Media Type: Ebook
Title: The Fourth Channel
Author: Jen Kirchner
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: Kindle; 312
Release Date: December 3, 2012
Source: Author
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Genre: Urban Fantasy
HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Fans of Urban Fantasy with a mix of magic and mystery.
Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N
For years, Kari Hunter’s fooled the world into thinking she’s just an everyday girl. Sure, she’s the lead singer of world-renowned band Vis Viva, but outside of that, she recycles religiously, is an avid supporter of the environment, and a certifiable coffee addict. But Kari has a secret she keeps from her family, friends, and her fans.
Kari Hunter is a necromancer.
The rarest and most powerful of all magic-born, necromancers are notorious for leaving a trail of sacrifices in their wake. But Kari isn’t interested in hurting anyone. She works hard at being as un-necromancer-like as possible: everyone she stabs gets a bandage and a lollipop, and whenever her sacrificial knives get too excited at the prospect of violence, she puts them in time-out… in her lingerie drawer.
But when an agent of voodoo master Ruairi O’Bryne catches Kari using her powers, her secret’s out. And if Ruairi finds out who Kari is, he’ll stop at nothing to make her his next sacrifice.
The Fourth Channel is a book that amazed me and frustrated me in equal measures. After reading I’m still battling with how to explain how I feel. So here’s my best attempt at sharing my reading thoughts with you.
Right off the bat, things were a little confusing. Despite this being a debut novel, Kari’s story starts off in a place that feels very much like the middle of a book. I was thrown straight into the action and I floundered at the beginning. I felt stressed trying to catch up with who Kari was, why she so was special, and I wondered what I had missed.
However, the more I read, the easier it was to keep reading. The world built here is rich and vibrant, and once I understood the idea of channels, I loved the concept. Imagine a world where magic flows through everything. Where a necromancer can use that power to move the earth itself. It’s an amazing idea, and I wanted to know so much more than I was given. Hopefully this is the first in a series so I can dive deeper!
I also found myself loving Kari as a character. She’s funny, tough, and just emotional enough to show that she is human. The secret that she carries, her necromancer heritage, makes her an intriguing character to follow. I loved uncovering new parts of her as she interacted with her band mates, kicked some gratuitous butt, and solved the mystery happening right in front of her. Again, I would’ve loved to learn more about her, but she was the most well fleshed out of all the characters.
To be honest, the book really was a fun read. I just wish I would have been able to get more insight into Kari’s past before I was thrown into it all. The Fourth Channel seems like it would work perfectly as the second book in a series. Perhaps we can get a prequel with more information about Kari, her family, and her powers? I feel like the lack of explanation is going to turn a lot of readers away from finishing, which is a shame because it truly is a great story! Very original.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
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