Corine Solomon changes her address as often as she changes her hair color – a side effect of having the ‘gift’ of being able to touch an object and know what happened to the last person who used it. Many people are fascinated with her gift, for good or bad, keeping her continually on the run but when her ex Chance comes looking for her to help him find a missing person close to them both, he gives her an offer she can’t refuse and Corine reluctantly agrees to help. Like any couple with a history, things are a little iffy when Corine and Chance are together but when they discover this isn’t some simple kidnapping but that there are all sorts of nasties on their trail: demons, warlocks, and black magic up the wazoo things go straight from Uh Oh to Craptastic in a hurry. Really making this book come alive for me were the secondary characters who agree to help them along the way. This stellar lineup includes Chuch, an ex-merc who can do séances with the best of them, his protective wife Eva, the tiny Chihuahua Butch and a cop Jesse Saldana who may be more than professionally interested in Corine. I just loved Chuch and Eva’s interactions – especially every time she called him by his full name – she just kills me.The setting itself seems to almost be a living, breathing character in this book - most of the action takes place in Mexico or Laredo, Texas and the surrounding border towns. Since Aguirre herself is an ex-pat living in Mexico, I could see the authentic flair everywhere, right down to the smell of rice and beans which of course, made me hungry every time I opened the book up. Sometimes the transitions were less than smooth but all said this was a pretty good read with potential for future installments (watch out for the cliffhanger). Still, I do enjoy Aguirre’s Jax series more. I mean, can anyone compare with that feisty jumper? No. No they can’t. ( )

I really loved this book, the writing style, the action, Corinne and Chance were amazing. I am a big fan of her Sirantha Jax series, this paranormal mystery is very good. ( )

Pretty good, writing is ok ( )

I was very entertained by Blue Diablo (Ann Aguirre who is kind enough to send by e-mail to a fan pages of her book that a puppy has chewed through.) This book is in the first person, pov is Corinne who is a handler - she can see visions of events by touching certain objects - though she pays a painful physical price for her "gift" everytime she uses this gift. She is a regular person, except for her gift, no special physical prowess, or talents. This is past history that comes back to her in the form of an ex-boyfriend. Chance comes to her for help in finding his missing mother. Since Corinne was very close to her ex's mother, she agrees to help, even through there is and will be some painfully awkward moments in store for her and her ex. At first I was put off by some of the dialogue between these two, as some of it was bitter, bitchy and angsty, but it actually fits. If you were suddently in touch with someone you left (sneaking out in the middle of the night) there would be some awkward conversation and some verbal jabs - especially with unresolved emotional baggage and anger.

But these two pull together to find Chance's mom. Chance has found Corinne in Mexico, where she is in hiding from her past and other people she doesn't want to find her (you find out bits and pieces as the book progresses) so the first thing they have to do is leave Mexico and travel to the last place Min (Chance's mother) was seen. Adventure begins then. Things happen to these two from the beginning, some of it dangerous and some of it "luck".

Corinne and Chance are aided in their search by acquaintances who become friends. The secondary characters in this book are as interesting as the main characters. My favorite are Kel (the hand of god) and a dog (Butch).

This is a dark urban fantasy. People die in horrific ways, black magic is used, and there are gunfights. But an unlikely alliance of characters (those interesting secondary characters) all band together to find Min and try to put a crime boss out of business.Blue Diablo contains plenty of action. There are physical fight scenes as well as supernatural fights. There is a scary scene in a cemetary - a metaphysical attack by a wizard. There is plenty of action. Corinne finds out a little more about her "gift". She had been going along with no training by anyone, no mentoring, all her life.

More information would be giving out spoilers. This book is worth the time to read it. I would give it (with my arbitrary rating system) six out of six stars. I love the interactions of the characters, even the bitter zingers, as well as some whiny bits from Chance to Corinne fit. Corinne has some interest in a hot cop, which she's not sure she should fight, and she flirts with him even though she knows it bothers Chance. She's not a perfect character (not a marysue!) with perfect ethics, but she's also not back together with Chance so she has the right to flirt. I like that she makes friends with another female character, and this character is an attractive woman; I also like that there is no character assasination just because the other female is attractive. I like that even though there are two men attracted to Corinne, it's believable. Not all the men in the vicinity have the hots for her. I also like that even though Chance makes it clear he wants Corinne back, she resists, because she feels it's not healthy for her to be with him.

At the end of the book there is material for sequels. Even though there are questions that will lead to another book, the ending was still satisfying. The questions I'm waiting for another book to answer; Will Corinne go back to Mexico or will she make her home with Chuch and Eva (her new friends who welcome her)? Will she end up back with Chance or will she follow her interest in the hot cop (Jesse)? The hand of god - will he help Corinne in the future or hunt her (he hunts evil with a single mindeness, going where God shows a need)? Who ends of with the dog Butch? What is up with their online ally? Will they ever meet face to face?

I have read Ann Aguirre's other books (Sci-Fi Grimspace and Wanderlust) and after reading this book, I feel that anything Ann writes will be worth reading. She is a hell of a storyteller. ( )

Ann Aguirre's Grimspace, a straight-up fantasy novel, is a fantastic book so when I found out that she was writing urban fantasy (my favourite genre as you've probably guessed from the blog content), I had to read it.

