Dark Currents: Agent of Hel

This is a phenominal read and an excellent story! I love Carey's work and found this to be entertaining, enchanting and very well written. I can't wait for the second one.

See my full review here:
[...]

This would have gotten 4 stars except for one minor detail: all the references to Daisy's tail! That got a little old after awhile. However, it was an enjoyable read and featured solid world building.

If you enjoy a good storyline, plenty of fairies and other supernatural creatures in a well-told story - this is for you! This book sits well alongside the stories of Patricia Briggs; so don't miss out on this extremely satisfying read!

I've liked most of Carey's work, and I was curious what this new foray would bring. I found myself drawn in instantly, I love the Daisy character and the modern times of this story. I hope this is the beginning of another series.

Daisy Johansson is the daughter of a minor demon and a mortal woman. Daisy has a temper, but she's a nice, pretty young woman whose only other manifestation of her curious parentage is constant temptation by the seven deadly sins and a tail. For reasons never explained, Daisy has been chosen to be the liaison between the eldritch community and Hel, the Norse goddess who runs the mystical part of town.

All of this is pretty routine and pro forma for the urban fantasy genre. Nothing really original here. A young college student has drowned under mysterious circumstances and Daisy is roped into the investigation. Everything from that point on goes pretty much as we might expect. There is a gorgeous cop/werewolf who Daisy has the hots for. A centuries old, very good looking "ghoul" who Daisy gets the hots for, and a young man who can see auras who Daisy gets the hots for. No doubt all three will be back in future installments.

Though Carey has published at least 12 books prior to this one, I seriously wonder if this book was the first that she actually wrote. It's not just that there is nothing new in it, but that the writing is curiously cliched and superficial. Daisy's favorite exclamation is "Gah!" which she uses frequently. I don't believe I've ever head anyone say, "Gah!" Daisy has a friend named Jen, who she refers to as "Girlfriend." Daisy's mother refers to her constantly as "Daisy, Baby." There are many more examples. The Kushiel books were lyrical, with fluid, beautiful writing and dialogue that made sense. Nobody in Phedre's world sounded this (frankly) brainless.

In the end, it was not a bad book, but if I hadn't read it, I would never have missed it. There are a couple of hundred just like it sitting on the shelf in every bookstore. Jacqueline Carey used to write insightful, original books, with larger than life characters and compelling problems. On the evidence of this one, I think she's run out of gas.

After loving her Kushiel books, Jacquline Carey seems to have lost her way with her subsequent efforts, becoming more predictable, more bound to her genre, less complex characters without development and an absence of elegant writing.
Very disappointed. Hope she gets back on track

Jacqueline Carey is one of my favorite authors. She has an amazing voice; her writing generally has emotional depth, subtlety, intelligence and grace. Her female characters should be held up as an example of how to write women who are powerful, smart and resourceful while still feeling female (rather than an essentially a man in a woman's body with girl-like problems). To add to this, I think she is both a gifted writer as well as a gifted story teller--which pushes her books from guilty pleasures to something more substantive.

I also love urban fantasy. I read a lot of it. If I were to analyze much of what I read in the genre, rather than just experience it, I would say that while many of the authors tell a good story, often than aren't actually great technical writers. Also, I feel like many of the lead female characters try too hard to be the not-really-a-girlie-girl to the point where they have essentially male worldviews. Then, to make the characters more "female", the authors give them a host of personal problems, insecurities, and flaws that often carry from book to book without any character growth. Too often the two states the lead female character is supposed to be in are either super tough badass or super sexy badass. (Obviously I am not describing all urban fantasy here, but even some of my favorites have these tendencies.)

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Jacqueline Carey was going to write an urban fantasy. My hope is that she would take what was best in the genre and add her own creative twist plus an amazing lead character. When I analyze "Dark Currents", I am indeed impressed by her creativity. Her world fits neatly into urban fantasy while at the same time being unlike any other I've read. Her ideas are fresh and she does a great job of making the world feel `real'. My complaint is with the main character; while the idea of a reluctant hell-spawn is great (and I love the tail!), the actualization seemed a bit too cute and almost ditzy. I know Ms. Carey could have written her with intelligence and emotional depth, but it was as if someone told her, "urban fantasy heroines can't be too thoughtful or wrestle with existential problems."

If you like urban fantasy, you should read this book, it does really add new and exciting aspects to the genre. If you like Jacqueline Carey's other works, you should read this book because it is impressive how many styles she has. If you are Jacqueline Carey's agent/editor, please ask her to write her next urban fantasy series with a heroine that is as rich and complex and Phedre--we can handle it, I promise.

I have been a major fan of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel and Naamah series for years, recommending them to anyone interested in epic or erotic fantasy. I'm reviewing Dark Currents now after a second read, with a few years in between. And...the book still falls a little short of Carey's potential.

Daisy is a really interesting character, especially after my immersion into Supernatural and all the inherent demonic ramifications. I enjoyed her relationship with her best friend Jen, as well as her loyalty to her quirky small town. But Carey was a bit too repetitive with Daisy's routine and thought processes. If I never have to read "Gah" or learn about the blues again, it'll be too soon. Also, her tail was a great barometer for the tone of any particular scene. Hel was a good example of a distant goddess, even if there were too many puns about Hell vs Hel. We get it.

Surprisingly, Carey writes ambiguous characters a lot better than her protagonists. Lurine and Stefan are fascinating, and not just because they are the oldest creatures in the novel. I could definitely see the appeal of Cody, but he had jealousy issues really quickly for someone Daisy supposedly never saw. I'm always up for another take on vampires, especially one that subtly mocks Twilight and the ghouls (or Outcast) were a fantastic addition to any urban fiction pantheon.

I'm still not straight on the logistics of a giant world tree in the middle of sand dunes, but then again, I've never been to Michigan before. Now I definitely want to (as evident by my review title), whether Pemkowet exists or not. Also, if there was a college in the town, could Daisy have not gone on a diversity scholarship of some kind? While she seems content with her part-time job (how does she afford rent again?) and supernatural pursuits, she seems really smart and determined. Online classes could have helped with discrimination even.

Last bit, it's usually really obvious when an author transitions from epic fantasy to urban fiction--they go really heavy on the pop culture references. Gilmore Girls, Etta James, Louboutin, etc. We get it, Daisy is hip and her friend is rich. Unless it's really pertinent to the story, no need to hit us over the head with the specific details.

I found all the characters intriguing enough to continue reading the series (keep an eye out for my next reviews), even if it never fully clicked as a fully-fleshed out plot.

Jacqueline Carey is one of my favourite authors - her ability to weave an intricate plot with character development and emotional turmoil and romance astound me. I have read the Kushiel series many times (Phedre and Imriel), the Naamah's series (Moirin), and Sainta Olivia. In my opinion, Dark Currents is no where near the same quality as these. If you are looking for an urban fantasy or mystery novel that is a fun and easy read, you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for an epic story of a hero's journey like Kushiel's Avatar, you will be left wanting more.

"Dark Currents" is paint-by-numbers Urban Fantasy: there is a not too hard to figure out mystery, a pretty and somewhat outcast half-breed for a heroine, and multiple love interests.
Carey's writing style does not do "Dark Currents" any favors. It is simplistic, overly repetitive, and totally indistinct from the hundreds of other Urban Fantasy novels out there. In fact, the writing feels pretty lazy. The reader frequently gets told what Daisy, the protagonist, is wearing (either directly or using the "character stands in front of the mirror and describes themselves" routine) and, when something makes her angry or aroused, her tail twitches. Her tail twitches a lot throughout the book. Pop-culture references are common, with mentions of "Twilight" and Sookie Stackhouse. While these references may make Daisy seem more relateable to the reader (look, she sniggers at "Twilight" too!), they also cheapen the work, and will quickly date it.
The mystery is not too much of one. The protagonist's mother has a set of fortune telling cards which spell out what happened all too literally. Because of this, Daisy is not required to think, she just has to follow the images: there is a spider card and there is a guy with a spider tattoo! Maybe he is involved somehow....
"Dark Currents" gives Daisy not just two love interests but three -- all of which are totally hot in different ways. There is the dark, sexy, and mysterious ghoul, the hot boy-scout werewolf, and the flirtatious and friendly tour-bus driver who can see auras. The reader is constantly told that they are hot. Constantly. If you did not get the idea that they were hot the first three times they were mentioned, that is okay, because Carey will tell you again, and again. While the potential love interests do have more to them than their looks, that is what is mostly focused on. Also, two of them are required to save Daisy during the climax of the book.
All this adds up to is a book that I feel I have read many times before, and which I will quickly forget. "Dark Currents" is a by-the-book Urban Fantasy which rehashes overly-tired tropes and adds nothing to the genre.

Pemkowet is a unique place, a small town that just happens to be home to otherworldly creatures (aka the eldritch) as well as humans. Because of this, it's become something of a tourist attraction for curious humans.

Daisy Johanssen is the liaison between the human police department and Hel, the Norse goddess of the underworld who rules the local territory. A half-breed fathered by a minor demon and raised by her mother, Daisy fights a daily battle to resist her father's influence. Giving in to temptation and invoking her demonic birthright would bring about Armageddon, so it's no easy battle.

When a young college student drowns under suspicious circumstances, the negative publicity not only hurts the town's tourist trade, but also threatens the town's otherworldly population. Not all humans are fans, and there's a growing movement to destroy Hel's domain and run all of the eldritch out of town. It's Daisy's job to get to the bottom of this mystery before things get too far out of hand.

Really liked Daisy, as she's doing the best that she can to live up to her position of Hel's enforcer as well as stay on the straight and narrow path to avoid accidentally ending the world. No easy feat, but she's managing to pull it off. While she does fight her personal battle, Daisy still has a sense of humor and doesn't let anything bring her down. I think that a lot of this is due to her strong support system of family and friends. Her mother is a very strong, good woman who is an excellent role model for Daisy. I loved her mother, as parents are either absent or poor role models in most of the books I've read, so yea for Mom Power!

Found this a very promising start to the Agent of Hel series, and looking forward to reading Autumn Bones, the second book!

This book I started reading as part of my romance book club Vaginal Fantasy, and I feel it was a good book that I enjoyed but it did have a number of things in it that annoyed me. Though, for a romance group I don't think there was really any romance in this book.

