Review: Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover

Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover
Mass Market: $7.99
Pocket Books (November 30, 2010)
ISBN: 978-1-4391-7629-0

I don’t like to give spoilers, but I guess this review has some. Sorry guys. 😦

Favorite Lines: “It took me half an hour, but I filled the grave. I buried an innocent man alive.” (p. 355)

Jayné Heller inherited more than money from her uncle when he died. She learned about magic and became the leader of a group which destroys demons. So when her lover’s ex-wife contacts the group about strange occurrences at Chicago’s Grace Memorial Hospital, Jayné and her four companions travel there to investigate. What they find could destroy the group forever.

M.L.N. Hanover, aka Daniel Abraham and half of the writing group which forms James S.A. Corey, writes the urban fantasy series The Black Sun’s Daughter. The series follows a twenty-something year old woman’s attempt to protect humanity from demons.

Its lead character is Jayné, a human imbued with magic powers which work as a personal security system. She is fast and strong and can even fight when threatened. Everything she never was before her uncle died. She is estranged from her family, so the men surrounding her are much more than just her friends, they are her new family…her family by choice. Vicious Grace is a book that tests those bonds.

It also touches on the topic of rape. I know many people get upset when rape is used in urban fantasy stories. I am not one of those people, but the way Hanover approaches the topic should put other readers at ease. It is not a violent, visual attack. It is simple: when a person takes away another’s right to choose to have sex, it is rape. This can be done through brute force, drugs or magic.

I guess the best thing I have to say about Vicious Grace is it makes me want the next book, Killing Rites. The story is a turning point. Things aren’t pretty in urban fantasies because you never know when a tidbit of information or a major event is going to force you down another path with different people. Know this: the last sentence of the book is a doozy. It will change everything.

Books in the Series	What others think about Vicious Grace:
Unclean Spirits	Night Owl Paranormal
Darker Angels	Fantasy Literature
Vicious Grace
Killing Rites (not yet released)