Status
Available
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Series
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Publication
Penguin Publishing Group
Description
After solving The Grendel Affair, the agents have another SPI File to investigate. We're Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. We battle the real monsters of myth and legend, but this Halloween, we're searching for diamonds... A gala opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has attracted the upper crust of Manhattan-- and thieves. A trio of vile harpies attacks the crowd and steals the stars of the exhibition: a colorful cluster of seven cursed diamonds known as the Dragon Eggs. In the right mage's hands, each stone can pack a magical wallop. Together they have the power to "cure" the supernaturals of the tristate area-- but for many of those vampires and werewolves, that means turning into dust. I'm Makenna Fraser, a seer for SPI. With the help of my partner, Ian, and the other agents, I have twenty-four hours to prevent total global panic, find the diamonds, and save the supernatural community. No biggie...… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member dearheart
Makenna (Mac) Fraser has been with the SPI as a seer for just under a year. The SPI is a large company founded and run by a dragon that is geared toward keeping humans safe from and learning that supernaturals even exist. And in this world, apparently all the different supes you’ve ever heard of
Another dragon is in town, not bothering to go through dragon territorial protocol, to lend his group of five diamonds and two well known powerful gems that were created by the elves and goblins, to an expo at the Met. Rumors were flying that he just might sell them, as well as that an attempt would be made to steal them, so Mac and the SPI are on hand hoping to prevent it. But we wouldn’t have a story if the theft didn’t take place, and in such a dramatic manner.
We’re introduced to gorgons and harpies in this second book in the series that involves a great deal of history and world building as the SPI tries to find the missing gems before they are used in less than 24 hours.
The world and character building are really good, although there are times when I could have done without so much information and would have been happy just for the story to continue. But the author does an interesting job of intermingling her world with history. A great deal of tension, especially as we get close to the deadline. And I like that we’re starting to see more development on the secondary characters, and what they’re doing. Many interesting characters covering a number of different species.
Definitely interesting and an enjoyable read.
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exist. Mac can see beneath glamour and is paired up with a very capable human agent who also acts as her bodyguard when out in the field. Other seers in the company had met with unfortunate “accidents.”Another dragon is in town, not bothering to go through dragon territorial protocol, to lend his group of five diamonds and two well known powerful gems that were created by the elves and goblins, to an expo at the Met. Rumors were flying that he just might sell them, as well as that an attempt would be made to steal them, so Mac and the SPI are on hand hoping to prevent it. But we wouldn’t have a story if the theft didn’t take place, and in such a dramatic manner.
We’re introduced to gorgons and harpies in this second book in the series that involves a great deal of history and world building as the SPI tries to find the missing gems before they are used in less than 24 hours.
The world and character building are really good, although there are times when I could have done without so much information and would have been happy just for the story to continue. But the author does an interesting job of intermingling her world with history. A great deal of tension, especially as we get close to the deadline. And I like that we’re starting to see more development on the secondary characters, and what they’re doing. Many interesting characters covering a number of different species.
Definitely interesting and an enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Things get very dangerous for all the supernaturals in the area of New York when seven magical diamonds are stolen. If they are activated at midnight on Halloween, it will strip the magic from all supernaturals. Humans who were turned into vampires and werewolves would be back to being humans and
Makenna Fraser and her partner Ian are on the case but they have to fight harpies, gorgons, and a dragon who is bent on getting revenge on their boss. They have to accept the help of a goblin lord that Ian and Mac don't trust but that Mac finds really intriguing.
I like the relationships in this story. Ian and Mac have decided to just be friends rather than dating and Mac is encouraging him to date another woman. Mac dating life has hit a dry spell which is why goblin lord Rake Danescu is looking so good to her.
I like the way Mac interacts with the variety of supernaturals in the agency and I really like Mac's Southern lady point of view. The story is filled with adventure and the tension amps up nicely as the agents try to find the villains before midnight.
Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this fast-paced story.
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many would immediately die of old age. Those supernaturals who were using magic to hide their differences would be immediately exposed. SPI agents, both human and supernatural, are determined to stop this from happening.Makenna Fraser and her partner Ian are on the case but they have to fight harpies, gorgons, and a dragon who is bent on getting revenge on their boss. They have to accept the help of a goblin lord that Ian and Mac don't trust but that Mac finds really intriguing.
