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Chasing Magic
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Chasing Magic
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Chasing Magic
Ebook426 pages7 hours

Chasing Magic

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

The fifth book in Stacia Kane’s gripping and gritty DOWNSIDE GHOSTS urban fantasy series, perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison.

A DEADLY HIGH

Magic-wielding Churchwitch and secret addict Chess Putnam knows better than anyone just how high a price people are willing to pay for a chemical rush. But when someone with money to burn and a penchant for black magic starts tampering with Downside’s drug supply, Chess realizes that the unlucky customers are paying with their souls – and taking the innocent with them, as the magic-infused speed compels them to kill in the most gruesome ways possible.

As if the streets weren’t scary enough, the looming war between the two men in her life explodes, taking even more casualties and putting Chess squarely in the middle. Downside could become a literal ghost town if Chess doesn’t find a way to stop both the war and the dark wave of death-magic, and the only way to do that is to use both her addiction and her power to enter the spell and chase the magic all the way back to its malevolent source. Too bad that doing so will probably kill Chess – if the war doesn’t first destroy the man who’s become her reason for living.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 2, 2012
ISBN9780007437771
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Chasing Magic
Author

Stacia Kane

Stacia Kane is the author of the gritty dystopian urban fantasy Downside series starring Chess Putnam and featuring ghosts, human sacrifice, drugs, witchcraft, punk rock, and a badass '69 Chevelle. She bleaches her hair and wears a lot of black.

Read more from Stacia Kane

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Reviews for Chasing Magic

Rating: 4.140562229718876 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The premise: ganked from BN.com: ENEMIES DON’T NEED TO BE ALIVE TO BE DEADLY.For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.My Rating: ExcellentConsidering that I was rather ambivalent about Unholy Ghosts, I'm rather floored that this book gripped me so well. I took my time reading it, which used to be the kiss of death when I read an urban fantasy, but Chess Putnam is a dark character living in a dark, dark, frighteningly gritty world. It's utterly different than anything I've ever experienced, so taking the time to really absorb and understand all f the dynamics is really important. Kane knows how to zero in the relationships between people, and in this context, I'm not referring to TRU LUV so much as I'm referring to how Chess interacts with various people in her life and those interactions feel sharp and real and all of them different from each other. And the world-building… sheesh, it's intense and epic. I'm definitely planning on continuing this series, and can easily recommend this to any reader who wants a dark, gritty urban fantasy with unique world-building, a heroine written from the third person POV, and some truly frakked up relationships and situations. The end of this installment was epic, and emotionally, this was quite the roller-coaster ride. Can't wait to see what happens next.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. Well, nothing major. There's some vague-ish spoilers, so if you want to stay safe, don't read the full review at my blog. However, all comments and discussion are welcome, and you can find the full review by clicking the link below.REVIEW: Stacia Kane's UNHOLY MAGICHappy Reading!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Reviewed by: Rabid ReadsMy second trip into the world of Downside was a lot more satisfying than my first; this story focuses on Chess’ investigations rather than on her drug addiction which was my main beef with Unholy Ghosts. My frustrations over the heroine’s inability to think straight due to her addled state were somewhat alleviated in this installment so I was able to better appreciate the unique elements that this series has to offer. Unholy Magic still wasn’t a home run for me but I did enjoy it more than book one and expect this trend to continue as the story progresses which is all the incentive I need to see Chess’ tale through to the end.After listening to two installments, I do believe that I am finally catching on to the DS lingo. It definitely took some getting used to at first but after spending hours immersed in Bahni Turpin’s narration I couldn’t help but notice that some of Kane’s slang words had found their way into my daily vocabulary, dig? I also think that this is one of those series’ that’s just better in audio; I have a sneaky suspicion that had I read the first book, I probably wouldn’t have made it to this one. The narrator does an outstanding job at bringing this tale to life; Chess can’t be an easy character to read, with her constant highs and lows, but Turpin successfully keeps pace with the heroine without even breaking a sweat.The main plot revolves around sex magic, so, needless to say, there’s a lot of humping going on in this novel. By now you’re probably thinking sex = awesome, right? Sorry to disappoint, this is Urban Fantasy after all and there’s always a catch. Chess has a messed up past and an even more complicated present which makes her especially susceptible to this particular brand of magic. I really felt for her because Kane makes her reluctance believable and that’s a hard feat to accomplish in this type of situation. There are also a couple of very heart wrenching moments in Unholy Magic that added new levels of depth to the characters. I’m beginning to view many of them in a different light and my opinions of the DS crew are beginning to change for the better.I like that for once it’s the heroine that’s undeserving; Chess has to prove herself worthy of Terrible instead of the other way around. It’s an interesting variation on the typical romantic relationship development and I look forward to having Putnam convince both Terrible and myself of her merit. Speaking of which, at first I didn’t really see the appeal of Bump’s right-hand man; undoubtedly he’s an alpha male and pretty darned smexy but he’s still a thug! I love a bad boy just as much as the next girl but I’m not that shallow; my men need to have a bit more substance to them! For me, Terrible came out of the woodwork in this installment with a few interesting revelations and by demonstrating some real moxie. I’m not sure how I feel about these two as a couple yet but they are definitely growing on me as individuals.There’s no shortage of action or emotional drama in Unholy Magic and the character development was superb. So far, Stacia Kane’s Downside series has received a 3-star, followed by this 4 from me; let’s see if City of Ghosts can earn a 5. I think it will.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Unholy MagicDownside Ghosts, Book 2By: Stacia KaneNarrated by: Bahni TurpinThis book has a lot more suspense than the first one! My shoulders were so tense by the end of the book I needed a muscle relaxant! This gave a deeper dive into the inner workers of the Church also, especially what they do with the convicted ghosts. In this book she is dealing with someone or something killing prostitutes and making it look like the killer from 20 years ago who is dead. One spotted a ghost. Another case, at the same time, is an actor's home and the Church wants to see if they are faking a haunting which is against the law.Chess is having serious problems with her love life which she has brought upon herself. I don't know why either see her. She seems to use drugs more and more too!I like the mysteries, the alternative world that mixes part our world with a different world. Kane is a terrific world builder and uses that to make horror spring to life. It is gritty, full of little hope, no government just The Church that believes in No gods, there are ghosts and magic that is controlled by the Church for good of mankind. (Mostly) Chess works for The Church but they don't know her secret about the drugs. The narration is really, really good! She is perfect for this series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I am eating up this series so hard. Gonna have to remember to buy hard copies!!!

