I am not a fan of jumping into a series of novels mid-stream. That being said, I was well into Undertow: An Ethan Banning Novel before realizing this was book three in an established series. But, by that time I was having so much fun, I couldn't put it down.
The previous books in the series are Ungrateful Dead and Demonized, just in case you want to start at the beginning. I will say this, it's not necessary to read those books first, as Naomi Clark does a nice job in getting the reader up to speed, it's just that every once in a while, I found myself wishing I had more on Ethan Banning's back story.
Undertow: An Ethan Banning Novel is told in a first person narrative with a super-snarky attitude and very colorful language. Ethan Banning is a Private Investigator and he's possessed by a demon who is constantly telling him what to do, sometimes out loud.
In this story, Banning and his dog, Mutt, take a job from a professor who may be able to help rid Ethan of his unwanted guest, but first he must find a missing person. The trail leads them to Beacon's Point and an apprentice necromancer who guards a portal to the other side and there are people in this town who are trying to bring over a sea demon to do their bidding.
"Corey was young and shiny and full of idealism. It was kinda sweet. Me, I was...well, not young, rusted, and full of antipsychotics, so I figured my opinions on anything, never mind necromancy, didn't count for much."
It is a fine line that is walked when writing the fantastical and Naomi Clark walks it well, making the unbelievable believable. In Ethan Banning she has created a wonderful anti-hero who often does as much harm as good, but you can't help but cheer for the guy. At some point I'm going to have to go back and read the earlier books in the series and yes there are more adventures on the way.
Undertow: An Ethan Banning Novel is published by Ragnarok Publications and is available through Amazon.com.
Highly recommended.
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