Review: A Spinoff that Stands On Its Own
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2012
When I first heard the author was planning a spinoff of the Keeleyverse with a main character yet to be introduced, I admit I was a little dubious.  Given P.S. Powers track record to date, I decided to give it a shot.  Boy, was that a great decision.Zack is insane.  He knows it and deals with it on a daily basis but that doesn't stop him from being smart and caring and funny, often at his own expense.  He also has an ability that makes him a hot commodity once others learn of it, and as is often the case in one of this author's books, he lets his compassion get the best of him by doing favors for his new friends.  He thinks of them as favors, anyway, but others, like the vampires and shapeshifters he meets, see it as a debt of honor owed, which makes for some pretty funny situations as these obligations are negotiated.This book has a great supporting cast, from his good friend Troy to the mysterious Edom to the Yoghurt Hut girl Lenore who is much more than she seems.  Plus, we get a great extended cameo with Keeley, who is a lot scarier when viewed from other people's perspective while still being funny.  This is not one of  P.S. Power's darker books but there is some violence and sexually suggestive language, and everything in the Keeleyverse seems to have a sharp edge or two.  This is also a book of big ideas, and we see the Keeleyverse expanded as more of the other races are introduced and Zack gets a crash course in swimming with the big fish as the story goes along.  All in all, a great first book in this new series and a wonderful new point of view in Zack, who turns out to be much more complex than at first blush.  Read and enjoy.