4.5 Stars
So, you just finished reading the latest Darynda Jones’s Charley Davidson book and now it is UGG time. UGG not as in the boots, but UGG what should I read next, because I have exhausted all my urban fantasy go to authors. Well let me tell you about a girl named, Sara Wilde, and her pack of tarot cards.
Wilde Card by Jenn Stark is book two in the Immortal Vegas urban fantasy series. Wilde Card has Sara Wilde once again hunting for treasure in the far reaches of the world. I don’t think Sara and I could get farther out than Mongolia, but that is where we found ourselves spelunking for an ancient magical artifact. You know us girls need to make our money anyway we can, as the youngest of the Connected (psychic/magical) community are being hunted by both the dark arts practitioners and the SANCTUS the evil killing arm of the Catholic Church. Yikes! Now if you are Catholic, you might be offended by the portrayal of the evil baddies run by the popes bestie. I on the other had understand that this is a work of fiction, plus the dudes did have the Inquisition so it wasn’t a big leap to them hunting Connected people. Sara and I got to meet a few new members of the Arcana Council The Empress and The Fool. Well we got to met one new member, Sara already had a sordid night of drinking with The Fool, which I was not invited to. Girl has had some adventures in her quick Vegas pit stops.
The Magician and I also got a peek into Sara’s past, which she was not that eager to share with us. Geez girl you play your cards close to the vest. Her past is ever prevalent, as Detective Brody Rooks is part of LVMPD, finding out he was a decade older was yucky, because that kiss in book one, now felt kinda weird. I don’t trust him! Why you ask? Well since I have been hanging around in Sara’s head, since the book is written in the first person, Sara and I have been lusting after The Magician. His voice in our head is seductive like rich chocolate. Plus he is so damned easy on the eyes. Only one problem we don’t TRUST him either, and he play his cards clothes to the vest and has them up his sleeves and possibly down his pants.
The Devil, Nikki and Dixie round out the adventure, along with the two bad guy factions. The council still had a choke hold on Sara, as the girls super powers of being the oracle are still sparking. Sara and I are still struggling to understand the councils no invention policy, and this book does open up the workings of the council for us to peruse.
As with the other books the sexuality of the book is more tease and tension that banging. I classify this a urban fantasy with a building romance. It seems to be a long game romantic book, in the mold of Mercy Thompson, Kate Daniels and Charley Davidson type romances.
My adventure with Sara in this book, really set the bar for the series, as this story opened the door wide on some characters, and gave us a understanding of the Connected community that was missing in book one. There were some minor comments made by Sara that I need to ask the girl about as they were not explained to me and left me hanging. It was nothing that affected our adventures but they did leave me scratching my head. Well I have packed my go bag, and can’t wait for our next adventure which starts in February 2016. Whoot Hoot, bring on the magic!!
After all the praise, her is what I would like to see as this series moves forward to bump the series up to a five star read for me. I would like to see Sara more hands on with these kids she is risking her life to save. I really think her connecting with a kid, one on one would humanize their plight more for me as a reader. My girl doesn’t even go to visit the twin oracles that talk so much about her. WHAT??? Sara do you have commitment issues. Okay I know you have issues, but really Sara, you need to start living. Give it a shot, hang with a kid or two, let me know why you bleed for them. I really need this from you girl.
Now some advice on you love life. Loved that you hung with The Magician, and honestly his skill set is out of this world. But, we do need to move it along girl, in our next adventure. I don’t want Brody around, plus no dude in a rumbles suit is going to do it for us. Brody is like a place filler to give our adventure some sexual tension like Saiman in the Kate Daniels books. Please let it be like that.