The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of SPI Files

Date of Publication: December 31, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars – “A solid introduction to a promising new urban fantasy series; features an endearing protagonist and an action-filled story line full of fun and energy”

Quirky and energetic, The Grendel Affair is the first book which kicks off the new SPI Files series by Lisa Shearin, featuring a mash-up of police/government agent procedural elements with urban fantasy. Think The X-Files meets Men in Black — except instead of aliens, Supernatural Protection & Investigations is in charge of tracking paranormal creatures and keeping the public safe from them. Unfortunately, they also don’t have those handy flashy neuralyzers thingies to help hide the truth of their existence from the general populace. 

The book follows Makenna Fraser, a southern seer who moves to New York City to persue her dreams of becoming a world famous journalist. However, not long after starting her first job as a trashy tabloid reporter, she is recruited by the NY branch of SPI for her special ability to see through any kind of glamour, veil, spell or shield that a supernatural baddie can come up with.

Mac’s duties generally don’t require her to be on the front lines, but a sudden string of murders by something not human puts SPI on high alert. From then on it’s all hands on deck, especially when the murders are linked to a bigger plot to expose supernaturals to the world on the night of the biggest party of the year — New Year’s Eve in Time Square. Thousands more will die if the SPI doesn’t stop their adversary in time, and the only person who can see through the disguises of the killer creatures is Mac.

First of all, can I give a big yay for Grendel? Yes, we’re talking the Grendel of Beowulf fame. The monsters that SPI goes after in this book are creatures like Grendel, probably even his descendents, and that is just way too cool. In a series that also features the usual fare of urban fantasy creatures like vampires, werewolves, ghouls and goblins, it’s a nice as well to see a touch of inspiration from Old English literature and mythology.

Other than that, this book is what you would expect and quite typical of the genre, complete with an action-filled mystery plot, a budding office romance, and clever snappy dialogue but without a lot of the snark. Mac is an interesting character, not being an outwardly kickass or sassy kind of protagonist but she is still very endearing in her reluctant-heroine awkwardness…to say nothing of her cookie-gobbling ways and the fact she carries a fake handgun loaded with tequila. Also, I enjoy the fact that her business partner and fellow SPI agent Ian Byrne is not the kind of arrogant, cheeky-posing-as-charming love interest I generally have the tendency to dislike on sight. These two are both down-to-earth and will be very good together, I can already tell.

It’s true that those who read a lot of urban fantasy probably won’t find anything too new about the overall premise or story in this book, but The Grendel Affair is still a very solid introduction to the SPI Files as well as a promising beginning to the series. Those looking for a fun read will not be disappointed.

 4 of 5 stars