Okay, when I jumped into this book, I was totally overwhelmed and overdone by the 'I'm so geeky I could scream and I want to make sure you know it!'-is of it all. Guy with long hair, working in a Hot Topic copy, nerdy shirts, modern day samurai(?), follower of bushido, champion of those who have bartered their souls away to demons and want them back. Corny, fun in a weird way, second book is on my to-read list but with no real urgency to it. ( )

I picked up the first three books in this series on a whim, and this first one has proven it to be a decent choice. I enjoy Urban Fantasy, and the combination of some martial arts being used to kick some demon butt was pretty cool. The story feels pretty modern and realistic (even better!) that I kept waiting to find out what the main character was going to do. Looking forward to book two! ( )

Very good Urban Fantasy. I especially liked the strong family dynamic, too often the hero is broken and alone, too damaged to form relationships. Jesse is is a good, honorable man with a beautiful wife and daughter. If you like the Dresden Files, you should enjoy this series also. ( )

2.5 stars ( )

OK, here we go. The main thrust of the plot is that the protagonist, Jesse James Dawson, fights demons. People sell their souls to demons for some advantage; then they tend to regret this. In these circumstances, a champion (of which Jesse is one) may put their own soul on the line to fight the demon and get the original soul back.

For:
1. The main character (male!) is slightly unusual in the urban fantasy genre in that he is, in fact, male. He also does not have a disastrous love-life. He has a happy marriage and a daughter. This makes for an interesting angle to the story: while most urban fantasy protagonists are lone-wolf types, Jesse has family responsibilities. He has to think about what will happen to his wife and daughter if he is killed in the line of work. He also has a day-job. This makes him a slightly more believable protagonist.

2. He is pretty durable, but equally it's made clear that fighting demons does have consequences in the matter of hospital stays etc.

3. Jesse himself is a likeable character, as is his wife. The dynamic between them is convincing, and Mira (the wife) is not simply a cipher with no part in the plot herself; not only is she a witch (and therefore plot-useful), but the author has not made the mistake of thinking that she can give Jesse a wife and then not have him act and think like someone who is in a strong, committed relationship with someone he loves. He's a bit stuck on the 'chivalry' (i.e., male chauvinism), and if I were married to him I'd have slapped him on several occasions, but Mira seems to be OK with him 'protecting' her by not telling her things in case she 'worries'. She's a strong enough character that if it really bothered her I'm sure she'd have sorted him out, so presumably it works between them.

4. The plot itself works. Unusually, Jesse does not have working magic (although there is a hint that he has some kind of magical ability that he has never worked out how to use), so he's very much almost the 'ordinary joe' making demon-fighting into something between a job and a vocation.

5. K.A. Stewart obviously knows that when it comes to martial arts, you don't get good - and stay that way - without a lot of training. Some people might say that the frequent descriptions of Jesse's training regime are a bit repetitive, but for me they add to the 'realism' - this is a guy who has a dangerous job. Of course he's going to train. A lot. It's going to be a major part of his daily routine, and it's nice to have an urban fantasy protagonist to whom everything does not come easily.

So why does this not get a full 5 stars?
Against:

1. K.A. Stewart does not appear to have had any contact with really good plate armour, if she thinks mail is preferable. There is a reason why plate replaced mail, and that reason is BECAUSE IT WORKS BETTER. Well-fitted plate does not sacrifice much in the way of mobility, and the protection is obviously excellent. Jesse (and Stewart) needs to do some research, or get a better armourer.

2. In some ways, as has been commented before, not much seems to happen in this book in the way of actual action, or indeed in the way of complex plotting. Although it does work well, it's clearly intended to be the first book in a series. Presumably the next book will have more action and/or complexity.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this book (hence 4 stars); I will certainly be reading the next book in the series, starting immediately. If you enjoy the Dresden Files, or the Twenty Palaces books, you'll probably enjoy this. ( )