Susannah Sandlin

I was initially drawn to ROYAL STREET because of its unique setting: New Orleans around Hurricane Katrina. It's such a bold choice, particularly since it didn't happen all that long ago, and I was really intrigued. I'm pleased to report that Suzanne Johnson has created a marvellous world with an exciting mythology, a tight plot, and engaging characters, and she portrays New Orleans in a magnificent light.

DJ, our lovely protagonist, lives in a New Orleans filled with trouble, magic, bad show more weather, and the historical undead. Wizards, led by a Congress of Elders, keep the peace in the magical world, with sentinels stationed across the world. Wizards come in different colours - literally - since they're categorized according to their abilities. Green Congress wizards are the geeks, using potions and rituals, Red Congress wizards wield pure power, and Yellow Congress wizards specialize in mental magic. (I'm sure there are other colours but these are the ones that popped up in ROYAL STREET.) DJ is a junior sentinel and a Green wizard so she's not exactly perceived as a threat; her mentor, Gerry, is a Red wizard and the main sentinel of New Orleans. The Congress also employs enforcers, which is where our hero comes in. After Gerry goes missing during the Katrina aftermath, Alex gets sent to New Orleans to help DJ with her investigation and her regular sentinel duties. He also happens to be smouldering and gorgeous and bossy, which gives DJ some trouble.

Wizards aren't the only non-humans running around town, though. There are "pretes" like vampires, fae, weres, and elves, though they don't all show up in ROYAL STREET. There are also the historical undead, which just may be my favourite part of the world building in this series. They're kind of like ghosts but their strength is based on how well known they are, i.e. the more famous they are, the stronger they are. The book opens with DJ dealing with Jean Lafitte, pirate extraordinaire, but he's not the only historical figure to make an appearance. I'm not going to say who else shows up, though, because it'll ruin the surprise but I think you'll be pleased -- I know I was!

DJ is a great heroine. She's plucky and smart and sticks by her proverbial guns. (And only the proverbial ones because she's not so good with the real thing.) I really appreciated how devoted she is to Gerry and to figuring out what happened to him, no matter what the personal ramifications might be. Alex is a strong foil for her. He's more experienced with fieldwork and he has local connections, in the shape of Jake, a cousin who runs a bar in town and who also happens to be interested in DJ. Fun times!

If that's not enough, ROYAL STREET also has a nice, tight plot. DJ's investigation goes in unexpected directions and the author has inserted some lovely moments in between the action sequences and investigational developments. She's also turned ROYAL STREET into something of a love letter to New Orleans, which I quite enjoyed. Suzanne Johnson is a native of New Orleans and it really shows.

Before I sign off, I'd like to say how much I love ROYAL STREET's cover. It perfectly captures the vibe of the story and it features lots of nice details, like DJ's staff and the New Orleans architecture.

All in all, Suzanne Johnson has created a wonderful world in ROYAL STREET, her engaging and vivid debut. It's a great new entry into the urban fantasy genre and I'd suggest you all run out and buy your copies now! And if that's not enough, you can find two free stories on the author's website!

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I went into this UF/PNR pretty hopeful: spunky heroine, a secret wizard organization, Hurricane Katrina, and an undead sexy pirate. What's not to love, besides the Louisiana location (seriously, hasn't another paranormal series coughSookiecough dominated that locale for the last 7 years?)? Well, if you're an apparently unsatisfied reader like me, three out of those four items did not live up to expectations. DJ failed to impress me throughout her misadventures, and the much-advertised show more Hurricane Katrina lacked the emotional pull the author was aiming for, and this is no Harry-Potter level of wizardry. Suzanne Johnson has the large and unenviable task of setting up a series from this introductory book, and based on the "strengths" of Royal Street, I wish her much luck and patience. '