It took me longer to get into this book than it normally would to get into a book I rank 3 star. This I chalk up to how the beginning of the book was written. To me it was really messy, and that's not including the spelling and grammatical mistakes that I notice throughout the book. I'm hoping and pray that they were just in the digital copy I had and that they didn't make it into the hard copy, for some reason I can forgive it almost in a digital but never in a hard copy. The main character narration seemed to go off randomly to different places and details in the story telling were left out but I could not tell if this was done intentionally or not because it was written just to messily. Things were also repeated too much. Repetition can get on my nerves quickly.

The plot of the story was nice though I worked out some details a bit too early/easily for my liking. The second they kept going on about how the cards were being very literal and a card with a mermaid popped up you just had to know that everything was going to revolve around a mermaid. I did like though the twist they did with the mermaid. I would not have thought of them as using the pore thing as sex slave, and in a really sad and disturbing way I liked it because it wasn't something I would have thought of right away. I just felt so damn sorry for that mermaid. She didn't even really understand anything that was being said around her!

Then there were plot points that I didn't really understand or think were very thought through. Like the theory the cops were working with when it came to thinking that parents had something to do with their son's death. That one didn't work in my head.

There was also times when things were said that I wondered why it was said or thought no one would ever say. Like:

"Kind of like my father slipped into my mother."

and

"In the days that followed, things happened."

That last one almost blew my mind. I just though well no shit, I even made a note of it in my kindle. The character Al was a hard point for me also. At one point things he started saying were just way too frustrating for me. At no point in time no matter the influence would anyone speak that way unless they were under some strange mind control thing and people were making them say it. That being said though there were good writing ideas that kind of made up for stuff like that. At one point Daisey refers to a kid as 'the booger-eating kid.' I don't know why exactly but I thought small things like that were a nice touch.

But I really liked the amount of lore that was in this book, it didn't just stick to the normal vampires or werewolves. The fact that she seemed to have actually researched the creatures she was writing about was like icing on the cake for me.

Now onto the charcters. For the most part I really enjoyed most of them, I thought they were solid enough even though some of them lacked much depth, but you do meet quite a few so I let that go and decided that I had gotten enough.

Daisy I liked well enough, I actually felt a little sorry for her. The amount of things that she has to be careful about doing or watch out for are huge, its no wonder that her life would be so boring if you took out her duties to Hel. Its those duties that kept her interesting to me. As for her and her tail tucking, ew much. At one point she hints at being able to pleasure herself with it, too much information much! Also, for someone who says she is as good at tucking as a drag queen that bloody tail moved around pretty much all the time. I have no idea how she kept it hidden despite mostly wearing skirts or dresses.

Cody was a bit too boring for me, he would be big brother stern but loveable in his own dull kinda way, not a love interest. Also, his hotness was mentioned way too much. I didn't mind this so much though when it came to Stafan I was more than happy to listen. Sexy sexy ghoul. I wish she would hurry up and end up with him, though I think he deserves better.

I loved Lurine, I think she is if not my favourite character she is in the top 3. Though, the fact that Daisey says she wants to have sex with her in her true form when she basically helped raise her as a child and that Lurine plays with this fact really disturbs me. Other than that I liked their relationship.

"Belphego, lesser demon and occasional incubus" was brought up every time she thought/talked about her dad. Drove me nuts. I likes Jen, and though I was sad when her sister Bethony went back to her vampire drug ways I liked it because that was a more believable ending. Not all things end happy. Casimir I felt was was a bit of a Lafayette from True Blood rip off.

Well I spose I should stop yacking now hadn't I? So in conclusion it was enjoyable despite things that annoyed me and I look forward to the next. I hope it improves.

This book was the start of what I was looking for in a new series. I was looking for a book with a cool kickass heroine that was confident and took no prisoners and I found it in the form of Daisy Johnanssen. We meet Daisy in the nice quiet vacation town of Pemkowet but we quickly learn this town may not be as quiet as we thought. Pemkowet is a town full of supernatural creatures in the form of mermaids,naid,ghouls,fairies and other things and I loved learning about all of them. We learn that Daisy is part human and part demon and also a hand picked agent from the Norse Goddess Hel. I loved that Daisy was a complex character that struggles with keeping her demon side in check otherwise she could tip the scales and cause so serious repercussions in the process. As we get more into the story we learn that Daisy also works with the police department to help them investigate the supernatural cases they get from time to time. Daisy is helping them try to figure out who or what may have killed a college boy and soon learns there may be major forces at work that she has no clue about. I liked that in Daisy’s quests to bring down the killer we get to meet more creatures along the way and I especially liked meeting Cody and Stefan who are both supernatural creatures. Daisy has had a crush on Cody forever and soon has to work with him and I have to say they made a great team. I loved their playful banter but I think I like them more as friends so I hope they don’t decide to be anything else. Stefan is a mysterious character and one that I really want to know more about. This story continues with Daisy and a few others having to work together to take down the killer and there are a few twists thrown in along the way. Overall I will say I think I now have a new series that I love and I am glad I ran across this one and with the third book in the series coming out soon I have to get caught up on this series to see where Daisy will go next. The author has created a quaint little town that I would love to visit but not necessary live in due to all the supernatural elements. The author has some cool characters that intrigued me and make me want to learn more. I am looking forward to continuing with this series and seeing what direction the author takes it in.

Let me begin by stating that aim a HUGE fan of Ms. Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, as well as Santa Olivia (the sequel of which, "Saints Astray," I've yet to read), and I began to read from The Sundering series but got distracted and need to get back once I can separate the disraction from the books. . . So this shows that while I'm rabid about some of the author's work (most), a few don't seem to grab me the same way.

I almost cried for joy upon learning that I was one of the lucky winners of the "Dark Currents" ARC giveaway here at Goodreads. I'd been so excited to see the book listed that I went online in an attempt to buy it (as often times giveaway books are already for sale, or available online), only to discover that it really was an ARC.

So on to the meat of the review. If you've read any of my other reviews you'll know that I try to avoid giving a summary of the book. Read the back or inside jacket for the teaser synopsis - this is not filling that role. My initial reaction to the first thirty pages or so was one of disappointment. It wasn't that I was not enjoying the material, I just wasn't as awed by the characters and storyline as I'd hoped to be. I'll admit to harboring unrealistically high expectations.

This book reads more like "Santa Olivia" than "Kushiel's Dart," and that is what had me feeling let down (not that "Santa Olivia" isn't good, it just isn't "Kushiel's Dart" good). But as the book progressed, so to did the characters. And I found myself feeling more interested in them and in the plot as it began to unfold in myriad ways. I did notice that the main character, Daisy, has a sexual freedom (at least mentally) such as you would find in almost any of the characters from the Kushiel's Legacy series - in particular the first trilogy in that series. However please don't think that this book is filled with sex scenes, as it isn't. At all. All I meant is that Daisy has a running attraction to a solid half the beings she meets, not that she acts on those attractions.

While the characters grow on you, the book just doesn't feel as original to me as the Kushiel's Legacy books. It is well written, and I only found one glaring typo (in an ARC copy), but lacks that completely unique aspect that the Kushiel's story has. Again not to say that "Dark Currents" doesn't have a distinct personality of its own, just that it is more similar to other books I have been reading of late than dissimilar.

Once the story gets going there is a nice, steady pace throughout, and enough forward action to allow for some interesting introspection by Daisy, who still has a great deal to learn about herself - on several levels. She is a relatable character, and someone that I envision as a friend. Her story, as well as those of numerous other characters, drive the plot nicely. And all this combined left me wanting more, as there is plenty ahead for Daisy and her reader friends to learn, together. And hopefully Daisy is as excited about that as I am!

Definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series, and wilting at the thought of having so long to wait to find out what is going to happen next!!! A "good read" all around!

The start of a new urban fantasy trilogy, Dark Currents is definitely headed in the right direction! Taking place in a small tourist town of Pemkowet on the shores of Lake Michigan, I absolutely adored the feel of this community. Everyone knows everyone else and yet its not as low key as you would think because it is a bustling tourist town. It’s major draw is that it has an “Underworld” ruled by a Norse goddess, Hel. Her presence makes it possible for other creatures and people of the magical persuasion to exist in the mortal realm.

Now everyone knows humans love the magical and mystical creatures of any kind so this makes Pemkowet an attraction for lookie loos to hopefully catch a glimpse. The main character Daisy happens to be a half human, half demon that functions as Hel’s liaison between the Underworld and human community’s. She’s young and still learning the ropes of her job. Along with having an extremely hot temper she has to contend with constant temptation from her inclinations towards the seven deadly sins. Don’t start thinking Dark Currents is one of those Heaven vs Hell stories because it really isn’t – or at least I didn’t get that feeling. Daisy has a whole barrel of issues to deal with, from discrimination, her temperament and temptations possibly setting off Armageddon to having the hots for a certain werewolf in hiding coworker.

Dark Currents is one that stands out amongst the many urban fantasies I have read because while it had all of the elements there that an urban fantasy reader would look for, it still manages to bring something fresh and unique to the table. There is a wonderful mixture of lore from various cultures as well as a new type of creature I have definitely not seen before. Daisy has a strong personality that is equally matched by a great cast of supporting characters. Not to mention the sexy sizzle factor from a few of them. I can’t get my hands on the next book soon enough!

Many authors have a regular style of writing, and sometimes a reputation for something in their novels that may turn off (or turn on) certain types of readers. Jacqueline Carey is best known for the Kushiel series of books (Kushiel's Dart, etc), which I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet. They have a reputation for being sexually-charged, gritty novels with sado-masochistic themes and explicit sex. The last thing I expected to see from Carey is her latest book, Dark Currents, an urban fantasy that not only moves away from the sex (at least slightly) but is also something I never thought I would hear about a Carey book: funny. It's a great change-of-pace novel, and one I really enjoyed.

The Michigan resort town of Pemkowet is a strange place, full of eldritch beings that live side-by-side with normal ("mundane") people: ghouls, werewolves, fairies, nymphs, even vampires. It's also the hometown to an agent of the Norse goddess Hel, Daisy Johanssen. Daisy's father is a demon, so she's already a half-breed. She even has a tail. Working for the local police force as a clerk, she also takes on tasks for Hel that have to do with the supernatural community. When a young college student drowns in the river, signs point to more than just a drowning, and the local police chief asks Daisy to help with the investigation. What was the boy doing on that fateful night? Will Daisy and friends be able to solve the crime before the resort town is shut down by normal humans who are getting tired of co-existing with the supernatural?

