Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Luna (2006), 416 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: Manhattan's night life just got weirder... It starts as a simple job -- but simple jobs, when you're dealing with the magical world, often end up anything but. As a Retriever, Wren Valere specializes in finding things gone missing -- and then bringing them back, no questions asked. Normally her job is stimulating, challenging and only a little bit dangerous. But every once in a while... Case in point: A cornerstone containing a spell is stolen and there's a magical complication. (Isn't there always?) Wren's unique abilities aren't enough to lay this particular case to rest, so she turns to some friends: a demon (minor), a mage who has lost his mind, and a few others, including Sergei, her business partner (and maybe a bit more?). Sometimes what a woman has to do to get the job done is enough to give even Wren nightmares.....… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member amberwitch
Another urban fantasy starring a plucky female protagonist with magical abilities. This one takes place in Manhattan and is unusual in that it is told in third person and that the point of view shifts between Wren and her partner Sergei. Other than that it has a secret magical community, with a
Wren makes a living using her magical talent as a Retriever - someone who, as the name suggests, retrieves an object with no questions asked for a certain price - while trying to lay low and avoid the attention of The Council.
Sergei is her agent. His daytime job as a gallery owner puts him in contact with people who are in need of Wrens services, and he screens the joboffers for her.
The newest job he has arranged, however, is going belly-up, and risk placing both of them in opposition to The Council with an impossible job to do and with an offer they are unable to refuse from an organisation that doesn't exist.
The story is about average with the sexual tension between the two main characters upfront, and the world yet another take on the magical world co-existing with the mundane in secret. There is nothing new if one is familiar with the works of the likes of Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Rachel Caine etc. It is a competent and wellwritten offering in the genre, but in no way outstanding.
Show More
council which tries to control the rest of the denizens, magic represented as electrical charge, non-human species living amongst humans, and a secret society dedicated to the good of humanity - in the long run, which may require sacrifices in the present.Wren makes a living using her magical talent as a Retriever - someone who, as the name suggests, retrieves an object with no questions asked for a certain price - while trying to lay low and avoid the attention of The Council.
Sergei is her agent. His daytime job as a gallery owner puts him in contact with people who are in need of Wrens services, and he screens the joboffers for her.
The newest job he has arranged, however, is going belly-up, and risk placing both of them in opposition to The Council with an impossible job to do and with an offer they are unable to refuse from an organisation that doesn't exist.
The story is about average with the sexual tension between the two main characters upfront, and the world yet another take on the magical world co-existing with the mundane in secret. There is nothing new if one is familiar with the works of the likes of Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Rachel Caine etc. It is a competent and wellwritten offering in the genre, but in no way outstanding.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
Interesting premise, poor execution... dragged out storyline...
Staying Dead follows the classic 'job gone wrong' premise, and our main character -- who has a Talent, but has gone rogue, but who's a Retriever, though she's the only one of her kind, but since she's rogue she isn't part of 'civilized
Got that? Well, I'm glad you did, because it took me at least 100 pages to figure out what the heck was going on and what the point of the story was. Sloppy writing, even worse editing, and an inexcusable amount of telling (every few pages the story would stop to explain something to the reader, which also lasted a few pages) made the majority of the book nearly unreadable.
So why did I keep going? That's a question I asked myself a few times... because I really wanted it to get better. I liked the concept of the main character, but she was so flat and uninteresting (and didn't seem to enjoy life or her Talent) that I truly wanted to see some change by the end of the book.
Meander, meander, meander... and in the last 50-70 pages we get action, clear writing, and some character development that makes a difference. Huh. Well then.
I've heard that book two is far better than this one, and it would certainly have to be in order to keep this series going. I think a large part of the problem here is that we don't learn how the world works as the story develops: We're plunked right in and the story reads like we already know how everything works (I hate when books do this as it makes things very confusing), but then every so often the whole thing comes to a grinding halt as we're told flat out how something works. Often the explanation is a repeat of something we were told three chapters ago. This is the sort of thing the editor should have caught...
