Monday, July 19, 2010

After Reading Unholy Magic By Stacia Kane

Okay, I was already liking book 1 Unholy Ghosts (see my previous review here) but book 2 totally blew me away!  It was fast-paced, edgy, gruesome and brilliant all-over.  Sorry the next paragraph contains spoilers..mostly rants and just me needing some outlet to vent.

So, same old Chessy.  Drug-addict and conflicted.  She is just a tortured soul always sinking way too deep for her to emerge clean.  I get how she protects herself with drugs in order to forget and put a strong facade so that others will never see how truly vulnerable she is, how little and unworthy she sees herself. Unholy Magic revealed how truly drug dependent she is.  A few hours without her pills, she goes crazy! Ms. Kane's thorough description on Chess' horrific hours of withdrawal made me want to scratch myself till my 'nails come out bloody' as well. It was like watching Chess convulsing right in front of me. I don't get how the Church could not suspect about her addiction.  They should have seen her eyes, how it would dilate or how she'd have mood swings and all, the same way Chess had suspected Mr Roger Pyle, the actor was doing some drug.  But in spite of it, Chess has great magic.  She believes in her obligation to protect man from the killing spree of these murderous ghosts.  That's what I like about Chess, how she would sacrifice herself in order to save other's lives.
I didn't like that Chess sleeps with Lex just to get some free drugs and that with him she expects nothing, no strings attached, no emotional bond, just the way she wants it.  With Terrible on the other hand, who if I may say so, is the most ugliest male 'romantic interest', for lack of a better word, of a book's protagonist I have ever encountered, she felt this strange connection and attraction.  To quote Chess description of Terrible "..astonishing ugliness of his profile. His crooked nose-it must have been broken several times- the way his brows jutted like a cliff over the ocean, the set of his jaw."  But whatever feelings they have for each other were buried by the traumatic lives they lead. Now that Terrible knew about Chess and Lex and why she's sleeping with him, I don't think he'll be able to trust Chess ever again especially after he revealed his feelings for her. I don't know if they'll ever get through this.  It's just so sad how Chess finally realized too late that she can't live without Terrible.
After writing this, I can finally let go of Unholy Magic.. until the next book.  Just 7 more days till the release of City of Ghosts! Will be counting the days!

rating  *****

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