Review: That Ghoul Ava is pure urban fantasy fun
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 7, 2014
The only way to describe That Ghoul Ava is simply delightful. I love when after reading a book, the only criticism I can come up with is the book was too short and I wanted more. Prior to reading, Ava piqued my interest when told that if I was a fan of MaryJanice Davidson's Queen Betsy series, I would love Ava. The suggestion was spot on. Ava is quirky with a snarky personality. Two components that, in my opinion, make for an exceptional reading experience. Despite being a member of the supernatural community, Ava's character is written with humanity. Not only is it easy to find similarities to Davidson's Betsy Sinclair, but also Richelle Mead's sassy succubus, Georgina Kincaid.Ava's narrative is captivating and engaging. Her vampire nemesis Belinda is what one would expect from a blood sucker; stuck up and pretentious. The narrator, Celia Aurora de Blas delivered an acceptable performance; not the best, but thankfully nowhere near the worst I've heard. The narration started out a bit sluggish...literally. There's a sweet spot in audio narration speed that she initially struggled with, but after the first chapter the pace picked up a bit. After the initial adjustment, lags seemed to occur only when the narrator spoke Belinda's dialogue.That Ghoul Ava is pure urban fantasy fun.  I enjoyed the book a lot more than expected from the cover art. Having learned to never judge a book by its cover, I dove in. I firmly believe this book deserves a cover similar in style to the House of Night series by PC and Kristin cast, Richelle Mead's Succubus series, Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville, or Kim Harrison's Hollows. Those are the type of Urban fantasy titles I feel Ava fights perfectly within.TW Brown has been on my radar for quite some time with his Dead and Zomblog series. It always amazes me when an author can wow fans across genres. Five stars to That Ghoul Ava. This is definitely a series to keep on the short list of favorites and keep track of new releases. Because it's a story that just can't be overlooked. The main character alone has sustainability to keep her in league with the heavy hitters of the urban fantasy genre and the concept is completely original.