I read and enjoy a variety of genres. Back in March, I found Melissa F. Olson's Boundary Witch series and greedily gobbled up the first 4 books in the series. The other day, wanting more of the urban fantasy genre, I turned again to Olson. This time it was her Scarlett Bernard series.
From description: "Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and any supernatural spells or demonic forces are instantly defused—vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can’t get out so much as a “hocus pocus.” This special skill makes her a null and very valuable to Los Angeles’s three most powerful magical communities..."
The thing about urban fantasy (aside from contemporary urban settings, mystery, monsters, and magic) is that no matter how dire the situation, our protagonist wins--even if it is only temporary. Because there is always the next adventure and mystery and monster.
Some of the characters in Dead Spots (which was Olson's debut series) appear later in her Boundary Witch series, so I was already a little familiar with Scarlett and several other characters.
It was fun finding out about nulls and Scarlett's background, as well as more about Jesse Cruz (human detective) and the vampires and werewolves of LA. Scarlett, a null who defuses magic, is a cleaner for crime scenes involving Old World magic. Initially, these are fairly mild situations, but then...things start to get wild, and Scarlett, who works for a group of vampires, werewolves, and witches, finds herself cleaning up more and more horrific crimes. Worse, someone is trying to set Scarlett up as the villain.
Trail of Dead. Who is killing witches and why? And OOPS, Scarlett's mentor was supposed to be dead.
Once again, Scarlett must work with human detective Jesse Cruz to find the murderer.
Scarlett made a bad decision in the previous book--for all the right reasons, but without any concept of the consequences, and it destabilizes Will's wolf pack.
A rogue werewolf , the appearance in LA of the feared Luparii wolf-hunters from France, and a Bargest keep things rolling in The Hunter's Trail.
Of course, these books are not great literature, but they are fun and full of action. I like the Boundary Witch series better, but the Scarlett Bernard series is Olson's first foray into urban fantasy and is still quite good. This was supposed to be a trilogy, but Olson does return to Scarlett and friends in future books.
Looking for some interesting October/Halloween books? Try Olson's urban fantasy!
Boundary Magic series
Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson is an urban fantasy full of action and suspense, witches, werewolves, and vampires. Did I like it?
Well enough to gobble the next three books in a matter of days. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but I enjoy urban fantasy and all of the concomitant creatures that are usually found in the genre.
Opening line: "The third time I died was early on a Monday morning, a week after Labor Day."
Allison "Lex" Luther, an army veteran, feels compelled to protect her niece after Lex's twin sister is murdered. The story opens with a bang when Lex realizes her niece has been kidnapped and in her attempts to stop the kidnappers, she is killed. When she come to, she realizes she has miraculously survived (again), and she discovers that the reason she survived is because she is a boundary witch; learns there is an Old World of witches, vampires, and werewolves; makes a deal with the cardinal vampire; and takes lessons in witch magic.
This first book does a lot of world building and character introduction, but it engaged me immediately.
Urban Fantasy. May 2015. Print length: 322 pages.
Boundary Lines, book 2 in the Boundary Magic series, has Lex trying to adjust to her new understanding of the Old World and her recently acknowledged witch powers.
Magic goes haywire, two vampires disappear, a magical snake-like creature is eating folks, and Lex and Quinn are assigned by Maven to investigate. Lex interviews the ghost of a boundary witch (who owned a brothel in another century) to get more information about ley lines.
Although the local clan of witches are not very accepting of Lex (understatement), her friendship with Simon and Lily continues to grow. There comes a point that means the three Old World creatures must unite to overcome the present danger.
Another fun adventure that has humor, suspense, and action-packed scenes.
Urban Fantasy. Oct. 2015. Print length: 304 pages.
Oops--Lex's father shows up, and he's...nope not going there, it would be a spoiler, but we do learn more about Lex's background.
Vampires are being poisoned by a deadly Belladonna strain. Who is the real target?
I like the way the characters work together; there are friendships that Lex can count on and even the different races often have to put aside grievances at times.
Urban Fantasy. July 2016. Print length: 290 pages.
"The times they are a-changin' " in two ways in Boundary Broken. One--the book begins two years after the previous installment, and Two--changes are in the forecast for the way the Old World and the three races relate to each other.
A figure from a previous book reappears (this was not unexpected), and an insurgency is in the making.
Actually, several characters from previous books make an appearance, and the hint of a new, unknown enemy left me happy to expect another book in the series.
Urban Fantasy. March 2019. Print length: 347 pages.
If you enjoy Urban Fantasy, this may be a series you would enjoy. I certainly have been glued to the "pages" of all four books. I do recommend beginning with the first in the series with the caution that it could be addictive.
