Tour Review: Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Night Owls

Publisher: Ace (February 25, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Score one to this book for having a protagonist who is a bookseller. And bonus points for her being a vampire too. The title of this novel is actually in reference to the bookstore she runs, a quaint little place on a college campus called Night Owls which is open to 3am every night. Now why can’t there be something that awesome around where I live? I’d spend all my insomnia-ridden nights there with a big mug of tea and a good book.

Meet Valerie McTeague, sleeping the sleep of the dead by day, providing the students of Edgewood a study haven by night. No more hunting Jackals for her; she’s done with that life and has left it all behind, settling into a quiet routine with the help of her human servant Chaz.

But unfortunately for Val, that life isn’t done with her. Trouble lands on her doorstep in the form of Elly Garrett, who has a magical book the Jackals want. However, the book manages to transfer its information into the mind of Justin, a Night Owls employee who gets more than he bargained for when he unwittingly trips the wards on the old tome. The werewolf-like shapeshifting Jackals have already killed Elly’s mentor, so you can be sure nothing would stop them from killing Justin too. Val and Chaz have no choice but to seek help from the warlock Cavale, who also happens to be Elly’s estranged brother.

Overall, Night Owls has a plot that is both clever and brisk, full of windy twists and turns and yet someone all those story threads manage to come together in the end. That said, the flow felt a bit disjointed until I grew more accustomed to the structure and style of storytelling. We have several perspectives in play here and with Val being a vampire, the book almost has this day-night cycle feel going on as one of our main protagonists always has to sleep away the daylight hours. You won’t get a lot of rehashing as the main narrative is always picked up by the next POV right where the last one ends, so if you don’t keep up you’ll feel like you’re missing something.

Happily, the book firmly establishes its rhythm once the characters are united and find their synergy. The story picks up considerably at this point, and the different relationships made it even better. There are clearly some serious issues between foster siblings Elly and Cavale, which causes a lot of tension in spite of the obvious love they have for each other. Something also seems to be brewing between Elly and Justin, a future romance perhaps? And unless my eyes deceive me, Val and Chaz seem to have something to work out too, in their complicated vampire-Renfield relationship.

In the end, I liked this one. Because I read so much urban fantasy though, I can’t help but be a bit picky. When it comes to this genre, I don’t often find myself blown away by “Book 1s”, but a lot of my favorite series have started out by hooking me with the first book and only wowing me later on. This book has that feel, and as such it’s definitely one I’ll want to stick with.

Admittedly, you’re probably not going to find anything too new in Night Owls at this early stage, but if the story description interests you and if you enjoy the genre it should settle quite comfortably. An action-filled plot, a “Scooby Gang” type ensemble cast, and a world full of supernatural creatures and beings should make the UF fan feel right at home. All things considered, it has everything to make it a promising start to a new series — great world, great characters, and most importantly, a great story with lots of potential for more!