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The Black Sun's Daughter #2
Darker Angels
In the battle between good and evil, there's no such thing as a fair fight. When Jayné Heller's uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations -- and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayné has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She'll need both to tackle a bodyswitching serial killer who's taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic. Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayné races to track down the demon's next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayné will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won't rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most....
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2009
28 people are currently reading
1291 people want to read
About the author
M.L.N. Hanover
13 books404 followersMLN Hanover is a pseudonym for fantasy writer Daniel Abraham when he’s writing urban fantasy set in something very like our world. In addition to The Black Sun’s Daughter series, MLN Hanover has published several short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
November 1, 2016
Welcome to Urban Fantasy School.
Here you will learn:
1) How to create a super cool, but smart-alecky heroine.
A) Also, learn to make a geeky hero/heroine seem cool.
2) How to create the best trampstamp (and incorporate it into the story seamlessly).
3) How to add a love interest to add just the right amount of sexy...if you didn't get enough with that trampstamp.
4) How to pose for the cover. In fact, if you want to specialize, Jim C. Hines' has a masters program.
5) How to end all threads but possibly one. Gotta keep 'em coming back...for at least 20 more books!
Also, check out out our college of one-liners! All we do is listen to this guy all day long.
Darker Angels is book 2 in MLN Hanover/Daniel Abraham's Urban Fantasy series, The Black Sun's Daughter. While I make fun (because it's so very easy), this series is a great one. However, it wouldn't be UF if it didn't have the components mentioned above would it?
This book takes up right after Unclean Spirits, where Jayné Heller and her crew of demon-fighters are busier than ever checking out all the properties Jayné inherited from her deceased uncle, Eric. They quickly get a job that leads them to New Orleans where the interesting concept of demons "riding" humans (essentially taking them over) is applied to the voodoo located in that area.
Being located in New Orleans, the author does an amazing job setting the seen of the city post-Katrina. Not that I have any experience in Louisiana, Hanover/Abraham presents the plight of the city's inhabitants after the destruction in a very real way while portraying the action and adventure that are really the focus of the story.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (Recommended)
Here you will learn:
1) How to create a super cool, but smart-alecky heroine.
A) Also, learn to make a geeky hero/heroine seem cool.
2) How to create the best trampstamp (and incorporate it into the story seamlessly).
3) How to add a love interest to add just the right amount of sexy...if you didn't get enough with that trampstamp.
4) How to pose for the cover. In fact, if you want to specialize, Jim C. Hines' has a masters program.
5) How to end all threads but possibly one. Gotta keep 'em coming back...for at least 20 more books!
Also, check out out our college of one-liners! All we do is listen to this guy all day long.
Darker Angels is book 2 in MLN Hanover/Daniel Abraham's Urban Fantasy series, The Black Sun's Daughter. While I make fun (because it's so very easy), this series is a great one. However, it wouldn't be UF if it didn't have the components mentioned above would it?
This book takes up right after Unclean Spirits, where Jayné Heller and her crew of demon-fighters are busier than ever checking out all the properties Jayné inherited from her deceased uncle, Eric. They quickly get a job that leads them to New Orleans where the interesting concept of demons "riding" humans (essentially taking them over) is applied to the voodoo located in that area.
Being located in New Orleans, the author does an amazing job setting the seen of the city post-Katrina. Not that I have any experience in Louisiana, Hanover/Abraham presents the plight of the city's inhabitants after the destruction in a very real way while portraying the action and adventure that are really the focus of the story.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (Recommended)
June 7, 2016
Really tightly plotted instalment in the series. This one leaves you a bit desperate for the big answers, but that's ok - just more impetus to keep on reading!
June 6, 2016
I enjoyed the first in the series, but this one took it to a whole new level. I loved the setting of New Orleans, and I thought the story was much more focused than the first, the pacing much tighter. It didn't meander or lose its way how the first tended to at times.
June 7, 2016
I just love this story! This was my second time listening so I gave into temptation and bumped it to five stars. It's just a really good book and it's well written. Jayné's character being so insecure really wore on me the first time, but this time I knew where it was going, so it kind of made more sense to me. I think this allowed me to get that extra half star of enjoyment out of it :)
February 2, 2010
Jayne (pronounced zha-nay) is trying to take over for her deceased Uncle Eric... she inherited a dangerous job in the field of the supernatural. She gets a call from a woman named Karen who wants her Uncle Eric's help. Jayne informs her that her uncle died, but that she is there to help. Karen tells her that she needs help in New Orleans, there is a rider who's a serial killer and its taken up residence in the land of voodoo. Jayne works together with her men, Ex, Chogyi Jake and Aubrey to try and find the rider and kill it before it harms an innocent young girl. But as the journey continues, Jayne is beginning to think that not all is what it may seem.
I liked this better than the first. It had more action, and seemed to move at a faster and more exciting pace. I think it was interesting setting the book in New Orleans after Katrina hit.. and reading about the damage that was done to the city was a little heartbreaking but it fit the book perfectly. My one complaint, I figured out what was going on a little early in the book... but it was still intriguing enough to continue on through the book to see how the author ended it.
I find the relationship between Aubrey, Jayne and Ex interesting, and I wonder what's going to happen next for this dynamic trio.
I liked this better than the first. It had more action, and seemed to move at a faster and more exciting pace. I think it was interesting setting the book in New Orleans after Katrina hit.. and reading about the damage that was done to the city was a little heartbreaking but it fit the book perfectly. My one complaint, I figured out what was going on a little early in the book... but it was still intriguing enough to continue on through the book to see how the author ended it.
I find the relationship between Aubrey, Jayne and Ex interesting, and I wonder what's going to happen next for this dynamic trio.
December 30, 2009
I found with this book I cemented how much I really like these characters. Jayne is doing the best she can in the situation of having your whole world change. After realizing that demons are real in the last book she is now trying to set herself up for success by learning as much as she can about all the bad things that are out there. I found her thoughts of hopping from one house to another, to another to be funny. Eric seems to have left with an unlimited supply of houses and money to boot, which will make things easier. I also love how the guys are 100% in with her forming their own little company and seem to be enjoying the perks.
This adventure seems to hit a little close to home for Jayne as she finds out truths about her family, herself, and the demons that didn't fit her preconceived notions making her reevaluate her world yet again. Her relationship with the guys seems to be both solid and shaky at the same time until they all face up to the things they are hiding for each other and themselves.
This was a hard book to put down with all the things going on and had a bonus of being set in New Orleans and the voodoo world which is always great fun to read about.
This adventure seems to hit a little close to home for Jayne as she finds out truths about her family, herself, and the demons that didn't fit her preconceived notions making her reevaluate her world yet again. Her relationship with the guys seems to be both solid and shaky at the same time until they all face up to the things they are hiding for each other and themselves.
This was a hard book to put down with all the things going on and had a bonus of being set in New Orleans and the voodoo world which is always great fun to read about.
March 9, 2016
I'm forced to conclude that the author, who is really the usually very talented Daniel Abraham, who's two fantasy series are great and who is half of James S.A. Corey, writers of the fun science fiction The Expanse series, has written this series just to make money without putting much effort or thought into it. He did minimal research on what he thought an urban fantasy series should be, checked off a few boxes, and dashed off a bunch of dreck. I was hoping this book would be an improvement over the last one, that he'd have settled into the genre or decided to take it more seriously or something, but it wasn't good. The heroine is immature, the writing is bad, and the author's basic idea of what urban fantasy readers want to see feels insulting. It's repetitive (how many times did it mention Chogyi Jake's head hair stubble?) and emotionally shallow.
But it did have a couple of upsides. At first I was very leery about it being located in New Orleans, I thought it was a shaky choice for a shaky series. You have to be super strong and original to make something that's been done that many times work. But the idea of being "ridden" by loa was logical for this series and it worked. And I always like the little bits of science/biology that he puts in these books. Last time it was the parasite that makes mice permanently unafraid cats, (and possibly effects people's behavior too?). It's pretty fascinating stuff, check it out. This time it was parasitic wasps who lay their eggs in caterpillars and that changes the caterpillars' behavior so that they actually defend the eggs that have been implanted into their bodies. In this story it translated to people falling in love with their riders even when they're evil serial killers who've destroyed their lives.
The biggest downfall to this book was still the relationships, Jayné's incredible immaturity, and the shallowness of all of the characterizations. I can't even deal with Aubrey's ex giving Jayné their divorce papers to deliver whenever she felt like it, and Jayné sitting on them for months, somehow on the strength of their one night together and the inklings of a relationship starting. Too much immaturity for me to deal with. I can't grasp at all what Jayné (I still hate that name) was thinking. How did she have a right to hold on to the papers until she figured out how she felt about them? For even a minute much less months, no matter what Kim said. That's his life she was playing with. Is that what a male author thinks women want to read about, idiot immature women who treat people like shit? Abraham is married, how would he have felt if someone kept something like that from him for even a minute. Aubrey wouldn't have had a chance to talk to Kim about it, or finally get closure about his marriage and start to move on with his life, he wouldn't be able to trust Jayné, this woman who is in major danger with him all of the time because who knows what else she'd hide from him if it's inconvenient for her. You don't do that to people you supposedly care about, or anyone for that matter, it's a matter of respect. And then she decided to tell him because of her guilt, out of selfishness and not for any other reason, at a time when he's recovering for a huge incident and the last thing he needed is having that dumped on him, because she waited too long already and it's all about her, it's always all about her. And then when she did finally tell him it was when Jake was right outside the door waiting to drive home with them, because how did she think that conversation would go? She couldn't wait for privacy at the hotel in forty-five minutes? And he didn't even care, he just shrugged and signed the papers. Really? I can't deal with any of it, It's too much stupidity, it's horrible writing.
