Unclean Spirits: Book One of the Black Sun's Daughter

M.L.N. Hanover

Dec 2008 · Black sun's daughter Book 1 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

In a world where magic walks and demons ride, you can't always play by the rules.

Jayné Heller thinks of herself as a realist, until she discovers reality isn't quite what she thought it was. When her uncle Eric is murdered, Jayné travels to Denver to settle his estate, only to learn that it's all hers -- and vaster than she ever imagined. And along with properties across the world and an inexhaustible fortune, Eric left her a legacy of a different kind: his unfinished business with a cabal of wizards known as the Invisible College.

Led by the ruthless Randolph Coin, the Invisible College harnesses demon spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Jayné finds it difficult to believe magic and demons can even exist, let alone be responsible for the death of her uncle. But Coin sees Eric's heir as a threat to be eliminated by any means -- magical or mundane -- so Jayné had better start believing in something to save her own life.

Aided in her mission by a group of unlikely companions -- Aubrey, Eric's devastatingly attractive assistant; Ex, a former Jesuit with a lethal agenda; Midian, a two-hundred-year-old man who claims to be under a curse from Randolph Coin himself; and Chogyi Jake, a self-styled Buddhist with mystical abilities -- Jayné finds that her new reality is not only unexpected, but often unexplainable. And if she hopes to survive, she'll have to learn the new rules fast -- or break them completely....

Ratings and reviews

Ugh what did I just read? This book is in dire need of a decent editor. The concept of riders, demons that push out the souls of humans and take them over like a parasite, was interesting. However, no matter how much an idea catches my interest, the writing needs to be good quality. I can handle some cliches and bad grammar, but Hanover's writing was sluggish, like trying to dig down past the crap to find a few nuggets of decent writing.

I had this on my tbr for ages, mostly due to some reviews, but I was intrigued enough to try it. The premise is thought provoking and probable. The characters are enimatic and evolve constantly. This series is great because each book could gives a sense of closure, while leaving enough open to ensure interest in the next installment. I just finished book 4, and I bought the first 4 days ago. I love this series!!!

Expected more, I'm hoping this being the first book, that more character development will follow... Or at leas the centuries old baddies will be competent...

About the author

M.L.N. Hanover is an International Horror Guild Award-winning author living in the American southwest.