Queen of the Dead

My partner and I have differing opinions on ghosts. I like to read about them but am incredibly cynical that they exist. My partner is more of a believer. I just refuse to believe that ghoulies can exist without more evidence, we live in a surveillance society at this point. However, even I would start to change my viewpoint if I hung out with Lou, a young woman who lives in small town America, but can see the dead.

Lou works late nights in a small supermarket and waits until it starts to get light before heading home using a well-researched route. She does all this to prevent seeing too many ghosts. Most are harmless, but they are constantly badgering her. There incessant nature has taken on a different tone in recent days as Lou is being warmed about a weakening in the Veil between the living and the dead. What is she meant to do about it? A lot it would seem.

Balancing everyday live with the ability the supernatural is never an easy mix. It effects the characters in a story and also the narrative. If Lou is so badgered by the dead, how can she have a social life? The secret is that she does not, until she meets a handsome cop called Scott. At the same time as something is happening in her love life, the supernatural is also kicking off, balancing the two is going to be impossible.

Sarah Broadway’s Queen of the Dead is written as a relatable modern Urban Fantasy. You feel for Lou, but what can she do? A lot happens in this book that is beyond the norm, the only people will understand are other ‘freaks’ like her. Thankfully, Broadway begins to pad out the characters with more folk that can see Lou for what she is or has the potential to become.

At times, the book has a manic energy as Lou is ripped from one place to another. The stakes are huge, but Lou still wants to live something of a normal life. It had a touch of The Dresden Files about it, in that with fantasy as extreme as this, the urbane can be hard to focus on. This outing feels like an introduction to Lou and her world and is full on. By book’s end, the characters have found their rhythm with one another, and you can see a future for them. Future outings promise to be more settled like Lou’s home life, opening the opportunity for more thrills elsewhere, secure that she has a base to come back to.

Fans of Urban Fantasy will enjoy this pacy supernatural thriller. It mixes The Frighteners with a strong relationship arc. It touches on Romantasy, without delving too deep, just humans getting to know one another. I read the book in a couple of sittings, and it proved a perfect read for someone wanting some light and quick fantasy to enjoy.