Carey is obviously kicking of an urban fantasy series starring Daisy Johanssen. You can tell if a book is in the genre from the covers and set-up: a young woman with some kind of supernatural ability dealing with all of the other weirdness in town, as well as potential romantic issues with at least two other supernatural guys who also help her out. Inevitably, each cover features the good-looking female protagonist featured alone, staring out at the reader from the bookshelf, tempting browsers to pick them up.

Dark Currents follows much the same line, though thankfully Carey avoids the cliché of having a vampire be one of the romantic interests. It's not a surprise that Carey would move into this genre given its current popularity. What is surprising is that she would do so and turn a couple of its conventions on their heads, writing a very good novel using the standard tropes. I don't really like the genre, though I do like some of the series within it. I can see myself following Daisy's story easily.

From the opening page, Carey defied almost everything that I thought I knew about her. I'm wondering what her fans who have read her other books think of this. The jokes start almost from the first paragraph and continue throughout the novel. The subject matter is quite serious, of course, but the tone of the book is that mixture of light and dark that characterizes the genre. The book is told in first-person, and Daisy is a breezy narrator unafraid to mock herself or her perceptions of what's going on.

She's teamed with her childhood crush, a werewolf cop (the werewolf part is a secret, though the police chief does know and accounts for it) named Cody Fairfax. The sexual tension between the two is pretty blatant, even when both know that it could never work between them. The byplay between these two characters, as well as all of the other characters in Dark Currents, is delicious. Carey has a way with funny dialogue that I never would have expected.

The world-building is solid, though I understand that's also one of her strengths from her other series. The interplay between the mundane and eldritch communities includes a society of ghouls that feed off of the strong emotions of humans, fairies that inhabit the river that flows next to town, and so much else. It's inventive and a joy to read.

Only a couple of small things bring down what otherwise is a great opening entry into the series. Most can probably be attributed to Carey trying to create the world she's writing in. Some spots in the book slow down to a crawl with sequences that have little to nothing to do with the plot of the book itself. They're not even really character development, but instead illustrate how Carey's world works. That's not bad in itself, but in this book, they do get a bit annoying. They may pay off in future novels, or they may just be background. If an author is going to incorporate that, at least make it interesting. Carey doesn't succeed in that here.

Overall, Dark Currents is a wonderful novel, playful and fun though with dark themes. Carey keeps the tone balanced and believable, allowing readers to laugh at one point and be horrified by the truth at another. If this is an example of how Carey's new series is going to go, consider me along for the ride.

Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book © Dave Roy, 2013

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. This is definitely a quick light read, but it's really fun and imaginative. The world is relatively basic Urban Fantasy fare, but there's an interesting aspect where it appears that the normals know the supernatural worlds exists to a certain extent. It's never detailed exactly how much is commonly known, but the supernatural community in Dark Currents worry about the relationship with the humans over the frat guy's death. They're powerful, but the numbers and weapons we humans currently have would pose a grave threat to the Eldridge community if things went too far south. The book also prominently features a new urban fantasy species (at least to me) called Ghouls, that are people denied entry from both heaven and hell and are now essentially immortal. They also feed on the emotions of the living, and that created some very interesting ideas and moments in the book. The only thing I found really odd about the book was the main character's tail, and how it's constantly described every other page in the book, from wagging to twitching to tucking between her legs, it's just kind of strange. The writing is well done, and it has a great flow, once you get into it it's definitely a page turner. There's also an interesting aspect where the main character is the daughter of a powerful demon, and if she embraced her birthright she could possibly bring about the end of the world. Then because of that, she's constantly considering the deadly sins when she's going about her day, and it should be interesting in the following books. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, it doesn't compare to some of the amazing books I've read in 2012, but it's still very entertaining.

... in as much as a small town is urban. I really liked the characterization and the cosmology of the book. Carey’s characters shine, as as for the consistency and uniqueness of the voice of the main character— well, wow. I wasn’t expecting much from this book because I like her other (fantasy) works and authors don’t typically jump genres very well, but this was great and worth buying to keep.

I love Jacqueline Carey (professionally speaking). Her Terre D'Ange series is one of my absolute favorites in all of literature, and I think she is vastly underrated as an author. I liked Santa Olivia fairly well, and Saints Astray was ok, so I was glad she had moved on to a different series, and urban fantasy seemed like something she could do well. After all, I think if the genre of urban fantasy needs something these days, its more class, which Carey's writing has in spades. As it turns out, Dark Currents is like a better written Sookie novel (from Charlaine Harris). It has all of the trappings you would expect from this sub-genre, but its sophistication and charm is well above the norm, at least in my experience. I miss the poetic, epic prose of the Terre D'Ange series, but Dark Currents was a nice light, yet fulfilling, read. I will certainly be getting its sequels as soon as I can pick them up. Autumn Bones, here I come.

-TDW

I was leery about reading this book because I had tried to read Carey's Kushiel series and couldn't get into it. From what I understand, this series is vastly different. It is urban fantasy so the emphasis is not on romance or sex, though Daisy has a couple of guys she's interested in like any 24 year old. I really enjoyed Pemkowet and thought Carey threw in a lot of detail and types of characters to develop this new world. I thought Daisy represented exactly what the author wanted her to be, an inexperienced human/demon hybrid raised by a human mother in a small town. She's not a kick ass heroine, but then she hasn't needed to be, so she doesn't have the skills. She freely admits she makes mistakes and given her background, environment and lack of experience, it's realistic.

There was plenty of story line and Carey deftly mixed in the secondary characters to keep it going and interesting. As soon as I finished Dark Currents, I started Autumn Bones (another good, solid read).

Disclosure: I received a complimentary uncorrected proof of this book with the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

I have not read any other Jacqueline Carey books, but this worked well as a stand-alone story. It's the first in a planned trilogy. Young adult main character Daisy's backstory is sketched in with such telling detail and incident that I was surprised to learn there is not a Daisy-in-high-school trilogy! (And Jacqueline Carey, if you are reading this, I would be interested in reading such a series!)

Like Buffy the Vampire, this story extracts humor and novelty from the paranormal world. Also like Buffy, some of the themes are grim: death, addiction, prejudice.

As a former Midwesterner (now Californian) I enjoyed the way Carey captures the feel of a Michigan small town with its Scandinavian heritage. I also liked the author's nuanced presentation of Christians: sure there are intolerant close-minded religious characters, but one of the oldest and wisest paranormal characters suggests that Daisy might benefit from talking to the local priest, and says that not all Christians are like the worst of them.

Not-very-graphic violence and nudity.

I think some other reviewers have already done a great job describing how pedestrian and uninspired this book is. It's certainly not terrible, but there just isn't anything about it that's new or memorable. Carey was clearly trying to cross a Kim Harrison novel with a Charlaine Harris novel, but the result is just kind of boring.

Instead of dwelling on what I didn't like, how about some ideas on how to spice this book up!

First off, the protagonist works as a part time public relations agent and armed police officer, but she's never had any training in either. Maybe this book could have been about her going to college in Niflheim and getting a double major, instead! I mean, sure, studying for finals might not be the most compelling plot ever, but I'd be on the edge of my seat until the last page wondering about her GPA!

Too Harry Potter? Well, maybe she could have had some wistful flashbacks to the time she aced the job interview with Hel by talking about her can-do, team player attitude even though she had some toilet paper stuck to her shoe or something. I mean, come on here! Give me something!

On the plus side, even if it's low-fat microwave popcorn, it is a quick and inoffensive read.

Love this series better than the Kushiel set. Not into the S&M thing that was so prevalent and graphic in that set. This is light and fun to read with a good edge of tension between the protagonists and the right amount of conflict. Carey is a good author. This series is a very refreshing change from her previous fixation with the whole sado-masochism thing through her first series. All in all, a good urban fantasy read for anyone into that genre. Not quite as fun as Briggs Mercy Thompson series, but that is just an opinion on my part. Characters are well thought out and complex, enabling readers to relate and feel vested in the character's progression. Story line is engaging and kept me reading late into the night. Like it a ton better than Martin's Game of Thrones garbage where you are always getting yanked around and everyone you like gets killed.

This was a truly Urban Fantasy blend of a tale by a very talented writer. I've read most of Jacqueline Carey's other books so I was excited to see this new novel, especially in an Urban Fantasy setting.

The intriguing mystery story merged with Carey's world building skills, with some dark under tones. But this is a really solid world, that while reading it, you can feel like you're part of the story. Always a trade mark for me when I find an author who writes to the readers.

The characters were strong, well defined. The story line was complicated enough that you certainly don't get bored.

The main female character was young, but strong. Smart but realistic. She's a great blend of life flinging you the hard stuff and you keep on going, because that's just what you do.

Really enjoyed reading this!

<u>Dark Currents: Agent of Hel</u> (not a misspelling) by writer Jacqueline Carey fits the fantasy genre to a "T", which is why I am surprised that I really like it. My usual reads are suspense and mystery and some poetry. Somehow I did enter a giveaway for this amazing book from Goodreads First Reads program and I won a copy. Yay!

Yes, Dark Currents is a fantasy, but also a mystery, a suspense and an awesome Norse mythology lesson as seen by the characters. They are a mixture of eldritch (not of this world) and mundane (earthly) species. They include Daisy (a combination of both), her mother(human), Cody the policeman (and werewolf but it's not common knowledge), and Jen (mundane and Daisy's best friend who has her own set of problems) and of course Hel, Norse goddess of the dead. There are also ghouls, vampires and naiads. Ms. Carey does such a nice job of description that they fit into the story and do not seem odd at all.

Daisy wrestles daily with her worlds and where she fits in them. She also battles creatures of both the eldritch and mundane planes that are not doing the right thing. Armed with the power to enforce Hel's law and the law of Pemkowet, she attempts to fight the demons she can see and some inside herself that are invisible to others.

I did not like the ghouls. They fed on the emotions of others and formed or became part of gangs. Sometimes they caused suffering just so they could enjoy it. The author combined this idea with domestic abuse in an insightful way.