And the more than heavy-handed foreshadowing? So lame. Ending chapters with, "As it was, I didn't figure out what it was until it was way too late." Or, "if I'd understood what he'd actually been trying to say it would have saved us both a lot of pain." Crap writing. On the other hand, he's not moving the overall story arc along nearly fast enough. There are only very, very small signs that something is going on with Jayné, probably that she's actually being ridden and that's why she has these mysterious powers,. But instead of it being interesting it's just annoying because she her out of the blue perfection (she can run the table at pool when she's never played before) makes her feel like a Mary Sue, which of course makes no sense. And two books in i still have no idea what the series name, The Black Sun's Daughter, is even hinting at, it hasn't been referenced in the slightest. But the characterizations are the worst part, so shallow and jumbled.
I guess I did like this book more than the first one. Past the half way point it got better, minus anything that had Jayné and Aubrey in it. Or Ex, Ex and Jayné was awful too. All of the relationships were awful. But the story wasn't bad. The New Orleans setting and characters worked out much better than I thought they would, the loa were a great fit for the concept of this series and he used the setting really well without overdoing it. And it did suck me into wanting to see what happens next. But only because i can do it for free thanks to my library. I wouldn't pay for it. I'm giving the book three stars rounded up from 2.5 because it was better than the first book, which got two stars rounded down from two and a half.
But it did have a couple of upsides. At first I was very leery about it being located in New Orleans, I thought it was a shaky choice for a shaky series. You have to be super strong and original to make something that's been done that many times work. But the idea of being "ridden" by loa was logical for this series and it worked. And I always like the little bits of science/biology that he puts in these books. Last time it was the parasite that makes mice permanently unafraid cats, (and possibly effects people's behavior too?). It's pretty fascinating stuff, check it out. This time it was parasitic wasps who lay their eggs in caterpillars and that changes the caterpillars' behavior so that they actually defend the eggs that have been implanted into their bodies. In this story it translated to people falling in love with their riders even when they're evil serial killers who've destroyed their lives.
The biggest downfall to this book was still the relationships, Jayné's incredible immaturity, and the shallowness of all of the characterizations. I can't even deal with Aubrey's ex giving Jayné their divorce papers to deliver whenever she felt like it, and Jayné sitting on them for months, somehow on the strength of their one night together and the inklings of a relationship starting. Too much immaturity for me to deal with. I can't grasp at all what Jayné (I still hate that name) was thinking. How did she have a right to hold on to the papers until she figured out how she felt about them? For even a minute much less months, no matter what Kim said. That's his life she was playing with. Is that what a male author thinks women want to read about, idiot immature women who treat people like shit? Abraham is married, how would he have felt if someone kept something like that from him for even a minute. Aubrey wouldn't have had a chance to talk to Kim about it, or finally get closure about his marriage and start to move on with his life, he wouldn't be able to trust Jayné, this woman who is in major danger with him all of the time because who knows what else she'd hide from him if it's inconvenient for her. You don't do that to people you supposedly care about, or anyone for that matter, it's a matter of respect. And then she decided to tell him because of her guilt, out of selfishness and not for any other reason, at a time when he's recovering for a huge incident and the last thing he needed is having that dumped on him, because she waited too long already and it's all about her, it's always all about her. And then when she did finally tell him it was when Jake was right outside the door waiting to drive home with them, because how did she think that conversation would go? She couldn't wait for privacy at the hotel in forty-five minutes? And he didn't even care, he just shrugged and signed the papers. Really? I can't deal with any of it, It's too much stupidity, it's horrible writing.
And the more than heavy-handed foreshadowing? So lame. Ending chapters with, "As it was, I didn't figure out what it was until it was way too late." Or, "if I'd understood what he'd actually been trying to say it would have saved us both a lot of pain." Crap writing. On the other hand, he's not moving the overall story arc along nearly fast enough. There are only very, very small signs that something is going on with Jayné, probably that she's actually being ridden and that's why she has these mysterious powers,. But instead of it being interesting it's just annoying because she her out of the blue perfection (she can run the table at pool when she's never played before) makes her feel like a Mary Sue, which of course makes no sense. And two books in i still have no idea what the series name, The Black Sun's Daughter, is even hinting at, it hasn't been referenced in the slightest. But the characterizations are the worst part, so shallow and jumbled.
I guess I did like this book more than the first one. Past the half way point it got better, minus anything that had Jayné and Aubrey in it. Or Ex, Ex and Jayné was awful too. All of the relationships were awful. But the story wasn't bad. The New Orleans setting and characters worked out much better than I thought they would, the loa were a great fit for the concept of this series and he used the setting really well without overdoing it. And it did suck me into wanting to see what happens next. But only because i can do it for free thanks to my library. I wouldn't pay for it. I'm giving the book three stars rounded up from 2.5 because it was better than the first book, which got two stars rounded down from two and a half.
February 22, 2023
Denna var enorm mycket bättre än den förra, och den förra var helt ok. Jag kan för lite om Vodou-religion för att veta om besattheten är välgjord eller ej, men den är definitivt lagom spännande.
September 25, 2009
My inner curmudgeon nearly set Darker Angels aside at about the halfway point. "I don't get this book!" said the curmudgeon. "The voodoo's all wrong. Legba isn't an evil serial killer! The good guys' plan doesn't quite add up, and is pretty unethical besides. And the interpersonal drama just ate the plot for lunch!"
"Sit down and shut up," said M.L.N. Hanover. "I'm telling a story here."
OK, so I've never met M.L.N. Hanover, and he didn't literally say that, but he might as well have. Because just as I was about to give up on Darker Angels, he threw in some twists that made me realize I was looking at it all wrong.
I must have been led astray by the extremely linear plot of Unclean Spirits. I was expecting this plot to be similar in structure, and so I wasn't asking the right questions. I shouldn’t have been asking, "What did Hanover do wrong?" I should have been asking, "What might be going on within the plot to cause all these things to happen?" I think I also forgot that Jayné, despite being a narrator whose voice I really enjoy, is not a perfectly reliable narrator. She has biases and blind spots, and she doesn't understand everything she experiences. Jayné's preconceived notions got in the way of solving the mystery — and so did mine.
Darker Angels is much less linear than Unclean Spirits, and it's much better for it. The plot revolves around a voodoo spirit who manipulates its hosts into committing horrific murders. Jayné is hired by former FBI agent Karen Black, an acquaintance of her late uncle's, to help stop this spirit from killing a young girl. We visit New Orleans and see both the destruction left over from Katrina and the tenacity of its residents. The plot is full of great twists. Hanover yanked the rug out from under my feet at one point, and maybe I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. It's when the pieces start to fall into place that you realize just how carefully Hanover set them up.
I really enjoyed Darker Angels and I think it's safe to say I'm hooked on The Black Sun's Daughter. Jayné continues to be a delight; she's no master strategist, but she has a lot of compassion, and she has more courage than she thinks she does. And to heck with the inner curmudgeon. By the end, this had become a "set the alarm early so you can read before work" kind of book, and I finished it with a smile on my face and maybe a few tears in my eyes.
Read this and other M.L.N. Hanover reviews at Fantasy Literature!
"Sit down and shut up," said M.L.N. Hanover. "I'm telling a story here."
OK, so I've never met M.L.N. Hanover, and he didn't literally say that, but he might as well have. Because just as I was about to give up on Darker Angels, he threw in some twists that made me realize I was looking at it all wrong.
I must have been led astray by the extremely linear plot of Unclean Spirits. I was expecting this plot to be similar in structure, and so I wasn't asking the right questions. I shouldn’t have been asking, "What did Hanover do wrong?" I should have been asking, "What might be going on within the plot to cause all these things to happen?" I think I also forgot that Jayné, despite being a narrator whose voice I really enjoy, is not a perfectly reliable narrator. She has biases and blind spots, and she doesn't understand everything she experiences. Jayné's preconceived notions got in the way of solving the mystery — and so did mine.
Darker Angels is much less linear than Unclean Spirits, and it's much better for it. The plot revolves around a voodoo spirit who manipulates its hosts into committing horrific murders. Jayné is hired by former FBI agent Karen Black, an acquaintance of her late uncle's, to help stop this spirit from killing a young girl. We visit New Orleans and see both the destruction left over from Katrina and the tenacity of its residents. The plot is full of great twists. Hanover yanked the rug out from under my feet at one point, and maybe I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. It's when the pieces start to fall into place that you realize just how carefully Hanover set them up.