Unless you really, really like Urban Fantasy and want to suffer through this book to get to the second (and supposedly better) book of the series, save yourself the trouble and just pass it by. There are many better written Urban Fantasies on the shelves (possibly even the author's other series') to spend your time with.
Staying Dead follows the classic 'job gone wrong' premise, and our main character -- who has a Talent, but has gone rogue, but who's a Retriever, though she's the only one of her kind, but since she's rogue she isn't part of 'civilized
Show More
magic culture', but the magic culture is hidden so no one knows about it anyway, but the Secret Council for magic users wants her under their control -- has to do something to set it right again. Got that? Well, I'm glad you did, because it took me at least 100 pages to figure out what the heck was going on and what the point of the story was. Sloppy writing, even worse editing, and an inexcusable amount of telling (every few pages the story would stop to explain something to the reader, which also lasted a few pages) made the majority of the book nearly unreadable.
So why did I keep going? That's a question I asked myself a few times... because I really wanted it to get better. I liked the concept of the main character, but she was so flat and uninteresting (and didn't seem to enjoy life or her Talent) that I truly wanted to see some change by the end of the book.
Meander, meander, meander... and in the last 50-70 pages we get action, clear writing, and some character development that makes a difference. Huh. Well then.
I've heard that book two is far better than this one, and it would certainly have to be in order to keep this series going. I think a large part of the problem here is that we don't learn how the world works as the story develops: We're plunked right in and the story reads like we already know how everything works (I hate when books do this as it makes things very confusing), but then every so often the whole thing comes to a grinding halt as we're told flat out how something works. Often the explanation is a repeat of something we were told three chapters ago. This is the sort of thing the editor should have caught...
Unless you really, really like Urban Fantasy and want to suffer through this book to get to the second (and supposedly better) book of the series, save yourself the trouble and just pass it by. There are many better written Urban Fantasies on the shelves (possibly even the author's other series') to spend your time with.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
Wren is a Retriever whose adept use of current to locate stolen items has earned her and her partner in business, Sergei, a comfortable enough living for the past decade. Suddenly Wren's comfortable life seems to be changing rapidly and in ways she's not very happy about. A group of fatae hunters
It took a lot of perseverance for me to get through about the first half of this book. I'm not a huge fan of detailed minutiae about mundane day to day life, or even minutiae about investigating mysteries and this book has lots of it. I guess that would be good for those who enjoy the research aspect of these type of stories, but I tend to look for something more exciting in my urban fantasy. However, I was determined to get through this book and am happy it did eventually pick up the pace, even if it was a long time in coming. The characters reminded me a bit of a cross between the couple from Moonlighting mixed with Mulder and Scully. I really think this story might have come across much better on screen than in text (and it is very rare I would ever say something like that). I enjoyed the interaction between Wren and Sergei and that they each appreciate the rare talents each other hold. Although there is a hint of a budding affection beyond a business partnership between them, this is not a romance and those who go into the story thinking that it is one will be sorely disappointed. I think this would best be a story for urban fantasy/mystery lovers who might wish for a slower, less violent and maybe a bit more cerebral storyline than the Harry Dresden books. By the end of the story it had finally intrigued me enough to put the next of the series on my wishlist as well as inspiring me to pull out my copy of "Murder by Magic" and read the Retrievers short in there. Overall not my personal favorite, but I liked it all the same.
Show More
have moved into her little corner of the city, the Counsel seems to have a hand in her most recent work assignment gone inexplicably wrong and her feelings for her partner are getting out of hand - just in time to find out he's been hiding secrets from her. And just when she thinks things are as bad as they can get...well, you know that they'll just get worse.It took a lot of perseverance for me to get through about the first half of this book. I'm not a huge fan of detailed minutiae about mundane day to day life, or even minutiae about investigating mysteries and this book has lots of it. I guess that would be good for those who enjoy the research aspect of these type of stories, but I tend to look for something more exciting in my urban fantasy. However, I was determined to get through this book and am happy it did eventually pick up the pace, even if it was a long time in coming. The characters reminded me a bit of a cross between the couple from Moonlighting mixed with Mulder and Scully. I really think this story might have come across much better on screen than in text (and it is very rare I would ever say something like that). I enjoyed the interaction between Wren and Sergei and that they each appreciate the rare talents each other hold. Although there is a hint of a budding affection beyond a business partnership between them, this is not a romance and those who go into the story thinking that it is one will be sorely disappointed. I think this would best be a story for urban fantasy/mystery lovers who might wish for a slower, less violent and maybe a bit more cerebral storyline than the Harry Dresden books. By the end of the story it had finally intrigued me enough to put the next of the series on my wishlist as well as inspiring me to pull out my copy of "Murder by Magic" and read the Retrievers short in there. Overall not my personal favorite, but I liked it all the same.
