Prepare yourself, it is once again that time when I feel the need to apologize for the lack of activity (even though it goes against my vow to stop apologizing for everything). This year, admittedly, has been a mess. I have struggled with depression for years, but 2019 has been exceptionally rough. I have mentioned this in pretty much every other previous apology, but my mental health recently took a pretty severe turn for the worse.

The revival of a secret society. Three dark books of magic. And one badass woman to save the world from Hell...
Kana Cold gained a measure of notoriety when she solved the first recorded case of a Shinigami in North America. Now, the Vatican needs her help to track down three books of dark magic – known as The Black Grimoires – hidden around the world. With ancient spirits wanting her dead, a secret group known as The Thule Society hot on her trail, and the distraction of an Italian archeologist/playboy, Kana must find a way to keep the unholy power of the Black Grimoires from unleashing hell on Earth.*

Kana Cold: The Reaping of the Black Grimoires starts out great. The concept is interesting and the characters are intriguing. However, the pace of the book slows down tremendously the further you get into it and I almost stopped reading due to how bored it was leaving me. Major plots in the story were predictable and the characters became incredibly obnoxious. I found this book to be disappointing, as I was expecting more supernatural occurrences/focus, but if you really like stories similar to Indiana Jones...this is the book for you.

Additional Note: The promotions for this book mention several urban fantasy authors, including Patricia Briggs. This was the reason I decided to give this book a chance. While reading I found myself thinking of  Clive Barker's Imajica only to find out after reading that the author lists him as one of his inspirations. However, do not be fooled. The only thing that qualifies this as urban fantasy or horror in any way is a few minor details. If you remove these you have just another adventure relic hunter story. I feel like that is a bit deceptive.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Rating: 3/5 ★★★☆☆

Author and Book Information:

Goodreads, Author Website, Twitter

Published March 12th 2019 by AOE Studios