and vivid, with a wry sense of humor and a lot of understated emotion.
The book seems to be aimed at an adult audience, but I think older teen boys would also enjoy it very much.
I highly recommend Grace Under Fire, and am looking forward to the next book in the series and more adventures with Grace and Robert.
Story: * * * * *
Characters: * * * * *
Writing: * * * * *
Emotional engagement: * * * * *
Grace Under Fire is a wild ride through a world filled with tricky magic and lurking threats with two amazing characters. Grace is a Summoner with only middling powers but mad rune skillz who is sent to deal with a difficult problem that the other Summoners in her local group (Grove) would really rather not have to deal with. While trying to figure out what wiped out the entire Grove of Summoners in Spokane, she runs across a teenage boy, Robert, a foster kid who has just discovered his own Summoning powers to disastrous effect. Summoning is one of the worst crimes there is in this alternate version of our world, and Grace and Robert have to keep out of trouble with local law enforcement while battling a giant, evil, massively powerful, orange raccoon-porcupine demon from another dimension (dubbed "Rick"). It sounds absurd, and it is, but that thing is also one of the scariest monsters I've ever come across.
The book almost bogs down a little at the beginning, when Grace is explaining how Summoning and runes work, but her voice and the problem she's trying to solve are engaging enough that I kept going, and then she found herself stuck with a much bigger problem. And then it gets to the first chapter in Robert's point of view, and that's where the book really takes off, and never lets go until the end.
The story is told in alternating first-person point of view, which can be hard to pull off, but Grace's and Robert's voices are so distinct and the characters are so engaging that it works beautifully. Robert's voice and outlook especially made the book for me. He's a band geek (as a former band geek myself, I always appreciate finding one as the protagonist in a book, which doesn't happen nearly often enough), a smart kid, world-wise in some ways from being shuffled through the foster-care system for all of his teenage years but still very much a little boy in other ways. Grace is a fun character too, with her interesting combination of skills and obsession with good food.
The magic system is complex, and the one minor flaw in the book is that sometimes the explanations of how it works are a little complicated, but they're integrated pretty well into the action and once I got the hang of the idea behind it, it was pretty easy to follow how it worked.
The action is wild and suspenseful, and even when the fight against Rick the Demon Raccoon lets up for a bit, you still know it's out there and you're wondering how in the world Robert and Grace are going to deal with it. The ending fight is long, but the action is nonstop and constantly escalating, and I couldn't put the story down.
The writing is clear, smooth, and vivid, with a wry sense of humor and a lot of understated emotion.
The book seems to be aimed at an adult audience, but I think older teen boys would also enjoy it very much.
I highly recommend Grace Under Fire, and am looking forward to the next book in the series and more adventures with Grace and Robert.
August 3, 2013
Set in a modern day world where magic use is well documented but illegal, this is a two handed adventure story as mid-level “summoner” Grace is assigned to investigate after the neighbouring summoner organisation is wiped out by a mysterious force, only to run into teenage novice Robert along the way. Together they take on the local law enforcement, Robert’s dangerous level of general ignorance and a nasty raccoon demon.
As ever with this kind of modern day America with witches set up, there is an amount of exposition to wade through. Summoning is punishable by a life sentence (complete with disabling drugs) and yet enough people still do it that in every small town there are hierarchies, conferences, meeting rooms, school systems and libraries. To do spells you need skill, vials of blood, and enough chains of runic spells that even expert Grace writes them down in advance to get anything done quickly. The complexity is a particular issue at the beginning where Grace has the unenviable task of explaining her own backstory, a multi-tier magic system and a complicated social set up within a single chapter. However, once you get through that the plot zips along handily with a fair smattering of well-constructed and varied action scenes to interrupt the budding mentor/student vibe between the characters. The demonic villain is inventively designed, well described and hilariously hard to kill, there is a certain cartoon violence vibe to some scenes with Grace pulling machine guns, rocket launchers, disappearing floors etc. out of thin air.
Both characters are consistently well written with clearly differentiated voices, essential for any book where the author imposes a strict viewpoint rotation. Grace herself I have to admit to finding quite difficult as a character, she comes off as selfish, self-centred and a bit fanatical, never seeing alternative points of view. Any woman who breaks a “life imprisonment” style law in order to get take-out food isn’t giving much credence to the wider standards of her society. She does have a nice line in sarcastic humour though. Robert I found more sympathetic, he’s interested in his hard home situation and floundering love life and he has a healthy dose of scepticism over the wisdom of taking up with Grace. Their relationship is on an uneven teacher/ student level with no attempt to shoe horn a romantic angle into it, which I like, it’s a nice change to see something in this genre which admits that two people can get along with each other without being passionately in love.
Taken altogether is an entertaining read which isn’t afraid to challenge a few clichés of the genre. I’d recommend it.
As ever with this kind of modern day America with witches set up, there is an amount of exposition to wade through. Summoning is punishable by a life sentence (complete with disabling drugs) and yet enough people still do it that in every small town there are hierarchies, conferences, meeting rooms, school systems and libraries. To do spells you need skill, vials of blood, and enough chains of runic spells that even expert Grace writes them down in advance to get anything done quickly. The complexity is a particular issue at the beginning where Grace has the unenviable task of explaining her own backstory, a multi-tier magic system and a complicated social set up within a single chapter. However, once you get through that the plot zips along handily with a fair smattering of well-constructed and varied action scenes to interrupt the budding mentor/student vibe between the characters. The demonic villain is inventively designed, well described and hilariously hard to kill, there is a certain cartoon violence vibe to some scenes with Grace pulling machine guns, rocket launchers, disappearing floors etc. out of thin air.
