Cameron HaleyReseñas

meh. not bad for first book, but seemed like it was missing parts of the plot.

This reader's personal opinion, ©2018, all rights reserved, not to be quoted, clipped or used in any way by goodreads, Google Play, amazon.com or other commercial booksellers*

Not completely sure what I think of this first in series or if I'll continue. There were hints of unique and interesting worldbuilding and characters. Some humor. Read more gangbanger than mobster. May just be first book-it-is and rest of series a string one.

I'm not sure the book knew what it wanted to be. Lots of new stuff thrown in at end. The mystery part dud not progress well. Sometimes I started to connect to the character but a lot of time I did not because she didn't connect well to others (well, okay, an otherworldly BFF and new roommate eventually tossed in -- not really explained why our "heroine" befriended this Otherworld one but enslaved another Otherworld ...).

It was well written, but kinda a mess. If I hadn't accidentally library borrowed the next book mistaking series order, not sure how much I would have read. It was a book/series that kept showing up on my radar so probably I would have finished at least this first book.

*©2018. All rights reserved except permission is granted to author or publisher (except Penumbra Publishing) to reprint/quote in whole or in part. I may also have cross-posted on The Reading Room, Libib, LibraryThing, and other sites including retailers like kobo and Barnes and Noble. Posting on any site does not grant that site permission to share with any third parties or indicate release of copyright.

Ratings scale:

★★★★★ = All Time Favorite
★★★★½ = Extraordinary Book. Really Loved It.
★★★★☆ = Loved It.
★★★½☆ = Really Liked.
★★★☆☆ = Liked.
★★½☆☆ = Liked parts; parts only okay. Would read more by author.
★★☆☆☆ = Average. Okay.
★½☆☆☆ = Disliked or meh? but kept reading in hopes would improve.
★☆☆☆☆ = Loathed It. Possibly DNF and a torturous read.
½☆☆☆☆ = So vile was a DNF or should have been. Cannot imagine anyone liking. (Might also be just an "uploaded" word spew or collection that should not be dignified by calling itself a "published book." If author is going batshit crazy in the blogosphere over reviews -- I now know why they are getting bad reviews. Or maybe author should take remedial classes for language written in until basic concepts like using sentences sink in. Is author even old enough to sign a publishing contract or do they need a legal guardian to sign for them?)½

Eldernost Book #1

Repetition of the word "juice" had me on the fence with this book, and the chapter or so that followed were too clumsy to keep me going. DNF.

Abigail wasn't a fan, either, but she powered through. Read her review at All Things Urban Fantasy.

jjbooklvr This is book 1 of the Underworld Cycle. Domino is a gangster. Not your typical one though--she can do magic and is a lieutenant in her outfit. When one of her crew turns up not only dead, but skinned as well she is charged by her boss to find out why. All clues lead to an upcoming war with a rival outfit. With the help of a piskie named Honey can Domino figure out who is behind the murders and the upcoming war in time?

I liked how the author took the use of magic and the supernatural world and gave it a different spin from your typical Urban Fantasy story. I will have to now read the next book in the series Skeleton Crew.

I read an advance reader's copy of this novel. This urban fantasy novel had a fast paced strong storyline with a strong heroine and an intelligently plotted magic system. The protagonist Dominica, or Domino as she prefers, is one of the top level magic users in a mob in L.A. that's run by a Sumerian sorcerer. Magical mob wars ensue, as her fellow mob members start turning up murdered in gruesome ways and Domino has to get to the bottom of it all. It's very mod, with Domino using Wikipedia and the Internet to divine and talk to the spirit world. Something about it didn't grab me and I had to persevere to the end, despite its good storyline. Something about the mob morality, perhaps - I think I prefer more conflicted heroines if they are going to be murdering mobsters - though the author does bring in discussions of morality to some extent. Or maybe the updates to bring in L.A. mob and mod were a little too forced for me. Or the heavy echoes of Jim Butcher and Kim Harrison. Still, the echoes were freshened up and made pretty new. Overall maybe it's just that I didn't connect with the character emotionally. She seemed cold. Best recommended to older teens and young adults, I think, who as a bonus might actually like the painfully manga looking cover.