I like the relationships in this story. Ian and Mac have decided to just be friends rather than dating and Mac is encouraging him to date another woman. Mac dating life has hit a dry spell which is why goblin lord Rake Danescu is looking so good to her.
I like the way Mac interacts with the variety of supernaturals in the agency and I really like Mac's Southern lady point of view. The story is filled with adventure and the tension amps up nicely as the agents try to find the villains before midnight.
Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this fast-paced story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member stefferoo
The Supernatural Protection & Investigations bureau, known as SPI, is back again to battle the next great threat that’s putting Manhattan in peril. This time it’s All Hallows’ Eve and someone has just pulled off the biggest jewel heist in history, using a trio of harpies to steal a cluster of
Anyway, dragons are awesome and all, but I feel like there’s a huge missed opportunity here not titling this book The GORGON Conspiracy. This series is really unique in that it has featured an unconventional paranormal baddie in both books so far, each time drawing inspiration from literature and mythology. In the first book, it was Grendel creatures. In this one, it’s Gorgons. So, yeah, when’s the last time you read an urban fantasy featuring Gorgons? No, I can’t recall either. As protagonist Makenna Fraser and her partner Ian desperately chase down leads, more suspects are being found paralyzed and turned into stone. SPI has until midnight to get to the bottom of the mystery, or a whole bunch of their vampire and werewolf friends are going to die.
I was really looking forward to this book, because I really enjoyed The Grendel Affair. The X-Files meets Men in Black angle is probably my favorite aspect of the series, featuring an organization tasked to keep track of the paranormal creatures of the world, making sure that the unsuspecting public is safe from them and vice versa. The Dragon Conspiracy continues in this vein, which was great; however, I also didn’t think it was as good as the first book, for one major reason: the main character.
Thing is, I like how Makenna Fraser isn’t your usual snarky kickass urban fantasy female lead. I like that she’s your average everyday normal southern gal in the big city, maybe a little awkward and slightly clumsy. But there has to be a balance too. Her role in this book was smaller, and I would even go as far as to call her passive. Not exactly a quality you look for in a protagonist. She was definitely much more involved in the previous novel. This time around, though? There wasn’t much to distinguish her, apart from her inaction. She seemed more like an observer than an actual player in this story, and I also didn’t feel like I learned anything new about her character.
Furthermore, the budding romance between Ian and Makenna appears to have come to a screeching halt, with no explanation as to why beyond the usual pretext of “We work together so we shouldn’t date each other”. Not that this is a bad thing; sometimes not having a romance to bog down the story can actually be seen as a positive. Besides, Makenna has prospects elsewhere. I just wish there was a better reason given for the sudden change in their relationship, and I confess part of me is a little miffed because I predicted in my review of the first book that the two of them will be very good together, and it turns out I was completely off base.
Still, I am enjoying this series. I just love the new takes on unconventional paranormal/mythological creatures, and that’s what sets the SPI Files apart. So far, the stories in both books have been snappy and entertaining, and with a bit more energy and spirit, I think this series has the potential to become something even more. Hopefully we’ll see the author flesh out the characters and give more depth to Makenna in the next installment. Count me in for book three.
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seven cursed diamonds from a museum exhibit. Problem is, the diamonds belong to a powerful dragon, and now he’s pissed. Even worse, the seven gems are said to have magical properties, and in the right mage’s hands, their effects can have deadly repercussions for the thousands of supernaturals living in the tristate area.Anyway, dragons are awesome and all, but I feel like there’s a huge missed opportunity here not titling this book The GORGON Conspiracy. This series is really unique in that it has featured an unconventional paranormal baddie in both books so far, each time drawing inspiration from literature and mythology. In the first book, it was Grendel creatures. In this one, it’s Gorgons. So, yeah, when’s the last time you read an urban fantasy featuring Gorgons? No, I can’t recall either. As protagonist Makenna Fraser and her partner Ian desperately chase down leads, more suspects are being found paralyzed and turned into stone. SPI has until midnight to get to the bottom of the mystery, or a whole bunch of their vampire and werewolf friends are going to die.
