Ruby Callaway

Shadow Flare (Ruby Calloway #2) By: D.N. Erikson

Shadow Flare (Ruby Calloway #2) By: D.N. Erikson

Plot:

Magical cults are better left alone. Especially when they’ve got friends in high places.

When twenty-three bodies are discovered on the edge of the Fallout Zone, the FBI calls in Ruby Callaway and Colton Roark to investigate. From the powerful dark magic branded into the bodies, Ruby quickly determines those responsible: the Crusaders of Paradisum. Which is impossible, considering Ruby killed their Crusading Prophet, scattering the cult to the wind over a century ago.

But some people just don’t know when to stay dead – especially when they’ve made new friends in powerful places. And that’s a problem Ruby needs to fix.

Before it kills her first.

Review:

It took me a while to get into this book. Part of that is that I had two library books I had to read before I could read this and since they were cozy mysteries it took me a little while to shift gears. Part of it was also because it used a plot device I’m not overly fond of, it started off with an action scene and then flashed back twenty-four hours. Hawaii Five-0 does that a lot and it’s started to annoy me.

Anyway, by fifty-five percent into the book I was invested and interested again. I wish there was a bit more world building and a bit more detail. There was also a lot going on, with multiple life and death plots which made it slightly hard to keep up with what was going on and what action had to do with which plot.

All in all, it wasn’t as good as the first book, but I’m still invested in the series and looking forward to the third and final book.

3/5

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Lightning Blade (Ruby Callaway #1) By: D.N. Erikson

Lightning Blade (Ruby Callaway #1) By: D.N. Erikson

Plot:

After twenty years inside a supernatural internment camp, bounty hunter Ruby Callaway is granted a temporary release by FBI Agent Colton Roark to help capture a necromancer publicly killing high ranking government officials. Each year, on the same day, the necromancer kills. And today marks the eighth anniversary.

But after dying at the killer’s hand, Ruby discovers something strange: the day repeats over and over, in an endless time loop starting at midnight.

The killer has something much bigger planned for today. And Ruby, as the only one capable of seeing the necromancer’s endless time loop, must stop the psychotic necromancer from obtaining unlimited power.

But the world outside the fence has changed, the supernatural forced to live in sprawling slums lying just outside gleaming cities. And in this uneasy new world, there might be threats even greater than serial killers lurking in the shadows…

Review:

Lightning Blade is made up of things I love, time loops, futuristic settings, and a kick ass female heroine. Time loops are so rarely done, at least I seem to rarely read about them, that when I saw that was what this book was I couldn’t not buy it.

I’m still not exactly sure what Ruby Callaway is, she’s a realms something or other, but she seems to be unique but not over powered. She ages very slowly so she’s had some time to train, which explains the abilities we were shown. I’m curious to learn more, though.

The real winner, though, was the world created. A futuristic world with paranormal creatures is just so cool to me. Things, of course, aren’t peachy in the future, and our heroes must find a way to survive and break the time loop, but things are never what they seem.

I wish the villain had been better developed. The pieces were all there, but the only time I felt anything for him was when he was first introduced, after that it was just sort of, “oh yeah there he is again.” He wasn’t over the top and he had awesome motivation but I feel like he could have easily been expounded on.

Really enjoyed the book over all, though, and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

4/5