Show Less
LibraryThing member buzzkiss
I was really thinking about not finishing this book. I think I was around page 80 when I just figured I'd finish it or I'd feel guilty. I would say the storyline finally picked up about halfway through.
I thought the story was written poorly, it had potential but didn't do it for me. So I won't be
I thought the story was written poorly, it had potential but didn't do it for me. So I won't be
Show More
reading the next book. The author didn't make it where I would care what happens next to the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
Wren is a Retriever, using her magic electrical-current talent to find missing objects. She's good at her job, and has the reputation to prove it. Sergei, her partner, sets her up with a new gig: find the missing cornerstone of a fifty-year-old building. The case ends up more complicated than
I read through this book on a long drive yesterday. It's a true urban fantasy, and not a bad read but it didn't completely snare me, either.
Show More
expected, involving an insane wizard, a few secret organizations with a bit too much interest in the matter, a demon, and a not-so-business-like interest in Sergei.I read through this book on a long drive yesterday. It's a true urban fantasy, and not a bad read but it didn't completely snare me, either.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rocalisa
In a New York where magic is real - although no-one with true talent would use such a crass word as magic - Wren Valere and her partner Sergei work together to "retrieve" stolen objects. Sergei is the deal-maker, finding clients, arranging terms and deals and contracts. Wren is the one who does the
Businessman Oliver Frants wants the cornerstone of his office building back. It's not so much that the building might fall down - after all, they don't make them that way any more - but that the stone contains a spell that grants protection to the building and everyone who works within in. The cornerstone has been stolen, clearly by magic as it was pulled right out of the middle of the foundation without affecting any of the stonework around it. Wren and Sergei have been hired to find it, retrieve it and return it to its rightful place in the building.
As they set out to undertake their commission, Wren and Sergei soon discover that things are not as simple as it might appear. The superior and generally insular Mage's Council (which looks down on free lancers like Wren with disdain) may or may not be involved now, but it soon becomes clear that one of their members cast the original spell on the cornerstone and they would rather that fact doesn't get around. At the same time, strangers are watching Wren, Sergei's past is beginning to catch up with him, human vigilantes are after the not-so-human creatures that live in the shadows and magic places and Wren and Sergei are both beginning to realise that their partnership isn't quite as all-business as they had previously thought.
Finding and returning the cornerstone turns out to be only the beginning of the adventure.
I felt a little bit mean only giving this book a six out of ten. I tossed around the idea of upgrading to a seven for a while, but decided to stick to my original gut response. It is from the still-new Luna line and so far they have been rather hit and miss. I keep saying I won't buy any more new in case I know I just have to have it (say, the next Asaro one) and then I keep getting tempted. I feel that Staying Dead contains both hits and misses.
I believe this book is Gilman's novel and it does seem to suffer from some classic bits of "first-novel-itis". I have two main complaints. She has way too many plot threads running at once. It makes it difficult to keep up with them all and stay in touch with the story. The whole sub-plot about the Silence seemed hardly necessary, only becoming relevant in the last couple of pages and I think it could have been dropped altogether. As for the vigilantes after the fatae, that had no bearing on anything else in the book. If Gilman is planning to use this is a sequel, she should have saved it completely for that next book. Secondly, she tried too hard to drop hints about what was coming up, that I had all this information in my head without anything to pin it too and I'm trying to remember it all so that when the revelation comes I can put the pieces together. I found some of those revelations particularly anti-climatic after the work I'd done to keep everything in mind while waiting. For example, there is plenty of build-up to who stole the cornerstone, but once it is revealed, that fact, and the character as well, soon become unimportant.
