Flight From Death by Yasmine Galenorn
Series: Fly by Night, #1
Urban Fantasy
July 7, 2015
Berkley

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I didn’t survive this long by opening my mouth at the wrong time, dude.”

I’m Shimmer, a blue dragon shifter. Thanks to a mistake, I was exiled from the Dragon Reaches and sentenced to work for Alex Radcliffe, a vampire who owns the Fly by Night Magical Investigations Agency. Now, not only do I have to adapt to Earthside culture, but every time I turn around, somebody’s trying to kill us. And worse, Alex is as gorgeous as he is exasperating. But you know what they say: All’s fair in love and bounty hunting…

When an old friend of Alex contacts him about a haunting at the High Tide Bed & Breakfast in Port Townsend, Washington, we think we’re on a simple ghost hunt. But our investigation quickly transforms into a deadly fight as we uncover an eighty-year-old murder, a cursed house, and a dark force trapping the spirits within. To stop impending disaster we must break the curse and lay the angry spirits to rest. (Goodreads)

Urban Fantasy author Yasmine Galenorn is back with a new series, Fly by Night. Galenorn first introduced this world in the novella-Flight From Hell #15.5 in the Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon series. Though it’s linked, it isn’t required for you to read the Otherworld series in order to understand this one. The main protagonist Shimmer, is an orphaned blue dragon who was exiled Earthside for five years for a crime against another dragon family. Her liege set her up to work for an old friend of his, vampire Alex Radcliffe, and his magical investigative agency, Fly by Night. Shimmer has only been Earthside for a couple of months and is slowly finding her footing in this strange new world. When a new case sends Shimmer and the gang to Port Townsend, Washington to help route some ghosts out of a bed and breakfast they realize quickly that this is not a simple haunting. Curses, murder, and a creature who won’t give up his prey easily has Shimmer wondering if any of them will make it out alive.

Flight by Death is a set up book both in terms of world and character dynamics. Heavily character driven, there is a significant amount of characters whom Galenorn introduces us to and gives very light back stories about. Each character has a purpose and the clues Galenorn drops assures us that there is much more to come in terms of their development. The world building is solid though not convoluted. As with most urban fantasy, the world is built using modern constricts and simply expanded to include the magical and fantastical, allowing even the most casual reader to follow along effortlessly.

Humor and horror walk hand in hand as two separate but equally important storylines intertwine and reveal together-the mystery of Shimmer’s heritage and crime and the mystery behind the haunting of the bed and breakfast. Both are interesting and blend well together without taking each other over. Well plotted with a hint of suspense, horror, and plenty of action, Galenorn allows the reader to follow along with her characters as they discover who/what is haunting the bed and breakfast and why. Strong investigative procedural actions infiltrates this storyline, giving a realistic vibe to this fantasy. I liked that there was a healthy amount of trial and error to be seen with no one whipping out a magical wand or super power to save the day. Ingenuity and common sense rule. Unusual supes are introduced as Galenorn adds to the already haunted history of Port Townsend for an intriguing explanation of the events occurring.

Galenorn doles out small increments of Shimmer’s backstory and the reasons she may have been exiled. As an orphan, she has no parentage and in dragon speak, that makes her a nobody with no rights. Her need to discover her parents’ names (her own name) causes her to break the law and she finds herself jailed, judged, and tossed Earthside. I liked Shimmer. She hasn’t had a very nice life but she handles herself well and tries hard to make the best of her situation. Much like all of Galenorn’s heroines; Shimmer is strong, intelligent, humble, and very curious. A born warrior who must grow into her destiny. A bit of snark and a healthy self esteem (considering her upbringing) gives us a heroine who has room to grow but isn’t mired down in a emotional black hole prohibiting her growth.

A cast of quirky secondary characters help to fill in the story, giving us some light romance and stability though I felt we never really scraped more than the surface of their potential. Alex Radcliffe, Shimmer’s boss and romantic interest comes off open and sincere though I hope his development deepens as we get to know him better. I have a feeling his backstory will be very interesting. I enjoyed meeting everyone and getting some insight into their lives though the focus does remain centered on Shimmer and the external conflict. There was a bit repetitiveness as Galenorn constantly repeats the magical powers and constraints of the characters involved. The mystery wraps up  in an action packed finale, resolving everything and leaving nothing to chance, while leaving the door wide open on Shimmer and her story. I look forward to seeing how certain aspects play out in the future.

Flight by Death is a lightweight urban fantasy, great for a new reader looking to dip their toes in to this genre or a long time fan who wants a light humorous fantasy with plenty of action, suspense, and the potential for interesting things to come.

RATING: C+

Prior Yasmine Galenorn Reviews

Recent Reviews:
Publishers Weekly
Stuck In Books

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