It's never a good sign when you can't even agree with the heroine on the nickname she gives herself. Drusilla Jaco prefers to go by "DJ" but in my head, she was always Dru. As in, "Dru, why are you doing that?", "Really, Dru, really?!" and "Don't you want to maybe think that through before you do it, Dru?" Dru is a deputy sentinel and is oh-so-very aware of the first word in her title. She doesn't believe in herself or her abilities and feels crippled when her mentor goes missing in the aftermath of Katrina. My problems with this novel really began with Dru: despite my chummy nickname, this is not a character I invested in, even marginally. I managed to finish this because I was powered by an interest to see how everything would wrap up, rather than a desire to see Dru grow and change as a person. She's also mind-numbingly slow to put things together - SPOILER - example: when her supposedly dead mentor appears to her and tells her to lie to everyone, especially the authorities, she doesn't take this as a sign of something bad. She just blithely accepts his word and goes along.

In an ironic twist, it's not DJ, or her partner Sentinel Alexander that is the character with the most life. No that honor goes to Jean Lafitte, a pirate who is technically...dead. He's a bastard alright from the first moment he speaks, but damnit, at least he is an interesting and dynamic one. In a cast of so few, where I dislike most of the few, Jean was the one character I would root for continually. He didn't add the most to the story, but when I wanted to slap Dru for her wishywashy romantic love triangle BETWEEN COUSINS, Jean was the only tolerable part of the page. The love-triangle isn't as pronounced as some UF/PNR novels, but is fairly shameless and stupid on DJ's part. Within pages, Dru decides she doesn't want Alex, and goes on a date with his cousin Jake, only to be jealous of a girl looking at Alex while she is on the date with Jake. What? Really? At that point, I just thew up my hands and accepted that DJ was not a girl/character to whom I would ever relate.

If it was all just characterization issues with Royal Street, I could've easily seen a 3 or maybe even a 3.5 rating for this novel. However, the twists and turns of the story are sadly predictable and telegraphed to the reader prematurely. I foresaw the resolutions to the main plot as well as most by plots easily and early on - I mostly continued reading to corroborate my correct guesses and see in what capacity Jean LaFitte would sidle into DJ's life. Perhaps best along with Jean, the villains of the piece are worth reading about. Unlike their cliched main character counterparts, Marie Leaveau and Baron Samedi are interesting and unpredictable for the duration of the novel. The murders committed at the heart of the mystery are semi-interesting but tend to get lost in the endlessssss searches for Gerry and the non-ending back-and-forth reporting to the Elders and waiting for a response. So much of this book is research or reporting or waiting that I got bored and would set it aside for several hours before returning to the story.

The world that Johnson has envisioned for her characters to play within is barely sketched out. It seems to be the same world as the one we actually live in (notable appearances: Louis Armstrong, Marie Laveau), but with wizards, vampires, undead, ghosts and other supernatural ilk. The wizards themselves were given a bare framework to illustrate the mechanics of the Sentinels program that was slowly fleshed out as the novel progressed. I liked the separation of talents into different spheres of influence (green congress versus red congress, etc.), though it does severely limit the possible scope of Dru's abilities. SPOILER! I also have to wonder why other European sentinels did not come to help with the influx of supernaturality after Hurricane Katrina. It is mentioned that American sentinels went to Europe in 1976 for the "Wizard War", so why is no help forthcoming in this apparently most drastic of times for New Orleans, with 'pretes' and historical undead just waltzing into the city? Holes like this, in the logic of the main plot of the entire novel, just distract me. I kept wondering why the author would mention a possibility to fix every thing (call them in to help with the pretes AND finding Gerry! Both plotlines wrapped up in thirty pages) and then ignore it for the rest of the book. It was...odd.

