Reap the wind

Chance's inventive but overlong seventh Cassie Palmer urban fantasy (after 2013's Tempt the Stars) opens with half-goddess Cassie, a Pythian seer, sharing her living room with several young, displaced Pythian initiates. A posse of acolytes is gunning for her after a failed assassination attempt at the Pythian Court, and those same acolytes are looking to bring back one of the old gods, putting the entire world in danger. Additionally, Cassie's in a race through time to save her friend Pritkin's soul; his father, demon lord Rosier, is unfortunately along for the ride. Chance's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach quickly becomes frenetic. The action sequences are creative, but the abrupt pace changes are jarring and the overstuffed narrative could have been tightened up. A huge cast of characters (of every supernatural stripe) makes this a less than ideal starting place for new readers. Fortunately, Cassie is a delightful heroine who often uses humor to get through sticky situations, and readers will enjoy her lively first-person narrative of her adventures and some spicy romance. A bit of a cliff-hanger at the end will keep fans eager for her next adventure. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.