However, don't let my negativity put you off completely. I found Staying Dead to be quite compelling; I thought of abandoning it a couple of times, but always kept going. Wren and Sergei are well drawn and interesting characters and I'd like to know what happens to them next. The plot was very clever - it just needed a little trimming of the extraneous elements. I rather suspect I'll be reading the sequel when it comes out.
Show More
actual fieldwork; able to manipulate energy, she can infiltrate, locate and retrieve the objects they have undertaken to return. Businessman Oliver Frants wants the cornerstone of his office building back. It's not so much that the building might fall down - after all, they don't make them that way any more - but that the stone contains a spell that grants protection to the building and everyone who works within in. The cornerstone has been stolen, clearly by magic as it was pulled right out of the middle of the foundation without affecting any of the stonework around it. Wren and Sergei have been hired to find it, retrieve it and return it to its rightful place in the building.
As they set out to undertake their commission, Wren and Sergei soon discover that things are not as simple as it might appear. The superior and generally insular Mage's Council (which looks down on free lancers like Wren with disdain) may or may not be involved now, but it soon becomes clear that one of their members cast the original spell on the cornerstone and they would rather that fact doesn't get around. At the same time, strangers are watching Wren, Sergei's past is beginning to catch up with him, human vigilantes are after the not-so-human creatures that live in the shadows and magic places and Wren and Sergei are both beginning to realise that their partnership isn't quite as all-business as they had previously thought.
Finding and returning the cornerstone turns out to be only the beginning of the adventure.
I felt a little bit mean only giving this book a six out of ten. I tossed around the idea of upgrading to a seven for a while, but decided to stick to my original gut response. It is from the still-new Luna line and so far they have been rather hit and miss. I keep saying I won't buy any more new in case I know I just have to have it (say, the next Asaro one) and then I keep getting tempted. I feel that Staying Dead contains both hits and misses.
I believe this book is Gilman's novel and it does seem to suffer from some classic bits of "first-novel-itis". I have two main complaints. She has way too many plot threads running at once. It makes it difficult to keep up with them all and stay in touch with the story. The whole sub-plot about the Silence seemed hardly necessary, only becoming relevant in the last couple of pages and I think it could have been dropped altogether. As for the vigilantes after the fatae, that had no bearing on anything else in the book. If Gilman is planning to use this is a sequel, she should have saved it completely for that next book. Secondly, she tried too hard to drop hints about what was coming up, that I had all this information in my head without anything to pin it too and I'm trying to remember it all so that when the revelation comes I can put the pieces together. I found some of those revelations particularly anti-climatic after the work I'd done to keep everything in mind while waiting. For example, there is plenty of build-up to who stole the cornerstone, but once it is revealed, that fact, and the character as well, soon become unimportant.
However, don't let my negativity put you off completely. I found Staying Dead to be quite compelling; I thought of abandoning it a couple of times, but always kept going. Wren and Sergei are well drawn and interesting characters and I'd like to know what happens to them next. The plot was very clever - it just needed a little trimming of the extraneous elements. I rather suspect I'll be reading the sequel when it comes out.
Show Less
LibraryThing member amf0001
I enjoyed this book. I bought it with a heap of others and it got a bit lost in the jumble, but the characters were sharper and more interesting (less cliched) than the many tough girl slayer varieties out there. Nice explanation of their magical abilities.
LibraryThing member imayb1
Staying Dead is book one of Gilman's "Retrievers" series. It is a modern-fantasy whodunnit. The writing is fast-paced and entertaining with plenty of plot threads to keep the reader alert to events.