Both characters are consistently well written with clearly differentiated voices, essential for any book where the author imposes a strict viewpoint rotation. Grace herself I have to admit to finding quite difficult as a character, she comes off as selfish, self-centred and a bit fanatical, never seeing alternative points of view. Any woman who breaks a “life imprisonment” style law in order to get take-out food isn’t giving much credence to the wider standards of her society. She does have a nice line in sarcastic humour though. Robert I found more sympathetic, he’s interested in his hard home situation and floundering love life and he has a healthy dose of scepticism over the wisdom of taking up with Grace. Their relationship is on an uneven teacher/ student level with no attempt to shoe horn a romantic angle into it, which I like, it’s a nice change to see something in this genre which admits that two people can get along with each other without being passionately in love.
Taken altogether is an entertaining read which isn’t afraid to challenge a few clichés of the genre. I’d recommend it.
May 3, 2016
Summoning isn’t legal, but it’s done all the time under the nose of the public and the police. Summoners work to maintain balance in the world and make sure nothing nasty gets through the Weave that separates worlds. Grace Moore is an average Summoner sent to investigate the mass murder of a group of summoners in Spokane. Why Grace? Because she’s good enough and everyone else is busy. And did I mention it was dangerous? While in Spokane, Grace encounters the source of the murders, a rather large nasty beast that almost kills her and wants to eat Summoners and soak up their power. At the last minute, the beast is distracted by an unusual power burst and takes off, straight toward a crowded mall. Meanwhile, Robert Lorents is enacting petty revenge using Summoning and Grace has to save his butt. As a Summoner with loads of potential, perhaps Robert is the key to saving Spokane from the big nasty.
I thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of a high school boy and a mid-thirties hippy chick. Both main characters, Robert and Grace, were well defined and full of their own personalities. It was super neat to see how each character viewed themselves and each other through the POV changes between chapters.
The world and rules for Summoning (magic) were very well defined. There were plenty of explanations for how the Groves functioned and what the Weave was and the ins and outs of Summoning. Summoning was unique enough for magic to be intriguing every time it was defined and every time I saw it in action.
The climax was phenomenal and perfectly timed.
My only critique is that many of Grace’s one-liners fell short and I did not find her as humorous as she was supposed to be written.
I thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of a high school boy and a mid-thirties hippy chick. Both main characters, Robert and Grace, were well defined and full of their own personalities. It was super neat to see how each character viewed themselves and each other through the POV changes between chapters.
The world and rules for Summoning (magic) were very well defined. There were plenty of explanations for how the Groves functioned and what the Weave was and the ins and outs of Summoning. Summoning was unique enough for magic to be intriguing every time it was defined and every time I saw it in action.
The climax was phenomenal and perfectly timed.
My only critique is that many of Grace’s one-liners fell short and I did not find her as humorous as she was supposed to be written.
December 12, 2012
This was a quite enjoyable and very imaginative story, which is mostly well written (apart from the typos dotted throughout it). My big issue with it was that there were places where the use of cursewords was just too much; the odd one cropping up is fine, but there was a point where they were coming thick and fast with no justification in my opinion. I mean, if you must use a few, fine, but there are ways to say that someone uses more curse words than clean words in their sentence without actually having to do so yourself. A much smaller issue was that there were one or two points were I felt the finer points of the conversation between Grace and Robert could have been cut out to just provide a summery of it since the contents had already been explained to the reader through Grace's thoughts, but - as I said - this wasn't a big issue. So, my issues with the book were minor and - with the exception of the typos - more a personal preference thing than anything. Over-all though, I did feel it was a really good book.
April 28, 2016
This was such a fun, fast paced read in an alternate earth that has magic. I loved how the characters were revealed, little bits here and their to show who they are, where they came from and where they are going with their inevitable partnership. It is reluctant mentor accidentally finding her perfect apprentice who is just as reluctant to follow the path of magic. I loved the on the fly solutions during running combat. Reluctant mentor, reluctant apprentice so of course there are reluctant allies. Crazy mix of people who are at odds with each who finally warm to the need they can only succeed by teaming up. What a lovely mess.
April 14, 2023
Grand Adventure! Nonsense
Come on in folks! We're going to have a grand Adventure! Never mind if everything is contradictory nonsense, if you believe, it will happen. That's what I see coming, though I will admit I didn't get far into the first chapter before I got disgustipated. Maybe it should be listed as children's lit?
Come on in folks! We're going to have a grand Adventure! Never mind if everything is contradictory nonsense, if you believe, it will happen. That's what I see coming, though I will admit I didn't get far into the first chapter before I got disgustipated. Maybe it should be listed as children's lit?
November 30, 2012
Well written, well paced, well done!
October 16, 2022
Fun read about if summoners were real and lived in modern times. Bonus - set in the state of Washington 😄 Can't wait to read the next one!
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