There were quite a few things that I did enjoy about this story. There are strong female characters scattered about in it. Ms. Carey uses words that are fun to read and say aloud like dauda-dagr, incubus, and Pemkowet. A sprinkling here and there of Norse mythology, a tad of Spanish and hot blooded Daisy keep the story interesting. Read this novel and you might start to wish you had a tail too.

Daisy Johanssen is the goddess Hel's enforcer, in the tiny resort town of Pemkowet and consults with the Pemkowet Police Department on all things involving the eldritch community. The product of a human mother and a lesser demon/incubus father, Daisy has a knack for seeing through supernatural glamours and sensing when magic is near. She also has a tail (and a demonic birthright), but it's a little one, and an occasional cat named Mogwai.

Pemkowet is a hotbed for paranormal denizens and actively encourages outsiders to come experience their supernatural oddities, but the darker side isn't discussed quite so much, and that's where Daisy comes in. When a college boy "accidentally" drowns in the river, Daisy is called to the scene to help. Most people would take it for drunken fun gone wrong, but the Chief knows better. The victim's friends have mismatched stories, and it's increasingly obvious to Daisy that something else is going on, and she's determined to get to the bottom of things. It doesn't help that she has to work alongside Cody Fairfax: cop, werewolf, player, and hottie that she's nursed a crush on since they were kids and he defended her against bullies. With the reputation of the town at stake, Cody and Daisy must find out if the drowning was an accident or something more sinister, and fast.

Jacqueline Carey is known for her extremely popular Kushiel series and is already a seasoned author, so I was excited to see the first book of a new series promising supernatural hijinks in a small town. Dark Currents is told in Daisy's voice and at first I thought it was going to be a relatively light urban fantasy filled with fairies, vamps, all things furry, quirky characters, and of course, plenty of magic. Well, it is, for a little while, then it gets rather dark, but this isn't a bad thing. Mystery wise, the "accidental" drowning of an obnoxious college kid wasn't enough to rev me up at first. Now, I have a feeling the author did this on purpose, because when the truth about the drowning actually comes out, it smacks you in the head and you most certainly take notice, and it's not pretty. In fact, it's very tragic, dark, and even pretty relevant to current world events. On the lighter side, Dark Currents has very much of an early Sookie Stackhouse feel to it and a highlight was when a Frost Giant picked Daisy up in his dune buggy to visit Hel under a huge tree called Yggdrasil II. Mustn't forget to feed the guard dog (more like guard beast) while you're at it!

Daisy is a tough girl, but she also struggles with the normal things that a single girl in her 20s does. Guys, friendships, not succumbing to the Seven Deadlies or accidently invoking her birthright which could cause Armageddon, her demonic father... Oh, well, I guess those aren't normal girl things, but you get the picture. Plus our gal gets to carry a seriously ass kicking dagger and flirt with hot cop Cody and sexy biker ghoul Stefan. Speaking of ghouls: Jacqueline Carey's ghouls come in the form of a motorcycle gang called the Outkasts and are not the rotting, shambling things you're probably picturing. They feed off of human emotion, and her mythos for these creatures is complex and fascinating. It was one of my favorite elements of the story (especially Stefan, but I digress...) Mythology, all forms of supernatural creatures, small town life, mysticism, and magic all intertwine wonderfully in this rich, charming, and yes, at times very dark, urban fantasy. You'll fall in love with Daisy, and her supporting cast, and you'll most definitely want to come back for more. Can't wait for the next one!

i didnt know what to expect when i picked up this book Carey is a well established writer one of the best in my opion in the field of fantasy and this is her first urban fantasy novel and so i would have said this would be definetely a fire cracker of a novel however i would have said the same about Tad Williams another well regarded writer who has also just done his first Urban Fantasy Dirty Streets of Heaven which i found interesting but overall a let down..
So i am delighted to report that this is one fine novel its well written ( if perhaps lacking the sublimely beautiful prose that Carey is sometimes capable of ) with well rounded characters and a interesting mythlogy basically there are towns/cities all over the world with underworlds persided over by a underworld Deity from any number of different mythlogies in the american town of Pemkowet where our hereoine Daisy resides the underworld is governed by the Norse Goddess Hel these underworlds are important because supernatural creatures can only thrive in area with an active Underworld the existence of the supernatural is out in the open Pemkowet actually makes its living off the para normal Tourist trade i think this makes it somewhat unique at least in my reading of the story since there are several exchanges about where underworlds/ supernatural communities are located and it is heavily implied that only the Supes know for sure where they are all located along with the fact that supes innately recognise each other.
the story starts off simple enough a dead frat boy is found in the river and what looks like a simple death by misadventure takes a darker turn when the investiagting officer believe magic was involved things get more complicated from there as cody fairfax a in the closet werewolf and Daisy a half demon succubus who is Hels liason officer and also member of the local police department and involves a disparate cast of interesting characters Lurine Daisys Godmother b movie actress and last but not least a Lamia and Simon a phyisic tour guide operator and stefan the head ghoul the story clips alongs at a fair pace telling a cracking story and while other reiews have stated this is a light breezy story this is mainly because Daisy herself apart from her demonic heritage is a fairly care free confident character she is well loved in her community not least by her single mom and her father figure/ boss the Sheriff has a strong moral center tries to do right by her friends
while she does have a crush on her partner she acknowledges it including to him without descending into a emo mess or having the almost obligatory sex scene indeed those who are Familiar with Careys previous work especially the Kushiel/Naamh series may be suprised how, well, wholesome and untroubled Daisy comes off considering she is a succubus and how carey has a penchant for troubled characters and has tackled everything from BDSM to homosexuality and prostiution in her previous work and so Daisys near innocence even her moments of Bicurious musings comes across as well, Sweet more then titaliting, be warned that under the guise of this story that Carey tackles some fairly serious themes under the guise of fantasy sex trafficking, peer pressure hazing, and the willingness of people to disregard the rights of others under the guise of self rightous morality, this is a great read where all the various elments combine in a coherent narrative a worthy addition to the ranks of urban fantasy and i cant wait for further books in this Series.

Maybe 3.5 stars, but I rounded down because I wouldn't read it again--not even to refresh my memory for the sequel. For the most part, it seemed like a typical urban fantasy with shades of Charlaine Harris, Laural K Hamiliton, and Faith Hunter (it's not like Santa Olivia).

Daisy is the half-breed product of a mortal woman and a minor demon, which thus far, seems to mean she has ties to the supernatural community but she's basically a normal human being with the ability to see the supernatural (which doesn't really mean much, as the supernatural community is out of the closet in her world). Also, if she wants to risk starting the apocalypse, she can call upon her demon father. She lives in an oddly named tourist town called Pemkowet, which is one of the few towns left with a "fully functioning underworld."

Basically, this seems to mean that the goddess Hel of Norse mythology supplies the town with its ability to support supernatural life, and because of this, Hel is supposed to be the main authority--only she can't leave her own plane, so for whatever reason, she's appointed Daisy as her liaison to the mortal plane. This didn't make much sense to me because Daisy's one and only power seems to be that she can "invoke" her demon dad and start the apocalypse and she's not gonna do that. Basically, people just mock her when she tries to invoke what little authority she has as Hel's "liaison," and she accepts this because even if she could do something about it, she's not the type to actually fight back (mostly she just struggles to hold her feelings in). It's unclear how she's even managed being Hel's liaison up until this point. For whatever reason, the police dept also seems to put way too much faith in her, as they team her up with her werewolf crush to solve a big murder mystery, even though neither of them are actually detectives...

I was really confused about Daisy's own "mythology" too, because there are all these references to the "real" Hell, faith, and sinning--because Daisy seems really concerned with sinning (which she refers to as the "Seven Deadlies") and her mortal soul, but it was all very vague and nonspecific...like if there is a "real" hell and Daisy is afraid of sinning, then what faith is she supposed to be--what does she actually believe in? She believes that she can start the apocalypse if she doesn't resist calling upon her dad, and she DOES mention that she was raised Lutheran, but it's not really clear whether she actually believes in Christian mythology or what, so as for the rest, I guess it's just all going to be developed later? I dunno, but I found it a little annoying because at one point--and this might be considered a minor SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER: Daisy even seems to have an Anita Blake/Kushiel/religious zeal moment where she starts using her "faith" and love all vaguely like some kind of power and it just did not make much sense at all to me...I guess depending on what you like, some of this stuff may or may not bother you.

The good thing was that the mystery actually came as a bit of a shock (wasn't ready for it at all) and instead of deadly sexy vampires, we have deadly sexy ghouls in this book--plus, Daisy's world is also populated with plenty of mythical creatures and fairies, which was interesting and one of the main things that set it apart from all the other UFs that are basically exactly like it... I also liked Daisy's childhood crush...but Cody's not her only love interest; by the end of the book Daisy's love life felt like it had already gotten awfully familiar (apparently, this is the sort of book where everyone has the hots for the protagonist, which you may or may not like).

Dark Currents is quite the departure from the historical fantasy series that I have loved for more than the past decade. When I'm not reading books as rich as the Kushiel series, I enjoy fast-paced urban fantasy. Dark Currents is Jacqueline Carey's first attempt at the urban fantasy/paranormal genre, and I'm happy to say that I think she has succeeded in beginning a new series that I will definitely continue reading.

Daisy Johanssen is a half-breed, the daughter of a mortal woman and a lesser demon (and sometimes incubus) from Hell, named Belphegor. Raised by her human mother, Daisy has never quite fit in with the other residents of her small town of Pemkowet, Michigan. Teased and bullied as a child, Daisy feels as if she must atone in some way for who she is-which is why she accepted the position of the liaison between the human world and Hel (the norse goddess of the underworld). In this capacity, Daisy can keep Hel informed of any problems within the eldwitch community.

After the drowning of a college student, relations between the humans and the eldwitch community become tense. It is up to Daisy and her werewolf partner Cody (and longtime crush) to solve the crime and get the town's paranormal tourism trade back on track. Meanwhile, Daisy must fight to keep control of her dark nature; if she gives in to her father's enticements, she has the ability to bring about Armageddon.

Jacqueline Carey demonstrates her abilities as a writer by delving into a genre she had not yet explored. I found Daisy's voice to be on par with what I would expect from a girl in her mid-twenties; all of her insecurities, desires, and hopes for her future felt very believable to me. I especially loved her relationship with Cody, and I'm eager to see if the two of them will ever take it beyond friendship, or if Daisy will find romance with the mysterious ghoul Stefan, or the human Sinclair.

