Review: Urban Fantasy with Unusual Protagonists
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 16, 2014
Premise: the heroine, named Delia, and her nerdy male partner are in the business of antiquing -- with a twist. They concentrate on relics or archaeological antiques sometimes as well as things like old pepper grinders. They enjoy their business even though they have a lot of trouble making ends meet. When they stumble across a dead body on one of their scavenging adventures, it ends up involving them in a bigger mystery than anything they ever expected -- something finally worthy of the heroine's "Indiana Jones" type aspirations!While this book felt rougher than Buroker's other novels, I would still consider this author to be one of my favorites. The character interactions weren't standard or predictable--any romance plots in here are going to be slower to develop, I think, although I trust the author to develop them as well as in the Emperor's Edge. There are no superhero protagonists in here who can outthink or outfight all the villains, so that was great. However, the world isn't as richly drawn as Buroker's fantasies, possibly because it was set in contemporary times, and the characters, while a change of pace from the more over the top characters in other Buroker books, seemed flatter. Additional characters added as the book progressed received even less characterization than the 2 main protagonists.That being said, about halfway through the book, after making the mental switch to the author's contemporary voice, I was definitely on the Rust and Relics train. The protagonists, while it was clear to both them and the reader that they were in way over their heads, acted in pretty believable manners, and their vulnerabilities and weaknesses made the danger components feel even more dangerous.Recommended for Buroker fans, urban fantasy fans, contemporary fantasy fans, possibly rural fantasy or magic realism fans. I'll definitely keep reading this series.