I really enjoyed Darker Angels and I think it's safe to say I'm hooked on The Black Sun's Daughter. Jayné continues to be a delight; she's no master strategist, but she has a lot of compassion, and she has more courage than she thinks she does. And to heck with the inner curmudgeon. By the end, this had become a "set the alarm early so you can read before work" kind of book, and I finished it with a smile on my face and maybe a few tears in my eyes.
Read this and other M.L.N. Hanover reviews at Fantasy Literature!
November 1, 2017
I'm a big fan of Daniel Abraham. (M.L.N. Hanover is one of his pseudonyms.) He writes well, his books are interesting. He writes good female characters.
This series is sort of his entry into urban fantasy. I read the first book in this series a while back, and found this on Scribd, so I had to read it now.
That said, I think I liked this one less well than the first. There's a little more romance, though not a lot, and nothing graphic. (Most romance just annoys me. It's me, not romance in general.) The main story revolves around New Orleans and voodoo and humans being "ridden" by spirits from another world. The heroine and her cohort of 3 handsome, clever men have to thwart an evil spirit's rise.
It was ok. But I found my attention wandering a little.
This series is sort of his entry into urban fantasy. I read the first book in this series a while back, and found this on Scribd, so I had to read it now.
That said, I think I liked this one less well than the first. There's a little more romance, though not a lot, and nothing graphic. (Most romance just annoys me. It's me, not romance in general.) The main story revolves around New Orleans and voodoo and humans being "ridden" by spirits from another world. The heroine and her cohort of 3 handsome, clever men have to thwart an evil spirit's rise.
It was ok. But I found my attention wandering a little.
August 13, 2019
Darker Angels is the second book in the The Black Sun's Daughter series written by M.L.N. Hanover and centered on Jayné Heller, a young college student who inherits a string of houses across the world, several bank accounts, and a very unconventional business from her murdered uncle.
Jayné Heller and her team are working on cataloging all of her deceased Uncle Eric's information and traveling to his extensive properties across the globe, when she receives a call on her Uncle's old cell phone from and old acquaintance of his, the former FBI Agent Karen Black.
The beautiful and charismatic Karen has discovered a girl in danger from a determined rider in New Orleans, and needs his help or rather Jayné's help now. Eager to jump back into the ring and take on the dangerous task of fighting riders, the team heads down south to Louisiana. Working with Karen Black, Jayné and her friends soon realize that they are in way over their heads. As danger closes in, separating and making enemies of teammates, Jayné must use her wits and strength to save her friends and stop a rider hell-bent on their destruction.
Darker Angels is written somewhat well. Written in the first person, the narration is written rather well, albeit a tad predictable and I wished for more twists and turns. The foreshadowing could have been handled far better, as it seems that it was too blatant with little or no subtly whatsoever. However, the details of the environment and magical world were written rather well, despite the sparseness of it all.
All in all, Darker Angels is written rather and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Jayné Heller and her team are working on cataloging all of her deceased Uncle Eric's information and traveling to his extensive properties across the globe, when she receives a call on her Uncle's old cell phone from and old acquaintance of his, the former FBI Agent Karen Black.
The beautiful and charismatic Karen has discovered a girl in danger from a determined rider in New Orleans, and needs his help or rather Jayné's help now. Eager to jump back into the ring and take on the dangerous task of fighting riders, the team heads down south to Louisiana. Working with Karen Black, Jayné and her friends soon realize that they are in way over their heads. As danger closes in, separating and making enemies of teammates, Jayné must use her wits and strength to save her friends and stop a rider hell-bent on their destruction.
Darker Angels is written somewhat well. Written in the first person, the narration is written rather well, albeit a tad predictable and I wished for more twists and turns. The foreshadowing could have been handled far better, as it seems that it was too blatant with little or no subtly whatsoever. However, the details of the environment and magical world were written rather well, despite the sparseness of it all.
All in all, Darker Angels is written rather and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
July 15, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A griping story with hard-core action and suspense to keep you entertained.
Opening Sentence: “How long has this been going on?”
The Review:
Darker Angels is the second installment in M.L.N. Hanover’s, The Black Sun’s Daughter series. I was a bit apprehensive when I began reading Darker Angels, because I was unsure what to expect. The first book, Unclean Spirits had me frustrated during the slow beginning but eventually redeemed itself in the end. I was hoping that Darker Angels would carry over the feeling and intrigue that I felt in the second half of Unclean Spirits.
Darker Angels has the same set of characters with the exception of Midian, whom I loved and missed in this installment. Jayne, Aubrey, Chogyi Jake and Ex have been traveling the world to catalog all of Eric’s proprieties and the magical resources they find. Jayne receives a call from former FBI agent, Karen Black, and the team all race across the world to New Orleans to help her out. We get a little more background information on some of the individual characters throughout the book and I began to feel more invested in them individually as opposed to the detachment that I felt in the first book. Jayne still struggles with the direction her life has taken and she especially struggles with leadership and trusting her instincts after she meets Karen Black. The relationship between Jayne and Aubrey is still hard to see and understand, while at the same time I can plainly see that Ex has feelings for her and personally I think that match would work out better than the thing with Aubrey. Jayne and the team itself have some obstacles to overcome on the journey to solving the problem they are faced with in New Orleans.
I absolutely loved the setting of New Orleans as the backdrop. Hanover used vivid descriptions of the city that really helped to pull me into the book. He uses the physical and emotional damage that Hurricane Katrina caused as a major component to the plotline. The connection of the riders to the city and particularly Voodoo is interesting and helps create a believable back-story.
I once again had a hard time staying interested in the beginning half of the book. There was action from the start but I think it was the setting up of the plot and reasoning behind everything that slowed down the pace for me. Once I got past that, I was hooked. There was more hard core fighting that was better described and detailed therefore making it easier to follow along with instead of the lost feeling I had at the end of some fights in Unclean Spirits. Darker Angels has several plot twists that I never saw coming and kept me guessing until the end. There was also a lot more detail and explanation on the “bad guys” and it was introduced that not all riders have to be wholly evil and that some serve a different purpose.
I was much more impressed with Darker Angels than I was with Unclean Spirits. The details of the world were expressed in a clearer manner and the characters were more developed and this helped with the overall flow and understanding. I am glad that I have the third book Vicious Grace sitting on the shelf waiting on me and I have high hopes that Hanover can maintain the momentum gained in Darker Angels.
Notable Scene:
Amelie came forward, leaning on her cane. Her drooping face was ashen and sour. The air around her seemed to crackle with power that her body alone couldn’t begin to justify. Her eyes shifted from me to Aubrey, from Aubrey to Chogyi Jake, from Chogyi Jake back to me with the intensity of a predator sizing up prey.
I felt the subtle shift in my body that I’d come to associate with the onset of violence. When Amelie spoke, her voice was Legba’s; deeper than a human throat could fashion, rich with threat and power.
“What the hell you think you doing in my city?”
I wanted to swing forward, to fight my way free, pulling Aubrey and Chogyi Jake along with me. My body almost vibrated with the need to strike, to scream. I forced myself to speak like I was using someone else’s mouth to do it.
“Carrefour tricked me,” I said. “I’ve come to you. I need help.”
These were demons. They were predators: tigers, wolves, sharks. I looked into Amelie Glapion’s eyes, and something else looked back at me. Something inhuman. Someone made a sound that was neither word nor whimper. I risked a glance. Daria Glapion, her face frozen with anxiety, held her sister’s hand.
“Well now,” Amelie said. “that’s more like it.”
The woman turned away, and the movement broke. The air itself seemed to slump back. Aubrey touched my shoulder, and I started. Around us, the cultists were starting to move. At the head of the stone steps that led down to Jackson Square, Amelie Glapion stopped and turned, looking over her shoulder at us.
“You waiting for something?” she asked. “Come on.”
The Black Sun’s Daughter Series:
1. Unclean Spirits
2. Darker Angels
3. Vicious Grace
4. Killing Rites
FTC Advisory: Pocket Books provided me with a copy of Darker Angels. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A griping story with hard-core action and suspense to keep you entertained.
Opening Sentence: “How long has this been going on?”
The Review:
Darker Angels is the second installment in M.L.N. Hanover’s, The Black Sun’s Daughter series. I was a bit apprehensive when I began reading Darker Angels, because I was unsure what to expect. The first book, Unclean Spirits had me frustrated during the slow beginning but eventually redeemed itself in the end. I was hoping that Darker Angels would carry over the feeling and intrigue that I felt in the second half of Unclean Spirits.
Darker Angels has the same set of characters with the exception of Midian, whom I loved and missed in this installment. Jayne, Aubrey, Chogyi Jake and Ex have been traveling the world to catalog all of Eric’s proprieties and the magical resources they find. Jayne receives a call from former FBI agent, Karen Black, and the team all race across the world to New Orleans to help her out. We get a little more background information on some of the individual characters throughout the book and I began to feel more invested in them individually as opposed to the detachment that I felt in the first book. Jayne still struggles with the direction her life has taken and she especially struggles with leadership and trusting her instincts after she meets Karen Black. The relationship between Jayne and Aubrey is still hard to see and understand, while at the same time I can plainly see that Ex has feelings for her and personally I think that match would work out better than the thing with Aubrey. Jayne and the team itself have some obstacles to overcome on the journey to solving the problem they are faced with in New Orleans.
