REVIEW The Brimstone Deception (SPI Files #3) by Lisa Shearin

The Brimstone Deception (SPI Files #3) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Format: Audiobook (Audible)
Publisher: Ace 

The SPI Files series by Lisa Shearin have historically been some of my favorite urban fantasy books, and my most recent re-read of the third book, The Brimstone Deception, was just as good as I remember. Makenna Fraser’s adventures are always a good time, and this time instead of facing creatures from myth and legend her adversaries are coming straight from hell itself. 

Picking up about a day after the events of The Dragon Conspiracy, Makenna and the rest of the agents at SPI have just saved the world from the threat of the infamous Dragon Eggs. There’s no rest for the heroes though, as they go straight into another case with a new street drug that's been dropping people left and right. Instead of a good time like some of the more earthly drugs offer, this one has the unique side effect of allowing people to see past the glamours of the supernatural (and promptly wiping their memory later). 

For those who have read Ms. Shearin’s other books, you’ll be pleased to know that this book confirms that her SPI Files books and her Raine Benares books exist in the same universe. In terms of worldbuilding, these two series are top notch. Ms. Shearin includes multiple different beings and happenings inspired by myth and legend in this book and others - I think the pixie messengers in particular were my favorite. Fingers crossed for an eventual crossover with the two in the future (I would love to see Makenna and Raine interact, even if it was just for a short story’s worth of time).  

The SPI Files books continue to be one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time, and The Brimstone Deception was yet another entertaining and amazing book from Ms. Shearin. For audiobook lovers out there, Johanna Parker once again did an excellent job bringing Makenna’s perspective and shenanigans to life with her performance in the audiobook narration. I’m excited to get to my re-read of the next book in the series, The Ghoul Vendetta, and get to revisit more of Makenna and Ian’s adventures as soon as possible. 

REVIEW Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares #1) by Lisa Shearin

Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares #1) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: May 29, 2007
Format: Audiobook (Audible)
Publisher: Ace 

Since I’m a longtime fan of Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, I recently decided to check out her first series - the Raine Benares books. While the first book in the series, Magic Lost Trouble Found, was another entertaining urban fantasy read, I wasn’t as enamoured by Raine’s adventures as I am by Makenna’s. 

Raine’s story takes place in the magical city of Mermeia, where Raine is a seeker who finds things with a moderate level of magical ability. After helping a friend get themselves out of a sticky situation, Raine gets stuck with a magical amulet (a la The Mummy Returns) that draws a lot of unwanted attention and exponentially increases her magical talents. A litany of humorous and difficult adventures ensue, as Raine attempts to separate herself from the amulet before time is up. 

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding of Raine’s universe. Similar to SPI Files, readers are introduced to multiple magical species like goblins, elves, pixies, and even paladins. The author also hits various classic fantasy tropes throughout the book, without making them necessarily feel like tropes when you read them. It was a bit harder for me to follow the worldbuilding in this book - possibly because it's a magical setting with a lot of complicated names of people and places rather than an urban one like New York. However, my enjoyment of the book was not impacted too much. Narrator Eileen Stevens did a good job with her performance in the audiobook. 

Overall, Magic Lost Trouble Found is a solid urban fantasy read. It’s a great book for fantasy readers who want an entertaining book to curl up and relax with. As a debut, it showed a lot of promise and I can guarantee you that Ms. Shearin’s writing has gotten better in the last decade and a half (check out her Aurora Donati and SPI Files book as well). 

About the Book

A girl with attitude. An all-powerful amulet.
This could only mean trouble.

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound…

Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, Raine finds herself wrapped up in more trouble than she cares for. She likes attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting her down is not her idea of a good time. The amulet they’re after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when Raine takes possession of the item, it takes possession of her.

Now her moderate powers are increasing beyond anything she could imagine—but is the resumé enhancement worth her soul?