Blue Diablo is the first in what appears to be a series of books about Corine Solomon, a person who can touch something and knows its history, and occasionally its future. For a while, she made a living off her power but, at the start of the novel, Corine's hiding out in Mexico City running a pawn shop. This peaceful existence ends when her ex, Chance, shows up, needing Corine's help to find his mother, who's gone missing in Laredo, Texas.

This book has fun characters, a good story and a great southwestern flavour. The plot is unpredictable and the characters engaging, even the secondary ones. The author's a great storyteller and I can now say that it's a skill that is independent of the genre she's writing since I like this book just as much as her first one.

Originally published at http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )

Excellent read. Well fleshed characters, amazing storyline that kept me interested til the very end. ( )

The premise: Corine Solomon is a handler, a person with the ability to handle objects and know that object's history and quite possibly, its future. Her gift doesn't come without a serious price, and because of it, she's hermited herself in Mexico City to try and live her life in peace. But it doesn't take long for her past to catch up with her, and her past comes in the form of her ex-lover Chance who desperately needs her help: someone has taken a person they both care deeply about, and with Corinne's gift and Chance's uncanny luck, they might solve the case, but in order to do so, they must fight sorcerers, black magic, and even each other.

My Rating

Must Have: if you're an Aguirre fan, this is beyond a must. If you're a UF reader, it's a must because of the unique Mexican/Texan setting and the rather grounded way Aguirre handles the magic of her world. The characters are raw and human who have to make tough decisions about themselves, their situation, and each other; and overall, Aguirre's assembled a GREAT cast (including some strong women and one character that's not at all human) that I hope will return in the sequels. It's a very fast read that often utilizes cliff-hangers for chapter breaks, so know that once you pick this book up, you're likely going to have a difficult time putting it down. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequels (there's at least two planned, according to her website), and I'm glad that Aguirre has once again held me in thrall with her work. She's still a must-read author for me, and that's a great thing.

The full review, which does include spoilers, may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: Ann Aguirre's BLUE DIABLO

Happy Reading! :) ( )

Corine, a handler (she gets images from objects), comes out of hiding to help her ex-boyfriend track down those who have kidnapped his mother.
I find that I particularly like urban fantasy that is set in the "real world." In other words, the world isn't operating on magical principles, humans aren't aware of and loving and/or hating the magical community. Hiding or disguising their abilities makes the characters just a little bit more interesting.
Ann Aguirre offers well-developed characters, a few twists, and lots of action.
I had two relatively minor complaints. The ex-boyfriend has an ability to make luck go his way and his name is Chance--ugg. And at one point, he prowls through a house shooting some bad guys. There was no explanation in his background for having the experience to start doing that. Is he ex-military, police,etc?
All in all, a good read, and I look forward to the next in the series. ( )

http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2009/... ( )

One of the biggest complaints I have with urban fantasy as a whole is that it tends to lean very far into the paranormal and make realism second place. Not so with Ann Aguirre's latest offering, Blue Diablo, which, put simply, is To Cast a Deadly Spell meets Commando.

Corine Solomon is a woman on the run. She's settled in Mexico City and managed to keep up a life as a shopkeeper for eighteen months when her ex-boyfriend, one of the many people she's hiding from, walks in her shop door. She still isn't over Chance, not what he put her through or her love for him. But none of it matters because Chance asks for Corine for the one thing he knows she'll give--her help finding his kidnapped mother.

Corine isn't the only person whose past has caught up with them, but she is the only one who can help because Min, Chance's mother, has left a trail of clues that only Corine's gift of psychometry (psychic reading of events through objects) can decipher.

Blue Diablo stands out from the genre, not just because it wholly encompasses "bad guys" outside of the serial killer and supernatural varieties, or because of its higher than typical body count. One of the biggest stand out features of this book is the cast of realistic, almost entirely minority characters and non-Celtic/European magic mythos.

In comparison to Aguirre's other books (Grimspace and Wanderlust) Blue Diablo is a true blend of the genres that make urban fantasy; fantasy, mystery, romance and horror, whereas the former are science fiction with romantic elements. Blue Diablo's heroine and hero are no less emotionally tortured, in either their pasts or their feelings for each other.

Aguirre likes the devastated hero, and the heroine whose power costs something. Readers who like mixed blessings in their magic and desperate, delicious heroes will find a lot to like in Aguirre's books. Nothing comes easy, if at all. Not defeating the bad guy, or winning the day or even getting the guy/girl. It makes Blue Diablo not an effortless read, but a tension-filled exciting tale nonetheless. ( )

Corine Solomon's peaceful life in Mexico changed in the blink of an eye. One minute she's happily running her shop and the next, Chance strolls in and her life becomes chaotic once again. His mother has disappeared and he needs her help. You see, Corine isn't just your everyday, average person. She's "gifted". She can touch an object and it will show her parts of the past, but this talent comes at a price.

When Corine meets Officer Saldana, an empath, sparks fly. Figuratively and literally. She finds out that she is not alone in the "gifted" world. Saldana takes her under his wing but she soon begins to wonder if that's a good place for her.

Corine begins to see that this will not be an easy task. They'll have to battle warlocks, zombies, and maybe even each other. With the help of some friends, an enemy and Butch, a chihuahua Corine hopes to unravel the truth about Chance's mom.

This book goes on sale April 7th. Make sure to reserve your copy because this is a book you don't want to miss! ( )