by Terrance McArthur

Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of The Sight and links to purchase it.

In the first place, the veil between New Orleans and the magical world beyond it ripped, and it took years of battle to close it, leaving the South shattered. The leftover Paranormals are confined to a district called Devil’s Isle by Agents of Containment, a cross between Homeland Security and the CDC, but leftover magic has infected Sensitives, who must control it, vent it, or turn into rampaging Wraiths in Chloe Neill’s second Devil’s Isle book, The Sight.

Claire runs the old family antique store that now stocks freeze-dried meals, and she’s a psychokinetic Sensitive, able to move things with her mind. Liam is a bounty hunter, sending Paranormals and Sensitives to Devil’s Isle, but he let Claire go. Now, they work together as a hunting team, while quietly trying to help the inmates of the Isle.

A new threat has made itself known, a group that wants to get rid of the Paranormals permanently, thinking that killing them will heal the land. Ezekiel, a charismatic leader with a message that attracts people who have lost everything but anger, has crafted a powerful movement that battles the government agents and attacks the Paranormals. Claire and Liam try to track them down without revealing her powers that would lock her behind the walls of Devil’s Isle.

Neill is a master of urban fantasy, author of a dozen Chicagoland Vampires novels. She knows how to build a team of characters and pepper it with romance and conflict, making the bounty hunter reluctant to commit to a woman who might turn Wraith, a potential lover he might have to turn over to Containment.

The Sight includes many of Neill’s hallmarks—a strong female lead forced into using powers that she never had, good friends that stand beside her in any danger, a sexy male (or two) to lead her as she learns to use her new talents, a goodly variety of not-quite-human creatures, and a lot of snarky dialogue. This version of New Orleans may be burnt, flattened, cut off from most supplies, and nearly depopulated, but it still has spirit.

Reading the first Devil’s Isle series book, The Veil first, would explain some situations and characters, but the learning curve is gentle, and things make sense most of the time. Give this series a chance.

To enter to win a copy of The Sight, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “sight,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 24, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address.

Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.

Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

The Sight

You can also use this link to purchase the book from Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a Community Librarian for the WoW! (WithOut Walls) Division of the Fresno County Public Library, roaming the Valley to meet the public’s information needs.