In Staying Dead, the main character is hired to retrieve a building's magical cornerstone which was
In Staying Dead, the main character is hired to retrieve a building's magical cornerstone which was
Show More
stolen. The plot is tightly woven in such a way that seemingly unconnected events lead back to a grand culprit, lurking behind the scenes and manipulating the lives of the main character and several other groups of people. It kept my brain busy in a very enjoyable way. I highly recommend the series. If you like this one, the follow-up books are Curse of the Dark and Bring it On. Show Less
LibraryThing member gerleliz
Enjoyable, new twist
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I found this surprisingly interesting and enjoyable to read. There is enough going on that isn't quite explained to make one feel that this world is real and elaborate and the author isn't spending all this time explaining how everything is different. I'm looking forward to reading more in the
Show More
series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Darla
I bought this one on recommendations... the only problem is, I don't remember whose. If it was you, thank you!
Wren is a retriever. That is, she gets back things that have been lost or stolen. For a fee. And she uses magic to do so. Sergei is her mentor/agent/friend.
In Staying Dead, Wren is hired to
But if it were straightforward, there'd be no point in writing a book about it, would there? Wren finds herself in more danger than she expected, and from unlikely sources. She also finds herself being forced to question things she'd taken for granted, particularly her relationship with Sergei.
I thoroughly enjoyed the sleuthing aspects of Staying Dead, as well as the twists and turns and the revelations about the motivations behind the various events. I'm rarely a fan of mentor/protegee romantic entanglements, but this one didn't bother me too terribly much, and I found Sergei's dilemma interesting and believable.
My only problem is that, despite the reviews comparing Staying Dead to Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Laurell K. Hamilton, it didn't feel at all similar. It had the same sort of feel as Nancy Baker's The Night Inside, which felt as if it had been written by someone who'd never read a vampire novel before. That's both a good thing and a bad thing. It provides a freshness, but it's also like reinventing the wheel.
I'm not explaining well at all, I know. It sounds like I'm saying that most contemporary fantasy sounds alike, but that's not the case. It's just that with the amount out there, it's a reasonable assumption that readers are used to being thrust into a different world, so it's not necessary to constantly remind them. In addition, things that are pretty standard in other contemporary fantasy books, like the magical governing body, were presented as startlingly unusual. Maybe that's what it was, more than feeling like the author hadn't read contemporary fantasy before--it felt like the reader was presumed not to have read contemporary fantasy before. Which could possibly be due to the Luna imprint. I don't know.
Regardless, I will be looking for the next book in the series--hopefully since we've already been introduced to the world, the problems I had with it will be eliminated.
Wren is a retriever. That is, she gets back things that have been lost or stolen. For a fee. And she uses magic to do so. Sergei is her mentor/agent/friend.
In Staying Dead, Wren is hired to
Show More
retrieve a cornerstone that had magically provided protection for a company for decades. It seems a straightforward, if difficult, task to find the thief and steal back the cornerstone.But if it were straightforward, there'd be no point in writing a book about it, would there? Wren finds herself in more danger than she expected, and from unlikely sources. She also finds herself being forced to question things she'd taken for granted, particularly her relationship with Sergei.
I thoroughly enjoyed the sleuthing aspects of Staying Dead, as well as the twists and turns and the revelations about the motivations behind the various events. I'm rarely a fan of mentor/protegee romantic entanglements, but this one didn't bother me too terribly much, and I found Sergei's dilemma interesting and believable.
My only problem is that, despite the reviews comparing Staying Dead to Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Laurell K. Hamilton, it didn't feel at all similar. It had the same sort of feel as Nancy Baker's The Night Inside, which felt as if it had been written by someone who'd never read a vampire novel before. That's both a good thing and a bad thing. It provides a freshness, but it's also like reinventing the wheel.
I'm not explaining well at all, I know. It sounds like I'm saying that most contemporary fantasy sounds alike, but that's not the case. It's just that with the amount out there, it's a reasonable assumption that readers are used to being thrust into a different world, so it's not necessary to constantly remind them. In addition, things that are pretty standard in other contemporary fantasy books, like the magical governing body, were presented as startlingly unusual. Maybe that's what it was, more than feeling like the author hadn't read contemporary fantasy before--it felt like the reader was presumed not to have read contemporary fantasy before. Which could possibly be due to the Luna imprint. I don't know.
Regardless, I will be looking for the next book in the series--hopefully since we've already been introduced to the world, the problems I had with it will be eliminated.