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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REVIEW The Dragon Conspiracy (SPI Files Book 2) by Lisa Shearin

The Dragon Conspiracy (SPI Files Book 2) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date:
Format: eBook and Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Ace 

Makenna Fraser’s adventures continue in the second book of the SPI Files series, The Dragon Conspiracy by Lisa Shearin, and narrator Johanna Parker does an excellent job bringing said adventures (more like shenanigans) to life in the audiobook. 

At the start of the book, SPI seer Mac and partner Ian are at the museum showing of ‘The Dragon Eggs’, a cursed collection of diamonds famous for various appearances throughout history. They think their presence is just to keep an eye on the owner, a villainous dragon who’s rumored to be selling the Dragon Eggs, but it turns into a heist investigation after a group of supernaturals makes off with the gems. Things get even more interesting when a young gem appraiser sent to the showing seems to have caught everyone’s eye, and Mac and Ian are once again forced to intervene before the diamonds can be used against every supernatural in the Tri-State area. 

In terms of worldbuilding, the SPI Files series is top-notch. I’ve always been a big fan of mythology and folklore, and Ms. Shearin has a whole host of different species and beings that make an appearance. For example, some of the supernaturals you can expect in this book are mages, gorgons, harpies, and even an ogre serving as backup. I’ve always appreciated how each book in this series builds upon each other, and how readers are introduced to the various supernatural beings mostly through Makenna’s eyes in her capacity as a seer. 

Speaking of Makenna - she’s always been a hilarious character and I enjoy getting to see the world through her eyes. She’s definitely not as well trained as her commando coworkers, but she’s by no means a damsel in distress. While Mac is the undisputed star of the show, there is a full cast of side characters that make the series what it is. SPI is quite a large organization made up of many different moving parts; in many ways, it's reminiscent of a fantasy version of Men in Black. Each character the author introduces has a purpose in the story, and many of them were surprisingly memorable given how little page time they had. Yasha has always been one of my favorites; if and when the series finishes I hope the author crafts some side stories in the same universe that follows him and his adventures.    

Overall, another great book from Lisa Shearin. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy novels with fast-paced action, a dynamic ensemble of characters, and unique worldbuilding, then I suspect you’ll be a fan of this book (and the series overall). Additionally, I want to note that audiobook lovers (or just anyone who wants a good laugh) should check out the audiobook version of The Dragon Conspiracy; Johanna Parker is one of my favorite narrators ever, and she did an excellent job bringing the story ad Makenna’s humor to life with her performance. 

About the Book

A gala opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has attracted the upper crust of Manhattan—and thieves. A trio of vile harpies attacks the crowd and steals the stars of the exhibition: a colorful cluster of seven cursed diamonds known as the Dragon Eggs.
In the right mage’s hands, each stone can pack a magical wallop. Together they have the power to “cure” the supernaturals of the tristate area—but for many of those vampires and werewolves, that means turning into dust.

I’m Makenna Fraser, a seer for SPI. With the help of my partner, Ian, and the other agents, I have twenty-four hours to prevent total global panic, find the diamonds, and save the supernatural community. No biggie...

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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ARC REVIEW The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files Book 8) by Lisa Shearin

The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files #8) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: January 24, 2023
Format: eARC (Courtesy of the Author)
Publisher: Murwood Media LLC (Self Published by the Author) 

It’s been two years since the release of the last book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, The Solstice Countdown, and it was well worth the wait for the sequel, The Gorgon Agenda. A humorous and heartfelt series complete with immersive worldbuilding and an incredibly detailed cast of characters, the adventures of Makenna Fraser and the rest of the team at SPI have come to be a comfort read for me over the years.

Coming off of a trip to her hometown of Weird Sisters, North Carolina, Makenna Fraser is back in the swing of things working as a seer for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team. She’s pleased to have learned that she is the daughter of the God of the Wild Hunt, Cernunnos, and quite happily moved in with handsome goblin dark mage boyfriend Rake Danescu. There’s no rest for the weary however, as a theft from dragon boss lady Vivienne Sagadraco’s hoard has all of SPI on a high alert and hunting down one of the most legendary items of all time.  

