Ingress: An Alaska Iconoclast Mystery

Disclaimer: I received a PDF ARC from netgalley.com.

Remember, I'm reviewing this book from the perspective of one who loves urban fantasy and supernatural genre works. I am pagan, and while there's a bit of “God talk” in this book, it doesn't detract from a good story. An ingress is a portal, an opening to somewhere else. Poll's newest addition to her Alaskan Iconoclast series, Ingress, is indeed just that. This book picks up from the events of the first book. We find out what happens to Josiah and the others. A new threat hits the town and gives the demon Iconoclast a way back into the sleepy town of Raven's Cove.

This time Poll did a better job of combining the Indian lore of the surrounding area into to her good versus evil tale. We get exposure to more people in Raven's Cove as we try and figure out what is going on. The supernatural elements in the book are a bit stronger, and we're introduced to new critters and occult lore. This was a stronger book overall. The end battle scene was much more what I was hoping for in a climax and felt stronger than the last book.

However, what I didn't like was the romance bits. At the end of book one, our heroes, Kat and Ken, are finally admitting their feelings. In the start of Ingress, they are no longer a couple, due to Ken leaving Raven's Cove to go back to Anchorage. He wanted to take Kat with her but she didn't want to leave. She doesn't even want to date. It's really clear that she'd rather just get married, because she's “old fashioned like that.” Whoa?!!!! Seriously? Readers haven't seen them date, and yet she's insisting that he flat out marry her? That's just... a tad bit unrealistic in my book. In any case, Ken does what she asks, despite him wanting to just date a bit and live together.

Bottom line: if you want a fun, christian-fueled book where good triumphs over evil, then this is the series for you.