Series: Sentinels of New Orleans #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published by: Tor Books on August 13, 2013
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
Source: NetGalley
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The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi.
New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard. Namely, DJ.
Combatting an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard, and former partner Alex Warin just turned up on DJ’s to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.
Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench could be DJ’s best option.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Loved every page…ELYSIAN FIELDS solidified my love for Suzanne Johnson’s writing!
The geeky, blonde wizard and her entourage are back for more thrills and adventure in this third installment of the Sentinels of New Orleans series! DJ is just starting to pick of the pieces of hurricane Katrina, losing her family and her near death experience with the mer folk of New Orleans when a new threat enters her life. A resurrected serial killer known as the Axeman of New Orleans is on the loose in the city murdering victims and his main target is none other than DJ. Thought the work of a necromancer, DJ must track the killer down before he gets to her, with a little help of her friends of course.
It’s no secret I love this series, but Elysian Fields captivated me from the first page and never let me down! While there is a lot of action and suspense, we learn more about our heroine and her abilities in this installment which gives us a sneak peak at DJ’s true potential in the wizarding world and its preternatural politics. Just when you think you’ve encountered all the supes in this series, Ms. Johnson gives you some more! Wizards, shifters, loup-garou (werewolves), mer-men, vampires, the undead and now elves and necromancers? Yes!
“Only I could spend the night with the sexiest man to ever come out of Picayune, Missisippi– no, make that the whole state of Mississippi (sorry, Elvis)– and barely have time to enjoy the afterglow before he had to get all serious and bring up my impending furmagedon.”
DJ is by far becoming one of my favorite urban fantasy heroines. Sure she’s a wizard who can use magic, but she’s also smart, quirky, flawed and a hard-core Harry Potter fan, a geek-girl after my own heart. <3 DJ is constantly getting herself into some sort of trouble, unintentionally of course, but I love that she tries to do the right thing and fights her own battles. I must say, for a geeky wizard DJ has a pretty yummy men in her life that keeps thing exciting. The ongoing sexual tension between DJ and Alex, her old partner, is ever present and I was thrilled to see their relationship somewhat resolved in this book and the possible DJ, Alex and Jake love triangle diffused. I was sometimes frustrated by the doubts Alex and DJ shared throughout this story , I mean come on…I think three years of foreplay is enough guys, make a decision! On the plus side, there’s a little bit of smexy thrown into this book (I won’t say any more) that was unexpected but much appreciated.
“Hell, Alex, take off your pants and call Gandalf.”
I wouldn’t be a true fan without mentioning the other man in DJ’s life, the infamous and sexy undead pirate Jean Lafitte. He’s around for just a short while in this book, but he always makes an impression and manages to steal your heart, DJ’s included. Lafitte’s charm and flirtatious ways add a touch of humor and lightness to the story that’s truly enjoyable. The opposite of Jean Lafitte’s character is the newly introduced Quince Randolph, aka Rand or plain old jerk, like I like to call him. He’s sneaky and has an ulterior motive when it comes to DJ’s elven ancestry, but dating DJ’s BFF to get to her was a pretty loser move even for him. He not only comes between Alex and DJ, he also threatens her friendship with Eugenie which I didn’t care for but I was glad to see DJ is as repulsed by him as I am!
He might as well be Smeagol cooing over the One Ring and muttering “preciousssss.”
To sum things up, Ms. Johnson delivers an exciting paranormal world with superb characters that you love more with each installment. Drusilla Jaco is a worthy addition to this genre and continues to surprise me. I look forward to the next adventure and what lies ahead for her. ELYSIAN FIELDS has it all, action, mystery, humor and a dash of romance to satisfy any reader’s pallet. If you’re a fan of strong female leads that kick some major paranormal butt, the Sentinels of New Orleans series is for you!
Books in the Series:
I loved it too! i can’t wait to see how jean will take his revenge^^ ^^ so glad we will get book 4 and 5!
Elysian Fields is a great read. A 5+. Patiently waiting for books four and five. Wonderful series.
This is a terrific series! Looking forward to the next book.
Great review Lori, I could not agree with you more! And that Randolph guy, I so hate and dislike him.