Ms. Shearin has pulled from various mythologies and legends from around the world to create this series, and The Gorgon Agenda in particular is a love letter to Greek Mythology. Gorgons, as you might have guessed from the title, feature heavily in the book’s action. The book pulls out all the stops with the different monsters and creatures that appear in the book but I want to acknowledge how the author took the time to acknowledge the darker side of the Greek myths. One example in particular I appreciated (and think more people should be aware of) is how the Greek gods had a penchant for punishing mortals who got in the middle of their fights (even unwittingly). They aren’t figures to be looked up to, and Athena’s faults are highlighted in particular.  

The ensemble cast of characters featured in the SPI Files books have always been a highlight of the series for me, and Ms. Shearin continues the rotation by bringing back some old friends we haven’t seen in a couple of books. She also takes the time to introduce some new characters. I did guess correctly on some of the characters who make an appearance, but I was pleasantly surprised by others. I'm always happy to see how even the characters who make an appearance only for a page or two are well developed - no one ever appears simply as ‘window dressing’, for lack of a better word. 

The SPI Files books continue to be one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all times, and The Gorgon Agenda was yet another entertaining and amazing book from Ms. Shearin. An auto-buy author for sure! If you like Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, I highly recommend checking out the Aurora Donati series and her Raine Benares books (which share a connection with the SPI Files books). The next book the author is working on is the second book in the Aurora Donati series, and the Raine Benares novel will follow (there is a three series rotation with her book releases). 

Thank you the author for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Gorgon Agenda immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

About the Book

A planet-killing weapon, sinister sisters, and immortal monsters.
All in a day’s work for the agents of SPI.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigations). I knew SPI protected some of the world’s most dangerous relics, but I didn’t know our draconic founder, Vivienne Sagadraco, kept them in a vault deep below Manhattan.

Until the most lethal relic of all was stolen.

The Aegis is the shield once wielded by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. The center of the Aegis contains the head of Medusa, making it the ultimate weapon. All who look on it or its reflection are instantly turned to stone.

Old enemies and new adversaries have descended on New York—and one of them now has the Aegis:
Tiamat—Babylonian goddess of chaos, and Vivienne Sagadraco’s sister
Stheno and Euryale—Eight-foot-tall, snake-haired gorgons, granddaughters of the Titans, and Medusa’s sisters
The Sisterhood of Medusa—An ancient gorgon military order
The Cabal—A supernatural terrorist organization

Those behind the theft have declared war on humanity, with a hatred that was millennia in the making, and a heist that was centuries in the planning.

Our mission is simple yet impossible: Retrieve the Aegis and save the world. But we can’t do it alone. We’ll need our friends, family, and some unexpected new allies if we’re to stop this ancient evil once and for all.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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Interview with Lisa Shearin, author of The Gorgon Agenda

Hi friends! 

I am so excited to share this interview with Lisa Shearin, the author of The SPI Files, the Raine Benares series, and the Aurora Donati series. Her latest book, The Gorgon Agenda, comes out tomorrow! Don't forget to check it out - there's still time to pre-order. 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Lisa!

About the Book

A planet-killing weapon, sinister sisters, and immortal monsters.  

All in a day’s work for the agents of SPI.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigations). I knew SPI protected some of the world’s most dangerous relics, but I didn’t know our draconic founder, Vivienne Sagadraco, kept them in a vault deep below Manhattan.   

Until the most lethal relic of all was stolen.

The Aegis is the shield once wielded by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. The center of the Aegis contains the head of Medusa, making it the ultimate weapon. All who look on it or its reflection are instantly turned to stone.    

Old enemies and new adversaries have descended on New York—and one of them now has the Aegis:

Tiamat—Babylonian goddess of chaos, and Vivienne Sagadraco’s sister

Stheno and Euryale—Eight-foot-tall, snake-haired gorgons, granddaughters of the Titans, and Medusa’s sisters

The Sisterhood of Medusa—An ancient gorgon military order

The Cabal—A supernatural terrorist organization

Those behind the theft have declared war on humanity, with a hatred that was millennia in the making, and a heist that was centuries in the planning.     

