Urban Shaman - C.E. Murphy

Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Urban Shaman is the first in an urban fantasy series that may not stack up too well against ‘the greats’ of UF, but is entertaining none-the-less. And the series is finished, which is a plus. One thing it is not is Paranormal Romance. There is the slightest inkling of the beginning of interest between two characters, but that’s it. So if you’re looking for a UF series sort of in the middling range of quality that is not exclusively romance, this could be for you. (Although I can't speak for the rest of the series yet.)

The world has an interesting blend of Celtic and Native American mythology - again a refreshing change. I’m not sure this combination is completely pulled off, but it was definitely an interesting one.

Joanne is - sort of - a cop. She thinks more like a mechanic, and is a skeptic who is forced in a bloody way to come to grips with a world of myths and Shamanic powers. There is a very mystical feeling to the whole thing, with dream walking, near death experiences, healings, and spirit guides. At times the shifts between worlds were disorienting, and I had no clue what was going on in the beginning. Neither did Joanne, though, so I figured it out while she did.

Although Joanne is a cop, as the murders pile up, they are not solved in a true detective fashion, but through trips to the spirit world. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping for a good mystery with actual investigations.

I liked some of the supporting characters and hope they stick around in future installments. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything with a senior-aged ex-football player cabbie for a side-kick before. It actually created another dimension that I really enjoyed and added some humor to the mix.

I enjoyed reading this well enough to be wishing I could get back to it while I was at work. It definitely has some unique aspects to it, whether they work well or not. I’m looking forward to seeing if things come together more smoothly in the sequel, and for once I’m actually looking forward to seeing how the romance develops because it’s so subtle - just enough to pique my interest.