Review: Misery's Way by J.C. Daniels

Misery's Way: A Kit Colbana World Story
Colbana Files #4.5
J.C. Daniels
Release: June 22, 2015
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Her name is Frankie. At least, that’s what she calls herself.

She looks human, but she’s no more human than she is a faith-healer. That doesn’t stop her from using her…more unique abilities to take care of certain needs. It’s those abilities that lead to a chance encounter with an unusual woman in Florida.

It’s a chance encounter with fate that will set these two down a collision course with destiny. 

Review:
I'm enjoying The Colbana Files series and I was looking forward to learning about some of the other types of creatures that inhabit Kit's world. But Frankie is not especially forthcoming in that regard. I found her a bit odd at first. She revels in and feeds on pain and misery, but she also cures those ailments as she feeds. She's been posing as a faith healer in order to meet the sick and suffering. But she carefully controls how much relief she gives them so she won't be exposed as a non-human.

She also alludes to another reason to remain off the radar, but doesn't disclose much of her history. She's very old and very powerful - her companion Saleel (by whom I'm really quite intrigued) calls her "goddess" and "angel." But she also seems to have an upbringing similar to Kit's that results in an incomplete understanding of her people (though she never actually reveals what she is) and her magic being self-taught.

I think Frankie is not a character whose POV would normally be explored. In some stories, she might even have been the villain. And I think this story could have easily been told from Kit's perspective. That it wasn't leads me to believe that these characters will show up again, either in their own book or in one of Kit's. In that sense, I thought Misery's Way was quite interesting. As a stand-alone though, I'm not sure what to make of it. It's just a little too dark and mysterious.

This story also contains spoilers for the Colbana Files books, although I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Sometimes it's okay to have an idea that the tragic events are coming - take something like the Outlander finale for example. If you're familiar with the books, you probably know what Kit's version of that would be. I suspect that Frankie's reaction to those events will have a big impact on Kit's next book as well.

If you haven't read the Colbana Files books yet, Misery's Way also contains the prequel novella Bladed Magic so between the two you should get a good idea what to expect from Kit.


ARC provided by the author

   

3  stars
 

Our reviews of other books in this series:
Blade Song