The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files #8) by Lisa Shearin
Urban Fantasy
Released January 24, 2023
Reviewed by Kate
The Gorgon Agenda is the eighth installment in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files. There are very few urban fantasy series that I have stuck with as long as this one, and it continues to deliver an enjoyable read each time I pick up the latest installment, including this one.
It is hard in a longer running series to keep things fresh, but The Gorgon Agenda expands on the mythology of the SPI Files world, bringing in gorgons and gargoyles into the group of supernatural creatures that SPI has to deal with. Though the story still features some of the bad guys from previous books, the addition of the gorgons really gave it a different dimension and allowed for some more surprises and secrets.
Mac was her typical sarcastic self, and if you have enjoyed her inner monologue in previous books, it continues in this one. Since it’s been a few years since the previous SPI Files book came out (The Solstice Countdown) and this one, my memory wasn’t exactly perfect, but Shearin had a good balance of hints at what had previously happened in the series without bogging down the action by explaining too much. As I’ve said in the past, I do think these are books that need to be read as a series, but I don’t think anybody would be too lost picking this up without the prior books. The one thing that might be hard is the sheer number of characters and a few mentions of prior books’ bad guys which are a little light on details. The ones that are important to this book are given enough explanation though, in my opinion.
One thing that was a little disappointing to me was the minimal page time between Mac and Rake. I love Rake as a character and just missed his presence on-page. However, we saw a lot of Mac’s work pals, including her boss and her partner, and it was nice to see her back in work mode after the prior book felt like a bit of a separate adventure.
The Gorgon Agenda really hit all the high points of an urban fantasy for me. There was a mystery, some scary mythological creatures with amazing history, and the destruction of a national monument (okay, I suppose that isn’t a high point, but it is kind of wild to imagine that kind of thing happening in real life). The dialogue was witty, there were amusing interactions with New York’s gargoyles, and overall I feel that this is a really great escapist read if you’re looking for an action-packed, never let up adventure.
Grade: B
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