I absolutely loved the setting of New Orleans as the backdrop. Hanover used vivid descriptions of the city that really helped to pull me into the book. He uses the physical and emotional damage that Hurricane Katrina caused as a major component to the plotline. The connection of the riders to the city and particularly Voodoo is interesting and helps create a believable back-story.
I once again had a hard time staying interested in the beginning half of the book. There was action from the start but I think it was the setting up of the plot and reasoning behind everything that slowed down the pace for me. Once I got past that, I was hooked. There was more hard core fighting that was better described and detailed therefore making it easier to follow along with instead of the lost feeling I had at the end of some fights in Unclean Spirits. Darker Angels has several plot twists that I never saw coming and kept me guessing until the end. There was also a lot more detail and explanation on the “bad guys” and it was introduced that not all riders have to be wholly evil and that some serve a different purpose.
I was much more impressed with Darker Angels than I was with Unclean Spirits. The details of the world were expressed in a clearer manner and the characters were more developed and this helped with the overall flow and understanding. I am glad that I have the third book Vicious Grace sitting on the shelf waiting on me and I have high hopes that Hanover can maintain the momentum gained in Darker Angels.
Notable Scene:
Amelie came forward, leaning on her cane. Her drooping face was ashen and sour. The air around her seemed to crackle with power that her body alone couldn’t begin to justify. Her eyes shifted from me to Aubrey, from Aubrey to Chogyi Jake, from Chogyi Jake back to me with the intensity of a predator sizing up prey.
I felt the subtle shift in my body that I’d come to associate with the onset of violence. When Amelie spoke, her voice was Legba’s; deeper than a human throat could fashion, rich with threat and power.
“What the hell you think you doing in my city?”
I wanted to swing forward, to fight my way free, pulling Aubrey and Chogyi Jake along with me. My body almost vibrated with the need to strike, to scream. I forced myself to speak like I was using someone else’s mouth to do it.
“Carrefour tricked me,” I said. “I’ve come to you. I need help.”
These were demons. They were predators: tigers, wolves, sharks. I looked into Amelie Glapion’s eyes, and something else looked back at me. Something inhuman. Someone made a sound that was neither word nor whimper. I risked a glance. Daria Glapion, her face frozen with anxiety, held her sister’s hand.
“Well now,” Amelie said. “that’s more like it.”
The woman turned away, and the movement broke. The air itself seemed to slump back. Aubrey touched my shoulder, and I started. Around us, the cultists were starting to move. At the head of the stone steps that led down to Jackson Square, Amelie Glapion stopped and turned, looking over her shoulder at us.
“You waiting for something?” she asked. “Come on.”
The Black Sun’s Daughter Series:
1. Unclean Spirits
2. Darker Angels
3. Vicious Grace
4. Killing Rites
FTC Advisory: Pocket Books provided me with a copy of Darker Angels. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 20, 2015
Book 2 is just as good, or as bad, as Book 1. The quality of Book 2 is essentially the same as Book 1. In short, I just simply don't agree with Hangover's perspective of things. It's a total mess.
The relationships, or the romance aspect, is still a total mess and it's not really a romance. Same with the whole rider and spirit system.
So far, riders are not wizards as the author claims. They are more like Animorphs, or any transforming fictions, with their transformations. A rider basically allows the "horse" to transform into some intermediate creature of the rider and a human. And they just have superhuman strength and speed, not so much on the magic part. The only magic ever used is a fake time freeze, wards and exorcism. None of the fights used any magic. Supernatural powers? Yes. Ones like temporarily freezing time. Ones like morphing into some beast. Other than the time freezing, the morphing into some beast can be replaced with injecting oneself with steroids or strengthening serums. And you can replaced being ridden as being mentally ill. It's seriously the same thing. This is why I said, the idea is nice. But the execution is horrific.
As for the romance, I hate it so much. Seriously, Jayné was scared, upset, or whatever and needed a support. And there's this good looking guy, Aubrey. Just as a reminder, Jayné came from a very religious family and she held a strong opinion about affairs and marriage. And probably sex too, subconsciously (this is an assumption though). There's also the fact that her first boyfriend/"lover", who she lost her virginity to, was essentially a player who slept with half the girls in her class. Then there's Jayné's first impression of Aubrey, she thought of him as a gay guy and her uncle Eric's lover. Of course, this was proved incorrect afterwards. But first impressions are important.
Aubrey wasn't a lover, nor much of a crush. Just a good looking guy that happened to be at the right place at the right time and became an emotional support. And Hangover (the author) made it into a huge deal with Aubrey's wife and X's interest in Jayné in Book 2.
Not going to explain other characters' developments but they aren't great.
Like the last book, I enjoyed because of Suzy Jackson's narration.
The relationships, or the romance aspect, is still a total mess and it's not really a romance. Same with the whole rider and spirit system.
So far, riders are not wizards as the author claims. They are more like Animorphs, or any transforming fictions, with their transformations. A rider basically allows the "horse" to transform into some intermediate creature of the rider and a human. And they just have superhuman strength and speed, not so much on the magic part. The only magic ever used is a fake time freeze, wards and exorcism. None of the fights used any magic. Supernatural powers? Yes. Ones like temporarily freezing time. Ones like morphing into some beast. Other than the time freezing, the morphing into some beast can be replaced with injecting oneself with steroids or strengthening serums. And you can replaced being ridden as being mentally ill. It's seriously the same thing. This is why I said, the idea is nice. But the execution is horrific.
As for the romance, I hate it so much. Seriously, Jayné was scared, upset, or whatever and needed a support. And there's this good looking guy, Aubrey. Just as a reminder, Jayné came from a very religious family and she held a strong opinion about affairs and marriage. And probably sex too, subconsciously (this is an assumption though). There's also the fact that her first boyfriend/"lover", who she lost her virginity to, was essentially a player who slept with half the girls in her class. Then there's Jayné's first impression of Aubrey, she thought of him as a gay guy and her uncle Eric's lover. Of course, this was proved incorrect afterwards. But first impressions are important.
Aubrey wasn't a lover, nor much of a crush. Just a good looking guy that happened to be at the right place at the right time and became an emotional support. And Hangover (the author) made it into a huge deal with Aubrey's wife and X's interest in Jayné in Book 2.
Not going to explain other characters' developments but they aren't great.
Like the last book, I enjoyed because of Suzy Jackson's narration.
August 18, 2013
So... Plot wise, interesting.
Overall background plot, odd.
A lot of people have a lot of bad things to say about this series and book. I can honestly say... I have seen and read worse.
Main character - Weird. Judges weird scale. Pulls possibly typical teen sitcom drama level stuff. Has been rich for maybe... 3 months at this point, maybe 5? I finished this book earlier today and have done soo much I can't remember. Managed to study these Riders for however long and is showing a lot more knowledge, however if you notice its not as much as I would like and she isn't using her powers as much as I would like. Having said that.
She fights one in the hotel lobby and does pretty well considering, a one on one and during a surprise round. Two she fights another also surprise, manages to win/subdue, basically amazing. Three she manages to intervene and save someone from one, on her doing pretty well.
At this point she is admitted into the hospital and everyone starts giving her shit... About her management of time while they were setting up a safe house... that she bought and paid for, with HER money.
WTF?!? I would have told them to get the hellz out of mah house and never darken my door. Not cower. But once again the book weaves it in a particular way, where our main character doesn't really see anything until she has time alone and after she has stepped away.
So why do I rate this book as ok and not a 3 or a 4... Not talking about a 5.
3 reasons
1. Slow and light. This book builds, I get that is the authors style, but he builds things up and the plots are pretty straight forward.
2. The story is told from a past-present point of view. The story is currently happening, by being told as it happened. And only every now and then do you get commentary... But never really expounded upon well enough.
3. I sure as hell want her to step into her uncle's shoes, and do some work. This stuff is kind of below what I hope to see. I notice that most of the cool stuff, the exorcism, the magic(wards/chi/etc) is handled off screen and when not pretty much described with the phrase "a lotta mumbo jumbo that goes over my head and (insert some random word here)."
My advice to the author is make up a magic system, make it real by describing it, make it understandable to the readers who are interested in it, and then own it in your books. You are an author with a magic with currently only some rules and have the capabilities to expound upon it... GO WILD! Break the rules you set in the future and claim that the characters just don't know because no one ever taught them. Do things that seem amazing.
Perfect example. The crossroads. Possibly one of the coolest themes that was mentioned in this book, done well, and described perfectly. I doubt many people could see that for the other areas where everyone loves the main character and blah blah blah drama. lol
Overall background plot, odd.
A lot of people have a lot of bad things to say about this series and book. I can honestly say... I have seen and read worse.