The eldwitch case that Daisy was working on was fascinating to me; I wasn't able to figure out what was going on before Daisy did, and I loved being surprised. When all of the information came to light, I was surprised and even a little bit excited that Carey chose to revolve it around one of my favorite paranormal creatures. I loved that particular character, and I am crossing my fingers that we may see her again.

At the beginning of Dark Currents, I wasn't certain that I would enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. Toward the beginning, Daisy intervenes with a milkweed fairy's sneaky plans; I don't know anything about milkweed fairies, and Carey had written that scene in such a way that readers should be expected to know more about them. I was a bit disappointed that she didn't explain it more to the reader, but once I kept going, I was able to follow the rest of the paranormal elements in the novel.

Jacqueline Carey continues to be a writer whose work I adore and admire, and I cannot wait to return to Pemkowet for Daisy's next adventure.

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Modern Supernatural with warmth and small town setting. A tourist attraction because of it's publically known supernatural content, Pemkowet does alright for itself, and liaison between the magical Underworld ruled by Norse Goddess Hel and the town's local authorities, Daisy Johanssen, is a level headed and responsible home town girl. She does have a short fuse with some of the bigotry against the magical community that she encounters rather frequently not only because of her job, but because she's half Hell Spawn on her daddy's side. Daisy was raised by her single parent mom to be a good girl, and she does her best to not give in to Temptation, because if she ever lays claim to her rightful magical heritage she could bust open the barrier between Hell and Earth.

Being a small town, and her conception a well known town story, Daisy has been an "out" supernatural being her whole life, but there are many supernatural people living on the Down Low in Pemkowet, including Daisy's childhood crush and new police officer Cody, of a werewolf persuasion, and home grown B movie star Lurine who used to babysit Daisy when she was little, and who is on the short list of females our mostly straight laced heroine might loosen her laces for. Daisy will have to call not only on her office's resources as Hel's agent, but her personal ones as well to get to the bottom of a local mystery. A wealthy frat boy from an anti-magical political family is found drowned in the town's river, setting off anti magical rhetoric from his grieving but not above using his death to push an anti-magical being agenda family.

Despite the testimony of the dead boy's friends that it was an accident due to them all being drunk, and the boy trying to swim the local river intoxicated, something about his death sets off the local Sheriff's instincts and magical pocket watch that there is more to the "accident" than meets the mundane eye. Assigning investigation into the case to Daisy (who officially is a file clerk at the local police department, and unofficially the magic stuff go to girl) and officer Cody. Now there is some sweet spots of Daisy noticing Cody and Cody noticing Daisy in a potentially romantic way, but this is NOT a romance, and Daisy and Cody's relationship is NOT a primary plot point. This is mainly a nice home town girl with magical leanings working out a mystery and trying to keep her home town from simmering over and being harmed by either human antagonism, or magical backlash.

Includes vampiric creeps, sexy ghouls, fey and fairy of every flavor, shady stuff, a warm and wonderful mom who reads cards, best friends, a cute tour bus entrepreneur, rescues and sleuthing, magical weapons, maidens in distress, heroics, and living up to responsibility even when it isn't pretty.

The book just felt GOOD TO READ, and I can foresee many rereads. Also this has tons of potential for a long running series. It's kind of like In The Heat of the Night, with lots of magical local color. And absolutely love Daisy. She's very down to earth and has common sense. A very welcome and refreshing change from ditzy heroines who spends most the book lusting after some supernatural hottie of the day. A little on the expensive side as a hard back, but well worth the Kindle price. I'm very glad I took a chance and got it because it really was an excellent read.

My first warning to any long-time Carey readers: If you are expecting anything remotely related to or equivalent to Ms. Carey's Kushiel/Terre D'Ange epic fantasies, step away from this book (I can't address the Santa Olivia books- they are on the TBR pile b/c Kushiel wiped me out). I fully recommend you read this book but I suggest you wipe those works from your mind so you can read this book without preconceptions. It is an intriguing start to a series but it is a complete departure from the Kushiel books. A complete departure in style, world-building, complexity, tone, and characters. I can honestly say I cannot think of another writer- formerly labeled as a "genre" writer- who has shown this level of range. It is impressive and I think her fans really, really need to see this.

New readers- Feel free to step on in. This is, presumably, the start of a new series. Ms. Carey has formidable world-building skills so she effortlessly introduces you to a brand new world that resembles some other urban fantasies but there are definite original Carey contributions. It is a solid book. After you get done with this book, please buy "Kushiel's Dart" and just be amazed that the same writer wrote both of these books.

The book is seemingly fluffy (and I do not mean that as an insult) but is balanced by flashes of grimness. I was a former reader of the Sookie Stackhouse books (they also finally wore me out- it happens and it is no reflection on the author or the books.) This series has a touch of what I found so charming in the Sookie books- a charming heroine who meets the reader on a casual, one-to-one level and, despite the lightness of each book's tone, the books are surprisingly emotionally complex. There is a realistic feeling to the grimness in each books. To be totally clear, these are NOT the Sookie books and Daisy is NOT Sookie. Also, this book is ridiculously easy to read- it flows very nicely, the mystery and the action amp up in a nicely plotted way, the characters are appropriately intriguing and you are already plotting which character you want Daisy to hook-up with and/or which one's background should be addressed next. The book is not breaking any new ground- there are plenty of urban fantasy/romances that follow this basic paradigm. But, few do it as effortlessly and as enjoyably as Ms. Carey's book. And, by fluffy- I pretty much mean it was almost purely enjoyment and it was meant to be. The mystery was solved and there was a happy ending. I can see this series being capable of turning very dark- the elements are there. However, I like occasionally reading something lighter.

This is the format of series books that I like best- it is a stand-alone mystery that introduces the beginnings of an over-arching story arc. Each character has plenty of room to grow and a mysterious back-story to fill in. The mystery is an excellent way to coax the world-building along, throughout the entire narrative, rather than dump it all on the reader in a giant third-person omniscient narrative. We learn about Daisy's origins, her current employment in the human and eldritch world, the various supernatural beings populating her town, the dangers of said supernatural population, seemingly important secondary characters who are very well-developed, the basic set-up of the natural and supernatural worlds that exist side-by-side in this universe, and tensions between the natural and supernatural world. I particularly enjoyed the rural, Midwestern setting where the surrounding humans (who are free of a supernatural population) fear and reject the supernaturals upon the basis of religion. It had touches of Patricia Brigg's Fae reservations and, of course, Sookie's creepy Dallas church. It sets up a reasonably familiar conflict that readers feel on a visceral level. I also enjoyed that the supernaturals are not super-powerful nor super-wise(or at least do not appear to be so). There appears to be some necessary dynamic between humans and supernaturals that leaves the supernaturals as vulnerable as humans in certain contexts. Best of all! The mystery was solved, the villains were brought to justice, non-villains who are nonetheless morally culpable were shamed and condemned, all the elements of the mystery were explained, and we got to see our heroine enjoying herself at the very end. Maybe that isn't your thing but I find it very emotionally satisfying. I'm getting a little weary of books that require me to buy three books and wait three years to find out whodunit. Another bonus- I don't recall any magical developments that were unbelievable that authors present to move the plot along. There were no unbelievable clues or lightning speed deductive skills- it moved along a nicely plotted path at an appropriate speed.

Daisy is a great character. She is emotionally wary. Due to her supernatural ancestry, she is mostly socially isolated. She has suffered fairly abusive discrimination for something that is not her fault and that she has not really earned by her own conduct. Yes, she has some issues but then so does half of this community. Nonetheless, she is absolutely committed to the entire community- human and supernatural and her reasons are sane and reasonable. She is alternately optimistic and alternately pessimistic- a nice dichotomy which is very consistent with her ancestry and her core issues. She is well-developed and we are given nice little quirks that round the character out- she likes scotch, she loves the blues (and Patsy!), she has a tail that never seems to leave her consciousness. She is a burgeoning bad-ass- as if we met Kate Daniels at 14. I really liked her. I liked her detective skills- she wasn't an unbelievable super-star or bad-ass. She just kind of plodded along in a reasonable fashion. Totally worth reading the next book to see what happens with Daisy.

All in all, it was a totally worthwhile read. I'll read the next in the series and that is the highest compliment. I'm hooked and will hang on. I'm still just astounded at Jacqueline Carey's range.

Daisy Johanssen is the daughter of a human mother and demonic father. She lives in the small town of Pemkowet where everyone knows everyone and the paranormal is a normal occurance. Daisy does part time work at the local police station and works full time as the liason of Hel. Not the location of Hell but, the Norse goddess Hel. Daisy's status puts her in a unique position of being able to maintain order between the mortals and the paranormals. The mysterious death of a young man in their quiet town puts Daisy together with Cody, a were-wolf police officer and long time crush, on a dark course deeper into the paranormal.

I was recently introduced to wonderful author Jacqueline Carey through the Vaginal Fantasy book group lead by the Geek and Sundry crew. After reading Jacqueline Carey's first major book Kushiel's Dart I noticed that she was going to start an Urban Fantasy series and I knew it would be an insta-buy. I enjoyed the character Daisy because she's smart, sensible and has common sense. She has this great duality to her because she's never really had to interact with the eldritch (paranormal) of the community despite her being half demonic.

Her budding friendship with Cody was also nice. Unlike her previous Kushiel's Dart series, this series seems to slowly approach any romantic relationships. By the end of the book Daisy even has a few dates lined up... I won't say who because it's a surprise. Anyways, I really like how she is building up the friendship between Cody and Daisy.

The mythology that she takes her paranormal characters from is also unique. There are lots of monsters/paranormals that I haven't seen mentioned in urban fantasy before but, fit in really well in this universe. Daisy's friend Lurine is a good example of this. I have only seen a lamia once or twice in fiction before reading this and, I love Jacqueline Carey's interpretation of the lamia.

Lastly, my only complaint is the mentions of Daisy's tail which is supposedly in her pants at all times. It's constantly twitching and moving and very distracting because I have to stop and think of the mechanics of a tail moving in jeans. Let's give this girl some skirts! Also, how does no one notice the sheer amount of movement in her pants?!

