Review--The Mage in Black

THINGS TO DO:
1) SURVIVE MAGIC 101
2) BOND WITH LONG-LOST SISTER
3) STAY ALIVE

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of "Chosen" who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny.

But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple, but it looks like it wants to bite back.

Finished The Mage in Black today, the second book in the Sabina Kane series and it was awesome! Of course since this was a second book in what will be a series of some unknown number, if anyone knows how many books there will be, feel free to say so in the comments. Book 3, Green-Eyed Demon won't come out until March 2011, unless something happens within the next 11 months. Going back to my earlier statement, that because this was book 2, there was a cliffhanger and it is going to be a long and grueling wait for the next book.

Once again to quote Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride, "I hate waiting."

I can't say what the cliffhanger is of course, but there is a cliffhanger and we are soooo left hanging. It was a great read, naturally! Sabina and Adam are on the road with Giguhl in tow going to New York and that is one long ride, one end of the border to the other. Talk about adding to the gas mileage because they are driving. It can't be that much cheaper driving than to fly with gas prices today, but that is neither here nor there!

Anyway, once Sabina makes it to her sister's house she is greeted warmly which shocks her. Everyone treats her so kindly that it kind of freaks her out at first. She is then initiated into the mage society since she is 1/2 and 1/2. And there are some very early and very entertaining tense scenes/encounters between Sabina and Adam that were very enjoyable as well.

But sadly, Adam is sent on a mission to help the mage council out, since Maisie is high up on the scale. Forgot her official title, but she's up there. Sabina isn't in New York long before she's already in trouble with a pack of Weres while strolling Central Park and has to fight the Alpha so she doesn't have to pay a huge fine. There are many things Sabina must learn about the rules of the supernatural kind in NY.

Of course as the BOC says, there is "an opportunistic old flame" in town. If you've read The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2, you're already in the know, if not, then you can read the short story Jaye Wells has in it to get the history between these two! It was yet another quite entertaining encounter between the two. Especially after the SS ended!

Vague, I know. But that's how I am, because I don't want to spoil things for you guys! Giguhl is back and is as entertaining as ever. Since he is Sabina's familiar, he's taken to hanging around Sabina, which comes in handy when it becomes clear that someone in New York wants Sabina dead, sending assassins after her in a variety of forms.

Sabina soon learns that someone she knows wants her dead because it only makes sense that way with the way the attacks happened. I had a guess, but I was wrong. My other guess that I didn't pay attention to as much was right. But it wasn't my main guess, so I admit to being wrong.

Overall this was a well-paced book and very entertaining, because Sabina is learning how to use her latent mage powers. She still doesn't buy into this whole "Chosen" one bit much, but the other mages, her sister and a teacher or sorts and Adam all believe in her, even if Sabina won't believe in herself. She still has many doubts about things here in New York that are mage related.

Another entertaining bit that the BOC mentions that isn't really a big deal in the book, although it takes up quite a few pages is the demon fight club! Yes there is a Demon Fight Club, care to guess the first 2 rules?

There are more, which I haven't ever seen the other movie and read some of the book before for a class, so I can't remember if they had 3 rules only or if there were more. But yes, a Demon Fight Club that is related to the "mysterious" old flame and take a guess to who participates!

Overall a very entertaining novel! I love these books and the wait for Green-Eyed Demon is going to be agonizing! I didn't tempt myself by reading the little excerpt inside the back of the novel. I find that when I read these, the wait is worse. So I have to avoid reading them for my own peace of mind.

On another note, the picture of the book I have here is different than my actual book. Sabina isn't wearing the necklace as she is depicted wearing here. I wonder why the change. And I wonder what exactly the necklace is. I've read the book and have a guess or two, just wondering which of the two it is. Any thoughts?

Next up is Diana Rowland's Blood of the Demon, already 100 pages in. Really good so far, thanks again to a friend from the Pride for the recommendation!