Main character - Weird. Judges weird scale. Pulls possibly typical teen sitcom drama level stuff. Has been rich for maybe... 3 months at this point, maybe 5? I finished this book earlier today and have done soo much I can't remember. Managed to study these Riders for however long and is showing a lot more knowledge, however if you notice its not as much as I would like and she isn't using her powers as much as I would like. Having said that.
She fights one in the hotel lobby and does pretty well considering, a one on one and during a surprise round. Two she fights another also surprise, manages to win/subdue, basically amazing. Three she manages to intervene and save someone from one, on her doing pretty well.
At this point she is admitted into the hospital and everyone starts giving her shit... About her management of time while they were setting up a safe house... that she bought and paid for, with HER money.
WTF?!? I would have told them to get the hellz out of mah house and never darken my door. Not cower. But once again the book weaves it in a particular way, where our main character doesn't really see anything until she has time alone and after she has stepped away.
So why do I rate this book as ok and not a 3 or a 4... Not talking about a 5.
3 reasons
1. Slow and light. This book builds, I get that is the authors style, but he builds things up and the plots are pretty straight forward.
2. The story is told from a past-present point of view. The story is currently happening, by being told as it happened. And only every now and then do you get commentary... But never really expounded upon well enough.
3. I sure as hell want her to step into her uncle's shoes, and do some work. This stuff is kind of below what I hope to see. I notice that most of the cool stuff, the exorcism, the magic(wards/chi/etc) is handled off screen and when not pretty much described with the phrase "a lotta mumbo jumbo that goes over my head and (insert some random word here)."
My advice to the author is make up a magic system, make it real by describing it, make it understandable to the readers who are interested in it, and then own it in your books. You are an author with a magic with currently only some rules and have the capabilities to expound upon it... GO WILD! Break the rules you set in the future and claim that the characters just don't know because no one ever taught them. Do things that seem amazing.
Perfect example. The crossroads. Possibly one of the coolest themes that was mentioned in this book, done well, and described perfectly. I doubt many people could see that for the other areas where everyone loves the main character and blah blah blah drama. lol
November 12, 2009
Darker Angels by MLN Hanover
Urban Fantasy- Sept 29th, 2009
4 stars
Darker Angels is the 2nd in the MLN Hanover’s urban fantasy series. This series starts with tension and has some unexpected twists that are sure to keep the pages turning. I do feel it can be read alone. However, new readers will have a better understanding from having read the first book since it will give them insight into the nuances of the full cast of characters.
Jayne Heller was a typical college student until her mysterious uncle died. Suddenly Jayne finds herself the keeper of a dangerous heredity legacy. One that includes fighting spiritual parasites and wizards. She must quickly adapt to a dark underworld where she is untried and where the rules of the game can mean certain death. Now that she has finally resumed a sense of normalcy in her ‘new position’ she is contacted by a mysterious FBI agent who pleads for help. She asks Jayne and her cast of buddies to save a young girl from possession in New Orleans. As Jayne and her group try to save the girl new doubts about what she has been taught are called into questions as she tries to steer herself between the murky lines of right and wrong. As she fights against betrayal and an unexpected and deadly foe Jayne has all she can handle.
This dark work will delight fans of urban fantasy looking for something new and different. Instead of the usual cast of shifters and vampires MLN Hanover concentrates more on the magical and a seamy world filled with deadly possession, dark magic and consequence. Her novel is not cut and dried and many times I was torn between liking and disliking the characters as fealty shifted and emotions ran high. Jayne continually struggles to decide who are her really her friends and who are her true enemies. For those readers looking for an edgy and dark atmospheric story, they will find a haven in this new series. However, if you are a reader who enjoys lighter books with a more clearly defined endings you may feel disappointed. Although this book does a little romance it is primarily fantasy with plenty of bite and mystery.
This is an original series that will be sure to thrill readers of dark fantasy.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Urban Fantasy- Sept 29th, 2009
4 stars
Darker Angels is the 2nd in the MLN Hanover’s urban fantasy series. This series starts with tension and has some unexpected twists that are sure to keep the pages turning. I do feel it can be read alone. However, new readers will have a better understanding from having read the first book since it will give them insight into the nuances of the full cast of characters.
Jayne Heller was a typical college student until her mysterious uncle died. Suddenly Jayne finds herself the keeper of a dangerous heredity legacy. One that includes fighting spiritual parasites and wizards. She must quickly adapt to a dark underworld where she is untried and where the rules of the game can mean certain death. Now that she has finally resumed a sense of normalcy in her ‘new position’ she is contacted by a mysterious FBI agent who pleads for help. She asks Jayne and her cast of buddies to save a young girl from possession in New Orleans. As Jayne and her group try to save the girl new doubts about what she has been taught are called into questions as she tries to steer herself between the murky lines of right and wrong. As she fights against betrayal and an unexpected and deadly foe Jayne has all she can handle.
This dark work will delight fans of urban fantasy looking for something new and different. Instead of the usual cast of shifters and vampires MLN Hanover concentrates more on the magical and a seamy world filled with deadly possession, dark magic and consequence. Her novel is not cut and dried and many times I was torn between liking and disliking the characters as fealty shifted and emotions ran high. Jayne continually struggles to decide who are her really her friends and who are her true enemies. For those readers looking for an edgy and dark atmospheric story, they will find a haven in this new series. However, if you are a reader who enjoys lighter books with a more clearly defined endings you may feel disappointed. Although this book does a little romance it is primarily fantasy with plenty of bite and mystery.
This is an original series that will be sure to thrill readers of dark fantasy.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
March 3, 2010
In Unclean Spirits, the first novel featuring Jayne Heller, she discovered her late uncle's demon-fighting legacy, a fortune and potential powers of her own.
As she continues on a quest of self-discovery, she encounters friends and foes, learning how to work with both and keep both at arm's length in Darker Angels.
Because Jayne has kept her uncle's phone, she gets a call from a someone who knew him -- and who needs help. Jayne and her band of hunters, who gathered around her in the opening novel, head to post-Katrina New Orleans to help former FBI agent Karen Black.
Once there, this "don't want to be the Scoooby gang" faces individual and group moments of truth, partly from the voodoo-inspired threat and partly from their own reluctance to face facts about how these former lovers now depend on each other.
Karen is everything Jayne thinks she is not -- self-confident, knowledgeable and kick-ass in battle. But why does she think she needs help from, if not Uncle Eric, then from his niece? And why does the youngest member of the Voodoo Heart Temple know more about Jayne than Jayne herself?
Hanover's story is a layered portrait of a young woman coming into her own. Jayne is coping with the new-found knowledge of her favorite uncle's wealth and what he really was. She is dealing with continuing a relationship with a man she is attracted to, but feels she needs to keep her distance because of a former relationship of his that hasn't quite been finished. Her other new friends, also employees, have baggage of their own and are accustomed to doing their own thing even though they consider themselves a team now.
New Orleans and the emotional price in prolonged recovery plays a subtle role in this story. The voodoo aspect is handled not with tackiness, but with trepidation and respect. The city receives a love letter from Hanover.
Although it's not known if other Jayne Heller novels are in the works, they would be welcome. The characters have compelling storylines that have not yet come to fruition, and Hanover (fantasy author Daniel Abraham) is very talented at having their exploits serve their inner journeys. Both Unclean Spirits and Darker Angels make The Black Sun Daughter's story well worth reading.
As she continues on a quest of self-discovery, she encounters friends and foes, learning how to work with both and keep both at arm's length in Darker Angels.
Because Jayne has kept her uncle's phone, she gets a call from a someone who knew him -- and who needs help. Jayne and her band of hunters, who gathered around her in the opening novel, head to post-Katrina New Orleans to help former FBI agent Karen Black.
Once there, this "don't want to be the Scoooby gang" faces individual and group moments of truth, partly from the voodoo-inspired threat and partly from their own reluctance to face facts about how these former lovers now depend on each other.
Karen is everything Jayne thinks she is not -- self-confident, knowledgeable and kick-ass in battle. But why does she think she needs help from, if not Uncle Eric, then from his niece? And why does the youngest member of the Voodoo Heart Temple know more about Jayne than Jayne herself?
Hanover's story is a layered portrait of a young woman coming into her own. Jayne is coping with the new-found knowledge of her favorite uncle's wealth and what he really was. She is dealing with continuing a relationship with a man she is attracted to, but feels she needs to keep her distance because of a former relationship of his that hasn't quite been finished. Her other new friends, also employees, have baggage of their own and are accustomed to doing their own thing even though they consider themselves a team now.
New Orleans and the emotional price in prolonged recovery plays a subtle role in this story. The voodoo aspect is handled not with tackiness, but with trepidation and respect. The city receives a love letter from Hanover.
Although it's not known if other Jayne Heller novels are in the works, they would be welcome. The characters have compelling storylines that have not yet come to fruition, and Hanover (fantasy author Daniel Abraham) is very talented at having their exploits serve their inner journeys. Both Unclean Spirits and Darker Angels make The Black Sun Daughter's story well worth reading.
January 30, 2011
Jayne Heller, who inherited her uncle's fortune and his demon-hunting business, along with a "posse" of three guys with vastly different backgrounds and characters, continues along on her path of self-discovery in this second book in the The Black Sun's Daughter series.