Our mission is simple yet impossible: Retrieve the Aegis and save the world. But we can’t do it alone. We’ll need our friends, family, and some unexpected new allies if we’re to stop this ancient evil once and for all.    

 Q&A with the Author

Two of my favorite parts of your books are the well-developed ensemble cast of characters and the intricate worldbuilding. When you’re writing, how do you keep all the small details straight?
(laughs) It’s not easy. I find it extremely helpful to reread a series before writing a new book and take copious notes. It helps me remember the details, plus jogs my memory on elements for the next book or even future books. Overall, I pretty much remember the big stuff, but my copy editor Martha Trachtenberg is invaluable for the tiny details. I don’t know what I’d do without her.  
 
Reading has always been a big part of my life. My mom was the one who developed my love of books, and she was actually the one who recommended your books to me. How did your love of books develop, and when did you decide you wanted to be a writer?  
I’ve always loved to read. I actually remember the first book I read by myself: Danny and the Dinosaur. https://amzn.to/3iNLgXC
As to writing, I’ve always had a seriously active imagination with stories and characters in my head. I was a freshman in college when I decided I wanted to write books for a living. Of course, I knew I’d need a full-time job to support myself. I worked in corporate marketing and advertising until I was able to write full time.
 
How did switching to self-publishing change your writing process?
I have so much more control over the entire process. Actually, I have TOTAL control over the entire process. And being a self-admitted control freak, I love it. I decide what I want to write (and what my fans would like to read). It doesn’t need to be approved by a publisher’s editorial board. I determine a book’s schedule, the cover art, choose my artists, my editors, everything. It’s perfect for me.  
 
The tea set from Adagio Teas designed in honor of the book is nice and fruity. I’m a fan of the decaffeinated version, and I absolutely love the artwork for the label. If you had a tea flavor designed after your life, what flavors would be included (i.e. vanilla, lavender, orange, etc.)?
I don’t know about a flavor designed after my life, but my all-time favorite teas are genmaicha (green tea with toasted brown rice), jasmine green (green tea with jasmine petals), and Scottish breakfast tea. 

You can get your own stash of The Gorgon Agenda tea (decaf and regular options available) from Adagio Teas here
 
What do you hope readers will take away from your books?
Fun and escapism. The highest compliment I can get from a reader is that they reread my books and that my books are “comfort reading.”     
 
If readers enjoy The Gorgon Agenda, what other books would you recommend they read? The other seven books in the SPI Files series, of course. ; ) I think they’d also enjoy my Aurora Donati thriller series. The first book was The Entity Game https://amzn.to/3GOh2eV I’ve just started working on the second in that series: The Embassy Reprisal which I hope to have out by the end of this year.  
 
Aside from writing, what is one thing you do for fun?
I’m a complete, total, and utter crochet addict. It’s how I relax in the evenings. Crocheting and reruns of The Big Bang Theory. I learned to crochet during lockdown from YouTube videos, and have worked my way up to intermediate and advanced patterns. I can now make sweaters I’m not embarrassed to be seen wearing in public. ; )   
 
What books are on your to-be-read list right now?
I have a ton of books on my TBR list, but the short stack in front of me right now are Mastermind and The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne, Chrysalis by Lincoln Child, and Diablo Mesa by Preston & Child.
 
What projects are you working on next?
As I said above, I’ve started working on (doing the research for) the next book in my paranormal political thriller series (Aurora Donati). The working title is The Embassy Reprisal. After that, the plan is to write a new Raine Benares novel, followed by the 9th SPI Files book. It’s a three-year rotation.   