I picked SKELETON CREW up without realizing zombies played a HUGE role in this sequel to MOB RULES. I know, it's in the summary - but I didn't read it at all since I was already interested in seeing how things played out for Domino. A leap of faith, really, considering my lukewarm reactions to the 1st book.

Is there anything that zombies can't make gold? Actually, I can think of a few reads that didn't work out, but SKELETON CREW really really blew my mind away. In a good way. In the good rock-my-socks-off way. Zombie outbreak never looked more sexy or dangerous or crazy-awesome. Seriously I think Cameron Haley has renewed my zombie addiction ten-fold after being in such a slump last fall!

I do not think reading MOB RULES is necessary to appreciate the sequel to the max. It may help to explain the magic system, the gang and Faerie Court politics, the tension between Domino and Adan, but otherwise I think the story rolled smoothly on its own with it as things start to snowball into an avalanche. There simply wasn't any time to worry about backstory - Domino and company had too much on their plate to handle without wallowing in the past for long.

I loved how SKELETON CREW incorporated South American mythology into the storyline, especially in regards to the zombie infestation. A really unique spin that definitely added some spice to the experience - and I never realized how special Mexican Hairless Dogs are! Who knew that they would play such a significant part here? Or that La Calvera Catrina could be such a deliciously dynamic villain? Who would have dreamed that South American mythology and cultural references + zombies would create such a fascinating story?

The action never let up for a second! Whenever Domino gets even a hint of a break, she gets slammed with another problem to handle - and sometimes they were interconnected. Of course, as her troubles start to culminate and the end of humanity is near, everyone - gangs, Faerie Court, spirits, federal agents - wants to play hero in order to be rewarded with more power that will surely result for their cooperation. Too bad there isn't really enough power to go around...

SKELETON CREW has definitely got me hooked on this series! Cameron Haley has created an amazing world that solidified in this sequel, and I am dying to find out what happens next! Domino and gang may have successfully swept their zombie problems under the rug, but have they enough juice to contained the demons and Faeries from overrunning L.A.?

Skeleton Crew is a dark action packed story about Zombies in L.A. and it's up to Domino Riley to stop them. This is the second book in the series and if you haven't read the first one then let me tell you that magic is pulled from the streets, and you have the in between world where fairies, ghosts and demons rule. Domino Riley is a street smart, butt kicking girl who knows she's in trouble when zombies show up and start reproducing. It's up to her and her gang to find out who is behind it and to stop it. Her only real distraction is Adan, her boss's son.

I really enjoyed the first book and I believe the second one is even better. It is a must read.

reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/

I was much happier with the pacing in SKELETON CREW. Things happened quicker and the slow parts were few and far apart. Domino is her kick butt, snarky, smart ass self. She continues to see what her juice can do to protect her and the things she feels need protecting. Her allies and friends are at her back as they fight to figure out why everyone who dies turns into zombies. Some friends and allies are lost. There is tons of action spaced throughout the book. The romance is very slim so dont expect much in that department if that is what your looking for. The imagination and creativity is just as high in book 2 as it was in MOB RULES. There is plenty of zombie action for all you zombie lovers. The ending event made me sad :( I was really hoping something would come of the situation. Hopefully its not the end of that character and Cameron is just tricking us. Im glad I won a copy of Skeleton Crew or I wouldn't have found this series. I'm definitely going to continue with Domino's story.

