Sunday, April 19, 2015

Book Review: Inquisitor by R J Blain

I have no idea why I didn't read Inquisitor by R J Blain sooner. I've had it on my kindle forever and just never started it.

Once I did start it I had problems putting it down and that's a good problem to have. I really liked the characters and the story. I didn't know what was going to happen next. I didn't feel like it was reusing all the standard urban fantasy tropes and I genuinely enjoyed myself reading it.

I suspect I was paranoid about a female protagonist written by a female author. I was really burned by Twilight when those three came together, urban fantasy, female protag, female author and I was really really really hesitant to do it again but HOLY CRAP what a mistake!

If you're being stupid like I was and being afraid to read it because of that stop now. This doesn't have a pining wimpy female protagonist wandering aimlessly from hunky male secondary character to hunky male secondary character all while pining for her primary love interest who is in fact just a friend or some crap. No love triangle. No pining. All that junk from the "other" one I mentioned, completely absent here.

This is a tightly told story in an interestingly invented world that is different enough from ours to be fantastic (as in fantasy) but still recognizably our own. The world building happens throughout the book and I don't remember any huge info dumps where she got so in love with sharing her world with us that she forgets to engage us with good story, that's another thing that sometimes happens. Didn't happen. The story was faster paced and more tightly written than this review.

Don't back burner this book. It's a mistake to do so. Go get it now: Inquisitor by R J Blain.

Over on goodreads I gave this book 4 stars. I haven't given very many books 5 stars so 4 stars is pretty good. I give a LOT of books 3 stars. That means I liked it. 4 stars is significantly better than liked it and five stars... well, that means I don't think it can be done any better at all by anyone. Don't be hating that I don't just throw out five star reviews. I know that's the norm any more but I don't do it. If you've read my book and not yet reviewed it feel free to do so now. :) I'd really appreciate it and I'd take a four star review as a HUGE compliment and would be very happy with a three star even.

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