    The angst is so painful but so good!!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I thought the first book was better than this one. The story line was ok, but Chess was an increasing mess, IMO. Her addiction is so prevalent and really takes over her life. I thought she was very self-destructive. Though we got a little more glimpse into her past, I just have a very hard time relating to her. However, there were a few moments in the book that I did feel sympathy towards her. She made a lot of mistakes and I do want to see if she can fix some of them. Terrible is still awesome and I think he can do better than Chess.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dark. Brilliant. Emotional. Intense. Amazing.Full Review coming.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyed this installment as well of the Downside ghosts. Interesting twist on the church and ghosts. I enjoy the back line of Chess's story and the intrigue with her and Terrible. Looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Just what I was afraid of! Read Abigail's review at All Things Urban Fantasy. I really want to get to Chess and Terrible's HEA, but I don't think I can make it through this book.

    So freaking painful to read, but I couldn't put it down. Chess is such a mess, Terrible breaks my heart, and I can't wait for book three. I don't think I'd even recognize Chess without her addictions and her ghosts, but part of me still hopes she'll get clean and get help.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Okay, I said I really liked the first book but this one takes the cake. It was amazing! I don`t know if I`m angry at Chess for all the stupid things she`s been doing or if I crawl into a bed and cry myself to sleep when I think how things are between Chess and Terrible. Seriously, heart palpitations with the confession scene and from that point on, things just got worse for my poor heart. Pain, physical pain. Can`t freaking wait to read book three.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Spoiler - free!

    This is one of those books that holds you in its tight grip and doesn't let you function properly in your everyday life. I neglected my family, friends, and pets for a little over 24hrs. Totally worth it.

