Skeleton Crew (Early Review)

Skeleton Crew by Cameron Haley

Underworld Cycle #2

Some people fear snakes. Me? Let it be known that Domino Riley hates zombies.

Bodies are hitting the pavement in L.A. like they always do, but this time they’re getting right back up, death be damned. My mobbed-up outfit of magicians may be the strongest in the city, but even they aren’t immune to the living dead.

And I’ve yet to develop a resistance to Adan Rashan.

If I don’t team up with the boss’s son, we won’t just be at each other’s throats over control of the outfit. We’ll be craving hearts and brains, as well.

Because as long as this nasty spirit from the Between is stopping souls from finding peace, I’m facing the biggest supernatural crisis to ever hit the City of Angels.

Zombies, it’s time you feared me.

Domino Riley is practically the top dog in her outfit as her mobster boss has handed almost all of the reigns over to her. While this may have been her life's admiration, it means the buck stops with her and she is responsible for anything that could go wrong. So when zombies start showing up and "reproducing" like crazy, she knows she's in trouble, but that it is up to her to get to the bottom of things. Of course the distraction of her attraction to her boss's son Adan, doesn't help things. She'll have to team up with him as well as her other allies in order to have any chance at stopping the zombie Apocalypse. Luckily she has some kick butt skills to back her otherwise, there would be no hope for this little sorceress.

The saying goes "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it."  Domino learned this hard lesson in Skeleton Crew as she may have gotten her wish to lead a war effort to help people. However, it came with a horrible cost that she never could have predicted. If she fails in her efforts, millions of lives will be lost, the stakes really are that high. Domino of course keeps her cool and continues to be the driving force. She really is everything a leader needs to be. I found it amusing that the Fairy King kept taking her orders for where he was to concentrate his efforts considering he is supposed to be so much more powerful. In fact, she pretty much controlled the plans the entire book. Perhaps she has more influence than she truly realizes. 

I really love the dynamic between the characters in this series. They are so fully fleshed out and their relationships are completely realized. You can't help but to care for them, and want to root them on. The Piskies continue to add a softer side that really helps to balance out Domino's outward gruffness. The sexual tension between Domino and Aden is also rather thick, perhaps more on her side, but this helps to ground her character even more. All of the characters seem to carry a certain amount of respect for Domino, and I am very happy that she continues to work very hard to make sure deserves it. She definitely is my favorite "good" bad guy.

Let me just say that while I enjoyed the first book, this one blew it out of the water. The stakes are just that much higher, however I never once felt weighed down by this, and found the pacing to be very good. Just as soon as a fight scene would start to feel a little overwhelming, it would end, proving this author sure knows how to keep the perfect balance between action, plot, and story. The ending caught me slightly off guard, but I think it set things up for an interesting future. These books are urban fantasy at their finest, and this is one author you will want to watch out for. Major kudos for another great novel that left me more than entertained! 

(Received from Netgalley)

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Skeleton Crew

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy