Smoke and Shadows
by Tanya Huff
(urban fantasy)

This first in the series featuring Tony Foster was a very enjoyable read, and a book I am happy to have on my shelf. It had its moments of tension, though it’s chiefly action and humor. It also had touching scenes, though they were chiefly of the ‘friends’ variety between Henry and Tony. I prefer this book (and its sequels) to the Blood series which started the characters, probably because I empathize better with Tony than I did with Vicky.

The plot and characterizations were solid, and though they sometimes fell back on clichés it seemed intentional. I don’t know much about the lives of TV-show cast and crew, but I do have (stage) theatre background and so picked up on some of the inside jokes that way.

There wasn’t really anything in this book that would make me hesitate to recommend it, unless you completely dislike magic. There’s not enough magic in it to be a hindrance to most people, but I have known a few that would hate it for the magical content. Other than that, I think it’s a book that everyone can love.