    I like gritty books that don't hold punches and Kane is a maverick at taking you on an emotional ride that leaves you breathless. It was so easy to step into Chess' place & feel every triumph, every heartache, & every snub like they were my own. I laughed, I sobbed, & I smiled like a lovestruck schoolgirl. I ran the gamut of emotions.

    There's not much I'll say as to the plot, but read this series and if you were lukewarm about the 1st book, dive into the 2nd. You won't be disappointed.

    3/30/12 - re-read
    Kane is amazing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Downside Ghosts series has been a very unique series in and of itself. It has its own vocabulary, and gives a fairly in depth look into the world of addiction. Also it is extremely descriptive that has me internally screaming STOP IT, YOU'RE GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY! WHY ARE YOU LETTING THE MASSES KNOW. You are now warned!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series is amazing. Unholy Magic finds Chess still struggling with addiction as well as overcoming her past. Its made very clear in this book how her drug use causes her no end of problems in her life. There is a powerful scene where she goes through a horrific withdrawal, also her addiction leads to her being blackmailed and used by various people for their own benefit. I love that Kane makes her characters so realistic and believable.
    Through all the personal issues and stuggles with her relationships, there is a fast paced plot as well as a closer look at the Church of Truth. Personally, I find it horrifying that the church is able to not only punish people in life but also in the afterlife. Just the thought of fallible human beings being able to punish people after death is a scary concept.
    The plot was great, for the Church, Chess is working on a reported haunting for a movie star family, and for Bump and Slobag, she is looking into a string of prostitute murders. This book was action packed and hard to put down. I can't wait to see how the series continues.
    Stacia Kane has certainly found a place as one of my all time favorite authors with this series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The way she dealt with her last case brought Chess more attention than she's happy with, but it also brings her a high profile case involving a famous actor. But she's maintaining, balanced on the highs and lows of her pills, her relationship with Terrible stretching her capacity to believe and still hiding her ties to Lex and Slobag. So glad I discovered this series with multiple books available. Kane's characters may be flawed and tortured and possessed of some seriously bad habits, but they're incredibly appealing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I jumped right into this book from the first one. You can definitely feel more of a draw into this story in this book. I also LOOOOOVVEEE the dynamic that is starting between Chess and another thuggish character. I adore Terrible and I can't wait to see what happens with those two.

    The story line was good and Ms. Kane doesn't make me feel like I have to learn an entire new world just to read her book. I love that. I will continue with the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was painful to read. Heart-wrenchingly painful, to the degree that I had to seriously consider whether or not to finish reading it, because it was starting to seep into my daily life and really bring me down. And it wasn't just that it was painful; it was that Chess was doing it all to herself.

    The only thing that really kept me going was the slight hope that Chess would figure it all out and dig herself out of her own hole. And that's what's going to keep me going to the next book.

    Unique worldbuilding, interesting linguistics, gripping story. Worth it, if only for hope.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this! It was so intense, I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Terrible, and Chess. I was only disappointed that I have to read the next book to know the consequences of Chess' actions to keep Terrible alive. Like many other readers, I'm not sure who to root for. If viewed from a "real world" perspective, these people are despicable. But Kane handles them so well that, despite ourselves, we find ourselves understanding and, eventually, cheering for them. Especially Chess Putnam, who is one of the most messed up characters I have ever had the privilege of reading. That's one of the things I love best about this series, that Chess is so broken and yet still manages to save those she loves and does her job and continues to walk the tightrope that is her personal life. That, and the supernatural themes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The next step in Chess' story and it is even more emotionally challenging. The darkness of these stories is what makes me love the characters even more. I want them to have that one good thing in their lives because there isn't much else that they do have. It's wonderful to read about characters that don't have unlimited funds and aren't gorgeous because I don't know anyone that lives that life but it seems to be a common thread in a lot of books.