4.5
Throw your idea of the normal supernatural regulars out with this book. There are more varieties and they are unique; Werewolves, Brownies, Vampires, Ghouls, Mermaids and more. The head Ghoul, is sexy with a beating heart and blood in his veins. Hel is a Norse goddess who rules supreme over the edritch (supernatural others) that live there.
Daisy is a half demon and agent of Hel. She was raised by her mother, and taught to be 'good.' She has to avoid temptation, called the seven deadlies. She will gain enormous power and then hell on earth will reign. Not easy when she's quick to lose her temper and her demon father is always trying to get her to come over to the dark side. She is single and looking, and there are some nice men to look at. She is a bit immature, and acts a bit like a teen, IMHO. She is new at this, and she grows up before the end of the book.
When a Frat boy turns up drowned, and his death points to supernatural causes, Daisy is partnered up with hot police officer Cody Fairfax. He long time crush. They work together hunting clues and trying to keep her on the non-evil side of the force. -She is a hot head- They meet up with Stefen, the head ghoul and hunky hotness that he his, he stole the show for me. : ) He has powers that can help and offers them. But can he be trusted ?
The humans is town don't like the supernaturals and this killing brings all the craziness out to disgrace the town and the police department. This could be the end of the uneasy balance the town has. The clock is set and them team must rush to solve this case before it gets really bad.
The bad-I was bothered by Daisy's tail, it is brought up too much. it was twitching, it was rubbing, it was...okay I get it she has a tail. The sexual torture, I hate this subject, but it was not detailed nor graphic and I appreciated that. I was also miffed at the lack of romance, but when dealing with the subject of the story i am relieved it was left out. It would have been totally inappropriate. So I guess it's not a problem, I just wanted it. LOL
There are two more books planned and I am jumping on them asap.

You know you can open a book expecting all the usual conventions of Urban Fantasy genre-- love triangle, heroine discovering her power, mystery to be solved-- and you end up being a bit bored because you've read it all before?

This is NOT that book. This book has all those elements and I didn't care. I didn't care that despite my own preference for romantic angsty relationships multiple male characters with no commitment to the tough heroine Daisy made her (literal)tail wag with excitement. I didn't care that the whole idea of Pemkowet being a town in Michigan where tourists come to catch a glimpse of the supernatural but yet don't believe in the supernatural or the danger didn't quite gel in my mind.

Because Daisy Johanssen and her tarot-card reading, super-nice mother, and her ex B-movie starlet friend Lurine were just so much fun to ride along with. Daisy spends a lot of time fighting her passions. Even that should have gotten old after a while, but not only did I not mind her constantly trying not to burst windows around her, but I also didn't mind the super-saccharine way at the end that she uses her energy to fight the big battle.

The mystery was also deftly unfolded to make you want to stick along with Daisy and Officer Down-low as they found out bits of information. Actually the police procedure parts, along with political pressure to solve the case, having to wait for critical autopsy information, etc, was great fun.

So for really awesomely fun characters, light-hearted banter, and a much darker, twisted heart of a mystery than the somewhat light-hearted start to the book prepared me for, this is a savory feast of a book.

This Book's Snack Rating: Garlic Parmesan Kettle Chips for the garlicky cheese goodness of great characters on a solid crunch of a good mystery

Full of unexpected twists, cliche-free characters, and a fantasy infused Midwestern town shaped by Norse mythology, DARK CURRENTS (Agent of Hel #1) is a fantastically fun paranormal crime thriller that brought to mind several of my favorite urban fantasy series including Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs and Rachel Morgan/The Hollows by Kim Harrison.

The story centers around Daisy Johanssen, half-breed demon who works as the eldritch (supernatural) community consultant with the local police department, and moonlights as the enforcer of Hel, the Norse goddess of the underworld. When werewolves, fey, ghouls, or vampires break the rules, Daisy is the one they have to answer to. She's a busy, busy girl. She's also really brave and laid back. Her fun asides as the narrator let readers in on her charming freak out moments, like when she's tempted to succumb to one of the Seven Deadly sins (very bad things would happen if she did).

I did get distracted by the many references to her little tail (it lashes when she's angry etc., and how she tucks is in like a drag queen), but it by no means ruined the book for me. I will say that there are multiple, unsettling references to rape and sexual slavery. Nothing graphic, but it's a significant part of the story and some details do emerge. Because of that subject matter, the low key romance was very appropriate. It's little more than flirting and unrequited feelings. But a very intriguing and volatile love triangle begins to take shape that has more than piqued curiosity for the next book. According to Jacqueline Carey's website, there are currently two more books planned in the Agent of Hel series. I'm more than ready to jump back into this world as soon as possible.

Sexual Content: Multiple references to rape and sexual slavery

Just a romp full of every imaginable mythological being all in one little town with a likeable, suspend-your-dis-believable protagonist and some creative laying of romantic and intriguing plots for upcoming books. The narration is extremely casual and colloquial BUT includes a surprising amount of decent vocab and excellent description. Great fun!

If I had read this book five years ago I probably would have liked it a lot better. Because the thing is, it's GOOD - Jacqueline Carey is a fantastic writer, and I love her Kushiel series. The problem with this new series is that nearly everything I feel as if I've seen before. I guess I've just been oversaturated with this kind of urban fantasy. Not helpful is the fact that the audiobook is narrated by the same person who narrates the Sookie Stackhouse books.

On the bright side, if the urban fantasy small town mystery with all the usual supernatural creatures and a strong female protagonist is your favorite thing, then here's more for you! I do like those kinds of books so I enjoyed it, and I will probably read more, but I think I was just disappointed because I was hoping for something new as well.

I absolutely love Jacqueline Cary! She is one of those people who can easily create a world that quickly captures the mind and imagination. With this new book she once again takes us into the multi faceted personalities of the characters. I do feel she managed to cross over into this genre and if not stake her claim, for sure announce her arrival. I am again left on the edge of my seat waiting for her next adventure! I will say that frequent readers of Ms Carey's books may find this one a bit "dumbed down" from her past novels. I have no doubt this is just the beginning of a great new twist on a much adored urban/fantasy/fiction series.

I gave this book 5 stars because it was a great book, period. It is well written and very entertaining. I was surprised to find this book to be urban fantasy but liked it nonetheless. I bought this thinking about the Kushiel series and was excited for something similar. I was pleasantly surprised at Carey's debut Urban Fantasy.
You cannot compare this book to the Kushiel Series though. It just is not at the same level or standard. If I compared this book to Kushiel I would have given 3 stars but it is not fair to judge that way. This is a good book all on it's own. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy authors such at Charlaine Harris or Patricia Briggs. Definitely not one to miss and I look forward to the next book in the series!

Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey is the first book in her new series
Agent of Hel and it quickly became one of my favorite books of 2012.
Each character played an important part in the overall story but
Daisy, the main female character was by far my favorite because she
kept things from getting too serious with her sense of humor. The main
male character Cody evened things out with his alpha male personality.
I loved the relationship between Daisy and her mother because it was
so easy going and they almost seemed to be more like best friends
instead of mother and daughter.

This book has almost any paranormal/supernatural being you can think
of which is just one of the reasons I found it to be such an enjoyable
book. Most books of this genre focus on one paranormal/supernatural
being but Jacqueline Carey has given us an incredibly well written
book with these amazing characters you can't help to like. Another
thing that I thought was great was the fact that the story focused on
the case instead of a potential romance. I found that to be refreshing
and very different. The pace of Dark Currents was just right and
Jacqueline Carey made sure that the mystery lasted throughout the
entire story.

LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer gives Dark Currents 5 Skulls.

I'm glad i got this from the library. i read the kushile series a long time ago and i loved it .this was really lacking in detail and had a poor story line ill probably read the rest of the series just to kill time. and every time the main charter said gah was just annoying i dont know of anyone whoever says gah , ah! i can see but not gah

A fun and rollicking tale of the supernatural underworld crossing into our world. I enjoyed the characters and the situations they found themselves dealing with.

I always have a special place for characters who are expected to be bad but choose to be good.

Jacqueline Carey did it again and wrote another outstanding book! Her creativity in this book is impressive. I love Urban Fantasy books and Jacqueline Carey makes you feel like you are right there along side the characters. The characters are so real that you feel like you have known them forever. I loved that the main character had a tail. I cannot wait for another book from Jacqueline with more stories from Pemkowet.

Pemkowet, Michigan is the true melting pot as the small town is home to humans, paranormals and hybrids. Demon-human Daisy Johanssen serves as the liaison between the mortal police and Hel the Norse goddess chieftain of the underworld.

The Police Chief Bryant wakes up Daisy with a situation at the gazebo. College student Vanderhei was intoxicated when he bet his two friends he could swim the river, but died in the attempt. The Chief says the timeline feels wrong so he asks Daisy to help as magic may have been instrumental in the death. Officer Cody Fairfax has doubts having Daisy assist, but they team up on a case in which the means may have been magical, mundane or both.

This first urban fantasy police procedural is a terrific paranormal whodunit as Jacqueline Carey makes her Michigan world of paranormal and normal living together seem real. With a nod to Rosemary's Baby, Daisy is a superb protagonist as her maternal values battle with her paternal desire to embrace the "Seven Deadlies". Action-packed, readers will enjoy Daisy's dilemma as she and Cody investigate the death of a drunken student.

Harriet Klausner

The writing is light but it took me a long time to finish the book - it just never drew me in. The characters and the world were all creative - enough to keep me going - but the main character lacked emotional depth. As a result, I never really cared that much about what was going to happen.

What it's about: Daisy Johnson, a woman who is sired by an incubus and raised by a single mother (human), tries to keep order in both the human and paranormal worlds. There are hot werewolves, reclusive Norse goddesses and a whole lot of criminal investigation.

Why you should read it: Jacqueline Carey is a master storyteller. Anyone who is a fantasy fan has read her Kushiel's Legacy series and fallen under her spell. When I found out a new series was in the works -- something more paranormal than fantasy -- I knew I had to read it. With Carey you'll get twisted, complicated but steamy romance, enough action to satisfy an adventure seeker, and a plot that is both rich in dynamics and its telling.

If you want to read more about what Carey says about Dark Currents check out the HEA Blog

I "listened" to book on CD - this narrator ROCKED!!
This is new series - setup for "world" on 1st book awkward sometimes - so I cut author some slack. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure & look forward to MORE!! I'm very interested in the further paranormal goings on in Pemkowet.