This is the first in a series, and one I doubt I will pursue. Though my first impression formed ("I like that dead, dastardly pirate!") was one of the few favorable ones I took away from Royal Street, I believe this is a novel that will find a wide audience. Dru is far from a horrible protagonist, and some will genuinely like her wide-eyed and innocent approach to life - this is just not for me. 2/5 and a "no, thank you" - I will wonder what Jean LaFitte gets up to in his afterlife on Earth, but curiosity won't make me pick up book two when its out. show less

As usual, DJ Jaco is up to her ears in trouble. As the lone Sentinel in New Orleans, she has to deal with all sorts of preternaturals. Her most immediate problem is the historical undead serial killer the Axeman who has made his way back from the Beyond and begun a new killing spree. He seems to be targeting DJ. But older problems haven't gone away. Since being adopted by an elven magical object, she has drawn the attention of the elves who don't think she should have it.

She also has her show more usual man problems. She is juggling Jake Warin who has turned loup-garou and who is having trouble controlling the anger issues that come with it, Alex Warin who was her former partner and who is now her next door neighbor, new neighbor Quince Randolph who is dating her best friend and who sets of her creep meter, and historical undead pirate Jean Lafitte who has a very flexible moral code but who is devoted to her.

This story is action-packed and fast paced. DJ seems to go from one hazardous situation to another as she tries to figure out how to permanently send the Axeman back to the Beyond before he kills her, tries to figure out what the elves want with her, and tries to figure out the complex set of alliances that are being formed in the preternatural world in the wake of Hurricane Kristina. Oh, yes, she also has to figure out what to do about being scratched by Jake and possibly turning loup-garou herself.

DJ is not the usual kick ass urban fantasy heroine. She seems to draw trouble like a magnet and gets out of it again through a combination of brains, magical potions, and the help of her friends. She is concerned with her appearance and has a quirky turn of phrase. She is fun to read about.

I recommend the whole Sentinels of New Orleans series and highly recommend this entry into the series. show less

Royal Street is an enjoyable urban fantasy series debut from Suzanne Johnson. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina has caused breaches in the border between this world and the Beyond and Drusilla Jaco, a Green Wizard, is charged with banishing the undead back to the ether. DJ though is distracted by her missing mentor, Gerry, who is suspected of betraying the Elder Wizard Council, an undead pirate seeking revenge and the Enforcer, Alex. With a voodoo God and a serial killer on the loose the show more new Sentinel of New Orleans has her hands full.

What I particularly like about Royal Street is the world building. Set in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Johnson sensitively incorporates the tragedy into her story. The devastation makes an interesting background throwing up natural obstacles like a lack of electricity and transport which her protagonists have to work around.
New Orleans history is rich with iconic characters which Johnson works in to the story including voodoo gods, pirates and even musicians. While there is mention of vampires, fae and werewolves it is the historical undead that feature in Royal Street. Known in general as Pretes, the otherworldly beings reside in the Beyond in ‘Old Orleans’, a historical alternative to the modern city.
The magic system of Royal Street focuses on wizardry with a system that is headed by the Elders and then tiers of wizards with different abilities. As a Green Wizard, DJ is only able to wield potions, spells and charms, Red Wizards have mastery over physical magic while Yellow Wizards have psychic abilities. Enforcers are the muscle for the council dispensing justice where necessary.
Unfortunately Royal Street was let down by the protagonists of the story, especially DJ who lacks the smarts I prefer in my urban fantasy genre. There are too many instances where she makes poor decisions, ignores obvious clues or acts so slowly as to put herself or others in danger. This is particularly true at the climax when she inexplicably fails to act to prevent injury to her allies. The romantic element of Royal Street includes Alex, the Enforcer sent to assist DJ, Alex’s cousin Jake, a war vet, and the pirate, Jean Lafitte. DJ is attracted to all three men but I didn’t like the way in which she seemed to be toying with Alex and Jake in particular. The relationships are another example of DJ’s immaturity.

While I think the characters of Royal Street need to be stronger, I did enjoy the book. There are often teething problems for a new series and ultimately I think the original aspects of the world building and potential of the story outweigh the flaws. Royal Street is a promising debut and I will be interested to see where Johnson takes it. show less