I would like to thank Darynda Jones, St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re a Charley Davidson virgin and thinking about starting with book 12—just don’t. Start with #1 and thank me later.
My initial review was more of a very thorough book report—I just had so much I wanted to say about this series! This is an abridged version. If you want to read the full version, it’s on my site: noapologybookreviews.com.
When I first began reading this series, it didn’t take me long to come up with a three-word description: supernatural Stephanie Plum. Charley Davidson has totally evolved into her own thing by now, but at the beginning, it seemed like a formulaic clone, whether it was intentional or not. But in twice the number of books, Stephanie Plum is still pretty much doing the same ol’, same ol’. Charley Davidson, on the other hand, has grown as a person and as a plot, and so has her supporting cast.
I love Charley. I have to admit, there were a few times when I got impatient with her antics. Overall, though, I love that almost nothing goes right for her. It makes for a great character and fun fiction.
Reyes has his heart-melting moments, but I don’t think I love him as much as I’m supposed to. I understand that he represents a paradox, a being who was literally created in the fires of hell but who isn’t inherently evil and has the capacity to love unconditionally—but I think he’s kind of a jerk.
There’s an amazing supporting cast. I love most of them dearly, but some of them I could live without. Cookie’s the ultimate bestie. I have special places in my heart for Uncle Bob and Angel. I liked Garrett better before he went to hell, but I still look forward to seeing him.
And Osh. I love Osh. He’s my favorite character next to Charley. There’s just something about him that’s so utterly captivating.
Jones’ writing, stylistically, is concise and easy to follow. Not overly complicated sentences, no pretentious word choices. What astounds me is how well she channels the easily distracted, erratic mind of someone with ADHD, and she makes it work. She allows Charley her tangents, but keeps a tight rein on them. The focus, the tone, of a scene is never lost. Structurally, her writing is inspirational. More often than not, I don’t see the twists coming, and the pace is fast, but not so fast that there isn’t time for exposition and character development.
However, there are far too many subplots. At times there’s simply too much going on, too many threads and character backstories to keep track of. They all get tangled. I had to learn to shrug off minor loose ends. Compounding the issue is that from book to book, Jones works hard to top herself and build on the story that she’s established, which is commendable, but by so doing, she seems to rewrite some of her own mythology. And her rules and limits for supernatural abilities lost me a while back.
But honestly, at this point, I don’t care. These books are so fricken entertaining than I learned to just accept what I’m told at any given moment and go with it. Ultimately, it’s the characters that matter, not the mythology, and I love the characters, so I let the conflicting information go.
Major spoilers ahead. BEWARE.
Now, as far as book 12 specifically, there was one thing I just could not understand, and it’s a pretty important thing. Like, the basis for the entire plot. I couldn’t understand what was going on with Reyes. I didn’t get what was illusion and what was real. Was he Reyes or wasn’t he? I stewed over it for days—and I figured out what was tripping me up. Well, as far as my interpretation, of course.
So Rey’azikeen was the original, then his energy was used to create Rey’aziel, who was reborn in a human body named Reyes.
When Jones says R-keen’s “energy” was used to create R-ziel, I envision him losing only a fraction of his essence, like Voldemort making a horcrux. I had it in my head that R-keen was still a separate entity running around in the cosmos somewhere, waiting to escape and wreak havoc, but I think what Jones meant by R-keen’s “energy” was all of his celestial form. Then it would make more sense, because there is no R-keen still running around. R-keen in his entirety was turned into R-ziel; a god was turned into a demon prince. Then the demon prince, aka the god, turned himself into a human. He crammed all his celestial energy as well as his demonic energy into a human shell. So Reyes, R-ziel, and R-keen are all the same; he is one being whose form has been changed over millenia—but his mind and heart remained constant. The state and opinions of that mind and heart changed, though, as everyone’s does, when he learned to love and experienced hardships that taught him to appreciate that love and life itself. And thus Reyes as we know him, the product of all that history.
But Charley was leery of that truth—and it’s Reyes’ fault! He was the one always telling her that she’d change once she remembered who/what she truly was. He had no faith whatsoever that she’d still love him, that she’d stay with him once she realized she was a god shacked up with a glorified demon. So when Charley learned that he’d been more than Satan’s son, she became afraid that when he, in turn, heard his celestial name, he would change and become evil. So Reyes had his work cut out for him when he did finally hear his celestial name and Charley was scared he’d turn on her at any moment. He had to prove to her that wouldn’t happen, prove once and for all that he was Reyes, period, and there was no chance he’d ever turn on her or their child, just as she’d had to prove to him that she had always and would always love him. He also had to prove to his Brother that he’d grown up, that he was no longer that naughty god who’d needed to be locked away for the sake of the cosmos. So when he let them believe he’d reverted to the R-keen mindset, to R-keen attitudes, as if being Satan’s son and Reyes the human had never happened, he was just making a very elaborate demonstration.
BUT Reyes himself wasn’t 100% sure that he would escape the god glass unscathed, so on the chance that he came back influenced by something malevolent, he somehow (just accept it) altered his own memory so he wouldn’t remember Beep existed. He came back knowing there was one thing more precious to Charley, to Jehovahn, than anything else, and it was the only thing he could use to prove his true nature and trustworthiness—he just couldn’t remember exactly what it was or where to find it.
If I’m wrong, please, for the love of Reyes’ Brother, correct me. Regardless, though, THAT is way too fricken complicated. It doesn’t seem so complicated when it’s all laid out in a couple of paragraphs like that, but when it’s delivered in disorganized bits and pieces throughout several different books, and there’s time in between those books when you forget most of the details, it’s not so easy to see. So you’re welcome. If that’s right.
I speculate on the future of the series at noapologybookreviews.com.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Next 2 for you in this series
See full series
More like The Trouble with Twelfth Grave: A Novel (Charley Davidson Series Book 12)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Loading...
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Physical damage to book. Amazing series.
Straight out of the box the book had some damage but nothing unbearable.
Top reviews from other countries
Rosa Eugenia Torres C.
Charley Davidson #12
Reviewed in Mexico on November 30, 2017
Jennifer Mclean
God I love this series! Spectacular!
Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2017