    The end of the book is incredibly emotional and made me start the next book immediately (thankfully I was able to do so!). This is a series you will be pulled into and you will always be ready for the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loves this book and I love Terrible. Can't wait for City of Ghosts. Luckily it comes out later this month.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyed this installment as well of the Downside ghosts. Interesting twist on the church and ghosts. I enjoy the back line of Chess's story and the intrigue with her and Terrible. Looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    So, I originally gave this series a shot because Michelle raved about it, AND it was within my rule of <6$/ebook.

    And I liked the first one a lot, but it seemed a little gimmicky, so I wasn't sure I would continue. Except that the second book was cheap. And Stacia Kane popped up on the blogosphere as a bad-ass. I love supporting bad-asses.

    And then this book became my imperfect crack, my guilty pleasure.

    I have issues with this book, but they're not enough to make me give up on the series (though I'll have to wait for books 4 to go on sale, because of my moral need to not spend more than 6$/ebook).

    Chess is still our main character, our churchwitch. The world is still dark and ugly and gritty. And I admittedly have a huge hard-on for dark and gritty.

    She's a fundamentally flawed character, still almost too stereotypically fundamentally flawed, but I'm giving her a pass. She makes really, really stupid mistakes, but mistakes that make sense, and are a bit painful to people like me who have made epically stupid mistakes.

    The world building is good, but not great. There is still a lot of the world to be filled in, a lot to be explained. I like that Kane has not gotten overly finicky and exposition-y about it, but a wee bit more explanation would be great (Yeah, ghost-apocalypse, yeah, Church, but, more please?).

    The prose is solid and consistent, I think it's much better than the first book, which shows nice growth on the part of the author. I still like the use of Downside-slang with the characters that speak, while the more privileged and educated characters speak much more "correctly" (at least what we privileged Americans would expect).

    I still want meaningful female characters that are not the main character (so far, except for Junkie Chess, we just have bitches, goody-bitches and whores).

    Anyway, on to the story. It's another mystery. Another classic detective story, with an A and B plot that you know are somehow going to come together, it's just a matter of time. Chess is still playing the field between two opposing drug lords, and has to work between them to get her B plot to come out.

    The actual B (as I refer to the non-officially-sanctioned-by-the-Church plot) plot is actually horrible. And kudos to Kane for making a truly horrific and awful scene involving that one. I mean, really. Ew. And Ugh. Everything wraps up nice and episodic, with just a few trailing ends to keep us going into the next book.

    It reminds me a lot of the early Dresden books (only with a whole lot more graphic violence, sex and drug use), where Harry could solve some mystery stuff and go along his merry way, before there were huge overwhelming power-story arcs.

    I got much more into this story, it was like watching an epic battle or car accident, only while Chess is an interesting main character, I she's not a good character, I can't root for her, so I'm watching this battle and I don't know that I want anyone to win. Except Terrible and damn you Kane for leaving that hanging, because now I have to dive straight on into the next book... you'd better be answering some questions.