Jayne and the boys are jetting from city to city digging through her uncle's houses and business in an effort to get some kind of handle on her uncle's knowledge of the posessing "riders" who inhabit human bodies and sometimes force them into evil acts.
Then a call from Karen Black, former FBI and ally of Jayne's uncle, brings the team to post-Katrina New Orleans.
The flavor; both physical and emotional, of a devastated city trying to come back is pervasive through the story, really adding an important layer of characterization to the wonderful continuing story of Jayne with her boys.
Relationships change; and what I love about this series is not the imaginative and so-real-I-can-taste it demon posession/voudoun bits, but how Jayne has to deal with her own lack of people skills while developing major relationships with her boys.
This is a story of dealing with destruction and coming back with building up important things like trust and caring between people.
This is about taking a second look at what might be deemed a scar or wound, and seeing how those changes might not necessarily make us stronger, but help us to survive.
We get tantalizing hints about Jayne's own past, and the stakes are raised without any super powers suddenly being discovered, a problem with other urban fantasy I've encountered. Jayne is still Jayne, and she is bruised and beaten, but not down for the count.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Leftover shrimp ettoufe, spicier and more complex in flavor-relationship than the night before, heavy and satisfying in your stomach after you've eaten.
Jayne and the boys are jetting from city to city digging through her uncle's houses and business in an effort to get some kind of handle on her uncle's knowledge of the posessing "riders" who inhabit human bodies and sometimes force them into evil acts.
Then a call from Karen Black, former FBI and ally of Jayne's uncle, brings the team to post-Katrina New Orleans.
The flavor; both physical and emotional, of a devastated city trying to come back is pervasive through the story, really adding an important layer of characterization to the wonderful continuing story of Jayne with her boys.
Relationships change; and what I love about this series is not the imaginative and so-real-I-can-taste it demon posession/voudoun bits, but how Jayne has to deal with her own lack of people skills while developing major relationships with her boys.
This is a story of dealing with destruction and coming back with building up important things like trust and caring between people.
This is about taking a second look at what might be deemed a scar or wound, and seeing how those changes might not necessarily make us stronger, but help us to survive.
We get tantalizing hints about Jayne's own past, and the stakes are raised without any super powers suddenly being discovered, a problem with other urban fantasy I've encountered. Jayne is still Jayne, and she is bruised and beaten, but not down for the count.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Leftover shrimp ettoufe, spicier and more complex in flavor-relationship than the night before, heavy and satisfying in your stomach after you've eaten.
June 25, 2011
I read the first book in this series some time ago and didn't really remember too much about it or the characters. This one is pretty self contained so that wasn't too much of an issue. Darker Angels starts off strong with an entertaining intro featuring a child that sees the future, and it keeps that pace with a case for Jayne and team to investigate. I continued reading happily until around page 150. At that point I realized the entire book was going to be made up of the one case. I don't mind reading a self contained mystery that takes up an entire book if there is something else going on that I find interesting, or if the mystery is complex and well developed. Neither is the case here. The characters are so boring I find myself ignoring most of what they said. They each have one personality trait, and basically chime in when appropriate. They aren't even important enough to be considered sidekicks. The mystery is long and drawn out, but not complex or entertaining at all. I didn't care who was behind what, or what weirdly named demon creature was friends with what other weirdly named creature. I don't care enough about anything in this series to continue it. If there was some sort of goal the characters were working towards other than cleaning out properties and entering what they find into a computer, then maybe I'd continue. I really don't care who Jayne's family had an affair with or what is special about them. This series is lacking a purpose, and I just don't enjoy it. I see that the team is quirky and fun, and that may be enough for some people, but it is no where near enough for me. Oh, by the way, I don't care how you pronounce Jayne and I am put off every time it's mentioned.
April 19, 2010
I didn't like this book as much as the last one.
I initially liked Karen even though I thought her explanations for things were too convenient. I had hoped that Jayne and Karen would get together after the club, but alas, no.
Aubrey still doesn't really do anything for me. I guess since several months have passed there was time for Aubrey and Janyne to fall in love, but it would have felt more real if we'd actually seen it happen.
I'm not a fan of Ex being in love with Jayne, too. He seemed more fatherly or big brother than a romantic interest. He also seems to run away when he can't deal with things, which is irritating.
Chogyi Jake remains by far the most interesting character to me.
I really wish they'd just get to the part where she's part Black Sun (whatever that means). I thought she was going to get to that when she found out about her mother's affair. It wouldn't be so irritating if the reader didn't already know about it. I don't understand why, if Hanover was going to drag it out so long, she didn't do like most urban fantasy authors and name the series after the protagonist.
I did like the idea of Jayne taking over her uncle's business. I don't understand why he charged so much unless it was on a sliding scale. I liked the group going to various properties and trying to do an inventory/wiki.
I also like the setting of New Orleans and I think it would be really interesting if Hanover explored the idea that some riders were beneficial and how that might change the way Jayne and co. deal with them.
I do like the series, I just wish she'd get to the point. And dump Aubry.
I initially liked Karen even though I thought her explanations for things were too convenient. I had hoped that Jayne and Karen would get together after the club, but alas, no.
Aubrey still doesn't really do anything for me. I guess since several months have passed there was time for Aubrey and Janyne to fall in love, but it would have felt more real if we'd actually seen it happen.
I'm not a fan of Ex being in love with Jayne, too. He seemed more fatherly or big brother than a romantic interest. He also seems to run away when he can't deal with things, which is irritating.
Chogyi Jake remains by far the most interesting character to me.
I really wish they'd just get to the part where she's part Black Sun (whatever that means). I thought she was going to get to that when she found out about her mother's affair. It wouldn't be so irritating if the reader didn't already know about it. I don't understand why, if Hanover was going to drag it out so long, she didn't do like most urban fantasy authors and name the series after the protagonist.
I did like the idea of Jayne taking over her uncle's business. I don't understand why he charged so much unless it was on a sliding scale. I liked the group going to various properties and trying to do an inventory/wiki.
I also like the setting of New Orleans and I think it would be really interesting if Hanover explored the idea that some riders were beneficial and how that might change the way Jayne and co. deal with them.
I do like the series, I just wish she'd get to the point. And dump Aubry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2016
Mere months have passed since the events of Unclean Spirits were front and center. Jayne and the gang have been exploring her inheritance, locating the many houses, finding various books on magic, looking for clue about the magic boost she received and trying to find out more about her Uncle Eric.
While in Greece, mysterious, brash and knowledgeable ex FBI agent, Karen Black finds Jayne when she calls Eric to help her destroy a loa rider (possessing demon) set to claim NOLA for their own territory after she gets a lead from a nascent precog. Concerned about her future with Aubrey, Jayne's grateful for Karen's knowledge and help but not always happy about the affect she has on the team.
When they all meet, Aubrey and Ex step up and become more assertive around Karen who has her own set of skills and Chogyi Jake and Aubrey are more protective. Working together but getting too close to the loa brings tragedy to the team and they struggle to readjust and settle into their strengths and use the knowledge to give as good as they get.
Although this read was a self contained adventure, it felt middle bookish... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, some threads were cleaned up or wrapped, others were begun and overall the story moved. Being herself, Karen brought out hidden skills and depths in the team and her ambiguous character worked for the series at this point. She kept this reader guessing about her loyalties for quite a while.
Rating:3.75stars
While in Greece, mysterious, brash and knowledgeable ex FBI agent, Karen Black finds Jayne when she calls Eric to help her destroy a loa rider (possessing demon) set to claim NOLA for their own territory after she gets a lead from a nascent precog. Concerned about her future with Aubrey, Jayne's grateful for Karen's knowledge and help but not always happy about the affect she has on the team.
When they all meet, Aubrey and Ex step up and become more assertive around Karen who has her own set of skills and Chogyi Jake and Aubrey are more protective. Working together but getting too close to the loa brings tragedy to the team and they struggle to readjust and settle into their strengths and use the knowledge to give as good as they get.
Although this read was a self contained adventure, it felt middle bookish... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, some threads were cleaned up or wrapped, others were begun and overall the story moved. Being herself, Karen brought out hidden skills and depths in the team and her ambiguous character worked for the series at this point. She kept this reader guessing about her loyalties for quite a while.
Rating:3.75stars
November 3, 2009
This book had quite a different style to it than the first. while the narrative was the same the layout of the story lines were different. this worked out mostly because in the story we had a precog. there was a lot of "If i thought about what they said more it would have saved..." and "turns out that is not what they meant.." normally that would grate on me, especially when it is in reference to characters that were not the precog, but somehow it all worked.
through the action and the inter drama of the group there was almost a lot of, i almost want to say character study material. so many glimpses into the inner workings of the characters, but not enough to tip any hands as to their entire back stories.
this book also started to blue the line between "good" riders and "bad" riders some more.
one tiny complaint was i think they fixed the possession of aubrey too neatly and quickly. it took a few hours and that was the end of it. i kind of wish it was a little more difficult.
i may have liked a lot of this book more than the first. seems like i am a minority in that one, but i really liked how it was all done.
