The Curse Mandate (The Dark Choir #3)

The Curse Mandate, (The Dark Choir 3), Book THREE of The Dark Choir,  J.P. Sloan

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Horror, Sci-fi and fantasy

 I NEVER read horror, and if I’d seen that I wouldn’t have come to this series. Its not a gory, blood-fest read though, and for me the horror is more of the “could this happen” type and I can deal with that. I really enjoyed books one and two, and was keen to get on to this.

Poor Dorian, you really can’t help but like him. He’s a very moral person in so many ways, just wants to live his life, earn a living and have fun, but he’s a magnet for trouble and sometimes his sense of morality leads him to tread very close to the permitted lines in magic.
He’s still searching for his soul, lost in book one, well – more he was tricked out of it than he lost it. Once more his need to help others got him into danger.
Alongside that though he’s got other problems, he’s got a new pupil, her brother needs help as he’s been cursed, there’s some wierd Chaos magic targeting people and places, and he’s trying to get to the root of that, trying to stop more people being hurt, and on top of that he’s a bar to run as part owner! Just another day for Dorian then..He feels like he’s always trying to catch up, and the next huge crisis is just aroubnd the corner.

As before the story is packed with magical terms, spells, curses, hexes and explanations of how different historic (genuine – they did/do exist) factions fit into this story. He’s an amazing man with incredible knowledge of his craft and its history, and I found myself constantly flicking the paperwhite Look-up function :-)
The fact there is so much of this book based on genuine societies gives it a very realistic feel.
I love the detective (Hunter?), assigned to help him, a sceptic who by the end had changed his tune and looks to become a future ally.
One issue I did have is the cast of characters has grown huge, and I found it hard to recall who connected where, why, to which group, which section of magic they practiced or whether they were of the innocent of magic group, normal humans who’ve no idea what really goes on in their world. Lots of backtracking for me, and I’d have appreciated an index to keep them straight.

As always the plots are fast and furious, Dorian is racing against time, chasing clues and help, trying to sort out who are the good guys and what the others are up to, and still trying to help his friends and track down his soul.
There some really sad parts here too, both in his personal life and for me having grown fond of a certain person :-( but sometimes that just makes it all the more real, when the unexpected happens, when the good guys don’t always come out on top.

Its a great read once more and the reason its four and not five is that I spent so long looking back at who did what, and how they fitted in to the story, plus checking out the many different terms and groups that it affected the flow of the story.
Actually that’s a bit unfair to drop a whole star, maybe just a half, as the idea and plots are excellent.
I loved the way the little side issues ended connected to the larger picture, and the detailed explanations of what the curses and spells could do, how they were constructed and at what cost. I enjoyed being completely off course in who was behind things, I like the unpredictable!

Stars: Four and a half, another action packed adventure, spell binding (!) saga, full of  power filled plots.  

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Curse Mandate is book three in the ‘Dark Choir series’ and just as fantastic as the first two. Though, I do have to say I really should have re-read the first two before I read the third as there were moments I couldn’t quite remember who was who, who had done what, etc. But that was totally my fault and not a flaw in the author’s work! But, yeah, definitely not a stand-alone book – so go buy and read the first two first. Thank me later. ;-)

Okay, back to the story – loved it. The whole plot and concept of the ‘Dark Choir series’ developed well within the Curse Mandate, though I did sometimes get the feeling a few too many things were being squeezed into the one book to line up the story for the series as a whole. Hey, this happens, many a good author and fantastic series can suffer this minor issue. Live with it, no biggie honest.

The pace and tone was smooth and consistent with the previous two books – The Curse Merchant and The Curse Servant – and I really did like how the characters all developed and grew in ways that has me curious to see what happens next with them – good writing. But there was a moment I went “WHY!!!!!” but knew it was all for the plot and so have accepted it and am moving on. I can’t tell you what my why was… spoilers.

I also want to put it out there to fans of the ‘Dark Choir series’ that a young Alan Alder looks like Dorian… or vice versa. I suggested this to Mr Sloan, but do feel he was humouring me in my fangirl moment. I don’t fangirl well, it’s against my nature. Yes I am a fan… but I like to be one of the silent types up the back doing her best to not look like a stalker. ;-)

The swearing is still there, but I’m used to it now and it is never out of context – which is why I think I am now used to it. But, yeah, it has been an issue for me in the last two books. Now? Meh. I want to read about Dorian and the gang; I deal with the words they use.

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would. But I would also strongly recommend they go buy and read the first two books first. Yes, buy and then read – any true urban fantasy fan should own copies. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Yes I will be, once we have the funds once more. Though, sadly, as much as I would love them as paper books, as I own the others as eBooks, I would continue in that medium for now.

In summary: third book in the series that was well worth the wait. Consistent with the series so far, can’t wait for the next one. Highly recommend.

Alright, this proves it: Dorian Lake is a trouble magnet. All the man wants to do is train his new apprentice and find his dislocated soul, and maybe make a living from his job as a hex-maker and his new gig as a bar owner. But fate--or knowing Dorian, it's probably karma-- just refuses to cooperate. Instead, he finds himself promising to help out his apprentice's brother with a nasty curse and finds himself embroiled in a nasty string of mysterious jinxes that threatens to bring the Presidium-- the governing body of American magicians-- right down on his head. As he puts it:
"The Presidium's about to go on a tear. Last time that happened, we got the Red Scare. Before that, Manifest Destiny."
Oh, and the demon he sold his soul to before it went walkabout is asking for a new deal while there's still time to make one.

