VeganCleopatra

I really enjoyed the second installment of the Downside Ghosts series. Chess is a great character despite her major flaws, such as drug abuse. She is tough despite her weakness for drugs, logical despite her brain being on drugs and is slowly waking to the person she can be. In the beginning of the series the drug abuse bothered me simply because I disagree with it, but now the drug abuse bothers me because I actually want better for the character of Chess. She deserves it. But the question is, if she gets sober will she have nothing left of her life as it now stands? This is all conjecture since as it is now, Chess is not debating quitting drugs.

The friendship with Terrible became a main focus in Unholy Magic with a lot of emotional turmoil occurring. (One scene even made me say "Oh no!" out loud, which is an accomplishment for the novel.) Chess' relationship with Lex, an enemy of the guy she is supposed to "work" for is also fraying. In other words, Chess' life is in chaos and on top of this she is being blackmailed at work. Due to these endless trials, Chess has a terrible time of it in Unholy Magic. But you root for her all along the way.

I love how Kane has written such a dark, gritty novel with a drug addicted main character no less. But she makes her screwed up characters likeable, loveable almost. The bleakness of the novels makes you root for the "good" guys all the more. (But really, who is actually GOOD in this series?) I'm loving the Downside Ghosts series and am looking forward to more of Chess' chaotic life.