Book Review : Frost Moon by Anthony Francis

Frost Moon (Skindancer, #1) by Anthony Francis

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780984325689
• ISBN-13: 978-0984325689
• Available on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kindle / Fictionwise

In an alternate Atlanta where magic is practiced openly, where witches sip coffee at local cafes, shapeshifters party at urban clubs, vampires rule the southern night like gangsters, and mysterious creatures command dark caverns beneath the city, Dakota Frost's talents are coveted by all. She's the best magical tattooist in the southeast, a Skindancer, able to bring her amazing tats to life. When a serial killer begins stalking Atlanta's tattooed elite, the police and the Feds seek Dakota's help. Can she find the killer on the dark fringe of the city's Edgeworld? Among its powerful outcasts and tortured loners, what kind of enemies and allies will she attract? Will they see her as an invader, as a seducer, as an unexpected champion ... or as delicious prey?

Frost Moon is a brilliant urban fantasy novel packed with action, magic... and tattoos that come alive. Our heroine - a gutsy, stubborn magical tattooist named Dakota is being asked to investigate the murder of some people that involves their magically tattooed skin being cut off by a maniacal killer. As Dakota helps to find out the 'Grim Reaper', she notices that the clues all point to Wulf, one of her soon-to-be clients.

Intrigue, suspense and unexpected twists are the important elements in this story. You will find yourself in awe with the various types of magical tattoos that Dakota can ink on her body. The battle scenes are full of hard punches that will knock one's teeth out - real and gritty.

The most interesting character in this story would be Cinnamon, an orphaned weretiger who cannot change her form and only remain as a cat-like human all the time. She is just like any young teenage girl, except that she has strange looks, extraordinary speed and a heart that yearns for a family. She loves to stick by Dakota and teases her about Special Agent Philip. I can see that she really cares about Dakota and vice versa.

When the villain is finally revealed, I'm quite shocked because I never expected it to be XXX. Well, this is good in a way since it would be so boring if I knew it was XXX all along. But I'm not sure about XXX's motives of nailing the victim's magically tattooed skin on a box. I hope more will be revealed in the sequel. In a nutshell, this book is an enjoyable read, but it would be so much better if the frequently present F-words are deleted. 5 Frostbites for Frost Moon!

Note: There is excessive usage of the F-word. This book is suitable for adults only.

Rating:

Anthony Francis is a computer scientist who works at the 'Search Engine That Starts With A G'. By day he studies human and other minds to design intelligent machines and emotional robots; by night he writes fiction and draws comic books. He received his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from Georgia Tech. He lives in San Jose with his wife and cats but his heart will always belong in Atlanta. You can follow @DakotaFrost on Twitter to get updates on the Skindancer series.