fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsurban fantasy book review C.E. Murphy Heart of Stone The NegotiatorHeart of Stone of C.E. Murphy

C.E. Murphybegins Heart of Stone, the first of the Negotiator books, with our main character “Grit” being shadowed by a Gargoyle as she runs through Central Park. The Gargoyle, Alban, is a member of the few Old Races that are hidden in plain sight from the rest of humanity. His tragic history and how it compels him and leads him to eventually interact with Grit is the meat of the tale.

Murphy creates a plausible background and history for this story, but her main character is cookie-cutter urban fantasy: She’s smart, she’s athletic, and she’s a maverick who fights against injustice… If you read urban fantasy, then you know where this is going.

Murphy’s supporting characters are better, though. From Alban the Gargoyle to the quirky bookstore clerk who happens to know a whole bunch about the Old Races, Murphy gives them just enough detail and individuality that they make the story work. Some of the bad guys, for example, are complex and deep enough that you start to wonder if you wouldn’t be the same if you had walked in their shoes. Thinking about that was really fun for me.

So, to read or not to read…  Well, if you like urban fantasy, Heart of Stone is a worthwhile fix while you wait for the next Kim Harrison or Patricia Briggs novel. The writing is good and there is enough interesting, creative world-building that you won’t feel like you wasted your time. But don’t let this book cause you to pass up something better.

The Negotiator — (2007-2008) Publisher: WHAT SECRETS LIE SHROUDED IN DARKNESS? Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn’t a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she’d encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings — not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn’t all be real — but she could hardly deny what she’d seen… and touched. The mystery man, Alban, was a gargoyle. One of the fabled Old Races who had hidden their existence for centuries. Now he was a murder suspect, and he needed Margrit’s help to take the heat off him and find the real killer. And as the dead pile up, it’s a race against the sunrise to clear Alban’s name and keep them both alive.…

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  • JOHN HULET is a member of the Utah Army National Guard. John’s experiences have often left a great void that has been filled by countless hours spent between the pages of a book lost in the words and images of the authors he admires. During a 12 month tour of Iraq, he spent well over $1000 on books and found sanity in the process. John lives in Utah and works slavishly to prepare soldiers to serve their country with the honor and distinction that Sturm Brightblade or Arithon s’Ffalenn would be proud of. John retired from FanLit in March 2015 after being with us for nearly 8 years. We still hear from him every once in a while.

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