PS. i am SO team Ex, but i don't see how we can get there without breaking up the group, which makes me kind of sad. i like all of them together, so ostracizing Aubrey wont work for me.
through the action and the inter drama of the group there was almost a lot of, i almost want to say character study material. so many glimpses into the inner workings of the characters, but not enough to tip any hands as to their entire back stories.
this book also started to blue the line between "good" riders and "bad" riders some more.
one tiny complaint was i think they fixed the possession of aubrey too neatly and quickly. it took a few hours and that was the end of it. i kind of wish it was a little more difficult.
i may have liked a lot of this book more than the first. seems like i am a minority in that one, but i really liked how it was all done.
PS. i am SO team Ex, but i don't see how we can get there without breaking up the group, which makes me kind of sad. i like all of them together, so ostracizing Aubrey wont work for me.
February 7, 2012
This is the second in the Black Sun's Daughter series and takes place about a year after Eric's death. This time the action moves to New Orleans and Voodoo's Loas are the riders du jour.
Hanover uses a lot of foreshadowing to ramp up the tension. There is a little more romance and a little heartbreak in this one as another attraction begins to show itself more clearly. There is non-stop action and Jayne' gets damn near beat to death several times but she's growing into her role.
Readers are introduced to Karen Black, an FBI agent who's been on the trail of a rider for quite some time. And yet she is not what she seems to be. I missed the character of Midian in this one.
Jayne' is having a rough time this go round. I must say I kinda like the heroine not having all the answers, not making all the right decisions and being vulnerable but at the same time can still bust some ass even if she gets seriously hurt at the same time.
I am still not sure as of the end of this book why the series has been named Black Sun's Daughter. There is only one reference to Soleil Noir which is Black Sun in french.
This was written to be able to stand by itself but I recommend reading this series in order.
I do like this series and am looking forward to reading the third in the series.
Hanover uses a lot of foreshadowing to ramp up the tension. There is a little more romance and a little heartbreak in this one as another attraction begins to show itself more clearly. There is non-stop action and Jayne' gets damn near beat to death several times but she's growing into her role.
Readers are introduced to Karen Black, an FBI agent who's been on the trail of a rider for quite some time. And yet she is not what she seems to be. I missed the character of Midian in this one.
Jayne' is having a rough time this go round. I must say I kinda like the heroine not having all the answers, not making all the right decisions and being vulnerable but at the same time can still bust some ass even if she gets seriously hurt at the same time.
I am still not sure as of the end of this book why the series has been named Black Sun's Daughter. There is only one reference to Soleil Noir which is Black Sun in french.
This was written to be able to stand by itself but I recommend reading this series in order.
I do like this series and am looking forward to reading the third in the series.
May 1, 2024
Voodoo cults! Magic! Demonic possession! This was so absolutely fabulous! It's a great series and I'm thrilled I found it. Plus, this one involved voodoo, so of course it was even cooler than the first book. I hung on to every word of this book and spent time listening to it when I normally would have been doing something else (like passing that stopped bus). I love most of the characters, I have a total crush on Chogyi-Jake, and the characters involved in the voodoo cult were incredibly fascinating. I'm rushing headlong through this series, which I never do, and then I'm going to read some of the books under his real name.
Merged review:
Voodoo and demons. Enough said 😁
Merged review:
Voodoo and demons. Enough said 😁
January 26, 2016
Just a tad too slow
July 24, 2020
Un deuxième tome divertissant.
Nous retrouvons Jayné et son équipe qui font le tour du monde pour répertorier et inventorier toutes les possessions d'Éric, son oncle décédé qui lui a tout légué. C'est à dire qu'elle est à la tête d'un patrimoine immense mais aussi d'un monde surnaturel dont elle ne soupçonnait même pas l'existence. Un ex-agent de la CIA , Karen Black, va la contacter en pensant prendre contact avec Eric. De ce fait, Jayné et ses acolytes vont être amené à poser bagage à La Nouvelle-Orléans, où un tueur en série y a élu domicile. Plus elle se rapproche de celui-ci, plus le danger deviens gros. Le souci c'est que celui-ci est plus proche qu'elle ne le pense, et elle va devoir se méfier des apparences.
J'ai aimé cette lecture car l'intrigue mélange chasse à l'homme et vaudou. Ici on découvre La Nouvelle-Orléans après l'ouragan qui a dévasté la ville, elle peine à s'en remettre mais les croyances perdurent. La mythologie mise en place par l'auteur commence à se complexifier et il faut bien suivre pour ne pas perdre le fil. L'action est tout de même présente du début à la fin, les longueurs ne sont pas présentes. De plus, on approfondit les personnages. On en apprends plus sur la famille de Jayné et sur les sentiments qui animent notre groupe, le seul souci que j'ai eu c'est l'ambiguïté qui se créee entre eux.
Elle va apprendre aussi que les apparences sont parfois trompeuses et que la confiance ne doit pas être donnée à l'aveugle.
Ce deuxième tome est globalement meilleur que le premier, puisque qu'après la pose des bases du monde dans lequel on va suivre notre héroïne, ici place à l'action et globalement c'est clairement mieux.
Par contre, j'essaye toujours de comprendre le titre de la saga. Pourquoi La fille du soleil noir et qu'es ce que c'est. J'espere en apprendre plus lors du prochain tome. En clair, il ne s'agit de LA série qui va révolutionner la genre, mais elle se laisse lire et apprécier.
Nous retrouvons Jayné et son équipe qui font le tour du monde pour répertorier et inventorier toutes les possessions d'Éric, son oncle décédé qui lui a tout légué. C'est à dire qu'elle est à la tête d'un patrimoine immense mais aussi d'un monde surnaturel dont elle ne soupçonnait même pas l'existence. Un ex-agent de la CIA , Karen Black, va la contacter en pensant prendre contact avec Eric. De ce fait, Jayné et ses acolytes vont être amené à poser bagage à La Nouvelle-Orléans, où un tueur en série y a élu domicile. Plus elle se rapproche de celui-ci, plus le danger deviens gros. Le souci c'est que celui-ci est plus proche qu'elle ne le pense, et elle va devoir se méfier des apparences.
J'ai aimé cette lecture car l'intrigue mélange chasse à l'homme et vaudou. Ici on découvre La Nouvelle-Orléans après l'ouragan qui a dévasté la ville, elle peine à s'en remettre mais les croyances perdurent. La mythologie mise en place par l'auteur commence à se complexifier et il faut bien suivre pour ne pas perdre le fil. L'action est tout de même présente du début à la fin, les longueurs ne sont pas présentes. De plus, on approfondit les personnages. On en apprends plus sur la famille de Jayné et sur les sentiments qui animent notre groupe, le seul souci que j'ai eu c'est l'ambiguïté qui se créee entre eux.
Elle va apprendre aussi que les apparences sont parfois trompeuses et que la confiance ne doit pas être donnée à l'aveugle.
Ce deuxième tome est globalement meilleur que le premier, puisque qu'après la pose des bases du monde dans lequel on va suivre notre héroïne, ici place à l'action et globalement c'est clairement mieux.
Par contre, j'essaye toujours de comprendre le titre de la saga. Pourquoi La fille du soleil noir et qu'es ce que c'est. J'espere en apprendre plus lors du prochain tome. En clair, il ne s'agit de LA série qui va révolutionner la genre, mais elle se laisse lire et apprécier.
