Devon’s review of Holy Smokes (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 4) by Katie MacAlister
Contemporary paranormal romance published 6 Nov 2007 by Signet
Blurb:Â
I’m Aisling Grey — but you can call me “frustrated.” The man of my dreams — uber-sexy Drake Vireo, wyvern of the green dragons — has finally decided to make an honest woman of me. That is, if we ever make it to the wedding at the same time! Being left at the altar may have cooled my jets, but not my passion… a good thing when Drake disappears and it’s up to me to find him. Most brides just have in-laws to worry about. Me? I have warring dragons, ticked-off demon lords, eternal damnation, and a mage who wants to challenge me for an otherworldly position I don’t even want. Good thing I have Jim, my doggie-demon at my side. He’s never let me down — yet…
Read an excerpt.
As you may have guessed, Holy Smokes is definitely not a standalone book. The relationship between Aisling and Drake, and their world, has developed over the series. There is a large canvas of characters, and a decent amount of unique terminology. This series should be read in order.
Holy Smokes was not as strong as the series’ earlier books. I enjoy MacAlister’s sense of humor but it, and the first person narration, is getting old. To be blunt, Aisling’s wisecracks and bumbling is getting pretty durn tedious. In the first two books, You Slay Me and Fire Me Up, Aisling’s cluelessness was charming and the chemistry between Aisling and Drake was scorching. Then, in the third book, Light My Fire, a huge conflict between Aisling and Drake was resolved rather quickly and anticlimactically.
A lot happens and much is resolved in HS, but I found it less interesting without the Aisling/Drake tension. They’re just madly in love and doing It all the time. And Aisling steamrolls over Drake’s reasonable objections to her doing something stupid. Boring. While I do like several secondary characters, the Newfoundland/wisecracking demon Jim is starting to grate. Oh, and a weird quibble/question: we are introduced to Paula, Aisling’s stepmother, and her father – or is it stepfather? He is referred to as both and if anyone knows which he is, please comment.
While on MacAlister’s website, I noticed that Gabriel, the wyvern of the silver dragons, is getting his own book. That may be a refreshing new direction. The upcoming mystery, Ghost of a Chance, sounds like it has possibilities as well.
HS almost seemed like the conclusion to the series (I doubt it). Regardless, I’m not sure if I’ll continue with it. If you are at all interested in the Aisling Grey series, I do heartily recommend the first two as “funny paranormal done well.”
More information about these books can be found here.
Grade: C
I’ve been “reading” this book for almost a month. I pick it up every so often and read a few pages. It’s definitely not the strongest offering in the series.
The father/stepfather thing, I totally noticed too. I had to go back and reread a few times. I think he’s her father, Paula is the stepmother.
In a way, Aisling reminds me of Stephanie Plum, but I don’t think the series or the incidents are as funny, so Aisling doesn’t come off as well in her cluelessness, as Stephanie Plum can (and I still get impatient with Stephanie so imagine how I get to feeling about Aisling).
I think a C is a fair grade.
It took me a week to read, which is unusual for me. And for her books.
UGH! That’s so disappointing! I’ve got this near the top of my TBR mountain, but it sounds like I shouldn’t be in any hurry to get to it.
Hey Devon! Love the burying the bone link.:)
As stated previously, I roll my eyes when book titles have the name Chance in them. So unless Ghost of a Chance is exceptional, I can’t see myself buying it. I’ve had difficulty getting into her recent books. They’re a little too, um, forced in their cleverness. Which is sad because, as I recall, I liked Corset Diaries an awful lot.
ohhhh lisabea I loved Men in Kilts! Only one really. Haven’t read this series yet.
Oh, the step-parent thing that confused me too but I have it figured out know… Her stepfather was married to her mother and her stepmother married to her father, ok stating the obvious I know. So Aisling mother and father both died then her stepfather and stepmother married eachother so they both are her step parents.
I haven’t finished it either as (wow) Aisling is coming across as pretty dumb. I’m more interested in the bad guys.
Lisabea, I know EXACTLY what you mean– sometimes her humor seems too deliberate, like she thought “Oh! It’s now time to write an oh-so-wacky scene” but the Aisling Grey series has stayed relatively clear of it (until now).
I LOVED Men in Kilts and it was so understated, wasn’t it? And The Corset Diaries has the single most funny, scream-out-loud-with-laughter (and I did) scene I’ve read in ANY book. EVER! I will always love KatieMac for that scene alone. If you’ve read it, you know EXACTLY what I mean, and if you haven’t read it, there will be no mistaking which scene I’m referring to.
*barking spiders indeed*
Is it just me or does ‘step’ parents marrying seem…. squicky.
Loved MiK, couldn’t finish TCD. LOL But you must member I don’t do much funny in my romance novels. I find her somewhat slapstick but have been collecting these to try… youknow… one day.
I just found it majorly confusing. I felt like I had missed backstory somewhere. And it seems I did–Thanks, Sylvia! I just didn’t know why he was referred to as her stepfather sometimes and father others.
When I first discovered Katie MacAlister, I really enjoyed her sense of humor and didn’t find it forced. I’m not enjoying her more recent titles, and I’m thinking that the fact that she always uses first person makes for a similarity in tone that feels overdone and forced.
The Corset Diaries was the only contemporary of hers that I enjoyed, but I don’t remember the details. My favorite of the “Dark Ones” is Sex, Lies and Vampires.