Title: Justice Calling: The 20-Sided Sorceress
Book 1
Author: Annie Bellet
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Price: $0.99 (ebook) / $8.99
(paperback)
Publisher: Doomed Muse Press
ISBN: 978-1500629724
Point of Sale: various via author’s website
Reviewed by: Chris Gerrib
I first heard of Annie Bellet via this year’s
Hugo brouhaha. Ms. Bellet had a short
story nominated, but, in her words, tired of being “both a conscripted player
and also a ball” she withdrew from consideration. Out of frankly appreciation, I bought Book 1
of her 20-sides Sorceress series. It’s a
good book.
Jade Crow, narrator, heroine and sorceress of
the title, is enjoying a quiet life in (fictional) Wylde, Idaho, gateway to “The
Frank” (Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness). Jade, who’s of Indian descent, runs a game
shop there, serving the local population of fae and college kids who populate
the town. She’s also hiding out from her
ex-lover, a man who personally saw Julius Ceasar get stabbed, and who wants to
kill her and eat her heart. (That’s how
sorcerers get more magic.)
Then a hunky blonde man walks in and says Jade
is a murderer. Oh, and he’s a Justice –
the fae’s police, judge and executioner all in one. Thus ends Chapter 1, and starts a very
entertaining if alas too-brief romp in Bellet’s entertaining world. Jade finds herself forced to make a decision –
stay and help or run – and do so quickly.
Justice Calling is really a novella – only 121
pages – but terribly entertaining. Jade
Crow is very modern, and speaks fluent Geek, as do her characters. I found Jade’s predicament believable, as
were both her and the other characters responses to same. Jade has some very useful magical powers, but
she’s not invincible, and neither is anybody else. This was really an entertaining romp, and at
least in the paper edition, there are two chapters from Book 2 of the series –
which I ordered immediately.
9/10