The Department of Magic [Tapa blanda]

This novel is in the maybe silly but OK category. The clunky part is "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to the paranormal reality used in the plot. The degree of bloodshed among the protagonists is a little off-putting. Not a waste of money or time, just not a defining moment in this sub-genre.

Jasmine Farah and Rocco Di Angelo work in the Department of Magic, an obscure organization in the U.S. government. America has enemies, all right, but it's not so simple as ordinary terrorists. Think creepy things that go bump in the night, the kind that ooze some kind of slime or sprout fur. But the job's not as glamorous as you might think. Jazz and Rock spend most of their time at the beck and call of their newly deceased boss, Crawley, and stealing historical artifacts of supernatural importance (most recently, George Washington's deathbed dentures). All is in preparation for the fight against America's enemies, like Aaron Burr.

"Wait a minute," you may ask. "Isn't he dead?" Not so, here. In Kierkegaard's portrayal of the ill-fated third vice president, not only did shoot Alexander Hamilton in a duel, he also was a fanatical devotee to an ancient god that seeks to destroy America. Did I mention that "America" is also the name of a goddess?

Obviously, there's a lot of fun stuff here, though I wouldn't exactly call it "Harry Potter for adults," as the dust jacket summary claims. Kierkegaard's brand of magic involves blood, and lots of it. No, The Department of Magic is more like Supernatural Noir, which I reviewed last year: entertaining, but kind of dark in some areas. So, the verdict? Kierkegaard's novel combines American history with urban fantasy to create an original, bleak portrait of the real fight for our country's freedom. Not recommended for casual fans of fantasy.

Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I picked up a free copy on Amazon; later I found it offered on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was more than happy to get the excuse to read this book sooner, so took up the offer.

Synopsis: It's hate at first sight.

Jasmine Farah and Rocco di Angelo are competing for the same job in a dusty office in a secret Federal agency run by the mysterious, menacing Jefferson Davis Crawley - "Creepy" Crawley, as he's known.

When Crawley is murdered in front of them after their first day on the job, Jasmine and Rocco are left to figure out who killed their new boss, and exactly what a job in the so-called Department of Magic entails. And magic, it seems, is nothing like it seems in children's books; it's dark and bloody and sexual.

What follows is a nightmare gallop through a world of ghosts, spooks, vampires, demons, and the minions of South American and Voodoo gods hell-bent on destroying the world and subjugating all America in the year 2012.

Only Rock and Jazz, in the company of a ragtag team of urhobos - homeless guardians of the District of Columbia- can prevent it by resurrecting "Goddess America" in a mystical ceremony on the Fourth of July, as the story reaches its bittersweet and unforeseen climax.

My Thoughts: I got the biggest kick out of the excerpts from The Federal Bestiary that open each chapter in this book. Kierkegaard has a sly and dark sense of humor that I found very appealing. I was also very amused by the idea of the Goddess America; it put a whole new perspective on Goddess worship, that's for sure! It was interesting and refreshing to read an urban fantasy in which the main characters had no particular specialness - no powers, not monsters of any type, not even particularly good fighters, just regular people put into strange circumstances. Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy and good story-telling.