    High literature with lots of thinky premise? Not really, though if pushed I could tease out some good discussion points. This is popcorn for me. Pure and unadulterated (except for the extra butter) popcorn.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Oh man, Chess Putnam really needs to do something about her addictions, she's a bit of a mess but this book goes a distance to talk about why she's a mess. Her background was full of people who used and in many ways used her, I don't think she really knows how to relate to people properly.This story sees her near-fatally poisoned by a psychic and wondering how she manages to get into these situations. Then she gets lured into an investigation about someone murdering prostitutes in Downside and at the same time try to work out how a celebrity is being haunted, she's convinced that something isn't quite right about the haunting and what she finds can be very dangerous.Simultaneously she's dealing with the love of two men and these loves come at a price and what she's willing to pay may not be enough for either of them.Chess is a mess and the book sets up why she's a mess to a degree. She is overwhelmed and scared and out of her depth a lot of the time and it's not surprising that she uses drugs to help her cope.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the second book in the Downside Ghost series by Kane. It was a decent book and I enjoyed listening to it. It expands some on the world we were introduced to in the first series.I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was well done. I am still not crazy about the narrator, but she is growing on me. The narrator did an excellent job of distinguishing between the different characters voices and of conveying the mood or feeling of the dialogue.Chess has been promoted in the Church for her work in the first book and in this book she is given her first really high profile case. She is supposed to debunk a haunting of a celebrity. As with the last book her drug habit gets in the way when she is coerced into working another case for her dealer Bump; hookers have been gruesomely killed and Bump wants Chess to figure out if a ghost is involved.As with the first book in this series I enjoy the dark, gritty, and creative world that these stories take place in. We learn a bit more about ghosts and how they are summoned, we learn a bit more about the history of the Church of Truth as well. This book wasn’t as gruesome as the first one, but it still didn’t gloss over any of the yucky details.I still have some trouble with these characters. I just don’t like any of them, they are all pretty much train-wrecks. That doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting to read about; reading about Chess as she tries to work and use her drugs is kind of like watching a train on the verge of crashing. It is kind of fascinating how she can balance all these things and mostly have it work out.Things come to a head between Chess, Terrible, and Lex in this book. Terrible is still by far my favorite character in this series and I am interesting to see what happens between him and Chess. We get to learn a lot more about Terrible’s background and history in this book and it was very interesting.This book was similar in structure to the first book in the series. Events that happen with Bump and seemingly unconnected events that happened with Chess’s job at the Church end up being closely related. I found this to be a bit formulaic and hope that future books don’t continue to repeat this pattern. It made the story somewhat predictable.These books have all been fairly self-contained and I am hoping future books introduce some broader story that ties the books together.Overall a decent addition to this series. I love this world, it is interesting and creative. I am not totally sold on the characters though. I thought this book was a bit too similar to the previous one in structure and hope future books are different. I am planning on reading book 3, City of Ghosts, then I will decide if I will continue on with this series. I would recommend this book to those who like gritty urban fantasy with flawed characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Unholy Magic is the second in the Downside Ghosts series. This series defies characterization. It is a a post-apocalyptic tale, a detective story, and an urban fantasy (but no typical vampire/werewolf stuff, yawn -- the main character is a drug-addicted witch who battles malevolent ghosts). This has quickly become my favorite series, and I cannot wait for more. Here is why:The world is captivating, original, and carefully built. The reader believes that ghosts have risen and destroyed the world as we know it, and that a new, damaged but resilient neighborhood like the Downside (complete with its own slang & music), has developed. The world-building is awesome, and the world created is unique, fun, scary, and original. I want to spend more time there.The characters are real people. Chess is damaged. She has good reasons for being damaged, but she is addicted, has a terribly self-image, and finds her self worth in her work. She is a good, powerful, witch. She protects people from ghosts, and is an astute investigator - she saves her employee from claims of false hauntings. But still, she feels inadequate and cannot believe anyone loves her, despite two strong Downside characters, Terrible and Lex, who both seek her attentions.Sacrificial Magic has high powered romance, but not a fairytale, pretty, Harlequin-type romance, but real does-he-love-me, how-do-i-do-this, heart-achingly bittersweet painful romance. Just like in real life, in Chess's world, it is complicated. The writing is great. Clean, clear, descriptive, sometimes lyrical (but not so much that it gets in the way of the story). A sample: "Church theory was that ghosts killed out of envy, because they hated the living simply for being alive, because they wanted to steal that life for themselves and would never give up trying no matter how many times they failed. Chess agreed. But she also wondered--wondered a lot--if it wasn't simply that without the pressure of society, with nothing to lose, the cruelty and viciousness of the dead were simply the cruelty and viciousness of the living permitted finally to surface."The Downside Ghosts series of books by Stacia Kane are simply incredible; it is a captivating, unique series which I cannot recommend highly enough.