May 24, 2013
Originally posted on my review blog, Stomping on Yeti, at http://yetistomper.blogspot.com/2009/... Words or Less: Another well-written series installment set in voodootacular New Orleans that balances the normal with the bizarre by utilizing relatable characters[return][return]Rating: 4/5 stars[return][return]The Good: Strong first person narration balances the paranormal with the mundane, Well written characters that feel like old friend; New Orleans setting/culture intrigues without being overwhelming or unnatural[return][return]The Bad: Lack of over-arching plot movement; Subplot is fairly predictable (and spoiled by back cover); Some awkward foreshadowing disrupts an otherwise seamless voice; Cover still sucks[return][return]My experience reading urban fantasy is a lot like my experience with family reunions. It�s not so much what you are doing but who you�re doing it with. If you don�t get along with your family you aren�t going to have a good time, regardless of what vacation spot you choose. On the other hand, the right group of people can make even the most mundane of destinations memorable. But what happens when you get both? In Darker Angels, the second novel in M.L.N. Hanover�s Black Sun�s Daughter sequence, Jayne, Aubrey, Ex, and Chogyi Jake make the trip to New Orleans, Louisiana for some rest, relaxation, and just the slightest bit of hunting for a serial-killing body-switching voodoo demon. There may be more of the latter and less of the former but that doesn�t make Darker Angels any less fun. [return][return]The strongest part of this series so far has been the characters. One of my favorite aspects of the Unclean Spirits (Book 1) was how real the characters felt. Unlike many Urban Fantasy series (Dresden Files, Felix Castor, etc), Hanover made the decision to start Jayne's story at the beginning. Rather than starting out as the experienced guide to the supernatural world for the reader, Jayne is as clueless as the rest of us. So many times you see characters make the transition into the larger fantastical world behind their own mundane lives with little hesitation. So it's a relief to read a character who asks the same questions and has the same doubts that I imagine any normal twenty something would have when placed in the same situation. Even the little things like looking for a good wifi connection, making small talk over dinner and drinks, and seeking familiar comforts at a coffee chain work to normalize a cast of characters that are immersed in an otherwise abnormal world of possession, magic, and monsters. The absurdity of the supernatural elements balanced with the normal problems of maintaining relationships and mixing work with life reminded me of some of the best of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. [return][return][return]As notable as Hanover's cast of characters is the location he places them in. From the fairly nondescript Denver setting featured in Unclean Spirits, Jayne and Co end up in New Orleans, LA. New Orleans is undoubtedly one of the most supernaturally charged cities in America and Hanover does an excellent job meshing the character of the city into the book without betraying the first person perspective of Ms. Heller. Some books only make token references to the setting, enough to ground the action and little more. Other stories lay on the detail a little too thick, trying to work their research into the story where it doesn�t belong. Darker Angels presents the city and its mysteries as Jayne sees them. As she journeys through water-logged ruins and the re-emerging tourist district in a hunt for voodoo cults and lost children we witness New Orleans through her eyes rather than some omniscient out of place narrator. I would say that the voice has improved from the first book in which Hanover (actually Daniel Abraham) seemed to have the occasional difficulty writing from the female perspective. While the majority of the narration is clear and consistent, there are a few places where it feels out of sync with the rest of the story. At times Jayne makes references to things people said that she misunderstood at the time of the story but that she now understands clearly in the future world from which she narrates her adventures. These points feel more like teasers than natural extensions of Jayne�s voice. [return][return]At the same time, that may have been my frustration with the overall arc of the series. While I appreciated Hanover�s skill at balancing his characters and his world-building, I couldn�t help but be irritated with the lack of answers to questions presented in Unclean Spirits. The plot itself feels light and somewhat predictable (especially if you read the back blurb) and the majority of the novel deals with fleshing out Jayne�s character rather than moving the bigger story forward. There are a few more tantalizing hints to a larger story involving her uncle, her tattoos, a vast fortune, innate magically ability and a possible destiny but little follow-up. [return][return]I drew parallels earlier to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and if I had to provide an analog for Darker Angels, it would be to the early episodes of the classic genre show. The characters have been introduced and hints at a larger story have been provided but the second or third episodes always seem somewhat stand-alone, serving as an additional jumping on point rather than aggressively pushing the story forward. There isn�t anything wrong with this per say. In fact, it�s more realistic than every episode dealing with the same evil force lurking in the background and single-mindedly building toward a season finale. But when you�re dealing with books, it�s not a matter of days or weeks until the next installment; it�s a matter of months. When you get to the end of the last chapter and you don�t feel like you don�t know any more than you did at the beginning of the book, it�s difficult to call the book a complete success. I�d like to see a better balance of subplot and superplot in future volumes.[return][return]Despite the disappointing lack of revelations regarding Jayne�s strange inheritance, this installment was another fast-paced fun read that returned to the enjoyable, relatable characters introduced in Hanover�s 1st work. I eagerly anticipate the release of Vicious Grace, the next book in the sequence. If you are interested in the series, I�d recommend picking up all three books and mainlining them like your favorite TV series on DVD.
May 9, 2025
Jayne receives a call on Eric's phone from former FBI agent Karen Black who previously worked with Eric on special cases. Now she needs help in rescuing a teenage girl from being used as a vessel for a rider who was a serial killer. The only problem is that the girl is related to a Voodoo Queen in New Orleans and kidnapping her to save her is not going to be easy.
Jayne was a bit irritating in this book. She spends most of her time comparing herself to the experienced kickass demon hunting agent in every way and constantly feeling inadequate. She loses the little bit of confidence she had, gets walked all over by Karen and suffers from bouts of silly jealousy and indecision. She allows herself to get talked into silly things, constantly trying to prove herself to Karen like a teenage girl trying to fit in with the cool kids. It was pretty annoying and I wanted her to get a grip of herself.
The 'romance' with Aubrey just seems to be stuttering along in no real direction. She complained in the first book about not wanting to sleep with a married man even though the marriage was long since over, yet now that Kim has signed the divorce papers, Jayne's not giving them to him? I'm really not sure what's going on with her, especially when she starts getting cosy with him again. I don't feel any great chemistry between the two and it all seems a bit of a struggle. It doesn't really feel like a love thing with them.
Karen was a character I disliked from the very start. She is used to being in charge and her manner is abrupt and dismissive. She refuses to listen to critical comments from Jayne and insists all plans must be done her way. And some of her plans are very wrong. Then at times she seems to be manipulating Jayne, almost as if she is trying to seduce her, as well as throwing herself at Ex. She struck me as a bit of a mess and I really didn't like anything about her.
I did find the Voodoo elements interesting to read about and there were interesting encounters with various dangerous people in the city. We don't find out much more about Eric's business dealings or Jayne's magical abilities but both are certainly put to good use in the book. Why can she do all these things? What happened on her lost weekend? Is the tattoo given to her by Eric? What is the Black Sun? Hoping for answers as the series progresses.
Jayne was a bit irritating in this book. She spends most of her time comparing herself to the experienced kickass demon hunting agent in every way and constantly feeling inadequate. She loses the little bit of confidence she had, gets walked all over by Karen and suffers from bouts of silly jealousy and indecision. She allows herself to get talked into silly things, constantly trying to prove herself to Karen like a teenage girl trying to fit in with the cool kids. It was pretty annoying and I wanted her to get a grip of herself.
The 'romance' with Aubrey just seems to be stuttering along in no real direction. She complained in the first book about not wanting to sleep with a married man even though the marriage was long since over, yet now that Kim has signed the divorce papers, Jayne's not giving them to him? I'm really not sure what's going on with her, especially when she starts getting cosy with him again. I don't feel any great chemistry between the two and it all seems a bit of a struggle. It doesn't really feel like a love thing with them.
Karen was a character I disliked from the very start. She is used to being in charge and her manner is abrupt and dismissive. She refuses to listen to critical comments from Jayne and insists all plans must be done her way. And some of her plans are very wrong. Then at times she seems to be manipulating Jayne, almost as if she is trying to seduce her, as well as throwing herself at Ex. She struck me as a bit of a mess and I really didn't like anything about her.
I did find the Voodoo elements interesting to read about and there were interesting encounters with various dangerous people in the city. We don't find out much more about Eric's business dealings or Jayne's magical abilities but both are certainly put to good use in the book. Why can she do all these things? What happened on her lost weekend? Is the tattoo given to her by Eric? What is the Black Sun? Hoping for answers as the series progresses.
November 5, 2016
**Thoughts while reading***
There's a lot that I don't love about Karen, but mostly I think she's super fishy and she's taking anger out on Jayne to deflect suspicion from herself...
Also, I really don't like Aubrey - and Jayne is being really dumb about Ex.
I think that her mom's affair must have resulted in her - maybe she's had a rider all along?
**
I was mostly right about Karen - I'm kind of glad it turned out she had a rider because her condescension was so irritating. Ex hooking up with Karen (and his subsequent fight with Jayne to make her push him away) was also an unwelcome surprise, although I'm glad that Chogyi Jake confessed to Jayne that Ex is in love with her. It was so obvious and she was so unaware that it was annoying. I also kind of loved Chogyi's answer when she asked if he was in love with her too lol.
There are a lot of suggestions in this one that Jayne either has a rider or was somehow the spawn of one from her mom's affair- there is definitely something weird about her tattoo and her "lost weekend". I'm eager to discover more about that and what happened to her in college that caused her to drop out.
It was also cool to see the different way that the riders in New Orleans behave.
There's a lot that I don't love about Karen, but mostly I think she's super fishy and she's taking anger out on Jayne to deflect suspicion from herself...
Also, I really don't like Aubrey - and Jayne is being really dumb about Ex.
I think that her mom's affair must have resulted in her - maybe she's had a rider all along?
**
I was mostly right about Karen - I'm kind of glad it turned out she had a rider because her condescension was so irritating. Ex hooking up with Karen (and his subsequent fight with Jayne to make her push him away) was also an unwelcome surprise, although I'm glad that Chogyi Jake confessed to Jayne that Ex is in love with her. It was so obvious and she was so unaware that it was annoying. I also kind of loved Chogyi's answer when she asked if he was in love with her too lol.
There are a lot of suggestions in this one that Jayne either has a rider or was somehow the spawn of one from her mom's affair- there is definitely something weird about her tattoo and her "lost weekend". I'm eager to discover more about that and what happened to her in college that caused her to drop out.
It was also cool to see the different way that the riders in New Orleans behave.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2022
This series is starting to grow on me. As I get to know the characters better and better, the whole series becomes more exciting. I really liked the setting and the plot was far from predictable. The only problem I have with this is that I sometimes (and much more rarely than in the first book) have a feeling, that the main character's POV is just not exactly right. I mean it's a female character but a male author and sometimes that inconsistency is showing. But apart from that tiny thing I'm quite sure that I will follow through the whole series.
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