Book #1 of 2011: Shotgun Sorceress by Lucy A. Snyder

ISBN: 0345512103

I bought this book.

Jessie Shimmer is a love her or hate her addition to the urban fantasy world, between her crudeness and the dark, dark nature of her stories you’ll find very few readers taking a middle road. Shotgun Sorceress is the follow up to Lucy A. Snyder’s Spellbent and the first thing you should know is that Lucy’s a tried and true horror writer. It’s evident from her treatment of magic (which really is more like the dark and twisted, old school occult novels than the twee magical worlds you can find today) and the focus on extra dimensional devils and demons (and even the supposed worldly peace keepers who themselves are not good beings) that magic is not something to be trifled with. Just being a Talent in Snyder’s world makes you tougher and more raw than mundanes.

In the first book Jessie Shimmer had to rescue her boyfriend from an hell dimension personally cooked up for him and his family by one of their own. She took on angels, the ruling council of local magic-wielders and gave up a lot of herself (namely her eye and her arm) to get Cooper back. This book allows Jessie no rest as the ruler magic users are still after her for her actions, as are the crystaline-angel-not-really-good-guys who enforce all the magical rules. In fact the latter appear to set Jessie and her family up, sending them into a sealed pocket which imprisons a demon that has taken over a small Texas town and turned it into a post apocalyptic dystopia.

Shotgun Sorceress has a zombie-apocalypse feel, without ever hitting on the tropes of that subgenre. Instead it stands out as something entirely its own, neither its creatures or magic system mimic other books. It’s a bold, energetic, vivid and, yes, horrific, addition to the paranormal craze. Wild writing will keep readers guessing. The unique world and characters make Shotgun Sorceress a stand out wickedly enjoyable fantasy story.