Also by this author: Dead Man's Hand, Queen of Hearts, House of the Rising SunHouse of Comarré author Kristen Painter weaves a tale of intrigue and betrayal, as the battle for New Orleans escalates in this second novel of the Crescent City series. Mardi Gras approaches, bringing with it hordes of tourists eager to see the real-life Faery Queen holding court atop her festival float. When the Queen is kidnapped, it's up to Augustine, the fae-blooded Guardian of the city, to rescue her before time runs out.But Augustine's mystifying protégée, Harlow, complicates the task by unintentionally aiding the forces of evil, drawing danger closer with each step. The Queen might not be the first to die...
Melanie’s Review
City of Eternal Night by Kristen Painter continues the story of Augustine and Harlow, Giselle, Lally, and several other prominent characters whom we met in the first book, House of the Rising Sun.
This book really has a lot going on with it. There are 2 main storylines going on that are separate but together. I’m very interested in seeing where Painter is taking this. The structure of this book is great. It has a fast pace, but not so fast that you feel like you are missing things along the way. There are twists, turns and Daaamn moments throughout instead of just one big crazy moment at the end.
I’ve had trouble reading books that I call “wordy.” They are books that have way more words than are probably necessary, but aren’t necessarily wrong enough to remove. It’s not that I can’t read them, it’s that I have to be able to really pay attention to what I’m reading, In a house with 3 kids and a man child, the opportunity to pay attention to ANYTHING is rare. That having been said, City of Eternal Night is NOT overly wordy. I was able to read it all without complaint.
I love that we get to know a bit more about Lally. I have been curious about what her deal is since the first book, so I’m glad to finally get a glimpse into who she really is.
Harlow Harlow Harlow. I want to like her. Even through the first book, House of the Rising Sun, I repeatedly thought she was going to do something to redeem herself. I don’t understand how she’s so naïve. There are so many times where I just want to punch her in the face and ask her what the hell is wrong with her! I don’t think I’ve ever read a character that is so clueless. She almost deserves the bad things that happen to her. I wonder what has to happen for her to really get it. Oh wait, I think I know what it is lol. I guess you’ll have to read City of Eternal Night to find out.
I am glad to see Harlow finally starting to accept her fae side, but she is still horribly stubborn. She’s also incredibly impulsive. Dangerously so. She doesn’t grasp the concept of thinking things through before she does them. She’s a horror movie victim waiting to happen.
I love this world that Kristen Painter has created within New Orleans. I’ve never been to New Orleans, but I’m hoping to go one day very soon. Since I’ve never been there, I wonder how much of Painter’s book I won’t realize is fiction until I actually go there! There are a few things I do know aren’t real, but certainly would be very cool if they were. Apparently, Fae seamstresses can make dresses that will fit any body type perfectly. The outfits Harlow and Augustine wear to the Elektos Ball sound divine and I wish I could have an opportunity to wear something similar to what Harlow wears for an event. It sounds beautiful! I also like Painter’s use of essentially made up swear words. I’ve found myself using the term, “Sturka” myself, especially after I was told it can mean whatever I want it to! It’s a nice substitution for the F word when necessary!
I am really looking forward to reading the rest of this series and highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance.
Check out these other books by Kristen Painter!
Crescent City Series:
House of Comarre series
Blood Rights
Sin City Collectors Series
Queen of Hearts
Dead Man’s Hand
Double or Nothing
About Kristen Painter
When the characters in Kristen Painter’s head started to take over, she decided to put them on paper and share them with the world. She writes paranormal romance and the gothic fantasy vampire series, House of Comarre, for Orbit Books. She has also been published in non-fiction, poetry and short stories. The former college English teacher can often be found online at Romance Divas, the award-winning writers’ forum she co-founded. She’s represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.