Show Less
LibraryThing member crazybatcow
It's a fast light read and doesn't really have much meat on it. It is billed as a supernatural romance (a Harlequin production) and there is a hint of the romance in it, but ... it's not very satisfying (and I don't even read romance novels). It's kinda like a teenage angst type of romance: a crush
Anyway, it was a single sitting read and had a bit of excitement to it, but perhaps a bit too much "political pulling" between parties. And supernatural beings that didn't really seem to have a point for being in the story.
When I need a quick fix novel, I'll pick up the next in this series though.
Show More
on your teacher type thing with no real fruition.Anyway, it was a single sitting read and had a bit of excitement to it, but perhaps a bit too much "political pulling" between parties. And supernatural beings that didn't really seem to have a point for being in the story.
When I need a quick fix novel, I'll pick up the next in this series though.
Show Less
LibraryThing member macha
the world's a bit different from the usual. it's competently written. the most vital characters were also the most minor, though, which seemed a bit odd. i'll keep it, and even buy the next installment, on the strength of that bit of different. but it needs more than it's got to earn a
Show More
recommendation. Show Less
LibraryThing member hobreads
The first in an engaging "urban adventure" (our world plus magic) series by Laura Anne Gilman. The lead character, Wren, is interesting, engaging and realistically flawed. Action builds at a steady pace and keeps your attention. A keeper.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Gilman has worked out quite a good world in this story of a woman gifted with magic and skills that border on thievery, Wren Valere and her long-time business partner Serge Didier. Both of them have secrets from each other, most of which is what they think of each other.
It did suffer from first
It did suffer from first
Show More
novel blues but was also quite readable and interesting. I like this world and want more. Show Less
LibraryThing member rhonda1111
staying dead is the first retrievers novel that I have read, bukt not the last.
Wren finds things for people and steals them back.nher skills and magic.
her partner Sergel owns are art gallery. But has lots more skills.
Its a whole new York with magic,demoms, angel wizzards and humans.
Its a
Wren finds things for people and steals them back.nher skills and magic.
her partner Sergel owns are art gallery. But has lots more skills.
Its a whole new York with magic,demoms, angel wizzards and humans.
Its a
Show More
action,fantasy and clean book. Show Less
LibraryThing member jayble
The story of the magic user Wren and her partner Sergei is fantastic. As many other reviewers have mentioned it is a little difficult to get into this book, but once you do you cannot put it down.
Wren is a thief and a renegade magic user. She is sent out on a fairly easy job that becomes extremely
Wren and Sergei are fantastic characters and their interactions with each other and feelings for each other made much of the book. The budding romance between the two of them is very nice to watch, but it doesn't overshadow the rest of the book, merely it colors the characters' actions and motivations. They work very well together and actually trust each other which is nice to read about.
The writing is a little bit choppy, but I imagine this will improve in future books as the author gets her footing. If it were not for this choppiness in the writing style, I would have given this book 5 stars.
Wren is a thief and a renegade magic user. She is sent out on a fairly easy job that becomes extremely
Show More
complicated as it becomes more and more apparent that more is going on behind the scenes. There is excellent world building here and the urban setting works really well. I don't want to say too much more about the plot.Wren and Sergei are fantastic characters and their interactions with each other and feelings for each other made much of the book. The budding romance between the two of them is very nice to watch, but it doesn't overshadow the rest of the book, merely it colors the characters' actions and motivations. They work very well together and actually trust each other which is nice to read about.
The writing is a little bit choppy, but I imagine this will improve in future books as the author gets her footing. If it were not for this choppiness in the writing style, I would have given this book 5 stars.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
Ok, so she’s missing the obnoxious pet, but she’s got a demon friend that looks like a polar bear, and that almost counts. Wren Valere is a retriever in the magical underworld of New York. What is a retriever? Well, perhaps thief is a better word, but it’s the kind of thief that has to
Show More
negotiate both magical and mundane politics to get the job done, and balance on knife edge, where her abilities may pull her into madness if she loses control. Show Less
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Wren Valere has light fingers and a Talent for making things disappear. Her partner Sergei has bred-to-the-bone business sense and a knack for finding "situations" the two of them can take advantage of. It's a tidy little profit-making enterprise. And at first their latest situation - retrieve a
Mentions of past jobs and experiences peppered throughout left me feeling a bit as if I was coming in mid-way through a series, but didn't detract from the story. Engaging characters - I'll be hunting down the subsequent installments.