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Synopsis: Cesaria “Chess” Putnam works for The Real Church of Truth and Facts – the organization that has overtaken the government and religions of old. Chess works for the Church as a Debunker, someone who disproves the claims of hauntings by Triumph City residents. The Real Church fought an epic battle against the dead and being able to hold off the ghostly hoards is how they remain in power. Thus, Chess’ job was born. Chess is also a witch, using magic sanctioned by the Church to combat restless spirits.In Unholy Magic, Chess has double trouble on her hands. First, there’s her new assignment from the church. A movie start, Roger Pyle, has moved to Triumph City with his wife and daughter. The house he had built for his family is built on the site of a gruesome murder scene. Pyle contacts the Church and Chess is assigned to determine if Pyle’s haunting is legit or just Hollywood trickery.Then, there’s evil afoot in Downside, the neighborhood where Chess lives. Someone is murdering prostitutes. Even worse than simple murder is the fact that the killer is branding his victims while they are still alive, and then cutting out their eyes once they are dead. Bump, Chess’ drug dealer, calls in Chess to investigate when Downside residents begin to believe the murders are being carried out by “the Cryin Man” – a ghost.Adding further complications to Chess’ life is her relationship with Terrible, Bump’s right-hand man. There’s definite attraction between the two, but Chess is skittish about relationships. Also, Chess is sleeping with Lex, the son of Bump’s main drug dealing competitor.Chess must solve the cases and play her relationship cards correctly before the present and the hereafter come back to bite her.Review: I had mixed emotions about reading this novel. I read the first book in this series, Unholy Ghosts, and was really on the fence with the book. I hate to give up on a series, especially a series I had been hearing such good things about, after reading just the first book. While I am not ready to gush over this series yet, I will say that I liked Unholy Magic much better than Unholy Ghosts.One of my biggest dislikes with Unholy Ghosts was the emphasis on Chess’ drug use. While that was still a pretty large part of the novel, the drug use was more like background noise than an in-your-face annoyance. This was a definite improvement and I hope that the drug use continues to diminish in the next installments.I liked that we got to know Chess more as a character and see her relationship with Terrible take on new dimensions. I don’t really enjoy Lex as a character, so less of him and more of Terrible was a good thing. I equally enjoyed the character development of Terrible that took place aside from his relationship with Chess.I am glad that I read this novel and didn’t give up on the series. I will be checking out the third book in the series, City of Ghosts, sometime soon. I would recommend this series, albeit with a healthy dose of patience for the first novel, to lovers of Urban Fantasy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series is amazing. Unholy Magic finds Chess still struggling with addiction as well as overcoming her past. Its made very clear in this book how her drug use causes her no end of problems in her life. There is a powerful scene where she goes through a horrific withdrawal, also her addiction leads to her being blackmailed and used by various people for their own benefit. I love that Kane makes her characters so realistic and believable. Through all the personal issues and stuggles with her relationships, there is a fast paced plot as well as a closer look at the Church of Truth. Personally, I find it horrifying that the church is able to not only punish people in life but also in the afterlife. Just the thought of fallible human beings being able to punish people after death is a scary concept. The plot was great, for the Church, Chess is working on a reported haunting for a movie star family, and for Bump and Slobag, she is looking into a string of prostitute murders. This book was action packed and hard to put down. I can't wait to see how the series continues. Stacia Kane has certainly found a place as one of my all time favorite authors with this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    So, I made it past my gripes about book one to move onward and read book 2 "Unholy Magic". I loved the mystery and the world Kane had set up but struggled with Chess's drug use and the weird language some of the characters of the Downside use. This book had an even better mystery and the world is so compelling. Imagine ghosts revolting and causing mass murder and chaos around the world. Religion as we know it falls during this time, and the Church is the only thing that can protect us from the ghosts. The Church is actually not a religion but a group that has gathered the ghosts and holds them safely away from human population. Every now and again one can escape and that is where Chess, a dubunker, comes in. Chess investigates ghostly complaints which often turn out to be fake. Occasionally