This book presented a fresh look at what has become a popular genre combining the supernatural in modern day life, showcased through the eyes of a young woman. The main character is well-meaning, likeable, although hormone-challenged in her dealings with the innumerable attractive characters within the book. Compared to some of Jacqueline Carey's other books, namely the Kusheline series, this book is lighthearted, fast-paced, and an appetizer. For her more poetic, satiating works, you'll know where to go. However, when you compare this book to the genre it was designed to fit alongside (which I, admittedly, struggled with having long since fallen head over heals with Kushiel's Dart), then it stands out as being superior in a number of ways.

Primarily, it dwarfs similar urban/fantasy books in its scope of mythological prowess. Per her usual, Jacqueline Carey did her research and went overboard with regards to flushing our this new fantasy world, decking it with a veritable abundance of creatures and references. Throughout the book you will become both acquainted with seemingly familiar supernatural creatures, such as fairies, whilst reaching the edges of your mythological knowledge when introduced to the Goddess Hel of old Norse mythology and other, less well known creatures. One such, is the ghoul. Never, in my previous readings, had I found a ghoul to be sketched in such a human way. Let alone as a potential love interest. Leave it to Carey to present a completely novel supernatural love interest to put alongside the requisite werewolf counterpart. Regardless of the potential love interests abounding within the book, the main character struggles throughout with the struggle of what it is to be good, despite her human (and not-so-human) inclinations towards the "Seven Deadlies" instead. One we can all relate to.

In short, I found this book whetted my appetite for more of the same. It was quick, entertaining, and fulfilled all of the requirement of this type of book and then some. Sometimes the colloquial language felt artificial and vaguely irritating to me, but once again, I'm tainted by her previous writings which are nothing less than prosaic. Despite that, it's designed to reach across audiences and to be enjoyed. Bon apetit!

4.5 Feathers
Reviewed by FRANCESCA & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

I have wanted to read a Jacqueline Carey book in what seems like forever. I've been attracted to and purchased quite a few of them, but never managed to set aside the time to read them. Then this book comes along with this beautiful and fun cover and I just caved and had to read it.

I think I'm in love. This book is not the dark and gritty urban fantasy I thought I would get by reading a Jacqueline Carey book and for me, in this story, it worked marvelous.

DARK CURRENTS is fun, it's spunky and it has a lot personality. It's unique and entertaining. Starting out with a heroine, Daisy, that I found very down to earth and relatable. At the same time she was a lot of fun and someone that you just want to hang out with. She can be badass when absolutely necessary, even though I think she has some growth to do in that department. She has a really cool profession. Her human job is as a paper pusher at the sheriff's office but because she's a supernatural she is starting to be more involved in investigations. Her supernatural job is as Hel's agent. And no, that's not a typo. Hel is a Goddess, not hell as in flames. She is in charge and in power of keeping the order in the human realm and inter-relations between humans and Hel who rules the supernaturals on earth.

Ms. Carey masterfully introduces us to the very unique supernatural world of this series and more importantly to what's going on in Pemkowet. For the amount of world building that took place in this book, not once did I feel like there was an info dump. Such a smooth and amazing job!

The story revolves around a murder mystery, which I always find interesting. The supernatural community in Pemkowet is shaken up, as well as the human sheriff's office, when a college boy is found dead, who presumably drowned. The police department has to find the killer before the supernatural connection is brought to the public's attention. A little bit of mystery and intrigue. A whole lot of normal in the midst of chaos.

I think that was my favorite part. This book has a lot of normal. Daisy is a normal girl, with normal issues. Except maybe one not so normal appendage, but I thought that was cute and funny. She also has a crush on a hot guy, Cody, and she is now put in a situation where she has to work with him to solve the murder. She has a best friend who likes Cody as well. But Jen is human and Cody is a shapeshifter. Then she meets the Master ghoul in town, Stefan, who is hotter than hell and very powerful. And there's a human who can see auras, Sinclair, thrown in the mix for good measure.

While solving a murder she still has to perform her job as Agent of Hel and normal early twenties girl. Wanting to hang out with her BFF, saving her BFF's brother, hanging out with a family of werewolves, and chasing a mermaid. You know, the usual.

When I finished reading the last page of this book I truly wanted more. I want to know who Daisy will end up giving a shot to be with her. I want to see her grow into her powers. But as much as I am dying for the next book, the ending of this one was a bit anticlimactic after the awesome build up throughout the book. This is why I can't give this book 5 stars. Other than that, this was a masterpiece and a keeper for sure!

*ARC provided by publisher

I am a huge fan of Jacqueline Carey from her Kushiel series. This book was good. It started off pretty slow for me, and started picking up as new and unique characters were introduced. I will definitely read the next book, but hope the author adds some of the sexy-steaminess that is her forte. I want my heroine to have it all, but this one seems to have only strange friends, blues, and alcahol.

The kushiel saga is my all time favorite books so its odd to read this book and wonder if this is the same author and/or is it an earlier work because the dialogue is down right cheesy at times. In some ways I'm disappointed, there is promise in some characters but it almost feels like this is Jaqueline Carey's "true blood/twilightesque" attempt. That sounds harsh but l guess I'll stand by and see where this series goes.

I literally stumbled across the book and I am glad I did. I read the book in one sitting! The character development was superb and plot was fully engaging and developed. I have a new heroine to follow!

This book pulls you in right away. Author has excellent abilities to create believable characters and describe a world without being wordy or bogging down. You can identify with the heroine and just .... want to see what happens next. I've read the book twice already, just because it's an enjoyable read. Can't wait for the next in the series!

I have to start by saying I am a raving Jacqueleine Carey fan and I bought this book simply because she is the author. That said it was an enjoyable read. It had some unique elements that I found fun. I would categorize this book more in the teen fiction genre than her other books. Again I want to say I really enjoyed this book and I will buy the sequel when it comes out but this book lacked some of the character depth that you find in her other books. One of the things I love about Carey is that she can make you love, admire, and really pull for her characters even when (and sometimes because) they are so flawed. All in all a really good book but this one gets only 4 stars because it is being compared to her others which I think are 5 plus stars.

Humans, ghouls, vampires, fairies, and others in the eldritch (supernatural) community call the small town of Pemkowet home. When a college student's death turns out to be more than it first appears, everyone is shocked and the town's biggest business, tourism, is threatened. Half human, half demon Daisy Johanssen splits her time working at the police department as a file clerk and as a representative of Hel, a Norse goddess and the town's supernatural authority. With proof of there being eldritch involvement in the human's death, Daisy works alongside officer Cody Fairfax, her childhood crush and closet werewolf, to uncover the truth before the entire town pays the price.

Daisy loves her mother, hanging out with her best friend and listening to the blues. She's also a representative of a death goddess and her father is a lesser demon and sometimes incubus and if she decides to embrace her demonic side, she would bring about Armageddon. Not to mention it's a constant struggle to keep her emotions in check so she doesn't accidentally hurt someone. Not the responsibility a typical young woman has but she manages to take it all in stride and has a good sense of humor about things. Daisy is easy to like and very caring but there were times I thought she may not have been mature enough to take on this case and the dark, twisted turns that came with it. Luckily, there's a great supportive cast to help her along the way.

Cody is a police officer and keeps the fact he's a werewolf a secret. At first he's not thrilled to work with Daisy but she starts to grow on him as the investigation into what really happened to the drowning college student unfolds. By the end he had feelings for her but he'd be the last to admit it. Cody isn't a bad character; he just didn't wow me like Stefan Ludovic did. Stefan is the new head ghoul (eldritch that feed on emotions) in town and Daisy meets him during the investigation when it points to there being ghoul involvement. Powerful, secretive and at times scene stealing, I wouldn't call Stefan a "good guy" but he lends his help to Daisy and in the end I think cares more about her and is more honest with how he feels than Cody.

Another character that stood out to me was Lurine. A lamia (bottom half turns into a snake) and a B-list actress, Lurine is like a godmother to Daisy and is as powerful and secretive about her past as Stefan. She can be over the top fabulous one minute and then dead serious the next. You're never quite sure what to expect from her, which is what I enjoyed most.

Dark Currents has an intriguing mystery to it and the story took a very grim turn I didn't expect. The drowning was just the beginning of the crimes that took place and what it led to, at times, felt too dark for this book. One minute Daisy would be chatting with fairies about driving tourism up and the next she would be discussing sexual abuse. It's all important to the story but It didn't always go together smoothly, like two puzzle pieces that are similar yet different but still forced together.

I loved all the detail that went into Dark Currents. Jacqueline Carey paints such a vivid picture that it makes you feel as if a town like Pemkowet, with all its fantastic creatures, could actually exist. A mix of fantasy and urban fantasy, Dark Currents has a lot to offer and I think if you're a fan of both genres, you should check it out.

So, Jacqueline Carey has jumped on the paranormal fantasy bandwagon.

I was excited to hear about this book, and I bought it with no other recommendation than the author's name. Unfortunately, Carey doesn't seem to be able to pull off the paranormal sub-genre with the same elegance as her epic fantasy. It's as if she takes the "real-world" setting as an excuse not to develop or explain anything, because, after all, people know about how the world works, right?

Mundanes just shouldn't attempt to write paranormal fiction. Really.

Okay, I'm a snob. I admit it. I've studied world mythology and folklore since I could read. I've studied "the occult" since I was about eight or so, and read Tarot since I was twelve. Professionally. So I have an extremely high standard for this kind of work. Most writers don't measure up. From the depth and breadth of her other work, I expected Carey to. That she didn't disappointed me almost beyond belief.

Pemkowet, Michigan, is a Great Lakes resort town. It has what is termed a "functioning underworld," a term that is never fully explained except inasmuch as it gives the author an excuse to populate her setting with every supernatural creature in the book. Demon spawn, vampires, ghouls, werewolves, faeries, naiads, frost giants, you name it, Pemkowet's got it. It's as if Carey Googled a list and just stuck everything in there she could find, and she doesn't have anything new to say about them. This whole mishigoss is presided over by the Norse goddess of the underworld, Hel. Her being resident in Podunk, Michigan is never explained, either. Or why she would care about anything outside the Norse cosmology. Just because she's a goddess? Um, no. Unlikely.

