Deadly Curiosities
Author: Gail Z. Martin
Publication Date: June 25, 2014
Publisher: Solaris
Format: Digital copy
I received an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As the owner of
Trifles and Folly, an antique shop that has been passed down generation after
generation in their family, Cassidy Kincaide buys all kinds of antique and odd,
but interesting objects. But unlike any
antique shop, theirs has a higher purpose. They’re part of an ancient secret
organization called The Alliance, wherein they get rid off of supernatural
items out of the market before it hurts someone, or worse, fall into the wrong
hands.
Set in
Charleston, SC where everyone knows who’s who, Cassidy, together with Teag, her
assistant manager, and Sorren, her business and silent partner, set out on an
investigation when a murderer was out on large after killing at least a few
homeless and vagrants around the town. As the story progresses, Cassidy learns
more about the history of Charleston, complete with its own serial killers that
will forever haunt the place, as well as magic that inhibits the town.
Deadly Curiosities is a slow-paced novel that took its time to fully
develop its straight-forward plot, and while the conclusion wasn’t unexpected,
it’s the turn of events that kept the story interesting and moving. Moreover,
what sets the novel apart from the other urban fantasy novel, aside from not
having romance mixed in, was the new forms of magic introduced, more
specifically, Cassidy’s psychometric gift, which allows her to ‘read’ the
strong emotion or ‘resonance’ as she calls it, imprinted on the object. The
other magic was Teag’s weaver magic, which makes him a good researcher. Also,
there’s no ‘shocking revelation’ in the novel when it comes to the main
characters, since they’re already familiar with each other as well as with
their own gifts and abilities. In addition, the side characters in the story
added a spark of magic in the small town of Charleston, like Lucinda who
practices voudon.
However, there were times where I had
to pause and stop for a while because of the information that kept on coming,
and sometimes I got the information mixed up, which confused me more. Despite
this, the supernatural occurrences, both what happened in the past and in the
present, were intricately woven together, creating a connection without making
any lapses or holes in the plot. Cassidy, Teag, and Sorren may be able to solve
their current supernatural problem, but Dark
Curiosities opened a portal of questions regarding Sorren’s background, the
Alliance, the Family, and the history between them.
Dark Curiosities brought up fresh
ideas and mixed it with the old ones, making a perfect blend of read that will certainly
not fail the expectations of the readers of urban fantasy.
About the Author
Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites. She is married and has three children, a Himalayan cat, a Maltese and a golden retriever.
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