UF

Grave Dealings + Interview with R.R. Virdi

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The Grave Report (Book 3)

Vincent Graves is back! If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know I’m a massive fan of R.R. Virdi, an insanely talented young author who’s taking the Urban Fantasy world by storm, all while being self-published. Twice nominated for a Dragon award, going up against big names like Jim Butcher and Larry Correia, his books are incredibly fun, fast-paced, and clever to boot. Now, finally, book 3 is out in the world – and it might just be his best yet.

Summary36428617

Don’t make deals with the paranormal. They’re better at it than you, and they never play fair.

Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, did just that—a deal made in desperation. Now it’s coming back to bite him in the middle of a case. He has 57 hours to investigate a string of deaths involving people who’ve made some devilish bargains. Too bad devils don’t deal in good faith. It’d be easy enough if he didn’t have to deal with things such as:

  • Being hunted through the streets of Queens by a dark elf with a motorcycle fetish.
  • Ending up the target of a supernatural hit.
  • An old acquaintance dragging him to a paranormal ball where he could end up on the menu.
  • And having one of his closest guarded secrets brought to light…

Not great for a tight clock, because if he doesn’t get to the bottom of this case in time, Vincent and company might just lose their souls.

Dirty deals are never done dirt cheap. And the supernatural always collect—big!

Musings

It’s easy to see why I’m still addicted to R.R. Virdi’s Grave Report series: every single one is better than the last, full of wit and humor and so much ingenuity your head will spin. The premise itself – a soul without a body who wakes up in the body of recently murdered victims and tries to solve their paranormal death – is so fantastic it could hit television any day and I would watch it obsessively.

This time, Vincent Graves is back in New York, and free to roam the city. Which means he’s sure to run into some old allies, as well as make some new ones. It was so great to see Ortiz again! I love her character, she’s so no-nonsense and badass. But I’m head over heels for the new kid – Kelly is ADORABLE. And genius! While Ortiz intimidates me, I wish I could be BFFs with Kelly. She’s savy and smart and altogether fun.

And the villain… oh boy, you’ll never see it coming! Per usual, Virdi makes it seem like you know where the story is heading, then throws you a sudden twist that makes you question everything. Peppered with awesome fight scenes, and with new dealings with the fae, this book is everything you want in Urban Fantasy, and more.

Now, for a few questions to the man of the hour! Let’s hear it for R.R. Virdi!

7769192Q: It’s so great to have you back with a new book! Tell us: what can we expect from Grave Dealings?

A: Grave Dealings picks up some time after Grave Measures. Vincent’s bounced around, done more cases, which haven’t been shown, and is finally back in the boroughs of New York. From the get-go he’s already under attack and being hounded through the streets of Queens, all before even having a chance at pissing someone off. Kind of unfair. There’s a string of artists and freelancers dying, and no one knows why. Guess whose job it is to figure it all out.

Q: The Grave Report series is so unique, but still manages to tick every box of what a reader wants. With your new book, do you try more to be original, or to deliver to readers more of what they want?

A: I try to deliver more of what I want, what excites me. It’s what I did with book one and seems to work. I’m of the belief in a world of 7 billion…people can and will like what you have to write and sell. It’s just the odds.

Q: The world you’ve created is massive and intricate, but also plays off some myths and folklore that readers are already aware of. At the same time, you introduce us to myths that are almost forgotten. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

A: I love mythology and I research it for fun. That’s honestly one of the biggest reasons I do this. It’s why The Grave Report is a monster of the week style paranormal investigator series.

Q: What did you edit out of this book? What was your hardest scene to write?

A: Things edited out of this book are normally lines and small redundant bits that show up in most author’s works. Descriptions, maybe dialogue that’s gone on too long and made the point. Done over a novel this big, it adds up.

Q: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

A: Oh. Yes. 😉 Best of luck finding them.

Q: We’re starting to get some answers as to Vincent’s past… and there are hints of something much bigger to come. Any clues you can give us, little teasers for the rest of the series?

A: Yep. That if you read them all, you’ll get the answers.

Q: While we’re now all eagerly awaiting the fourth book in the series, we’re also excited about your other books. Dangerous Ways was outstanding! May I ask what’s going to be next for your fans?

A: Well, I’m a bit torn. Fans want the second The Books of Winter. Which, to be honest, I really want to write. But, The Grave Report is more successful, and I have to eat. Really conflicted. But, I think I might take a risk and do the second The Books of Winter?

There you have it! Make sure to pick up your copy of Grave Dealings HERE so you can catch up on Graves’s latest wild adventure. Enjoy! 

Our Dark Duet

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Monsters of Verity, Book 2
By V.E. Schwab (or Victoria Schwab)

I’m always excited when V.E. Schwab releases a new book! Especially one that ends a series. I read This Savage Song last year, and loved it, so I had high hopes for Our Dark Duet! It did not disappoint: though the reading experience was quite different.

Summary32075662

THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.

KATE HARKER isn’t afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she’s good at it.

AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

THE WAR HAS BEGUN.

THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.

Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims’ inner demons.

Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?

Musings

Six months have passed since the events of This Savage Song, and Verity is in disarray. The northern half of the city has been taken over by Sloan, along with Alice, the malachai born of Kat’s actions from the end of the first book. Kate has run away to prosperity, as August has risen to lead the FTF. A new sunai has been born, Soro.

I don’t know how to really write this review, because I’m still reeling from the ending. I was entranced, per usual, by Schwab’s fantastic style, which flows seemingly effortlessly on the page – and elevated through short passages written in verse. Her short poems depicting the point of view of a monster unlike any other were by far my favorite part of this book. I would love it if there was a companion story entirely in that glorious style of hers, as it offered not only insight into the new enemy, but a real depth to the story.

I was excited to see my favorite characters again. Both have grown (or changed) since the last novel. Kate is shaken from her own actions, while August is more determined in his resolve. We find Kate in Prosperity fighting the monsters both of her past and the ones that plague a city that turns a blind eye on what lurks in the dark. Her isolation is at the forefront of her arc. August has got the voice of Leo in his head, pushing his monstrous side out as he tries to be a good leader. This is what Schwab writes the best: messed up people with confusing, conflicting feelings. She weaves complex characters that are relatable through their massive flaws.

And then, there are the monsters. Sloan gets his own POV, as he ruthlessly tries to satiate his thirst for Kate’s death. There’s Alice, Kate’s dark shadow. And then there’s something new: a creature that kills by inciting others to kill in a frenzy, whose reflection lives in a sliver in Kate’s eye, who we see through poetry. The author has managed to make monsters musical. It’s outstanding.

But there was something… missing. I don’t know what it is! The novel has a slow build, and an incredibly fast ending that left me shattered. The ending is magnificent. Heartbreaking. All the feels. Everything about it is amazing. And yet, the novel as a whole doesn’t feel as poignant as the other books by Schwab. I think it might be because so much of the strength of TSS came from the connection between Kate and August. The growth they experienced at each others’ side. I’m not even talking about romantic chemistry, just how well they work together. And here, we only get one small scene where they open up to each other. It was insanely beautiful.

But their own personal isolations made it harder for the reader to connect with them, and the story. And this is intentional, I see the novel couldn’t be written any other way. But this lack of connection made it feel less powerful than the last book.

Nevertheless, it was a fantastic conclusion to the duology. I highly recommend these two books.