Far from Center by Debra Dunbar

Far From Center by Debra Dunbar

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


While this is the most recent book in the Imp World universe (which includes the main Imp series), it isn’t an Imp book. No this book follows Nyalla and Gabriel as the main point of view. With Snip (I think that’s his name) and . . . um . . Termill? (I’ve no real idea what the information demon’s name might be) as background characters – present, but side characters. And Wyatt as a voice on the phone.

The universe that is revealed in this multi-series bundle of works consists of demons (which are ‘fallen angels’ – specifically Angels of Chaos), Angels (specifically ‘non-fallen angels’ who are Angels of Order (and, despite being both non-fallen and being ‘order’, they also fight a lot internally and rebel against each other), elves (not seen in this book), others, and humans. I mention all of this so I can then note: the top Angels are known as archangels and there are five of them. The Imp series includes, as a main character, Archangel Michael (otherwise known as Gregory), and three others (Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel). The fifth brother is mentioned but never seen (and, for that matter, fairly quickly Uriel does a disappearing act – doing a punishment walk).

Raphael gets his own book in ‘Northern Lights’ (which is also the book I gave the highest rating to, by this author). Michael/Gregory, as I already mentioned, is in the main Imp series line. Uriel has no book of her/his own (they like switching genders to keep in balance, last seen, Uriel was female). Gabriel finds his own book here in ‘Far From Center’. And to round things out, I did say there were five Archangels, Samuel was the fella that lead the rebellion two million years ago (or was it 2.5 million?), and is/was an Angel of Chaos. He’s been missing for millions of years. And hasn’t been in any of the Imp books . . . until now (saying this with the remembrance popping up in my mind that I haven’t read the Half-breed books, nor the Northern Wolves short stories so . . . I think this is Samuel’s first appearance in this book, very brief though it is).

Michael/Gregory is the oldest and most powerful. Uriel’s abilities are mostly unknown to readers, but is second oldest (and is mentioned to be quite powerful as well). Raphael’s the fourth Archangel and the closest to being an Angel of Chaos of the Angel of Order Archangels; while Samuel is the youngest and actually an Angel of Chaos. Gabriel? The middle child. Which gets mentioned a lot in this book. I mean, a lot. I don’t mean in a ‘Gabe: Hi! I’m Gabriel, the middle child . . . ‘ ‘Nyalla: Guys meet Gabriel, he’s the middle child . . .’ way, but it did come up a lot that he was/is the middle child.

I read a book and a short story just so I could read this book here and yet I haven’t spent much time mentioning Nyalla – this is her second full length book. I’d mentioned in a prior review, for the short story, that Nyalla’s personality seemed to have gone backwards between the book and the short story. Well, now she seems to be ‘back to herself’ so to speak. She even remembered that she’d fought a ghoul this time (unlike in the short story).

Nyalla is in Aruba on a task for Sam – she’s to exchange that magical collar that binds any and every one (including angels and demons), for some ancient though unnamed object. The exchange is to be done with a greed demon. With Nyalla are two demons, Snip – who is there more because Sam had promised that he’d get a chance to go have a vacation in the Earth zone; and the information demon who Sam picked up on one of her missions to Hel.

Meanwhile, in a separate plot line that converges into Nyalla, Gabriel is chasing a rebel angel named something like ‘Turia’. Informants and the like lead him to Aruba. Whereupon he watches the human and demons. Then, when he spots a demon giving the human a scroll, decides to break into Nyalla’s hotel room to look for the scroll. Though he seems to spend most of his time cleaning the place.

Gabriel is caught in the hotel room by Nyalla. In her bedroom. Folding her panties. Naturally she becomes enraged and manages to slip the collar onto him. Then binds him to her bed (after whacking him in the head a few dozen times with a cooking pan). She thinks he’s a demon, by the way, because she can’t easily tell the energy signature of demons and angels apart.

Eventually, and there’s a point to noting all of this, Gabriel is freed from his bondage and Nyalla finds her bed empty of demon when she returned (she’d left to get knock-out drops and stuff). Whereupon Gabriel lets her know that he is still there. They struggle. While attempting to use a wand on Gabriel, it breaks. And, as has been made clear a number of times in this book series, breaking magical items is very bad. Well, in this case that ‘badness’ attacked Gabriel. And turned him into a human. Eventually, again eventually, the fact that he is Archangel Gabriel is revealed and the two join forces, through Gabe is still human.

At some point I probably should have mentioned that Gabriel had a massive, and I mean huge, erection through most of the struggling with Nyalla. Nah, I’ll not mention.

Neat story – really humanized Gabriel (literally and figuratively), and revealed why he is such a huge proponent of order and balance and crap like that.

This is in fact a romance and sex does in fact occur. Sometimes in a telling not showing way (don’t worry, you’d want telling for at least one of these scenes – specifically the one wherein Snip tells about his encounter with the ’90 year old’ (probably not that old) waitress who he fingered to orgasm then rushed to a restroom and ‘yanked one out’ in celebration, spraying all over the restaurant restroom walls – see, you don’t want that scene shown. Though I’ve revealed way too much . . . mmphs.)

Right, where was I. It’s neat to see Gabriel and Nyalla’s stories continue. And it’s . . . interesting to see the Imp series continuing in this fashion, since this book actually takes place chronologically after the most recent Imp series book.

Rating: 4.54

August 8 2017




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