this week is different….
On April 14th, I’m having a surgery that requires two weeks of recuperation. I doubt I will be quite as bloggy during that time, so I pre-scheduled a review of a series for you. The posts will be shorter, but I have it scheduled so WordPress is publishing one each day. I hope you enjoy!
a note about the series
S.M. Reine created a whole universe of characters. That means that much like the Valdemar series I read by Mercedes Lackey, you get series within a larger “series.” While you do not have to read any other S.M. Reine series before you get to Preternatural Affairs, they do take place in the same universe, so if I comment on a character I was glad to see back, I’m referring to either The Descent series or Seasons of the Moon/The Cain Chronicles. Reine is a skilled at world building, rewarding her loyal readers.
witch hunt (#1 PReternatural affairs)
Cèsar Hawke is an agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs, Magical Violations Department. If anyone asks, he says he’s with the FBI. No need to cause a panic and let humans know there is a department that manages interactions with humans, angels, and demons. Or that the world is always teetering on the brink of collapse of these three planes of existence. After Cèsar wakes up in his apartment thinking he merely had a great night, he realizes his date is dead in his bathtub, he has scratch marks on his arm, and a pistol he doesn’t recognize in the living room. Will the OPA come to the assist? And who killed the woman?
While I didn’t feel like I got to know Cèsar well in this first installment, other than he’s a witch, I enjoyed S.M. Reine’s trademark snark. Cèsar describes being in a holding cell: “I was alone with my view of the drizzly spring day for about an hour. Just me and my thoughts and a determined sparrow shrieking. It was kind of nice. Meditative.” And though you may shy away from urban fiction, be aware Reine mixes reality with fantasy in a pleasurable way: “This was the guy that had once stolen a dozen MacBook Pro laptops from an Apple Store while it was open — and escaped without getting caught. Casting a circle of power around a bar filled with demons unseen was nothing compared to his battle with the Geniuses.”
For the next book: I want to know more about what makes Cèsar unique and to read more action action scenes and less running around playing detective trying to clear his name.
Grab the Lapels 
There are few arts generally agreed to be darker than the Apple ecosystem, and none at all that cast nearly so long a shadow.
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😐😐😐
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Sounds like a solid basis for a series.
I hope the surgery goes well and you have good books to entertain you while you recuperate.
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I spent my entire recovery listening to The Outsider by Richard Wright, and it was a SLOG.
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I’ve found, after various surgeries, that the best thing to read while recovering is children’s books. I was irritated by A Man Called Ove after a knee replacement, and NO ONE else seems to dislike that book.
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I couldn’t stand the way the pregnant neighbor lady kept hitting him. I think that was supposed to be cute??
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Maybe. All of it irritated me.
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The only part I liked, and I seriously laughed my ass off, was when he goes to hang himself and the rope snaps. He slaps down on the ground, lays there, and says, “This society.” I completely lost it.
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I hope the surgery went well Melanie and that you are well on the way to recovery.
This sounds intriguing but I wonder why you suggest we (your readers) may not like urban fiction?
Also, I’m not familiar with male witches. I thought they were wizards? But I guess the cultural concept of a wizard is different to that of a witch.
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Well, many of my readers are the type who still use the label “literary fiction,” so my guess isn’t they wouldn’t want to read “garbage” like urban fiction, but you know what? You’ve made me realize I was being judgmental, and that’s not appropriate.
I thought wizards were warlocks, too, but I’m guessing that’s the term most often used in high fantasy, like the Conan the Barbarian stories.
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No worries, Melanie. I wasn’t feeling judged. I use the term “literary fiction” but I wasn’t seeing it as either/or! For me, “literary fiction” can be pretty much anything – can cross all genres. For me it’s about not being formulaic or cliched. Beyond that, there are some genres I just don’t seek, literary or not, because it’s not my main interest, but if I do read them – like crime or spec fic, say – I will go with ones branded “literary” because they are more likely to challenge me than those following the formula.
BTW There’s nothing wrong with formula – it can be comforting if that’s what a reader wants. My daughter reads a lot of fantasy series and I think that’s because for a person who suffers from anxiety, novels that follow expectations are soothing or comforting (even if drama happens.) Does this make sense?
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That does make sense and now I’m curious which fantasy series she reads.
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I have no idea Melanie, but I think she’d go for cosy-ish fantasy, if that makes sense. She loved Lord of the Rings as a teen and can still quote great swathes of the poetry. But I will ask her.
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I hope the surgery went well and that you are able to rest and relax while you are recuperating!
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I listened to 22+ hours of The Outsider by Richard Wright, and it was a slog.
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Hope recovery is going well!
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Thank you. I’m still technically in recovery (two weeks), but I’ve started working an hour here and there, which means I’m reading blog posts from you guys between calls and now getting around to comments.
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I hope your surgery went well!
This reminds me of the show Supernatural – were you a fan? I went through a phase for a while.
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I never saw Supernatural. It sounds like a show from the CW!
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It was. I watched the first five seasons avidly (worth it) and then, because I’m loyal and the actors are pretty, I watched all 15 seasons.
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Yes I believe it was! It has a million seasons.
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I hope your surgery went well Melanie! This sounds like a fun series. I wouldn’t read it myself, but I enjoy your reviews of Reine.
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She’s definitely an author that makes you fall down the rabbit hole by rewarding you for reading all the series in the same universe. You start to have crazy insider knowledge.
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