Yvonne Navarro

Dark Redemption — (2010-2011) Publisher: EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE. BRYNNA MALAK MIGHT BE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE. Brynna is a fallen angel trying to earn redemption. She’s escaped from Hell in search of a new life on Earth, but Lucifer’s deadliest hunters are hot on her trail. Police Detective Eran Redmond is after her for a different reason: he needs Brynna to help him find a serial killer who is terrifying Chicago... and the trail leads them right to Hellspawned demons of the most dangerous kind. She’s also got a very human problem: dealing with a stubborn, attractive cop who makes her long for everything she knows she can’t have. Stayingalive long enough to earn a shot at Heaven will mean breaking some major rules in the mortal world, as she learns just how complicated and wonderful being human can be. With so much stacked against her, even Brynna has to wonder if she’s crazy. But she’s not giving in without a fight. Not a chance in Hell...

Highborn

Highborn begins with a vividly described scene of Hell. Astarte, a fallen angel, watches the daily round of horrors from her bloodstained tower, and decides she wants out. We then cut to Astarte, having escaped Hell and calling herself Brynna Malak, as she adjusts to life in modern-day Chicago. Brynna can understand any language she hears. She’s less adept at navigating other aspects of human life: how to feel empathy, how to pet a dog, and why you shouldn’t just wander away from the scene when you witness a murder. Yvonne Navarro does a terrific (and often funny) job of portraying a character who just doesn’t “get” social norms and has a lot of acclimating to do.

Brynna soon learns that someone is killing nephilim in the city. Nephilim are the children of angels and mortal women, and each is born for a specific, divine purpose. Killing them not only snuffs out their lives but also prevents them from fulfilling their cosmic destinies. The cops are stymied by this serial killer, but Brynna has special insights into the crime and finds herself assisting hunky detective Eran Redmond in his investigation. It should surprise no one that sparks fly between the two!

In addition to the central mystery, Brynna dispenses justice to the more run-of-the-mill bad guys in Chicago: bullies, thugs, wife-beaters, etc. These smaller fights add to Brynna’s character development, and also give Highborn the feel of a superhero tale.

Highborn is an exciting, butt-kicking story featuring a complex heroine who changes and grows as the novel progresses. It’s quite violent — there are at least two scenes that utterly grossed me out — but the violence level fits with the fallen-angel and vigilante-justice themes. Navarro’s prose is smooth and makes for a snag-free read.

I didn’t like the ending. It felt like a gut punch. I can see how it fits with the ideas and themes of the novel, but I’m torn between feeling cheated and wanting to commend Navarro for having the cojones to write it that way. Nevertheless, I plan to keep following Brynna’s journey as the Dark Redemption series continues. —Kelly Lasiter

Concrete Savior

Concrete Savior is the second in Yvonne Navarro’s Dark Redemption series starring Brynna Malak, a fallen angel living as a human in Chicago and trying to earn her way back to Heaven. I enjoyed the first book, Highborn, and Concrete Savior is just as good. Like its predecessor, it mixes angel/demon mythology with superhero tropes for a unique urban fantasy blend.

An anonymous Good Samaritan is afoot in Chicago. Somehow, he seems to know exactly where to find people in danger, and rescues them at great risk to his own life. But his acts of bravery, it turns out, have some unintended consequences. There’s a demon on the prowl in the city, playing a terrible game with several human pawns, using their weaknesses — and sometimes their strengths — against them. As the body count rises, only Brynna can uncover the plan and stop it before things get even worse.

Navarro tells the story through the eyes of several point-of-view characters. Brynna is one, obviously, as is her maybe-boyfriend, police detective Eran Redmond. Brynna is adjusting to life as a human while continuing her quest for redemption. Eran is dealing with some lingering disbelief about the supernatural, and then a long-lost relative appears and brings some family baggage to the surface. Both are also trying to determine the nature of their relationship.

The other point-of-view characters are men and women connected with the demon’s evil scheme. These chapters can be extremely painful to read. Navarro takes us into the minds of several characters who commit horrible crimes — and while at least one is an utter creep and easy to hate, others are pitiable in spite of their actions. Other characters are more directly manipulated by the demon and are presented with impossible, hideous choices.

Concrete Savior is filled with suspense and action (and gore), but also addresses some tough questions about morality, guilt, and the mutability or immutability of fate. This is not one of those books where angels and demons are just another sexy creature to dazzle the reader. Navarro takes her angels and demons seriously, including the metaphorical ones that sit on our shoulders. —Kelly Lasiter