Inhuman Resources by Jes Battis (OSI #3) 
May 25, 2010
Urban Fantasy
Paperback, 320 Pages
Ace


Reviewed by Tori


Favorite Quote: “Jesus, look at that.”
“What?”
“The couch.”
“It’s clean.”
“I know. It’s just so ugly.”
“Is it from IKEA?”
“Urban Barn. I recognized it from the catalogue.”
“We have an Urban Barn catalogue?”
“Yea, we got it in the mail.”
“When?”
“Thursday.”
“Oh my god…..how gay are you? Did you actually hide the Urban Barn catalogue from me so you could read it first?”

Occult Special Investigator Tess Corday has survived certain death only to gain a few additional “responsibilities”. So between kids, dogs, an additional roommate, and her on and off again lover, she still has to find time to fight crime. When an important necromancer is killed, Tess has to brush up on her people skills to handle the occult politics involved. Tracking down the murderer will pit Tess against old enemies, take her to forbidden realms, and force her to confront a nightmare truth that will change her world forever.

In the third OSI novel Jes Battis takes us further into the life of Tess Corday, an investigator with the OSI. She is also half demon. Her life has gone from no responsibilities to over flowing.  She has made peace with her mother and has admitted to working for OSI. She has received temporary guardianship of Mia and Patrick.  Her roommate Derrick and fellow OSI agent Miles are now a couple and Miles lives with them. Tess is also dealing with Lucien Agrado-her on and off again necromancer lover. Nobody can know about them and Tess feels like they are going nowhere fast.

When Tess and her partner Derrick are called to a scene she is surprised and intrigued to see a high ranking necromancer, Luiz Ordeno, has been murdered. As Tess and Derrick investigate further, all clues lead to Tess’s lover Lucian. From a golden suit of armor to a book made of smoke, Tess learns that there are many players in this crime and there are those who don’t want it solved.

A truly enjoyable Urban Fantasy filled with magic, romance, and crime fighting that pits semi human Tess Corday against all that goes bump in the night. From vamps to demons, Tess uses all her skills learned at the OSI to solve crimes in a supernatural world. Set in the first person, we are able to see Tess’s world from her point of view. Which I admit is my preferred style of reading. Short and engaging paragraphs spiked with biting humor and bits of Tess’s everyday life makes this an enjoyable fast paced read. With each new book we are given more knowledge to Tess’s past life which keeps you hooked without the feeling of being strung along.

Tess is a flawed heroine which goes far in her acceptability. We see her with everyday feelings and problems. She is easy to identify with as no one is perfect and a perfect heroine can often turn a reader off. The supporting characters in the book have their own engaging personalities that transcend into reality.
Battis’ characters are a study of different ethnicity’s and sexualities without stereotypical bias. Derrick, her roommate and fellow OSI agent, was first introduced as more a grounding for Tess’s somewhat self destructive personality. Yet, Battis has allowed him to develop into his own person and has made him a integral part of this series. I enjoyed seeing more of Patrick and Mia; showing them adjusting to Tess and their new lives.

Battis has toned down the technical references and long winded descriptions that overwhelmed his previous books, Night Child and A Flash Of Hex. He has also added more real life references which many will identify with Vancouver, Canada.

I do recommend starting from the beginning. While the books can be read alone, references to previous occurrences and character situations will be hard to understand and relate to without having read the previous books.


Rating: 4/5

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Thanks Tori!