No More Black Magic

RTCThis book is a wild ride, set at an incredibly fast pace. There is a lot that goes on in this book, with little down time. There is rarely a break between important scenes, so strap in and prepare yourself before starting. 

Abby is a strong, kick-ass heroine that many readers enjoy. She is independent and doesn't need to count on other people, but she does when she needs to. She is a fine character, surrounded be somewhat less developed characters. Simon is fun and loveable, but his wooing or flirting methods could seem creepy at times, throwing me out of the moment. I am sure the words I supposed to be humorous and light-hearted, but some of the things he said made me want to tell Abby to run for the hills. Leo, her guardian, was not truly described, so I do not know what his role is in this world. I do think more work could be done on flushing out these characters. 

That being said, I also would have preferred more world-building. So, the world knows about the paranormal. What creatures exist? Since when have humans known about them? Is there chaos? These are some of the questions I would have liked answered. There were also times, Abby would say something that would surprise me about the area because it is a city, but does not feel like a big city, which is what I had been expecting. So, this is one of those rare times I ask for more details. 

Another thing is that many things are told to us instead of shown. It is repeated countless times that Abby is the best at what she does. She says it, her cop liaison says it, her friends and guardian say it, and her boss says it. It just felt over done. Abby was doing good on her own, but a few more demonstrations of how she is the best and less “best” compliments, would have been appreciated. On that note, the dialogue could at times seem terse and without emotion, besides exhaustion or without care. 
In the end, there is a great story here and with a few adjustments could be a great book.