Show More
magic-vanished cornerstone from whomever stole it - seems fairly straightforward if detail-intensive. Of course, they weren't counting on dealing with wizzed mages, a homicidal ghost, and the Council, not to mention menacing visitors straight out of Sergei's murky past. Staying dead might be easier!Mentions of past jobs and experiences peppered throughout left me feeling a bit as if I was coming in mid-way through a series, but didn't detract from the story. Engaging characters - I'll be hunting down the subsequent installments.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KarenIrelandPhillips
This series is well written (in contract to the Michelle Hauf book also published by Luna)
LibraryThing member janemarieprice
I picked this up after reading one of Gilman’s short stories in an anthology. I’m usually not that enthused with urban fantasy, but this was a great example of that genre. Gilman has a great way with dialog which made the main character really enjoyable to spend time with. She also did a good
Show More
job dropping little bits of history, much that didn’t affect the plot, but it gave the feeling of reality to the personalities and world without a big info dump. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChrisWeir
The first in the Retrievers series. This one has Wren trying to track down who has stolen the cornerstone of a high rise building. As we follow the story we learn there's more to this stone than would meet the eye and things were done that shouldn't have been when the building was put up. Nice
Show More
start to the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member CheriePie69
I really liked the premise of this book, but I wasn't too crazy about the author's writing style, she kinda had a lot of run-on sentences so I found myself rereading some things. And at another point, when she started off a chapter with one of Wren's dream sequences, which went on for like 3 pages,
However, since this was Gilman's first novel, I'm expecting better things in this regard in later books. As a matter of fact, I recall reading a short story from her as part of the Powers of Detection anthology and the writing didn't bug me then, so my point stands.
I liked the characters, Wren and Sergi, and imagined P.B. as a little Gizmo... you know from that Gremlins movie. :D And I'm looking forward to reading more about them in Curse the Dark.
Show More
you didn't know the whole time whose dream it was. So I flipped to the end of the dream sequence to find out... I mean, if it's a character who hasn't been introduced yet, or someone we're not supposed to know, I can see that strategy, but for the main character, it was just unnecessary and kind of a pain in the ass because I like to be able to envision the story in my head while I'm reading.However, since this was Gilman's first novel, I'm expecting better things in this regard in later books. As a matter of fact, I recall reading a short story from her as part of the Powers of Detection anthology and the writing didn't bug me then, so my point stands.
I liked the characters, Wren and Sergi, and imagined P.B. as a little Gizmo... you know from that Gremlins movie. :D And I'm looking forward to reading more about them in Curse the Dark.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kmajort
Ok, liked it - a nice distraction..I'd read Hard Magic (which comes later than Staying Dead, an off-shoot) & enjoyed it, thought I'd try from the beginning.
No uber-cute/sexy lead; there is sexual tension, (what is life with out that?)and secret societies.... and magic - excuse me, Talent....
Characters are fun, especially the minors, which tend toward off-beat fae types.
It leave you hanging, but that's the point with the start of a series, yes?
No uber-cute/sexy lead; there is sexual tension, (what is life with out that?)and secret societies.... and magic - excuse me, Talent....
Show More
:)Characters are fun, especially the minors, which tend toward off-beat fae types.
It leave you hanging, but that's the point with the start of a series, yes?
Show Less
LibraryThing member sumariotter
I really liked the first book by this author, kind of liked the second book, this one I had to stop reading at a certain point. The point I stopped reading was a violent scene with the evil-doing villain and it was just too gross. All of a sudden I felt sick and embarrassed to be reading the book
Show More
in the first place. Yuck! Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2004-08-01
ISBN
0373802536 / 9780373802531