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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REVIEW The Phoenix Illusion (SPI Files #6) by Lisa Shearin

The Phoenix Illusion (SPI Files #6) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Format: eBook + Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Murwood Media LLC (Self Published by Author) 

Check out my review of book one in the series, The Grendel Affair

Check out my review of book seven in the series, The Solstice Countdown

The Phoenix Illusion is the sixth book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, and Ms. Shearin continues to outdo herself. Makenna Fraser, seer extraordinaire for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team (SPI), was having a fun night out with her coworkers and boyfriend, goblin dark mage Rake Danescu, when the evening is disrupted as Rake’s house (from another dimension) gets dropped onto an empty lot. Things get even crazier from here, with SPI again being responsible for stopping the evil supernaturals in the world from enacting their plans. 

Unlike some of the previous books in the series, The Phoenix Illusion puts a lot of the spotlight on Rake and his cousin Tam. There are some side characters from previous books that don’t make as big of an appearance, but I think that's ok because the author does a great job of rotating the characters from her ensemble cast in the series in and out of the books. It was fun getting to see how Tam trained Ben Sadler, SPI’s resident gem mage, in the best way to deal with the magical crystals at the story's center.  

As a note, Johanna Parker does an excellent job narrating this book. I’m always cackling whenever I’m listening to any of Makenna’s antics, and this book has no shortage of mischief. This is the last book of the series that she’s narrating, but I’m excited to see (and hear) how the author does narrating the books in the future. The book is best suited for those who are already familiar with the series. Still, the author does drop enough information such that any newcomers should be able to follow the plot with minimal issues (or missing context). 

Overall, The Phoenix Illusion is another amazing and entertaining book by Lisa Shearin. SPI Files is still one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy tales with headstrong heroines, then this book is for you. 

About the Book

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigation (SPI) are used to dealing with the weird and the wacky, but even they are stunned when a building from another world suddenly appears on an empty lot in New York. . .

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.

The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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REVIEW The Entity Game (Aurora Donati Book 1) by Lisa Shearin

The Entity Game (Aurora Donati Book 1) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Format: eBook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Murwood Media LLC (Self Published by Author)

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I decided to try this book as I love all of the author's SPI file books. I was skeptical (given that I don’t read as many books with a thriller or suspense element) but I was pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed it. The main characters are full of personality, and the storyline moved forward at a comfortable pace. 

I look forward to when the next book comes out! I also hope that they find a narrator for audiobooks of this series as talented as the one they found for the SPI files.

About the Book

A powerful United States senator and his aide die in their office of cardiac arrests. The next day, a second senator dies of an aneurysm. Officials declare their deaths natural causes, but the FBI fears there is something sinister happening on Capitol Hill and looks to psychometric detective Aurora Donati to investigate. Rory's ability to get information from people or objects with a single touch uniquely qualifies her to explain the inexplicable. Only this time, she begins to wonder if she is up against forces that no one has ever encountered before. The next attack strikes close to home and turns Rory's world upside down. She finds herself entangled in a deadly mix of terrorists, corrupt politicians, and secretive intelligence agencies in a web of deception and conspiracy dating back to experiments performed in a Cold War-era Soviet laboratory and perfected by modern science. Someone else is pursuing the truth: Gabriel Marshall, CIA operative, who has an agenda and abilities of his own. They find themselves locked in a deadly game, stalked by a seemingly supernatural assassin who puts Rory and Gabriel's abilities to the ultimate test in a deadly duel. Time is running out and Rory must counter each move and play the game to its heart-stopping end in the halls of the US Capitol itself.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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Check out my reviews of other books by the same author

 

REVIEW The Grendel Affair (SPI Files #1) by Lisa Shearin

The Grendel Affair (SPI Files #1) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Format: eBook + Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Ace 

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I love it when a reread of a book is just as great as the first time you read it. The Grendel Affair is the first full-length book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series (set after the prequel short story Lucky Charms of anthology Night Shift - a laugh-out-loud tale you need to check out if you haven’t already), and it’s just as wacky and humorous as I remember. Fans of Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs will undoubtedly enjoy this book, and the lovable characters at the heart of the tale. 