I was thrilled to get my hands on Skeleton Crew, as I thought [b:Mob Rules|7740381|Mob Rules (Underworld Cycle, #1)|Cameron Haley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278439394s/7740381.jpg|10547528] was terrific and right from the opening scenes we are thrown straight back into the maelstrom of violence and magic that is LA in this alternate world. The uneasy peace Domino brokered is threatened by a greedy gang headed by Mobley who has unleashed Demons in a quest for more power and unintentionally triggered a plague of zombies that threaten to destroy the entire city. Domino needs to figure out what is causing the dead to rise, and then defeat the encroaching evil as it bleeds into existence.The Underworld Cycle series is a gritty urban fantasy that embraces the violence of the power struggle between good and evil. Events are graphic (particularly that spawning bug), the language at times can be crude but it has an authenticity that works within this context. Haley's world is creative and intriguing for it's detail and scope. King of the Seelie fairies, Oberon runs a nightclub, ghosts linger at the veil of realities and evil lurks in a shadow world called the between.Domino is very likeable, she is self aware, even if conflicted over what she does and what she wants and strong, determined and brave. Her relationship with Aden is resolved in this installment though not as you might expect. She still has the support of Honey, is tormented by her resident ghost and djinn familar all who make an interesting cast.With the addition of confused and hungry zombies the action in Skeleton Crew is non stop and the pace pulls you along at breakneck speed. I reluctantly put it down at 4 in the morning after foolishly thinking I would just read a few pages when I went to bed at 2am, and barely made it through the next day on 2 hours sleep.This series is shaping up to be a favourite of mine, I really enjoy everything about it and I am already eager for the third.

reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/

I happened to win a copy of SKELETON CREW Book 2 from Goodreads First Reads so I went to the library and borrowed a copy of MOB RULES so I would be ready to read when my book got here. I thought the world building was creative and engaging. The storyline was interesting and entertaining but the pace at which things happened was pretty slow throughout the whole book. I really wish the pacing wasn't so slow but I found myself loosing interest because of it and wanting to sit the book down and get other things done. The use of juice (magic/power) definitely drew me in to the situations, if someone has juice they can pretty much use it to do anything from ease a headache to kick ass. The explanations in the beginning were a bit lacking. It took me a bit to catch on to what juice was lol maybe I just wasn't paying good enough attention. I liked Domino, she is second in command and commands respect just by being in a room or situation. She uses her magic well and it was fun to watch her do things with it. She gets a neat little sidekick that has no problem telling Domino what she thinks. The romance is light and the ending was a bit of a shock with what happened to the love interest, definitely want to see were that development takes us in book 2. All in all its a neat story with interesting characters, I enjoyed Cameron's writing but the pacing is really slow so be warned that you might get a little mad that things aren't happening as fast as you want them to.½

Are you tired of reading the same book over and over again under the guise of a different title? You know the ones: girl meets boy with a secret, magic is plentiful, perhaps a vampire is featured, and don’t forget the happy ending. Well, Cameron Haley may have started with this formula, but he blew it up—literally. The main character, Domino, works for the baddest mob boss in L.A. As a strong magic user, she’s his lieutenant in the outfit, which means she takes care of business the boss doesn’t want to deal with. When a member turns up dead and missing his skin, Domino tries her hand at investigation. She reaches out to the member’s soul to find out who killed him, and when that doesn’t work, she resorts to older magic to bring back his ghost. Shortly after her investigation starts, she’s dating a guy—who has a secret!—that she found along the trail. At the same time, Fred the vampire makes an appearance, but is he “vegetarian” or killer? From there, every time I thought I knew where Haley was taking the story, it would take an interesting turn in a different direction. Haley would play out the most logical conclusion almost to the end before she changed the path 90 to 180 degrees to show us another possibility. I bet you’re wondering about the happy ending, but you’re just going to have to read it for yourself.
I received my copy of this book from the First Reads giveaway program where members can offer a copy or several copies of a book for other people to collect. The system works mostly on random selection, but the process is simple. With three clicks of the mouse, I let Cameron Haley know I was interested in this book. He had listed three signed copies in celebration of his first book release, and 867 members requested a copy. I didn’t pay anything to sign up for an account, to enter, or to receive my book. The only stipulation is that I was asked to post my review of the book on the website (and any other venue I chose). This was not hard and was a pleasure to accomplish—to the point that I might have skipped some homework in order to finish reading this amazing book. I look forward to more books from this author.

