Unholy Magic [Paperback]

To say that I love the Downside Ghosts series is a ridiculous understatement. Two books in and I think it's safe to say I am fully addicted, complete with the sweats, itching and panic after having read the last page in Unholy Magic. I tried to read slowly, I did, but it was so-damn-good! 368 pages was not enough, I needed more. Now.

In Unholy Magic Chess is still very much addicted to drugs and still associating with both her regular drug dealer's main muscle Terrible, as well a rival drug lord Lex. She lives a dangerous, chaotic life with no clear indication that things will settle down anytime soon. A good deal of her chaos is self imposed but such is the nature of the life of a drug addict. However in Unholy Magic, things get a bit more personal. We get a glimpse into Chess's tragic background and a better understanding of they reasons she abuses drugs. Chess uses the drugs and both creates and allows chaos in her life as a way of coping--or perhaps not--with things that are just too big to handle. Chess has really grown on me as a heroine which is actually quite surprising to me since there were several times in this book where I literally wanted to wring her neck. She is a mess and makes bad decisions left and right. But on the other hand her basic moral core is solid and underneath it all she is quite vulnerable.

Chess is not the only character that has grown on me. I liked Terrible in Unholy Ghosts but I'm going to put myself out there and say I've moved on to loving him after reading Unholy Magic. We get to know a lot more about Terrible and although his reality is danger and violence, somehow after pealing back his layers and getting to look a little deeper it's easier to sympathize and understand who he is. He still had a moment or two that made me say, "Oh no he didn't!" but Terrible wouldn't be Terrible unless he actually did. (I'm still firmly supporting team Terrible)

When it comes to mystery and suspense, Stacia Kane writes with gusto. She is a master of surprises and she simply does not hold back, pushing the boundaries with every turn of the page. This book will make you shiver, shudder, cringe and wince but at the same time, you'll find yourself caring deeply for characters that are far from perfect and who's redemption seems questionable at times.

Stacia Kane has written an amazing, spine tingling novel in Unholy Magic, taking me by surprise by surpassing even the brilliance of it's predecessor Unholy Ghosts.

Review courtesy of [...]

Like any drug, the first taste gets your attention but its the second taste that gets you hooked. I though the first Downside Ghosts book, Unholy Ghosts, was an impressive debut, but UNHOLY MAGIC is even better. I am well and truly addicted to this dark, seductive urban fantasy series.

Ghosts were stronger underground; no witch willingly went below the surface of the earth, not without a Church edict or a death wish. Chess had both to varying degrees... -First line from UNHOLY MAGIC

Chess Putnam is a total train wreck of a human being. Her childhood was spent bouncing from one abusive foster home to the next. In her adult life she is a junkie, becoming more and more dependent on her pills and Speed just to make it through the day. Yet she is a fighter. Battling her own demons one day at a time, or ghosts as the case may be. Sometimes she gives in, but she never gives up. I find that I'm constantly rooting for her, even when she falls--which she does a lot--to pick herself up and keep going, and I kind of love her for that.

But it is hard when you see those bad decisions lining up to tackle her all at once, which they do in UNHOLY MAGIC. Romantically there was a very unorthodox love interest introduced in the last book, Terrible, who basically lives up to his name, but who like Chess, you root for (even more so in this book). There are some profoundly powerful scenes when we find out more about both Chess and Terrible's histories, and when they both have to finally own up to their feelings for each other. I'm still recovering.

Bottom line, Chess Putnam is quickly becoming one of my favorite urban fantasy heroines. Yes, she's an addict, who gets twitchy, itchy and even physically ill if she goes too long without a fix. But I'm starting to relate when it comes to the Downside Ghosts series. Sure, Stacia was all nice and generous at first, releasing the first three books a month apart (the third Downside Ghosts book, City of Ghosts, will be released on July 27, 2010). But what happens in August when I'm jonesing for book four? If what happened to Chess in UNHOLY MAGIC is any indication, it's not going to be pretty, but right now I'm too high off this book to care.

Sexual Content: References to sex. Several scenes of sensuality. Several sex scenes. An orgy is briefly described. References to child molestation. References to rape.

UNHOLY MAGIC settled it. Downside Ghosts is officially my new favourite urban fantasy.

Prostitutes are being killed on Downside streets, and Bump, drug dealer/pimp, decides that this is Chess's responsibility as a church witch and addict. After following Terrible to the crime scenes, Chess comes to believe ghosts and sex magic are involved. Slobag, a rival drug dealer, is having similar problems, and Chess finds herself caught between two drug dealers and their top flunkies who just happen to be her love interests. Though "love" might not be the right word.

Lex and Terrible are still in the picture. Still attractive, unpleasant, and a very bad idea. They also happen to be two of my favourite leading men. Chess starts thinking about the ethics of sleeping with a man who also happens to be giving her free drugs and things with Terrible become more intense. The slightly dank romance is there, but it never crosses into the gooey land of paranormal romance.

The writing is good, the characters sympathetic without being nice, and the dialogue believable. I'd like to have seen the world more fleshed out, and more church politics in the book. I still can't decipher the drug slang (cepts, nips, oozers?) and I can't work out if I'm suppose to. But Chess, who is pretty much a walking, talking, disaster zone, makes up for any literary slips. She's a competent witch, trying really hard to be tough. But she makes one brilliant mistake after another--rattling on the bathroom floor of her church appointed subject, falling into bed with people she probably shouldn't, just so she doesn't have to spend a night home alone. Every mistake is made with the perfect levels of oblivion and self-reflection; it hits angsty notes, but never crosses into melodramatic territory.

MAJOR PRO: Totally in agreement with a previous reviewer. This series is 100% addictive and I'm currently thanking a nonfactual and untrue God for the awesome publishing deal that means I don't have to wait too long for CITY OF GHOSTS.

MAJOR CON: At the moment, the ebook is unavailable in certain areas. Like mine. Boo.

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