Concrete Savior: Unique urban fantasy blend

Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro

Concrete Savior is the second in Yvonne Navarro’s Dark Redemption series starring Brynna Malak, a fallen angel living as a human in Chicago and trying to earn her way back to Heaven. I enjoyed the first book, Highborn, and Concrete Savior is just as good. Like its predecessor, it mixes angel/demon mythology with superhero tropes for a unique urban fantasy blend.

An anonymous Good Samaritan is afoot in Chicago. Somehow, he seems to know exactly where to find people in danger, and rescues them at great risk to his own life. But his acts of bravery, it turns out, have some unintended consequences. There’s a demon on the prowl in the city, playing a terrible game with several human pawns, using their weaknesses — and sometimes their strengths — against them. As the body count rises, only Brynna can uncover the plan and stop it before things get even worse.

Navarro tells the story through the eyes of several point-of-view characters. Brynna is one, obviously, as is her maybe-boyfriend, police detective Eran Redmond. Brynna is adjusting to life as a human while continuing her quest for redemption. Eran is dealing with some lingering disbelief about the supernatural, and then a long-lost relative appears and brings some family baggage to the surface. Both are also trying to determine the nature of their relationship.

The other point-of-view characters are men and women connected with the demon’s evil scheme. These chapters can be extremely painful to read. Navarro takes us into the minds of several characters who commit horrible crimes — and while at least one is an utter creep and easy to hate, others are pitiable in spite of their actions. Other characters are more directly manipulated by the demon and are presented with impossible, hideous choices.

Concrete Savior is filled with suspense and action (and gore), but also addresses some tough questions about morality, guilt, and the mutability or immutability of fate. This is not one of those books where angels and demons are just another sexy creature to dazzle the reader. Navarro takes her angels and demons seriously, including the metaphorical ones that sit on our shoulders.