they are real...or at least the danger is. Chess is a drug addict and I found her more bearable here than in the first book but I hate that I find her so piteous and weak. I love strong heroines and Chess IS strong in her own way. If I thought she was seeking help for her drug issue, that would be a more 'forgiving' plot but she is so unrepentant about her drug use, even as her life falls apart. Chess is stuck between two drug dealers and their right hand men. Lex works for his father Slobag and Trouble works for Bump, the dealer in Chess’s area. Chess finds herself falling for one of them while using the other for comfort and to feed her addiction. It was hard, but compelling to watch how far Chess falls in this book. Parts of the story were painful to read and that attests for the strength of Ms. Kane’s writing. Her writing is intriguing and her world building is amazing. I am very interested in what will happen with the relationships between Lex/Chess and Trouble/Chess. Even though Trouble and Lex are both ‘bad’ guys (and Chess is no great heroine) I want to know what will happen to them. I find myself oddly attracted to Trouble’s character although I logically can’t find much about him compelling. I guess the fact that I read the books with the interest I do, means that I like them. I am eager to read the third book, if only to know more about Chess and Terrible. I hope that Chess finds some peace with herself, but I believe she hates herself because of her addiction. Although she is unrepentant about the drug use, she has to find someway to like herself more because she is just not at peace with herself. And that’s a horrible place to find anyone, let alone someone with the intelligence and talent of Chess. Still not a personal fan of the drug addiction and language, but many others apparently don’t mind these aspects.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book reminded me too much of book 1. Chess gets an assignment from the Church, Chess also gets an assignment from the drug lords, Conflict between Chess and Terrible, Conflict between Chess and Lex. Which book am I describing? Both. The ONLY thing that will make me read book 3 is Terrible. He is a wonderful character. Something about him makes him beautiful regardless of how he looks on the exterior.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Downside book #2I was given this book to review.Chess Putnam lives in a hybrid punk-pseudo-Catholic world where ghosts are real, The Church rules everything and Chess can only be herself in the drug-laced gutter rock bars of Triumph City. So it's not actually Catholicism that has taken over (in fact all the religions we know today are archaic and illegal), but rather a domineering, completely ruling "Church" that came about when ghosts tore through the streets, killing everyone they could many years ago. Since then the Church (the one that rules the world) has taken over by protecting people from the murderous ghosts who still try to break free every so often.The dark angle of universally murderous ghosts is a greater metaphor, especially in this second book in Kane's Downside series, since the books focus on Chess, who is a Debunker (and ghost banisher) for the Church, but who is also haunted by her vicious childhood and has become an addict just to deal the trauma of her past. Terrible, the right hand man to Chess' dealer, but an almost good-hearted guy, asks Chess for help when a series of hookers are found dead, and the witnesses say a ghost is to blame. Rival dealer Slobag, has been facing the same problem. With both sides ready to throw down as much as cooperate, Chess being bribed or blackmailed into loyalty to each side, the Church giving her a high profile, career making case and a ghost and witch team doing the unspeakable to the women of the street, all the pressure is on Chess, who just can't handle it. Chess is a spiderweb of cracks, pieces of her slowly giving way to the pressure. Reading Unholy Magic is watching her breakdown, under the strain others put on her, and the tragedy of the ways she chooses to punish herself. Unholy Magic is not a pretty book. It's not an easy experience, but it is a viscerally emotional story. It's dark, at times outright lovely, a must read for those who read urban fantasy for a dark, psychologically twisted tinge to characters and world settings. Some of the best writing in speculative fiction today can be found here, with monumental world building, raw characters and a darkly surreal feel that's hard to find elsewhere. One for horror and dark fantasy fans, not lightweights, Unholy Magic is simply not to be missed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another winner! Chess is growing up now and becoming a deeper character who learns what is important and has the courage to follow it through, even thoough it takes til the end of the story to get there. Can't wait until I can read the next one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What a disturbingly addictive series. Chess is a freaking mess. This is a dark, dirty, seductive and very disturbing Urban Fantasy series. It's almost hard to read. It's certainly not for the faint of heart. I get very uncomfortable reading about the drug use. The drugs are an integral part of Chess, the world and the story. Part of me hates it. hates reading about it, hates thinking about it, and hates that Chess is so addicted to it. The other part of me is fascinated. Fascinated that Chess is a somewhat functioning person... Gosh. Terrible. Man. I feel for Terrible. And Chess really, but you do reap what you sew. Lex, well, sure he itches a scratch, but Chess needs to sober up, grow up, deal with some of her issues and take charge or her life.. Drugs are not the answer!! Can't wait to read the next one