Northern Lights by Debra Dunbar

Northern Lights by Debra Dunbar

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On June 26 2017 I read my first Debra Dunbar book. A book that I had had since May, but hadn’t tried until that date. I mention that specific fact because, since that date, I’ve now completed 11 books by Dunbar, all of them within the Imp World series, though only 8 of them are in the main Imp series (the others are spin-offs). I wasn’t really going to read the spin-offs but impulsively tried the first and now, and noted or instantly seen by those who do math quickly, I’ve read 3 spin-off books. All three involving different main characters – all side characters in the main Imp series.

I’ve kind of edged into each of these books. Somewhat reluctant to try them, for various reasons. And this specific book here I was even more reluctant to read both because I wasn’t really certain how it corresponded to the three Northern Wolves short stories (one of the reviews made mention of Northern Lights in a way that implied that the Northern Wolves short stories were something of a continuation; now that I’ve read Northern Lights and seen descriptions of the short stories, I know how they are connected – just as the non-main Imp books in Imp World are spin-offs of the Imp series, Northern Wolves involves stories spin-off Northern Lights). Oh, and reluctant to read because the spin-off I read immediately before this one kind of annoyed me more than I’d expected.

As mentioned, I’ve read 11 books by Dunbar, ratings are all over the place, though the important point is that three of the books have had me click on all 5 possible stars on GoodReads. Two because I thought the books were roughly 4.75 star books, then the third, this book here, I thought was 5+. Yes, that’s right, my favorite book by Dunbar is this book here, a spin-off. And again it’s a book that is better read after reading the Imp series – though here I’d say to read books 1-7, then read this book, then read book 8 (Exodus). For . . . reasons. This book is, by published date, published later in time than Exodus, but chronologically, the story takes place before Exodus.

So, that’s a lot of words, none of which actually say anything about this specific book.

There are several point of views in this book, and, I believe for the first time for this author, there are more than one coupling up going on in this book. To start off with, we have Raphael who has appeared in the main Imp series, and is brother to one of the main characters in that series – Gregory (aka Michael, there’s a complicated reason why Archangel also has the name Gregory – simplified – Sam knew him as ‘Gregory’ because he was the head of the ‘Gregori’ (the angels who watch over the earth; I did say I was doing simplified), and didn’t otherwise know his name, only later learning that his name is actually Michael (or, as he is sometimes called, Micha). Gregory/Michael makes a very brief appearance in this book. I assume the guardian angel for the gate in Alaska also made an appearance, and that some of the wolves might have appeared as well in the main Imp book that had Sam and Gregory in Alaska, but I didn’t recognize the guardian angel nor any of the wolves – therefore I can say that Raphael is the only ‘important’ character of note who appears both in multiple Imp books and in this book here.

Raphael is not the first main point of view, though. Started with him because he’s also in the Imp series. The first POV in the book is . . . well, now that I think about it there might have been a prologue or something, well, another point of view in this book is Ahia. Just like another side-book, Ahia has live a long time ‘knowing’ that she’s a Nephilim (the off-spring of Angel/human mating, and the ‘first’, or ‘parents of’ werewolves’). Unlike Jaq, the Nephilim in No Man’s Land, Ahia gives the impression that she’s been around for several thousand years – I believe that there’s even a mention of an exact date, 5 or more thousands of years maybe, but a really long time.

As I think I mentioned, this book also pulls in another coupling. That’d be Brent, the werewolf alpha of the pack Ahia mostly lives with in Alaska (she does move around within Alaska), and Kennedy, a trauma surgeon and human. Both of them have their POV’s appear in this book, and a certain romance blooms, though their story is told more in the spin-off short story Juneau to Kenai (not that I’ve read that short story).

To continue down that specific path of revealing characters in short stories – Sabrina (werewolf) and Karl (werebear) star in the second Northern Wolves short story, and both are very minor characters in ‘Northern Lights’. And I do not recognize the characters listed for the third Northern Wolves short story.

Right, so. Rifts are opening up in Alaska (and all over the world, see previous Imp books for what’s going on – why the rifts are opening I mean), and two things are occurring because of that – ‘monsters’ are falling out of the rifts, and humans (and others) are getting sucked through the rifts. Ahia and the wolves have been running around killing the monsters that have come through, or trying to, but they can’t close the rifts. Ahia, even though she knows it might mean her instant death (Angels kill Nephilim on sight), she asks for help . . . from an Angel (well, okay, sometimes the Angels don’t kill on sight). The Angel that guards the gate in Alaska to Hel isn’t powerful enough to close the rifts so he asks for someone more powerful for help. That’s where Raphael comes in. He can’t see the rifts, but he can close them – with the help of someone like a demon to see the rifts.