I was really looking forward to this book, because I really enjoyed The Grendel Affair. The X-Files meets Men in Black angle is probably my favorite aspect of the series, featuring an organization tasked to keep track of the paranormal creatures of the world, making sure that the unsuspecting public is safe from them and vice versa. The Dragon Conspiracy continues in this vein, which was great; however, I also didn’t think it was as good as the first book, for one major reason: the main character.
Thing is, I like how Makenna Fraser isn’t your usual snarky kickass urban fantasy female lead. I like that she’s your average everyday normal southern gal in the big city, maybe a little awkward and slightly clumsy. But there has to be a balance too. Her role in this book was smaller, and I would even go as far as to call her passive. Not exactly a quality you look for in a protagonist. She was definitely much more involved in the previous novel. This time around, though? There wasn’t much to distinguish her, apart from her inaction. She seemed more like an observer than an actual player in this story, and I also didn’t feel like I learned anything new about her character.
Furthermore, the budding romance between Ian and Makenna appears to have come to a screeching halt, with no explanation as to why beyond the usual pretext of “We work together so we shouldn’t date each other”. Not that this is a bad thing; sometimes not having a romance to bog down the story can actually be seen as a positive. Besides, Makenna has prospects elsewhere. I just wish there was a better reason given for the sudden change in their relationship, and I confess part of me is a little miffed because I predicted in my review of the first book that the two of them will be very good together, and it turns out I was completely off base.
Still, I am enjoying this series. I just love the new takes on unconventional paranormal/mythological creatures, and that’s what sets the SPI Files apart. So far, the stories in both books have been snappy and entertaining, and with a bit more energy and spirit, I think this series has the potential to become something even more. Hopefully we’ll see the author flesh out the characters and give more depth to Makenna in the next installment. Count me in for book three.
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LibraryThing member LongDogMom
A fun read although I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the end bit. Seemed to be a lot of happy coincidences that just happen to be so and didn't come out until the end. Still, it was an enjoyable urban fantasy with some different types of supernatural creatures and a unique supernatural
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mystery to solve. I'll likely pick up the third book in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member STACYatUFI
THE DRAGON CONSPIRACY continues the action, investigating and adventure that started with THE GRENDEL AFFAIR. I think you would benefit from starting with book 1 so that you can learn the characters and world of the SPI Files series.
I really like Mac, she isn't a tough girl, but she wants to be
One of my favorite parts of this series is the supporting characters. We learn a little more about them in each book and they all add something 'more' to the story. One thing that kind of bothered me about THE DRAGON CONSPIRACY, or I should say writing, is that I sometimes couldn't tell who was talking. I had to go back more than a few times to re-read a few sentences because I thought someone else was talking when in reality it might have been Mac or vice versa. It was confusing. The story had a nice pace to it, and I was never able to guess what was really happening until it was revealed, I like a good reveal and I got that. Shearin does a good job of throwing in twists and turns when you least expect it. I will definitely continue reading with book 3.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really like Mac, she isn't a tough girl, but she wants to be
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and is working hard to prove to her partner that she can be. I like how she fights for what she wants and doesn't give up just because something is hard. I was a little surprised by the love interest of book 2. I could have sworn I saw something sparking between Mac and Ian. Don't get me wrong, I kinda like the other guy, I just felt like I missed something which I might have. This is an Urban Fantasy so there really isn't any romance, but it seems like there might be in the next book. I like romance so I'm excited. One of my favorite parts of this series is the supporting characters. We learn a little more about them in each book and they all add something 'more' to the story. One thing that kind of bothered me about THE DRAGON CONSPIRACY, or I should say writing, is that I sometimes couldn't tell who was talking. I had to go back more than a few times to re-read a few sentences because I thought someone else was talking when in reality it might have been Mac or vice versa. It was confusing. The story had a nice pace to it, and I was never able to guess what was really happening until it was revealed, I like a good reveal and I got that. Shearin does a good job of throwing in twists and turns when you least expect it. I will definitely continue reading with book 3.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — 2015)
Original publication date
2015-01-27
Local notes
SPI Files, 2
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Shearin |