Sentinels of New Orleans, Book 1
Synopsis: As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. Her boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond. Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters. While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the other world crumbled. Now, the Undead and the Restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering soldiers sent to help the city recover. Gerald St. Simon has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and an undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and the killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love serves up one bitter gumbo.
Review: Since I heard about this book, I was more than intrigued to learn more about it. So when I had the opportunity to read it with Netgalley, I immediately asked for it. And I confess that now I can only recommend it. It’s a new series I really loved (yes, yes, again). It’s always a pleasure to discover some new books like this one.
Suzanne Johnson presents us a unique world, different from the ones we could have found before. A world of course full of magic, of all kinds of creatures but also a universe which mixes some mythic characters who live among the population. We could meet Louis Armstrong, Jean Laffite or even Marie Laveau. What more can we ask for? I have to say these meetings were a big surprise and I really liked to learn more about them all. They are some characters we know a lot about and it’s true it’s very interesting to have an idea about their nature. I hadn’t read a lot of things about Katrina, this terrible hurricane whom everyone had seen the consequences. I think it was very interesting to follow the story because we can really feel the sadness, the changes and all the problems that occurred in the New-Orleans. Indeed, this storm is very important for the story.
We can meet here Drusilla, a young determined and stubborn woman, but who has also a big heart. She became the town’s sentinel after a tragic accident. During this hurricane, her mentor, Gerry vanishes and our heroine has to take her place. She is now determined to find what is going on, because she is convinced he isn’t dead. She doesn’t have a lot of powers but her capacity to read the feelings of the persons near her, helps her in her missions (well, it’s true she didn’t have a lot yet). A new character appears in the story, Alex, a mysterious man we want to know everything about and we would like to learn what he really wants. He will be here all along the book to assist DJ and protect and her from the ones who would like to kill her. But there is more, we also meet Jake, Alex cousin who is as much intriguing in his own way. What a chance DJ has, two sublime men who want to protect her from everything.
We follow the DJ investigation that will lead her in some dark paths but it will allow her to make new interesting and unique meetings.
It’s a great start for a promising series and I get into the story from the start until the end, trying to understand what was going on and discover the answers to my questions. We have a lot of beautiful surprises all along the novel and we learn to enjoy many characters. All complexes and completes, which allow to keep the readers interested. I really loved the Suzanne Johnson first volume and I’m more than curious to read the second one.
Sullivan McPig
Great review. I really look forward to book two as well.
Melliane
lol It will be difficult to wait now.
J.R.
I can hardly wait for this book to come out! Great review!
Melliane
I’m sure you’ll love it! It’s an amazing book. I’m curious to know your opinion about it.
Missie, The Unread Reader
Oh, I LOVE New Orleans. It’s my favorite place to visit, and I love reading stories that take place in that city too. This book sounds great because Drusilla really sounds like a different take from what you normally find in the supernatural world, yet there are still the familiar and beloved vamps and weres. A perfect melting pot if you ask me. 😛
Thanks for letting me know to look out for this new, exciting series.
Melliane
I would love to visit this place! Yes it was an amazing book, and follow Drusilla was very interesting. I hope you could give it a try and you would like it if it’s the case.
Melissa (Books and Things)
Okay, I am so wishlisting this one! NOLA? WITH all the grand characters that helped make NOLA famous? Yep, that there is why I need to read it. Oh and Drusilla sounds like a great heroine as well. Yep, needs this one!
Melliane
AAah I didn’t know they were from NOLA! lol thank you. Well yes I knew for marie Laveau but not the others. I’m sure you’ll love this one as well! It’s a great UF book.
Mimi Valentine
I saw the word “wizard” in your review and immediately thought that this book had to go on my TBR pile — I LOVE reading about witches or wizards of some sort! x) And it sounds even more fantastic with everything that you mentioned! It’s almost like an intense, complicated, and completely cool mystery with awesome characters! I have to say that I’m super intrigued! 😉
Awesome review, Mel! <3 🙂
Melliane
Me too it’s always very interesting! lol yes it’s totally that, it’s a really great first book. thank you Mimi!
Wendy Darling
I read Suzanne Johnson a long time ago, but I haven’t picked one up in awhile. I had no idea she had a new series out! I’m glad you liked it–it’s always so great to find a new series to love. 🙂
Wendy @ The Midnight Garden
Melliane
I didn’t know there was another series, I thought it was her first book. Are you sure it’s the same one? because there is only this series on her website? Thanks Wendy.
Melissa (My World...in words and pages)
Wow! Book 1 is 5 feathers! That is pretty amazing! I do have on my WANT list. 😀 Thank you!!
Melliane
You will love it! It’s really awesome! I hope you’ll like it as much as I did!
Shelleyrae
I have this to tread soon and am looking forward to it!
Melliane
I can’t wait to read your opinion. Hope you’ll enjoy it as well!
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
Lovely review, Melliane! I’m so glad you loved the book! 🙂
Melliane
Yes I really enjoyed it, can’t wait to know more about the sequel. thank you!
Claire
I think I will give this one a try. Great review.
Melliane
I’m sure you’ll love it, it’s a great new series.
Zendastark
I’m really happy to read your review! I ordered it a month ago and today, I read a not so good review on ATUF site.
I was a little bit confused but you confirm my first impression: I’ll like it!
Melliane
I’m sure you will! It’s a great start. I love to read books with new ideas in it, I think it’s difficult to find some like that these days. *fingers crossed*
Rea
This book was definitely worth the read! I’m glad I requested it! (Thanks! =p) I loved Gandalf – I’d figured out what was going on before DJ did but it was still funny watching the dog’s reactions. I think I might have been the only one to think Jean Lafitte came across as rather sexy, though! lol.
Melliane
It’s true, it was amazing, I’ve already re ordered the second one today lol. Well I will have to wait now.