Review: Mind Games - Carolyn Crane

The Disillusionists Trilogy #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 371
Published: 2010

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

Plot:

The blurb does say it as it is.

My thoughts:

I can say one thing, and that is original. What a great use of powers and magic. So strange, so freaky.

Justine, oh she is nice, a crazy hypochondriac, but that is not her fault. Though of course in real life I am sure we would not make it as friend, at least not before her zing. When she got zinged she no longer have to constantly worry that she is gonna die from something. But then pre-Justine is fun to read about too.

The crew, nice crew, but who cares about the crew when there is a boss, and oh what a boss. I liked Packard from the start, then I had my doubts and then I went all rawr! There is also police chief Otto, who I kind of admired from a distance and had theories about.

Oh the magic, Justine gives the bad guys they are after all her own dark thoughts about illness. She is free and they are doomed. There are no big action scenes instead they infiltrate the lives of these people, try to be friends with them and then go into attack mode time after time. How to describe in the end, it is not kick-ass UF, it is mental warfare UF. And I like it.

Hard book to put down, and it even made me giggle.

My final thoughts and recommendation.

I hear book 2 has a big cliffhanger, scary! This one ended good with things to come, but nothing that I went crazy over. I of course really want to know what happens, but I I am kind of scared of that cliffhanger now, perhaps I should wait until book 3 is out...if I can make it, cos come on, the thing Packard said at the end, damn, I want to read more!

Ok where was I, yes I do recommend this series. It is certainly original, and so far there are only people with magical abilities around.

Reason for reading:

People said it was good

Cover:

very UF