What is this about: Cisco Suarez is dead. 10 years dead when he wakes up alive in a dumpster and sets about trying to find out what the hell happened.
What else is this about?: Nothing. Everything is about Cisco and his ego.
Stars: 3/5
Should you read: You know, I’m torn. It’s a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, mythology, but far out Cisco can be severely irritating.
Blurb: I’m Cisco Suarez: necromancer, shadow charmer, black magic outlaw. Sounds kinda cool, doesn’t it? It was, right until I woke up half dead in a dumpster.
Did I say half dead? Because I meant 100% dead. Full on. I don’t do things halfway.
So here I am, alive for some reason, just another sunny day in Miami. It’s a perfect paradise, except I’m into something bad. Wanted by police, drenched in the stink of dark magic, nether creatures coming out of the woodwork, and don’t get me started on the Haitian voodoo gang. Trust me, it’s all fun and games until there’s a zombie pit bull on your tail.
I’m Cisco Suarez: necromancer, shadow charmer, black magic outlaw, and totally screwed.
If I wasn’t interested in the worldbuilding, which was excellent, this would probably be much less that the 3 I gave it up there. It’s Cisco that irritates me mostly, with an accumulation of comments and moments that didn’t really get me on his side at all. But here’s what I am stuck on: Cisco is a man out of time, 10 years out of time. The world has moved on but he hasn’t, so he’s stuck in an era where the way he talks, his ego and so on would have fit right in.
Finn tries to make him witty, but never manages to completely win me over.
Cisco is the kind of guy I might find funny initially, but prolonged exposure … nope. Admittedly, his getting to see and interact with how the world has changed was funny — he’s running around with a Nokia phone in his pocket, yo know the old brick ones? And is fascinated by iPhones!
I kept reading because I wanted Finn to rescue Cisco, to make him someone I can cheer on, but I also kept reading because the worldbuilding is pretty great — Miami, Haitian Voodoo Gang and characters of different ethncities — and build a rich urban fantasy world for readers.
I just can’t stand the main character.
Ooops? Would you give a series a second chance and read the next book? Characters have to grow right?
Oh I have this book! I just haven’t read it yet. Although it’s kinda disappointing to see that you didn’t like it too much :-/ But I’ll have to give it a shot and see how I like Cisco.
It’s funny you ask about giving a series another chance even if you didn’t like the main character because that’s what I did with the book I posted a review for yesterday (The Beast Without) lol. I didn’t really like the MC but tried the second series, and he got a lot more likeable. But I don’t do that for every series, so it just depends on how much potential there is for it to get better and if I like anything else about the book.
Great review though! I’ll let you know what I think once I get around to reading this one 🙂
Ahhh, sorry Kristen! I kind gave vent to my frustrations in this review with it, because it had such brilliant worldbuilding, but my gosh, Cisco annoyed me and I couldn’t shake that feeling. I think you might enjoy the worldbuilding though — some of it is quite dark and I enjoyed that the author did have a mix of supernatural characters that I haven’t read in an urban fantasy.
Sorry you couldn’t really get into the character. Some characters and people can be funny at first but then they just get really annoying, so I understand that.
Yeah, he was quirky in the beginning, but then he seemed to be stuck there and it got grating. I wanted to put it down to him being a part of society 10 years ago when he died, became a zombie creature of sorts, and then ‘woke’ up alive in a different society entirely… but that didn’t help either. Boo.
oh man… looked interesting. Maybe it wouldn’t help me, I keep reading his name as Crisco and it makes me think of deep fried chicken >.<
I had to laugh about how you answered that question about what else this book was about, definitely sets the tone for your review.The world building sounds so well done, but a main character you don’t like can really put a damper on things. It does interesting how everything he knows is 10 years outdated, I imagine that could cause some funny scenes.
I thin it depends on if I would continue the series. If there is enough that I liked and I am able to get a review copy for example of book 2 I might still give it a try. I usually consider a 3 star rating and still continue some of the series if the first book is a 3 star. But it also depends on what i didn’t like and how likely that is to change in the next book. I do think a character can grow, but if you don’t like the main character now, I do wonder how likely you are to like him in the next book.
I hate it when you enjoy a book but dislike the MC! It does sound like Finn is a talented author though. FOr that reason I would probably give the second book a chance!