Staying Dead

Author: Laura Anne Gilman

Summary: This is the first book in the Retrievers series. Wren is a retriever (a retriever is someone who is hired to retrieve stolen items a la the movie Sneakers). She is also a Talent, someone who's body is insulated in such a way that she can hold and manipulate life force, or current (commonly called magic by ignorant Nulls), of which electricity is a crude, untamed form. In this book, she has been hired by a very prominent executive to retrieve a cornerstone that has been stolen from his office building. This cornerstone is not just a normal piece of marble, for it contains a protection spell that has protected the building and the Frants family for over 50 years. Only there is a fatal problem with the spell. Will Wren figure out the problem before it is too late?

Recommendation: I would recommend this book. It is an easy read, and while the writing sometimes drags and the subplots are sometimes a little confusing, the characters are vibrant and the plot gripping. I really identified with Wren as a character. I also thought it interesting and effective how the author describes magic as being a focused form of electrical energy. The description is plausible enough to be scientifically possible without being so technical that it loses any of the book's mystery or ambiance.

Hearts: 4