Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

	Unclean Spirits: Black Sun's Daughter by M. L. N. Hanover Hachette Supplied for review by Hachette New Zealand	Reviewed By: Jan Butterworth
Jayne (pronounced zha-NAY) Heller has just dropped out of college and is wondering what to do with her life. Her uncle Eric is murdered and she is shocked to find she’s his sole heir. She’s even more shocked to find out he’s worth billions. Then she finds out he’s been fighting supernatural beings for years and was about to assassinate the leader of a cabal of wizards, the Invisible College, that harness demon spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Even after a hit squad tries to kill her, Jayne is sceptical magic and evil demons exist. Then she encounters a possessed dog and becomes a believer. She decides to honour her uncle’s memory by continuing his fight against the Invisible College and their leader, Randolph Coin. Jayne has a team at her back made up of friends of Eric’s - Aubrey, a scientific researcher of parasites who has a relationship with Jayne; Miridin, a horrific looking man under a 200 year old curse by Randall Coin; Chogyi Jake, a Buddhist with zen-ish ways and mystical abilities; and Ex, a former Jesuit priest who may have a thing for Jayne (I haven’t figured it out yet). This book was interesting and had a new take on the supernatural theme. There was a lot of action, some mystery, and a great cast of supporting characters. M.L.N. Hanover uses a lot of foul language though. It fits the characters well, but you may not want tweens to read it. I really enjoyed Unclean Spirits and would recommend it to others who like urban fantasy. I’m looking forward to reading Darker Angels: Black Sun’s Daughter book 2. M.L.N. Hanover is a pseudonym for Daniel Abraham – a Hugo nominated author. Return To Reviews SFFANZ Home Page

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