REVIEW: A Ferry of Bones & Gold

Let me just say that I'm trash for urban fantasy law enforcement romances, especially ones with good world building and main love interests that I certainly wouldn't toss out of bed. In short, A Ferry of Bones & Gold and I were destined to have a lust-at-first-read moment. Spoiler Alert: Destiny was fulfilled.

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Not satisfied? Ok. Fine...

I have a feeling that when Turner was considering what types of fantasy creatures would fill the pages of this book, her train of thought looked something like this: "I want to have powerful magic users with dark pasts and moral ambiguity. Edgy is attractive, right? Also, gingers. drool But also werecreatures... They appeal to both the lovers of muscle porn and the furries. Definitely a must. Oh! For sure also gods and their mouthpieces on Earth!! Imagine the possibilities. But vampires and demons are sexy, too... How am I EVER going to narrow this down? ... ... ... ... ... Maybe I just won't... ... ... Why choose when I can just have them all!" And, let me just say, I am not at all disappointed at the decision she made.

In A Ferry of Bones & Gold, Turner presents a fully-realized, engaging, self-contained story while simultaneously setting the stage for expansion and exploration of the lore for this alternate supernatural Earth setting, of the budding relationship between Patrick and Jono, and of the epic narrative backdrop against which the current story is set.

Of equal importance (for me at least) were the sex scenes. They were steamy yet tasteful and well-written. A combination that I rarely find in the genre. Let's just say that I looked forward to them and may have re-read them a few times...

In contrast, the pacing struggled a bit at points and the repetition of some information about Patrick's past and the unique situation it put him in got a bit annoying, but never enough to put me off of reading full speed ahead. Overall the book was very well balanced - being both a satisfying romance and a competent urban fantasy story that was also somehow able to squeeze in commentary on the juxtaposition of the sublime and the profane, of pleasure and pain, that permeates life as well as the fickleness born of the relative safety of immortality.

I couldn't help but draw parallels to (what little I've read of) the Dresden Files and to American Gods as I read through A Ferry of Bones & Gold and that, my friends, is never a bad thing. I will certainly be reading on in this series.