Anyway. The female protagonist, Daisy Johanssen, is the daughter of a mundane woman and an incubus. Being a "half-breed" has given Daisy substantial anger management issues and a tail, but very little else. It certainly didn't give her any personality. For more reasons that are never explained, Hel has chosen Daisy as her "liaison" with the mundane realm. This duty seems to involve Daisy flashing a rune-marked palm at any supernatural entity who irks her. Later, Hel gives Daisy a magic dagger. It looks really cool with her jeans.

Daisy works for the police department as a file clerk and part-time adviser on the "eldritch" community. Kudos for use of the word "eldritch," by the way. It was the one thing in this book that I liked. I couldn't really figure why the police department needed this kind of adviser, as the eldritch community has no legal status. But I suppose the authorities do have some responsibility to keep track. So, a local kid turns up drowned, and the Chief of Police's magic pocket watch detects magic of some sort. Daisy gets stuck into the investigation, partnered with Cody Fairfax, a werewolf she's had a crush on since high school. This gives Daisy a lot of opportunity to make comments about how hot Cody is. And I guess that's okay, because other than his beautiful, stubble-covered jaw and his remarkable six-pack abs, Cody doesn't have anything going for him, either.

Daisy was really, really irritating. You'd think that a person of demon-descent, who'd lived since birth in a community populated with paranormal creatures of every stripe, would be curious enough to figure out how the whole business worked. But, well, she didn't. All too often, when some question came up, Daisy would simply say, "Well, I don't know why it works that way; it just does." I could have bought that once or twice. But it happened so much that it left me feeling as if Carey simply couldn't be bothered to sort out her mythology. And it gave the entire work an underdeveloped, superficial feel. Also, Daisy has the vocabulary of a second-grader. When at a loss for words, she falls back on the weird exclamation, "Oh, Gah!" This happens about once a page. And when she does happen to come up with a good word, she never fails to point out that she learned it from her high school English teacher, Mr. Leary. It made me feel like she wanted a grade. The way she drools over Cody reminded me unpleasantly of reading Fifty Shades. I expected every minute for Daisy to say something like "Oh my! He makes me hot DOWN THERE!"

Oh yeah: there's also the standard fascinating male paranormal entity in the form of an ancient Polish ghoul. He also makes Daisy hot down there.

So anyway: mundane kid murdered, staunch Christian parents up in arms because of Satan's influence (yes, let's not forget to throw in a religious angle, by all means). Enter the Pemkowet Visitor's Bureau!--because, of course, Pemkowet is a tourist destination for people looking to photograph the various supernatural entities they might chance to spot. Now Daisy has to work public relations. This subplot serves no purpose except to show off still more paranormal people, and to introduce the single character in the entire book who might actually be interesting.

Honestly, you know what? I meant to go on with this. But it was so bad, I don't actually think it's worth my time. I write paranormal fantasy myself. Sometimes I read my work and think, "Is this really stupid or what?" I will never think that again. I could not possibly fabricate anything as dumb as this book. The writing is shallow, inept and superficial. The characters are barely two-dimensional. I've seen other reviews from people who really liked this book, found it thrilling and funny and well-developed ("Like Buffy!"). I can only imagine these reviewers have never actually read books, or watched Buffy, either.

Please, Ms. Carey, go back to doing something you do well. For the sake of a genre that already gets maligned enough, leave Pemkowet alone.

I got this book from my local library instead of buying it, and for that I am grateful, because it was just awful. I have been a fan of Carey for a long time and I normally love her writing--with the exception of one other book, she always has interesting and unique concepts, well-developed and relatable characters, and paints vivid settings that feel wonderfully real.

Dark Currents, on the other hand, has none of these positive attributes. Everything about it fell short: the setting is not well-developed, the main character Daisy is not especially loveable (I was totally ambivalent toward her), and everything from the love interests to the humor felt incredibly recycled. I felt like Carey's incredible writer's voice had been lost in this stupid main character, who says "Gah!" when she's upset and talks way too much about her tail, which she hides between her legs when she wears jeans. The first-person narration was full of random and often juvenile asides to the reader that were supposed to be funny but just came off as strange--for example, at one point Daisy interrupts the storyline to say of her tail being between her legs, "And yeah, in case you were wondering, it does feel kind of good tucked up there" (paraphrasing). Ugh.

But my biggest problem with the book was that there was no character development whatsoever! I mean, AT ALL! The saddest thing was that I could tell Carey was trying, and there were lines now and again that implied she was trying to make Daisy grow in some way, but at the end of the book, Daisy was exactly the same as when she started. For example, the last line of the book (don't worry it's not a spoiler) is something about how she's okay with being "just nice"--and that's supposed to be some huge revelation for her character. But it was never established originally that she had any fear of being "just nice," that she craved excitement or danger in a problematic way or had a tendency to reject things that seemed too ordinary, so her assertion that "just nice" was okay with her was nowhere near the mark of personal growth I could tell Carey intended it to be.

Furthermore, there is a strange red-herring of a plotline in the issue of Daisy's father, who is an incubus and repeatedly appears in Daisy's mind asking her to invoke her "birthright" as his daughter by calling up her full anger and destroying the world. Why would her being really pissed off break the "inviolate wall" between the eldritch and mundane communities? I don't know. Why does her father even want her to destroy the world? I don't know. But again, she starts out the story refusing to call on her father--continues through the story refusing to call on her father--and ends the story by refusing to call on her father. There is never any suspense about this because she never really considers calling on him even in her most desperate moments. Why does this keep coming up if it doesn't ever change and if it contributes nothing to the character's development? I DON'T KNOW. (Similar red herrings include the appearance of a Fairie King, who literally shows up, looks cool, and then goes away again forever. This has no bearing on the story whatsoever. I can only assume Carey is laying ground for the sequel in both of these cases, which if you ask me is an extremely tasteless way to write a book.)

Bottom line: blah plotline, unfunny, and full of static characters--a book in which a lot of stuff happens and none of it matters at all, because nobody changes or learns anything. If you have to read it, save your money and get it from the library.

I, like many other reviewers, love the Kushiel books, and I'll admit this isn't as epic or as engrossing as those books. Once you move beyond that comparison, though, it's a great read, with a real sense of humor, some interesting mythology, and Carey's trademark strong heroine with a dark fate. It's an interesting mystery, and the world has room for Daisy to grow.

I think some other reviewers have already done a great job describing how pedestrian and uninspired this book is. It's certainly not terrible, but there just isn't anything about it that's new or memorable. Carey was clearly trying to cross a Kim Harrison novel with a Charlaine Harris novel, but the result is just kind of boring.

Instead of dwelling on what I didn't like, how about some ideas on how to spice this book up!

First off, the protagonist works as a part time public relations agent and armed police officer, but she's never had any training in either. Maybe this book could have been about her going to college in Niflheim and getting a double major, instead! I mean, sure, studying for finals might not be the most compelling plot ever, but I'd be on the edge of my seat until the last page wondering about her GPA!

Too Harry Potter? Well, maybe she could have had some wistful flashbacks to the time she aced the job interview with Hel by talking about her can-do, team player attitude even though she had some toilet paper stuck to her shoe or something. I mean, come on here! Give me something!

On the plus side, even if it's low-fat microwave popcorn, it is a quick and inoffensive read.

This book was great fun from beginning to end. Fabulous characters and wild plot line and a very likeable heroine. Never a dull moment. Completely different from Ms. Carey's trilogies--not sure how she changes to such a different voice. So if you are looking for the same thing, this is not it. This is much lighter and more humorous--and younger. I wish there were lots more of this series--i wanted more when i finished.

Modern Supernatural with warmth and small town setting. A tourist attraction because of it's publically known supernatural content, Pemkowet does alright for itself, and liaison between the magical Underworld ruled by Norse Goddess Hel and the town's local authorities, Daisy Johanssen, is a level headed and responsible home town girl. She does have a short fuse with some of the bigotry against the magical community that she encounters rather frequently not only because of her job, but because she's half Hell Spawn on her daddy's side. Daisy was raised by her single parent mom to be a good girl, and she does her best to not give in to Temptation, because if she ever lays claim to her rightful magical heritage she could bust open the barrier between Hell and Earth.

Being a small town, and her conception a well known town story, Daisy has been an "out" supernatural being her whole life, but there are many supernatural people living on the Down Low in Pemkowet, including Daisy's childhood crush and new police officer Cody, of a werewolf persuasion, and home grown B movie star Lurine who used to babysit Daisy when she was little, and who is on the short list of females our mostly straight laced heroine might loosen her laces for. Daisy will have to call not only on her office's resources as Hel's agent, but her personal ones as well to get to the bottom of a local mystery. A wealthy frat boy from an anti-magical political family is found drowned in the town's river, setting off anti magical rhetoric from his grieving but not above using his death to push an anti-magical being agenda family.

Despite the testimony of the dead boy's friends that it was an accident due to them all being drunk, and the boy trying to swim the local river intoxicated, something about his death sets off the local Sheriff's instincts and magical pocket watch that there is more to the "accident" than meets the mundane eye. Assigning investigation into the case to Daisy (who officially is a file clerk at the local police department, and unofficially the magic stuff go to girl) and officer Cody. Now there is some sweet spots of Daisy noticing Cody and Cody noticing Daisy in a potentially romantic way, but this is NOT a romance, and Daisy and Cody's relationship is NOT a primary plot point. This is mainly a nice home town girl with magical leanings working out a mystery and trying to keep her home town from simmering over and being harmed by either human antagonism, or magical backlash.

Includes vampiric creeps, sexy ghouls, fey and fairy of every flavor, shady stuff, a warm and wonderful mom who reads cards, best friends, a cute tour bus entrepreneur, rescues and sleuthing, magical weapons, maidens in distress, heroics, and living up to responsibility even when it isn't pretty.

The book just felt GOOD TO READ, and I can foresee many rereads. Also this has tons of potential for a long running series. It's kind of like In The Heat of the Night, with lots of magical local color. And absolutely love Daisy. She's very down to earth and has common sense. A very welcome and refreshing change from ditzy heroines who spends most the book lusting after some supernatural hottie of the day. A little on the expensive side as a hard back, but well worth the Kindle price. I'm very glad I took a chance and got it because it really was an excellent read.