If you're addicted to urban fantasy and looking for a Dresden Files analogue, then in some ways, this could be a good fit. There's a less-than-thriving magic business, a basement where magical experiments are conducted, a young and attractive apprentice that the narrator has an exasperating tendency to salivate over, and even the extreme overuse of a few catchphrases. (Ever since I read the Dresden Files, I've winced every time I've read "arched an eyebrow" or "shambled." In the Dark Choir series, on the other hand, there are far too many "sniffles," "grumbles," and "smirks," usually when words with a neutral connotation are more appropriate.) On the more entertaining side, both have a protagonist who eschews technology because of magic's ability to "put a whammy on electronic devices", and even a detective from "Special Investigations," a unit I'm pretty sure exists only in Canada and the world of Harry Dresden. I found Wren, this series' answer to Charity Carpenter, a lot more likeable. There are also many distinctive worldbuilding, from the far more secretive Presidium to the practice of geomancy to the weird world of the stregha. This book, in particular, greatly fleshes out the shadowy Presidium, dipping into an enjoyable early American alternate history.

However, despite all of the similarities, I found the tone radically different, both darker and more (intentionally) morally ambiguous than anything the Dresden Files can serve up. To start with, the magic of Dorian's world is a hell -- if you'll pardon the pun-- of a lot nastier. The powerful stuff ranges from chaos magic to Netherwork -- curses powered by the demonic "Dark Choir" -- to scary forces channeling the nastier aspects of nature. Dorian's magic is primarily hexwork based on what he blithely describes as "karma." Don't get me wrong; it still has its fun and silly moments--my favourite involved the magical properties of smiley faces-- but all of that moral ambiguity add a hell of a lot more suspense to the brew because the reader is left genuinely concerned about whether Dorian will slide off the moral event horizon. I found the plot itself somewhat problematic because of its tendency to completely drop subplots at arbitrary moments, but this additional moral suspense kept me simultaneously engaged and frustrated. Both Dorian and his allies take actions that made me cringe, and I still don't know where the series is heading, or just how much of an antihero Dorian will become. It's something of a refreshing change from cookie-cutter UF. When combined with a mystery I found utterly perplexing, all of this made the book nearly impossible to put down.

As for Dorian himself, he's still pretty much the guy you love to hate, but what I really appreciate about this series is that it is so very self-aware of the protagonist's flaws. The other characters continually confront Dorian with his general entitled, self-obsessed, obnoxiousness. They call him out in the way he talks down to everyone, the way he believes he deserves to win, the way he demands loyalty of others long before he grants it to them, the way he stumbles into situations he doesn't take the time to understand. One asks:
"Why do you make everything about you when it isn't? And when it actually is about you, you make it about everyone else."
So sure, Dorian is annoying and seriously flawed, but the novels don't try to convince us otherwise, which makes all the difference. Plus, there are the side characters. As in previous books, I have significant issues with the way women are characterized: they're all pretty much seductresses, naifs, or in the rare cases they do manage to gain power, they're depicted as animalistic. But hey, that's a criticism that is pretty much innate to the genre. Series staples Edgar and Wren make an appearance, as does Ches, the rather conflicted character of the last book, and Julian Bright, ex-politician-assistant and current bar owner. One character I was quite happy to see again was Reed Malosi, the guy Dorian kept calling "Penn State", and he has a much more central role here, and I love his character even more.

In the increasingly overcrowded world of urban fantasy, J.P. Sloane adds some new elements. Despite much of the standard machinery, from a struggling business to a sexy apprentice, Dorian himself is unique, both in his own unabashed flaws and the risk that he'll genuinely go Dark Side. Although I don't say this often, I suspect the Dark Choir series would be quite difficult to read out of order, so if this book sounds intriguing, I'd suggest checking out The Curse Merchant first. If you're looking for a new UF series, the Dark Choir series is worth a look. I don't know where this series is heading, but I'm definitely in for the next book.

Having read the first two book in the Dark Choir series, I was eager to get started with the third one. Granted, almost two years have passed since the second one was published and I was a little unsure if I could remember enough to get into the book right away. I'm happy to report that it was an unfounded fear; I was almost immediately drawn into the plot with most everything coming back to me from the previous books. This book, as well as the previous ones, was a well-crafted intense book with many twists and turns as Dorian continues to try and find his lost soul before it is usurped, train an apprentice who isn't exactly a novice and who he is attracted to, find out why chaos magic is destroying buildings all over town, and to help the Presidium...yes, the Presidium. This book was a wild ride, full of intense plot and great characterizations, and you are never quite sure who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. One thing did bother me in this book which I can't say too much about or I'll spoil it, is the fate of two characters who left town about half way through. I am hoping that we will find out more in future books. If you like well-written, intense urban fantasy, this book is for you. You don't need to have read the previous books in the series to read this one, but I think it would be a mistake to miss them as they are wonderful, too. A great addition to the series that I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed. This exact review posted on both Amazon and Goodreads.