Stacia Kane

I shouldn't like this book/series so much, but I do. It's my current go to guilty pleasure, and I'll probably suck it up and actually buy the rest of the series at full price, ruining my "not for more than $6 ebook" line in the sand.

Chess is still the Church-sanctioned Witch. She's a hot mess with her relationships with her fuck-buddy drug dealer and her actual love interest. She still has a host of other problems, but they're being dealt with in a not-so-beautiful fashion, which I show more appreciate.

The A plot involves a mystery involving bodies, dark magic, the return of the evil Lamaru, a renegade magic practitioner and Chess working with the enforcer group to solve the mystery while being bound with a spell that should keep her from sharing information with anyone.

B plot? Chess and Terrible. I shouldn't love this story, but I do. A dark and awful and intense romance that goes repeatedly wrong and it hurts. I'm such a sucker. show less

I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this! It was so intense, I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Terrible, and Chess. I was only disappointed that I have to read the next book to know the consequences of Chess' actions to keep Terrible alive. Like many other readers, I'm not sure who to root for. If viewed from a "real world" perspective, these people are despicable. But Kane handles them so well that, despite ourselves, we find ourselves understanding and, eventually, cheering show more for them. Especially Chess Putnam, who is one of the most messed up characters I have ever had the privilege of reading. That's one of the things I love best about this series, that Chess is so broken and yet still manages to save those she loves and does her job and continues to walk the tightrope that is her personal life. That, and the supernatural themes. show less

I have eagerly waited for each of the novels in the Downside series ever since I read the first book, Unholy Ghosts. Everytime I finish reading one of these books, I'm already feining for the next book. Can't get enough. Chasing Magic was no exception. What's weird, is that I am enjoying things in this series that I usually roll my eyes at in other novels - angst, the does he or doesn't he love bit, the odd decisions that Chess makes - and it's all due to the skill of Stacia Kane's show more characterization. What I get frustrated with in other books just works in this series.

In this book - Chess is continuing with her spiral of drug use, trying to keep things hidden and alternately riding the highs and lows of her relationship with Terrible. In keeping with her addicted personality and background, she has some serious insecurities - both as a partner and as a human being. But the one thing she's always been proud of is her work, and even that is threatened because of a past decision, and everyday because of her addiction.

There's a bad drug being passed around in the territory where she lives, people are having some really bad reactions. When Chess and Terrible start to dig a little, they find out that it's further reaching than they first thought. Even people in Lex's side of town are dropping. As things progress, her relationship to Terrible is threatened, Lex threatens Terrible, one of her relationships at the Church changes, and things get very dangerous very fast.

Kane does a wonderful job of producing a book with many layers - the plots and subplots, the relationships between Chess and Terrible, Chess and Lex, Lex and Terrible, etc. Usually I don't want to read too much of the relationship side of things, but because of the way Kane presents things, it all goes hand in hand seamlessly. It's brilliant the way she writes the relationship between Chess's personal life and her professional life, her insecurities and the decisions she makes. You can't help rooting for her, and she's easy to relate to because she make some poor choices and is far from perfect. I also enjoy the way her drug use is weaved in throughout the novel - it's a huge part of her life, and so it makes sense to me to read all the times she grabs a couple pills, bumps a line, craves a bump, worries about her stash - it's all a part of her and her daily life.

Those who enjoy the not so goody two shoes type of heroine will enjoy this - it's refreshing to read a character who is so flawed and yet functions, who goes through life sometimes in a fog sometimes just high, yet is still trying to do the best she can, with what she's capable of. It's a different world in the Downside, and all the characters reflect this, with their speech patterns, their behaviour and their acceptance of each other. Stacia Kane has done a great job at portraying each character, with all their quirks, flaws, good points and bad points.

I am now eagerly waiting for book #6. show less

This series and I have a love/hate relationship. Really, I've never felt so confused by a book series.

I loathe the fact that Chess is drug user...to the extreme that she pops pills right in the middle of heated action with the bad guys. I wish she was repentant or maybe trying to beat her addiction. Nothing of the sort is even hinted at in the first three books to this Downside series. This makes it extremely difficult to root for Chess. She lies to cover her drug habit. She makes poor show more choices both in her work life and even more so in her personal life. Sometimes her foggy brain seems to help her in her efforts but just as often it seems to hinder her decision making. I loathe
the slang used by the tough guys in the series. After three books, I am starting to learn the language because I don't have to re-read lines anymore to figure out what the characters are saying.

Now, I've made it three book and I know there are more to come. I highly doubt I will be able to keep my hands off of them. Ms. Kane can really write a book. The action is there, the world building is completely phenomenal. The pages fly by when I sit down to read one of these books. Sometimes I get a little confused, because Chess's way of thinking is altered. The readers are literally reading every thought in Chess's head and those thoughts, especially in mid-action, are all over the place.

"City of Ghosts" is probably the best of the three books thus far. The stakes are extremely high and there are a lot of players involved in the big game here. Chess is good at what she does and it was very evident here. She is also eager to help the few friends she has and she wants to keep them safe.

Also, the resolution between Chess and Terrible had to be one of the most emotional scenes I have read in eons. I felt the tension and the emotion from each of them to the point I almost couldn't stand it anymore. I think I MAY have teared up a little there. Now though, Kane must be very careful about handling this relationship in future book because I (and probably many other readers) am thoroughly invested. Terrible has been the best character in this book since the very beginning. I can't believe I care so much about a murdering drug enforcer.

There are definitely things that keep this series from being perfect in my eyes, but it is a solid, action packed urban fantasy novel. Its core is stronger than many of the others on the book shelves today. show less