Makenna Fraser is a southern girl at heart, having moved from her hometown of Weird Sisters to the big city of New York to become a journalist. Her plans get shifted, though, when she is drafted by a secret organization for her unique abilities as a seer (which allows her to see through supernatural glamours). Her new job? Helping the other members of SPI, or Supernatural Protection and Investigations to ensure that those that go ‘bump in the night’ stay the things of legend (instead of becoming front page news). 

As far as worldbuilding goes, the worldbuilding in this series is top-notch. I’m such a big fan of mythology and folklore, and the SPI Files are full of it. Each book features different creatures and legends and even brings in stories from mythologies from around the world.  The Grendel Affair in particular is heavily influenced by Beowulf (as one might have guessed from the title), and it was an interesting take on the classic monster and other elements from the book. There are also a plethora of other creatures that make an appearance in the book - readers get a front-row seat for most of them, given Makenna’s supernatural abilities. 

Makenna is a hilarious character, and I loved seeing the world from her point of view. She’s definitely not as well trained as her commando coworkers, but she’s no damsel in distress (and has a knack for getting out of tough situations). If you are an audiobook fan or just a fantasy reader looking for a good laugh, I highly recommend that you pick up the audiobook version of this book! Johanna Parker is one of my favorite narrators ever, and she did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and making me crack up repeatedly with Makenna’s humor. She also did a fantastic job with the various voices of different characters in the book (I never had an issue determining who was ‘speaking’ at any given time). 

While Mak is definitely the star of the show, there is a full ensemble cast of side characters that help make this book what it is. SPI is quite a large organization made up of many moving parts; it's reminiscent of a fantasy version of Men in Black. Each character has a purpose in the story, and they were surprisingly memorable for how little some of them appeared. Yasha has been one of my favorites; if and when this series finishes I hope the author crafts some side stories in the same universe that follow him and his adventures.  

Overall, The Grendel Affair is an amazing and entertaining book by Lisa Shearin. It’s one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy tales, then this book is for you!

About the Book

We're Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn't exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us...

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I'm Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city's subway tunnels. And the murderer's not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel--yes, that Grendel--shares his ancestor's hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year's Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don't find him--and the organization behind him--by midnight, our secret's out and everyone's time is up.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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The Solstice Countdown (SPI Files Book 7) by Lisa Shearin

The Solstice Countdown (SPI Files Book 7) by Lisa Shearin

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: March 9, 2021

Format: eBook (Purchased)

Publisher: Murwood Media, LLC (self-published by the author)

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Rake and Makenna finally visit her hometown of Weird Sisters, North Carolina in this book, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Shearin answers so many questions that she's left open-ended in the previous books, like who Makenna's father is and how she got her powers (especially the non-standard ones for her seers). I loved getting to see our favorite goblin dark mage work to charm the matriarch of the Fraser family, who is the quintessential southern grandma. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the ending of this book suggests where the next book will be set and who will appear, and I can't wait to read it. 

About the Book

As an agent of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI), I know that evil doesn't take a vacation, but this time it made an exception and followed me on mine.I'm Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and I'm taking my boyfriend, goblin dark mage Rake Danescu, home for the holidays to meet my family. Weird Sisters is a small town in the North Carolina mountains that was built on a network of ley lines that magnify psychic and paranormal energies. It doesn't show up on Google Maps, was named after the three witches in Macbeth, and the first word of the town name perfectly describes most of its human and supernatural citizens. A stranger has come to town, bringing with him a dormant source of primordial evil. Soon, magically gifted locals start vanishing, and the power of the ley lines is turned against us, cutting us off from the outside world and any source of help. For a town and its people steeped in magic, and my family sworn to protect both, it's a race against time to use a local winter solstice phenomenon to free the town from its prison. But first, I must trust a father I've never known to fight and defeat an awakening evil that's existed since the beginning of time. If we fail, and it is unleashed, the world will not survive.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

Connect with the author on Twitter

Connect with the author on Instagram

Connect with the author via their website

Check out my reviews of other books by the same author