Time to Review the Evidence - The Shape Stealer

Title: The Shape Stealer (US Link)
Author: Lee Carroll
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Series: Watchtower

A few starting notes:

This is another random pick from my last library haul (I have renewed, I won't be hunted down by mercenary librarians, it's fine.) I didn't realise when I picked it up, but it's actually book 3 of the Watchtower series. That didn't bother me too much because it's not like I've never dived into a series mid-way through before.

Lee Carroll is actually the pen name of a two-person writing team.


Premise:

Garet James, the Watchtower (a magically guardian-y type person,) has some stuff to deal with. Her boyfriend is a vampire (well, sort of,) and there's an ancient demon following them (don't you hate it when that happens?) plus there's a whole lot of time-travelling hijinks going on.

Best bits:

It's fun! The tone is light and enjoyable, and definitely readable.

The short chapters make it easy to dip in and out of, and it's easy to follow even with all the twists and turns of the plot. This is a chillax, Sunday afternoon when your brain needs some down-time kind of book. With supernatural stuff chucked in for good measure.

I'm also a fan of the urban fantasy sub-genre in general (that's where there's vampires and stuff faffing around modern cities,) and this carries it of competently.

Not so great bits:

I'm sorry, but the poetry and song lyrics just didn't do it for me. I found them naff. Very naff.

There's also plot-holes aplenty here, as is the hazard with time-travel plots - all those pesky paradoxes! But if you just let the plot-holes exist and quiet the voice that argues with them, you should be fine.

Verdict:

This is fairly enjoyable - a quick light read with the plus of supernatural goings-on and a good pace.