Yes, the book opens in a great way with Janet making a great attempt at drinking herself to death. The ending of Falling, the previous book lingers in her mind like a wound.
The story moves from
there, describing her picking up the pieces of her life, with even rawer
emotions ravaging her. She sets out on the journey through the connecting
portals across the nine realms, not really caring what happens, if she dies or
lives. She does connect with her fellow travelers eventually, drawn into what
she can at least imagine to be a fellowship, something reminding her of
everything she has lost.
The first realm is a
brutal, uncaring place. The next is worse. They eventually reach Earth, but she
finds no more peace there. Her new friend and mentor, Dasek teaches her more
about magick and about herself. It brings her no pleasure, nothing but more of
the same, unending ravages tearing her apart.
It’s brutal and
riveting. We travel with Janet and her equally disturbed traveling companions.
Everything is told straight up. Nothing is softened or concealed. It’s hard to
put the book down. Even when I do, by necessity, I feel the urge to pick it up
again. This is an urban fantasy, in a somewhat modern setting, but it doesn’t
feel like it. It’s too different, too twisted for that. I have certainly never
read anything similar.
That is a great
thing. I can already say for certain that The Nine beats all other fantasy
series soundly.
No matter how busy I
am, I will find time to read the entire series. I have no idea what will
happen, but I am looking so much forward to finding out. The tension and the
stakes grow for each new chapter. But, as stated, it’s impossible to know
what’s coming.
And neither has
Janet.
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