Redemption

Redemption
by C. J. Barry
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
I just finished reading C.J. Barry's book, Unchained, when I started this one. The writing style is so wonderful that I just couldn't put it off until the next day. I think I finished this one in 2-1/2 days, reading whenever I had a free moment and staying up late to keep the story going. Hello, awesome Urban Fantasy! This one is set in New York and is a sort-of Spiritual Urban Fantasy. The ultimate battle between good and evil, angels and demons, different dimensions, even some Atlantis thrown in. It was totally compelling and somewhat creepy. The kind of book that I need to stay up late for just because I can't leave it at a creepy part and expect to sleep.

Reya is a Redeemer. She's given the information of when/where some “bad guy” will die and it's her job to see if he'll repent before he dies. It's a very grey area sort of book. Her job is not to stop their deaths, but simply to give them the opportunity to say “sorry” before they die. She's tough, kick-a** and sexy and it appears that every person she approaches brushes her off because they're so evil.

Thane is his own sort of vigilante. He's a cop that does what's necessary to make the bad guys pay for their sins. Planting evidence, “accidental” shootings, lying on the witness stand – he will make sure the guy pays for what he's done. He's hot and sexy, but that's almost not the point. He and Reya are each other's destiny and even with free will these two are metaphysically connected.

Neither character is hugely like-able to start out with. They both walk that border between good and evil, light and dark. They fulfill their jobs in the way they see is best, but neither one is fulfilling the intention behind the job. In fact, in some cases you really want to dislike them, but they are so sympathetic that you know exactly where they're coming from and wonder if you'd have the ability to do any better than them in their situations.

The action is pretty much non-stop and nothing simple or predicable (besides the requisite “end of the world” sorts of danger). Each individual piece of the plot is not so complex that you're left feeling confused, many ideas are common enough that you've probably heard some variation, but woven together, it's a pretty awesome take on the world of urban fantasy and it definitely took some higher brain power to put the pieces together as they appear.

I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, especially as I got closer to the end. There were a bunch of plot twists and some tears from me, but everything worked out spectacularly in the end.

I've read pretty much all of C.J. Barry's books and this one will keep me looking for more, and probably re-reading some of the others in my collection. She has an awesome voice and when you need smart, intuitive characters and a sweeping storyline, this is one of the books you should choose.


I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.