Complications ensue immediately after Raphael arrives. He assumes that if the guardian angel knows of the rifts then he has to have a demon around to see them. A demon he is protecting. Raphael intends to use said demon, temporary, to help locate rifts. Which leads him to finding Ahia. Whereupon . . . well, spoiler-y stuff. Right, without getting into spoiler-y stuff, Ahia and Raphael then proceed to go around killing monsters and closing rifts.

Meanwhile, some people get sucked into and through a rift. Including Brent and Kennedy. And they wander around on the world they landed on. Having their own POV’s shown and stuff.

For many reasons I really enjoyed and loved this story. And really want to see more of Ahia. It’s possible that I might, since this book is from 2017, but the spin-off short stories don’t star her, and none of the later Imp books (which don’t actually have descriptions yet) mention her.

Oh, and there’s stuff like sex that occurs.

Rating: 5+

August 3 2017



View all my reviews

Three Wishes by Debra Dunbar

Three Wishes by Debra Dunbar

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was actually a lot more interesting than I had expected. And I'm not exactly sure what the TSTL comments about the female lead was about. TSTL normally involves a series of repetitively stupid acts that puts the individual into constant danger of injury and/or death. And while the angel in this story faced a few dangerous moments, they didn't really rise to TSTL status.

She was kind of naive about humans though. And she never did learn how to use a revolving door. But there were reasons, and stuff.

I wasn't really sure how I'd feel seeing a book that starred Dar, as he isn't exactly my favorite character in the Imp universe (I don't dislike him or anything, I just didn't think I'd want to read a book with him in the lead). I can't say that I was 'pleasantly surprised' because I saw Dar and Astra together in a later Imp book, so I knew there were some interesting bits there. Which leads me to note that I found the way I read things to be more satisfying - as in, reading all of the main Imp books, then reading this side book for several reasons - I'm not distracted by whatever is going on in Imp land, nor did I read this then be faced with the very tiny scene in the Imp main line book that saw these two interact further along chronologically than this book. As in, I wasn't disappointed in the tiny snippet extra scene in that later book, because I read it first, and it was something of a prequel, then, to this book.

Right, so - can you read this book on it's own? Can you read it without reading the Imp books first? Not really. You could read this whenever it falls chronologially, but I'd recommend at least reading whatever Imp books occur before this one (just look at the Imp World series list for that).

So if you have read the Imp series before this, then you already know that Dar, the demon and brother to the lead of the Imp series, had decided to go vacation in Chicago. And if you have already read the entire Imp series, currently, published, then you've also already interacted with Dar and Astra in an Imp book.

Well story - Dar's wandering around the streets of Chicago when an Angel swoops down chasing another demon. After losing track of that other demon, she turns her sight on Dar and follows him. He knows she's there, she wasn't exactly subtle, and leads her around, teasing her. Angels normally kill any and all demons encountered on earth (which you, the reader, would have known if you'd been reading the main Imp series), but Dar has immunity - as long as he doesn't do certain things like kills humans. Immunity for being in the household of the Iblis (long story).

Eventually the two meet. Parts of the book are from Dar's point of view, part from Astra, and about 0.5% is form a second demon's point of view. Astra has been on Earth, watching over Chicago, for the last 100 years, but her time is nearly up and she's only days away from returning to her Angel homeland. Other than her flying around (which Angels aren't really be so open about doing), she's been a good little angel - but now she's thinking of trying out some sins in her last week. As it will be her last chance to do so. Before her return. And as luck would have it, so to speak, Dar's there to tempt her (though that isn't what she had meant when she thought of trying out some sins, more like trying food and stuff like that).

Well, during the early stages of chasing, flirting, bantering, Dar and Astra mention this other demon Astra had been initially chasing. A demon that keeps blinking in and out oddly. For reasons, Dar helps with Astra with this investigation. Which includes visiting a cyber security conference - quite important but specifically mentioned so I could note that those who've read the Imp series also might recall that Wyatt, at some point, went to a security conference in Chicago . . . and he does pop up in this book.

For all those wondering who the hell all these people are, Wyatt, Dar, angels and demons, well, I did say that I'd recommend not reading this book as a stand-alone. To read the other Imp books first.

Oh, one final note: Gregory (aka Michael) and Samantha flirt a lot about sex, even have versions of it (mostly the spirit/angel kind), but don't seem to actually get graphic about it. Well, there are a few bits of graphicness in this book. More than in the Imp series books, less than what you'd see in an erotic novel.

Rating: 4.45

July 31 2017



View all my reviews