recent read; Hammer of Darkness

Hammer of Darkness by Rowan Casey

Hammer of Darkness is the eighth book in the urban fantasy Veil Knights series. The Veil between worlds is thin, and Knights are sworn to protect our world. Each novel deals with a different knight and a different task they must perform. The titles are released direct to ebook.

The series is a throwback using a house-name author to produce short, quick adventure novels. The house-name angle is not a secret, it's mentioned in the series' summary.

In Hammer of Darkness, Hautdesert, a tough Knight who has battle fatigue stretching back through time, provides a noir first-person narrative. Hautdesert is called upon to recover a mystical hamper of power. (yes, "hamper" - not to be confused with the title. See #2 on this list)

Hautdesert navigates his way through the seedier and supernatural dangerous parts of San Francisco. He must battle natural men and supernatural creatures - from witches enhanced by magic to the point of superpowers to succubi vampires and other dangerous elements of black magick and the dark left-hand path.

Along the way, Hautdesert goes through a series of uncomfortable reunions with ex-girlfriends. (Imagine if James Bond revisited paramours from his past movies.) Many of the femme fatales harbor resentment and/or their own motivations when dealing with the hapless knight.

The action pistons along. There is a level of grit, gore and violence keeping the story away from a comfortable polish found in other contemporary urban fantasy stories.

Hammer of Darkness is a solid, quick read if you want a taste of gritty noir urban fantasy.