Book Review: Poison Fruit by Jacqueline Carey

Poison Fruit by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 3 of Agent of Hel

Publisher: Roc (October 7, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was shortly after finishing the second book of Agent of Hel that I discovered the series was only going to be three books. While that was a little surprising, since urban fantasy series tend to go on for a lot longer than that, it was also nice being able to anticipate an actual wrap-up of Daisy Johanssen’s story (not to mention there’s always something so satisfying about being able finish reading a series). That being said though, it also meant that I had some pretty high expectations for this. I was really looking forward to seeing how Jacqueline Carey was going to conclude this trilogy, and whether or not it was going to go out with a bang.

These books star Daisy, a young administrator for the Pemkowet police force who also serves as the liaison between the mortal world above and the paranormal world below – the latter being presided over by Hel, Norse Goddess of the dead. Daisy is a “hellspawn”, born after her human mother inadvertently summoned a demon with a Ouija board while on spring break in Pemkowet, unaware of the strong ties the town has to the supernatural. Daisy has been fighting the temptation to invoke her birthright ever since, an agreement with her demonic father which would grant her an untold amount of power, but the cost would be the breaking of the world.

Since the beginning of this series, a lot of emphasis has been placed on Daisy’s own personal struggle with her birthright and the fact that It Would End The World, but truthfully, I’d never felt the real threat of it hanging over my head. Her character has always had too much goodness in her, and it was hard to believe she would ever throw the fate of the world away for any personal gain. In Poison Fruit, however, that particular story thread comes to…well, fruition. What would happen if our protagonist was pushed to her limits? What if she was made to feel helpless and unable to save herself, her friends and family, and the town she loves? This third and final book explores that question, and it places Daisy in an extremely difficult position where finally the threat of her invoking her birthright becomes very real indeed.

That all comes to a head in this story’s climax and conclusion, though getting to that point was quite the journey. The pacing for these Agent of Hel books have always struck me as a bit odd even from the beginning with Dark Currents; it’s nothing deal-breaking, but definitely a factor that at times makes it harder to review these books. In the case of Poison Fruit, the story has the distinct feel of being split into two parts. The first part, detailing a plot thread in which the police and Daisy hunt for a Night Hag that has been terrorizing the dreams of the citizens of Pemkowet, could have been a novella on its own. It segues somewhat awkwardly into the second part, which involves a devastating lawsuit filed against the town which could bankrupt Pemhowet and displace the whole Eldritch community if it loses.

I’m still of two minds on way the lawsuit plotline (and its repercussions) was handled, as the whole affair was chronicled over a period of many months. On the one hand, it lends a large degree of realism to the story, since it would hardly be believable if such a high profile legal case with millions of dollars on the line were to be taken care of in, say, a fortnight. But on the other hand, we lose some of the momentum as the weeks stretched on, making it feel like very little is accomplished by the town’s citizens while everyone seems to be stuck in a state of uncertainty. Still, if the alternative was jumping forward in time, I think I would prefer the way the book is now.

If there’s another a bright side to having a lot of time while waiting for the big court date, it’s the ample opportunity for further development of the characters and world building, and Daisy’s love life also gets plenty of attention. While I would not classify this series as Paranormal Romance, I love how the heightened aura of sexual tension is ever present and almost palpable, and there are a couple of pretty steamy scenes. The side plot involving Daisy’s relationships with her potential suitors has always interested me, so it was great to be able to follow up on the “It’s Complicated” fling with Cody the werewolf as well as explore the possibilities with the sexy Outcast Stefan. It was a toss-up when it comes to who Daisy would eventually end up with, and while I can’t say the outcome was what I truly wanted, I’m glad things in the romance department were ultimately resolved.

But when all is said and done, it was the ending that made me elevate this book from a middling 3-3.5 star rating to a 4. Simply put, it was amazing. Talk about going out with a bang; the ending was exactly the kind I was looking for, and it definitely was worthy of the series. Let’s just leave it at that, as saying more would just spoil the surprise.

If you enjoyed the first two books, you definitely should check out Poison Fruit. The story continues in the same vein, though the ending was a real treat. The second book Autumn Bones is probably still my favorite book in the Agent of Hel sequence, though this last installment in the trilogy was a solid series-ender with an unforgettable conclusion, which went a long way. I’m a huge fan of Jacqueline Carey, and I’m looking forward to what she has in store next, now that Daisy’s story has come to a close.

 A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!