Incubus (Fairwick Chronicles #1) by Carol Goodman
Ebury Press (July 2011) | Paperback, 466 pages
Paranormal Romance

Callie McFay is a young lady who is just venturing out into the world after having finished her Ph.D. She has had her first book published, which was a continuation of her thesis on Demon Lovers, and is now looking for work in a university whilst she writes her next book. I guess I am not spoiling anything when I tell you that she ends up working at Fairwick College which is “a second tier college with a second rate staff” according to Grandma Adelaide, as opposed to N.Y.U where she had originally hoped to take a job. It’s here she ends up meeting some fascinating, albeit odd people, that give you some ups and downs along the way. Callie buys an old Victorian house in which she sees herself settling down with her long time love, Paul, but she wasn’t prepared for the uninvited guest that comes with the house. Enter the Incubus, and the steamy dreams!

Callie is a lovely young lady, kind and enthusiastic about her work, colleagues, and the students she teaches. She rolls with everything that happens to her in a very quiet way, and doesn’t seem in the least bit phased by all that’s going on. I am not entirely sure if this is believable and in all honesty she isn’t a particularly strong heroine but then none of the characters are…yet. It seems to be a good starting point with plenty of scope to build up in the future. I am hoping that the following books in the series will fill in the gaps a bit more.

There is another storyline running throughout the book, which gives us a mystery to think about. I have to say the answer to the problem is pretty easy to spot, but it doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable. There is also a heartbreaking decision to be made, which definitely put a lump in my throat, and had me wishing for a different outcome! Perhaps this is where the continuing story will pick up the thread.

I have to say, I think my favourite character is Ralph. He is an endearing chap, and a good friend to Callie, as well as something of a hero, although in quite a small way.

The settings throughout Incubus are beautifully done without being over described. I felt as though I could actually see the doorway in the clearing which leads into a magical world and the snow covered landscapes seem to me like a faerie land in the making.

I enjoyed Incubus, even if it did totally throw me for a loop. Anyone who has been following my tweets will know that it confused me in the beginning, however I have to admit to this being totally my fault. I was expecting Incubus to be a paranormal romance. How wrong I was. I was also expecting a strong male character, the sort you would find in PNR, but there isn’t one. Yes, there is a male love interest, or two, but that is not the focus of the story. I am really looking forward to reading more books in this series. I can’t wait to see what else happens in Fairwick.

There are a couple of things I wasn’t too keen on however. The pace of the book is very slow, for me at least, as you don’t start to find out much about the other characters until you hit at least page 100. The other thing I groused about was the need to have a dictionary by my side. I consider myself to have an above average vocabulary but this book certainly taught me a few new words. Not always a bad thing, but when you just want to sit back and enjoy the book, it can be somewhat frustrating.

VERDICT:

I couldn’t put the book down despite the slow pace and dictionary requirement. I definitely want to see what happens in the rest of the series. If you are thinking that this all seems a little similar then you may have read Demon Lover, by Juliet Dark, which is the other name/author it has been released as.

RATING: 

CAROL GOODMAN ONLINE
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BOOKS IN SERIES ORDER

1. Incubus
2. Water Witch

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