Downpour by Kat RichardsonDownpour is the 6th book in the Greywalker Series. I will talk a little about this book, but if you are a fan and have read the first 5 then you are going to read this one no matter what I say . I want to convince those of you who haven’t read this series yet that it would be worth your time to read these books. They are classic Urban Fantasy that can appeal to both men and women.
After being shot in the back and dying-again- Greywalker Harper Blaine's only respite from the chaos is her work. But while conducting a pre-trial investigation in the Olympic Peninsula, she sees a ghostly car accident whose victim insists that he was murdered and that the nearby community of Sunset Lakes is to blame.
Harper soon learns that the icy waters of the lake hide a terrible power, and a host of hellish beings under the thrall of a sinister cabal that will use the darkest of arts to achieve their fiendish ends.
Downpour is sort of a transitional book in the series. After the climatic, action-packed events of the last book Labyrinth, this one deals with the emotional aftermath for Harper and her friends and ties up some loose ends. There is a murder mystery that must be solved involving a magical lake, hoodoo magic, Native American legends and Chinese Demons. Harper and Quinton’s relationship is explored more in this book, which is nice 'cause the girl deserves a break!
While this wasn’t my favorite book from a “Grey action” perspective, I just enjoy Richardson’s writing. I have always loved the rich visual images she can produce with words. You not only see what she is talking about, you can hear it too. I would call her writing a sensory smorgasbord!
Which, leads me into why you should give this series a try…
When I first discovered Urban Fantasy a few years ago, Greywalker (book #1) was one of the first I tried. The series is now on my “must buy” list. If you like classic UF without all the romance stuff, then this is the series for you. I especially enjoy the first person POV of the lead character Harper Blaine, she is a smart, tough as nails woman with a sarcastic edge to her. This is how Harper explains what she does:
“…I have a job to do: protect the Grey-the fringe between the normal world and the world of the purely paranormal, where ghosts roam and magic sings in neon-hot lines of energy across the empty space of the world between- and to protect the rest of the world from it. I am not a ghost or a vampire, not a witch or a sorcerer or a mage. I am just the unfortunate schmo who happened to touch death the right way and get stuck with the job. I’m a Greywalker.” – Downpour
I also like the fact that Harper is a normal person. She has no superpowers to help her deal with the magical creatures that live in the Grey, instead relying on her wit and determination to survive. I find the Grey itself an amazing piece of world building. It is more like another character than a place. Add in the vivid writing style of Richardson and you have a kick ass Urban Fantasy. Here are some examples of Richardson’s descriptions:
“He banged around on the nearest computer keyboard for a moment and coaxed a page from a cranky laser printer that made grinding and coughing noises and shook as if the page were being generated by a hidden Gutenberg press tended by the asthmatic souls of the damned.”
“He raised his head and looked at me, the watery light through the window streaking his face with age he hadn’t lived.”
If you are looking for a new UF series to try, pick up a copy of Greywalker (book #1) and join the Horde ;)
#1 in the Greywalker series.
Recovering from a near-fatal accident, Seattle Private Investigator Harper Blaine develops the ability to move through the Grey: the realm of ghosts, vampires, witches, and magic that exists between our world and the next. Harper wants her life to return to normal, but when her clients turn out to be paranormal, the reluctant Greywalker is drawn into the affairs of ambitious vampires and angry ghosts. As her cases converge, Harper uncovers a plot that threatens Seattle’s Grey world and must choose between honor and survival.
Check out Kat Richardson’s website for more information
I give Downpour 4 Sheep (the word sheep shows up on page 113. I’m just saying…
The Greywalker Series gets 5 Sheep!
SS (edited by BAK)
