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The bad girl of the magical underworld is back and badder than ever
Someone wants Marla Mason dead. Usually that’s not news. As chief sorcerer of Felport, someone always wants her dead. But this time she’s the target of a renegade assassin who specializes in killing his victims over days, months, or even years. Not to mention a mysterious knife-wielding killer in black who pops up in the most unexpected places. To make matters worse, an inmate has broken out of the Blackwing Institute for criminally insane sorcerers—a troubled psychic who can literally reweave the fabric of reality to match her own traumatic past.
With her wisecracking partner Rondeau reluctantly in tow, Marla teams up with a “love-talker” whose dangerous erotic spells not even she can resist. Together they’re searching the rapidly transforming streets of Felport for a woman who’s become the Typhoid Mary of nightmares, infecting everything—and everyone—she touches with a chaos worse than death itself.
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This book is superb. I wasn't looking forward to it as much because Bowman wasn't it it but TA Pratt makes up for that with the introduction of some wicked new characters.The world building in this one is phenominal, it's almost like you are in a dream/nightmare.
It was great to see Marla on her home turf of Felport, the city she went such lengths to save in the last book. Well in this one...she has to do it again. I'm not one of these reviewers who gives away the storyline so if you like your urban fantasy dark with heavy dose of humour and some well crafted world building then you might like this. I'm a big fan of Simon R Green's Nightside series and this one makes me just as happy. I'm always a bit dubious about kick ass, female protags, I've been scarred by Anita Blake so trust me on this, Marla is different, no god complex or blatent hypocrissy with this girl. What I like about Marla is that she isn't squeaky clean, I admire her dedication to her city but at the same time she is like a mob boss, she has dealings with selling drugs, gabbling...whatever. She's pratical and needs the money to assist her in keeping her city safe. Marla is resourceful and uses the people around her because although she thinks she's right, she has the ability to recognise that she doesn't have all the necessary skills. Also..no hang ups about relationships, yes she's had a past but if she needs to get some there isn't any angst over it. It's done.
If you liked the first book then I don't think you will be disappointed with this one. The magic cloak makes a reappearance and it is worth the wait, Marla is lethal when she reverses it. I can't wait for the third in the series.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:4.1 out of 5 stars 27 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsMarla is back and strong as ever.3 April 2008
By C. A. Hyams - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
A girl who can change reality into her dreams, a nightmare come to life that seems to be invincible, assassins following at every step, a sorcerer who is avoiding coming out of his lair, not to mention the city full of innocents who have no idea what or who lurks in the shadows...
This is the second Marla Mason novel and the first that is set in her beloved city Felport. Marla is a straight shooter with a clear head for leadership and instinct. She is also Felport's Head Sorcerer and now once again has to save the city from some interesting characters before it is too late and everyone gets stuck in their worst nightmare.
Pratt is incredibly inventive in her plot and characters. Sorcerers are specialized, new beings emerge and new tricks are introduced all through out her novels. Her heroines and heros have an edge that gives a depth that can be lacking in the genre. Poison Sleep is a great read and I look forward to the next book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsGood Magical Power Struggle12 Aug 2009
By Judah - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I found this better than the first book because it was less about trying to shock the reader, and more about telling a good story. Pratt still finds times to reference obscure porn, but it's more like an interesting footnote than a major chapter arc.
The book is set inside the city of Felport, though which state Felport is located in is unknown. Marla wasn't the deus-ex force of nature that she was in book one, and really glad that vibe was toned down. In this book she has a bit of romance, which I found rather silly, but it wasn't emphasized and so was bearable.
The plot revolves an insane sorceress who can reweave reality, and who is having a mental breakdown after being woken from her fifteen year long coma in an insane asylum. On the side we have some assassins, personal assistants, divination, and chaos magic. I really like how creative the author is in terms magic specializations, and unlike the first novel, the interesting mages aren't immediately killed off after they get introduced.
Overall what really put this into the 'I like it' territory were the quirky, unique ways of doing magic described inside this novel.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsNo sophmore slump here. This is as good or better than her first.4 July 2008
Wow. Wow. Wow. It's so nice to find an author that you can't put down. This book is as good or better than her first. For those of you who haven't read the first, the pacing in this book is very well done. Also, if you're interested in the medical/legal issues that surround mental illness, this book will give you a lot to think about, in the context of an action-filled, surreal fantasy. Pretty neat.
