Review: Embers by Laura Bickle

EMBERS
Anya Kalinczyk #1Pocket Juno Books
Mass Market Paperback, $7.99
ISBN: 978-1439167656  
April 2010


Unemployment, despair, anger--visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit's unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.

Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya--who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern--suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil's Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya--with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team --can stop it.

Anya's accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she's risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced.

My thoughts:
(short version:)
Original.  Well written.  Unique.  Strong characters.  Anya is incredible!  The idea of a Lantern (Elemental) was totally new to me.  Sparky is fabulous - a salamander familiar! Intriguing. Clever.  Fast paced story.  Can't wait for more!

(longer version:)
I was pleasantly surprised by this story! Ghost hunting is not where I usually go when looking for a paranormal read, but I am thrilled to have found Laura Bickle and Embers.  She has built very believable characters for the reader. I found myself invested in the lives of those characters quickly.  I enjoyed that the characters were all such "real" people.  Of course Sparky is my favorite!  The whole idea of Sparky is fantastic.  Imagine a salamander the size of a large dog that was usually invisible, and loved to eat technology!   I thought the story moved smoothly.  I found it easy to read, language for the average reader.
The originality of the story was both refreshing and appreciated.  I can't wait to read Sparks to see where we are taken next!