Jenn Bennett

Arcadia Bell — (2011-2012) Publisher: Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law... Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge. But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life... and no amount of running will save her this time.

Kindling the Moon

Seven years ago, Arcadia “Cady” Bell’s occultist parents were accused of four murders. They faked their deaths and Cady’s, and the family went into hiding: the parents together, Cady separately. Now, Cady co-owns and tends bar at the Tambuku Tiki Lounge, which caters to both human and demon patrons. Then, when the media discovers her parents are still alive, the rival magical lodge Luxe demands that either they or Cady pay the price for the murders. Cady sets out to prove her parents’ innocence instead. But to do that, she’ll need to learn the identity of the one witness who knows the truth — a powerful Aethyric demon — and summon it to give an account of what really happened.

Jenn Bennett lays out a fascinating paranormal world in Kindling the Moon. It’s based in large part on ceremonial magic and on medieval demonology. There are several types of demons: imps, who can pass freely between worlds and wreak minor havoc; Earthbound, who live in human bodies and pass as human (these are the ones who frequent Cady’s bar); and Aethyric demons, who live on another plane and are summoned, controlled, and banished by human magicians. Cady is a rogue and an oddity in this world, mixing magical styles in a way that no one quite approves of.

To me, one of the most important aspects of urban fantasy is characterization. The series I follow religiously are usually the ones where I want to spend as much time with the characters as possible! Bennett succeeds wildly in that regard. Cady is a relatable character with a good mix of toughness and vulnerability. She has to deal with some heartbreaking situations in this story and it’s easy to sympathize with her. Her love interest, Lon Butler, is enigmatic and standoffish at first, and acts like a jerk sometimes, but is likable at his core. Lon’s teenage son is simply adorable. And the three of them in the same room together have a great dynamic with lots of warmth and humor. The secondary characters are interesting too, especially a young female adversary of Cady’s who I suspect we’ll be seeing more of.

As for the plot, it’s an exciting one with some twists, though I wish there had been more emphasis on sleuthing. Most of Cady’s information comes either from Lon’s connections or through magic. This works fine, but there’s one scene where Cady masquerades as a reporter to question two occultists who knew her parents, and I enjoyed that scene and wished there were more like it.

I really liked Kindling the Moon and look forward to spending more time with Cady and friends. Book two, Summoning the Night, is scheduled for release in April 2012. Oh, and I looked up that name the demons call Cady — and let’s just say there’s a lot of interesting potential there… —Kelly Lasiter

Summoning the Night

Summoning the Night is the second book in Jenn Bennett’s ARCADIA BELL series. It follows Kindling the Moon and is just as good as its predecessor; with this book Bennett has cemented this series’ place on my “snap up on sight” list.

The main plot this time around is that Cady is manipulated into doing an investigation for the Hellfire Club. The teenage children of Hellfire members are vanishing, and the club’s leader, Ambrose Dare, believes the culprit may be the same man who was behind a similar series of disappearances thirty years ago. At first glance, this case isn’t as personal to Cady as the one involving her parents, but it quickly becomes personal. Cady is forced to make several choices and bargains that go against her sense of ethics or common sense or both, with repercussions that will ripple into future books. And then it turns out that Jupe, the son of Cady’s boyfriend Lon, is in danger from the kidnapper too…

Jupe. Where do I start? I love this kid. He’s one of the best secondary characters in urban fantasy right now, and steals every scene he’s in with his blend of ebullience and vulnerability. Summoning the Night starts out with a big dose of Jupe goodness, and this hooks the reader from the very beginning.

The relationship between Cady and Lon, and the one between Cady and Jupe, continue to grow and deepen. They really feel like a family now; Cady and Lon are becoming more serious and Cady and Jupe have a bond that isn’t quite mother-son — more like “cool aunt” and nephew — but it’s warm and sweet and it works. I just love it anytime these three characters, or any two of them, are on stage together.

These character relationships, which both tug at the heartstrings and provide some infectious moments of lightness, are probably the number one reason that ARCADIA BELL stands out in the field. This is well on its way to becoming one of my favorite urban fantasy series, right along with KATE DANIELS. It’s certainly the most fun I’ve had with an urban fantasy in a long time. —Kelly Lasiter