Philippa Ballantine

She might be most powerful Deacon, but Sorcha Faris has a tarnished reputation to overcome. Frustratingly, her superiors have her and her partner, Merrick Chambers, chasing down rumors of geists rather than the real thing. So they jump at the chance to escort a delegation going south for negotiations. Their destination, the distant city of Orinthal, is plagued by a string of murders, but when Sorcha and Merrick investigate the mystery they find a hungry and cunning geist at the end of it. Disguised as a vengeful goddess wrapped in magic, she is bent on destroying her enemies, including the Rossin hidden inside Sorcha’s lover. Trying not to cause a dangerous political incident, while struggling against the sorcery of the geist, the Deacons delve into the past to find the answers. What will they give up to save a city of strangers?

Spectyr

Sarah Escorsa

Actual rating: 3.6598 stars. And a third.

Uh-oh, the MacHalos seem to be suffering from a collective bout of acute amnesia. It turns out that none of us female Einsteins can remember why we thought book 1 in this series was lacking and badly written and a waste of wondrous potential. Wanna know what I think? (view spoiler)[
  You're going to hear my opinion whether you want to or not, so might as well pretend you're interested in it. But hey, this is your life, fell free to squander it as you see fit and stuff
 (hide spoiler)] Of course you do. I think that either 1/we're all showing early signs of Alzheimer's or 2/we were way too drunk/high/delirious/all the aforementioned when we read Geist. Well, given that the MacHalos are a holy bunch of nun wannabes who never misbehave or do reprehensible stuff, #1 it must be. Anyway, despite being slightly (if erroneously) disappointed in book 1, we decided to do the Bold and Audacious Thing (BaAT™) and continue with this series. And here we are.



That's the MacHalos alright, hot and so sexy and as trigger-happy as homicidal runaway nuns.

Okay, I'm really behind on my Subaquatic Wars to Wage Continents to Conquer and Puny Humans to Annihilate Schedule (SWtWCtCaPHtAS™), so I'll give you the short of it for once.

➘ 
  This book is kinda sorta cool because
:

① I said so. QED and stuff.

② Philippa Ballantines has no mercy on bloody shrimping tropes. Suicide Inducing Bonding à la Paranormal Romance (SIBalPNR™)? Killed dead. The I'm A Super Uber Cool Arrogant Sexy Shifter and I Know It Thing (IaSUCASSaIKI™)? Slaughtered stiff. The A Woman and A Man Having a Relationship that Does Not Involve Sex or Romance Oh Please Don't Be Ridiculous Now Hahaha Business (AWaAMHaRtDNISoROPDBRNHB™)? Butchered lifeless. And that, my Little Barnacles, is slightly glorious indeed.

③ A somewhat wondrous cast of characters this is and most delicious their dynamics are. We've got endearing types, stupendous gauntlet-wearing types, engaging types, High Security Harem Material Types (HSHMT™) *waves at her Piratey Prince/Princely Pirate Raed*, violent death-worthy types, sneaky types, Oooh You Age So Well What Face Cream Do You Use Types (OYASWWFCDYUT™) and lots of other scrumptious, complex, you know, types and stuff. Let's dance.



I know you're all jealous of my smooth moves, but you really shouldn't be. I was born super hot and suave while you, well, you know, weren't and stuff. The truth hurts and life sucks, I know.

④ Women rule. Women lead. Women pilot dirigibles and ships and all that crap. Women make things go boom. Women do awesome spoiler spoiler spoiler stuff. Women kick ass. Women get their lovely asses kicked. Women are treacherous bitches. Women are homicidal maniacs. Women are religious freaks. YUM.

⑤ Blood, gore, severed limbs and detached internal organs abound. And lovely kitties viciously gleefully chomp on puny humans stuff. YAY. 

⑥ Entertaining stuff and intriguing stuff and backstabbing stuff and fast-paced action stuff and magic stuff and mysterious stuff and surprising stuff and steampunk stuff and heart-wrenching stuff that didn't wrench my black, withered heart because it is black and it is withered and spoiler spoiler spoiler stuff. The later I've always been a fan of. So that's, you know, pretty cool and stuff.

⑦ This:



This little beast doesn't look deadly to you? It is. Trust me on that one, I used to breed murderous decapods for a living and know a murderous freak when I see one.

⑧ And this:



Lots of awesome kitties in this book. Watch out, Your Furriness, The Rossin is coming for you!

➘ 
  I didn't give this book a full 4-star rating because
:

① I didn't.

② I can't remember.

③ I need a drink.

» And the moral of this Uncharacteristically Insightful the MacHalos Proved to Be for Once Forbidden to Faint Because of this Unheard of Occurrence It Is Crappy Non Review (UItMPtBfOFtFBotUoOITCNR™) is: soldier on we shall and read the next instalment in this series post haste and most enthusiastically we will. Because tame this kitty we must. Ha. 

· Book 1: Geist ★★★
· Book 3: Wrayth ★★
· Book 4: Harbinger - NOT to be read. I'm not that suicidal, thank you very much.



[Pre-review nonsense]

Glad that the MacHalos kindly, um, encouraged my shrimpy self to read this book I am.

Patting my little self on the exoskeleton for making the decision to continue with this series I am.

Much much MUCH better than book one this instalment is.

Continue the series with or without the MacHalos I shall. Because I am selfish and ungrateful and a horrible daddy like that.



➽ Full There's a Slight Chance I Might be Falling in Slight Lurve with a Sexey Beastly Pirate Prince or is it Sexey Princely Pirate Beast or Maybe Sexey Piraty Beast Prince Who the Fish Knows Crappy Non Review (TaSCIMbFiSLwaSBPPoiiSPPBoMSPBPWtFKCNR™) to come.

Spectyr

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