Greywalker (Greywalker, book 1) by Kat Richardson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Edition Reviewed: Paperback
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Greywalker (1)
Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until a two-bit perp's savage assault left her dead for two minutes. When she comes to in the hospital, she sees things that can only be described as weird-shapes emerging from a foggy grey mist, snarling teeth, creatures roaring.
But Harper's not crazy. Her "death" has made her a Greywalker- able to move between the human world and the mysterious cross-over zone where things that go bump in the night exist. And her new gift is about to drag her into that strange new realm-whether she likes it or not.
Review: The shame. Greywalker was a title I purchased when it first released, in 2006. Eight years later I finally read it. Oh, the shame. Because Richardson is part of the Urban Fantasy movement as I like to call it. When the genre finally started to hit big in the 2000s. Ironically 8 books later it's clear this is a top series in the genre, so much so that I've been faithfully buying them without ever reading a single one. Which for me is big. It was magic when I finally started up Greywalker and it just clicked.
The writing for Greywalker is amazing. From the world building to the characters. Seattle is so fleshed out that Richardson's rendition of has already popped up to my top 5 for written version of the city. (There are a lot of UF titles in Seattle.) This is a debut title, yet the writing is so sophisticated and never loses it's soul. The best part is there were some new words that I had to look up in the dictionary. It gives me shivers when words are used in a new way and I actually have to brush up on my vocabulary. It seems like authors tend to recycle descriptions and phrases, a lot. This isn't a show of how to use big words or anything like that. It's simply an author showing us the magic of her writing style, and I loved it.
What I love the most is how readers slide into Harper. We're there for the incident as she dies and comes back. The slow realization as she comes to terms with the fact that she's not crazy, she's seeing ghosts and the likes. She's a practical PI and at know point does Richardson try to glorify Harper. Nope instead Harper states PI work is usually dull and except for the rare crazy—such as what led up to her brush with death—it's fairly safe. A lot of titles try to bash readers brains in with the weight of how hard this new reality is and how the character can't cope. AKA endless denial that is beyond painful to sit through. (Cough. C.E. Murphy. Cough.) What I appreciated is that Harper is a skeptic, but she can't live in her denial. Her fears are totally understandable and I felt them right with her. What’s more is readers get to know Harper and she becomes a friend, there’s still some mysteries—like her mother—but we know her.
The cases Harper picks up all seem normal, but soon take a twist for the Grey. Giving readers a great peek behind that shadows as to what might be lurking. And maybe Harper becoming a Greywalker wasn't such a random act? The plot also helps to bring in some great characters. Such as the Danzigers, who are a married couple and their new baby. The wife happens to be a witch and the husband an open minded scholar who might be a bit more out there then is hocus-pocus wife. The Danziger's house is haunted by mysterious ghost, and conveniently located on a ley line. There's also an interesting enough love interest to spice things up, but is not the focus of the book.
This book is about the mystery and showing off what feels like very authentic PI-ing. Since I'm not a PI I can't say how close it is to the job, but what Harper describes is a bit more believable then the many PI employed Urban Fantasy leads out there. (Not that I don't enjoy them to death!) Best part is the magic isn't about flash here. There's a bases for everything and I greatly enjoyed all the theorizing about it. The magic felt solid and real. As if I could actually step right into the world Richardson has created.
This book has smarts. Despite the humor and rich world presented, I have a feeling readers are going to love it or find it dry. Either way it's well worth the gamble! Some might fine Harper a bit of a loner, but if you where having strange experiences that might lead you to believe that you’re crazy, holding people at arms length might be appealing. As a start up there's a lot we don't learn about Harper and we're learning about the Grey and the things thought creep in it a long with Harper. The bare glimpse of the vampire society leads me to believe that I'm going to like the vampire lore found here. Even more I love how endless, but grounded, the magic appears. I'm all in for the next book and I feel justified for jumping the gun and buying every release.
Sexual Content: Sex happens, but it’s not graphic or in detail. Sexual humor.
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