MOB RULES was not what I expected - I think I was looking for more Raine Benares light-hearted fun, but Domino did not seem to be a marshmallow-on-the-inside sort of person. She was pretty straightforward, knew her job and knew how to survive on the streets where drugs and death seemed commonplace. It was actually fun to see how her magic functioned! She would use Wikipedia or FriendTrace.com to search for unknown magical items or connect with dead for further interrogation. She would use a famous quote or saying to make things happen like find a parking spot or weave through traffic.

In the end, MOB RULES surprised me though - always a plus - and I am a little curious to see where the sequel will take Domino. Yet I am not sure if I want to be friends with Domino just quite yet - perhaps I'll warm up to her in a month or so...

Mob Rules is Cameron Haley‘s first book, in a series in which sorcerers in Los Angeles are part of outfits that rule different territories within the city and the general area. The star of the story, Domino Riley, is lieutenant in one of the outfits, a street-wise thirtysomething with lots of magical juice to back up her position.

As Rashan’s lieutenant, Domino takes care of problems, some small, some large. In Mob Rules, it’s a big problem; one of the men in the outfit has been killed, skinned, and squeezed for his magical essence. Soon after, another man turns up dead, and Domino has to figure out who’s starting the war, and what their motivations are.

I’ve noticed this book on the shelves for a while but didn’t pick it up until just recently. In some ways, I’m glad that I did, since I got to satisfy my curiosity but, unfortunately, that was about all that the book satisfied, as I was generally underwhelmed by Mob Rules. While the novel has a neat set-up, with the idea of supernatural gangs, the characters aren’t the most engaging and the plot is somewhat predictable, particularly in the first half of the novel. I liked Domino and I thought Holly was quite charming but I wasn’t really sold on any of the other characters. A lot of the minor characters came off quite one-dimensional, with overly obvious motivations. The fight scenes were quite fun though, and some of the twists and turn that the plot takes are a lot of fun. Generally speaking, though, I wasn’t all that impressed. It’s a fine novel but there wasn’t anything that made it outstanding, and so I don’t think I’ll be purchasing the sequel, Skeleton Crew, when it comes out in May. Perhaps I’ll get it from the library…if they have it in stock.

http://ireadgood.wordpress.com

I loved this book! Gobbled it up in one day(didn't even have time to list it on my "reading now" list:) Cannot wait to see more from this author!

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

In MOB RULES the good is really good (amazingly creative world building and a feisty fun sidekick), but by comparison, the bad is really bad (a slow storyline that never picks up speed).

The main storyline in which magical mob enforcer, Domino, is trying to avoid a gang war while chasing down a nasty killer who skins and crucifies his victims in order to drain them of their magic sounds a lot more interesting then it is on paper. And that’s not because Haley is a bad writer, he’s not, but his pacing leaves a lot to be desired. The whole mystery could have been solved in three chapters but instead it drags on for fifteen.

I actually found myself getting mad that this very cool world building was wasted on a story that just meandered through this fascinating alternate L.A. in which Domino’s familiar is Mr. Clean trapped in her TV, she contacts the dead through a Facebook type site, graffiti tagging can tap into juice (aka magic), and spells for everything from counteracting nicotine to all matter of cosmetic enhancements are triggered by famous quotes.

The other bright spots in MOB RULES were the scenes between Domino and a mischievous eight inch tall naked piskie named Honey. Honey felt like an import from a Stephanie Plum novel with lots of quick and quirky dialogue like this scene where Honey begrudgingly offers to teach Domino how to control her magic:

I laughed. “No offense, Honey, but you’re eight inches tall. And you have a sword.” I noticed the sword was missing. “Where do you hide that thing, anyway?”
”It’s a secret.”

Overall, the truly stellar world building and fun supporting characters couldn’t save this story with its wimpy romance and dull plotting. There is a prequel in the anthology Harvest Moon coming out October 1, 2010, and the sequel called Skeleton Crew due out sometime in 2011 but I can’t see myself picking up either.

Sexual Content: References to sex. A scene of mild sensuality.