Review: Premonitions by Jamie Schultz

October 13, 2014 3 stars, Book Review 12 ★★★

Review: Premonitions by Jamie SchultzPremonitions by Jamie Schultz
Published by Roc on July 1, 2014
Genres: Adult SFF, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Author
Goodreads

*This book was provided by the Author for review. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

TWO MILLION DOLLARS...

It’s the kind of score Karyn Ames has always dreamed of—enough to set her crew up pretty well and, more important, enough to keep her safely stocked on a very rare, very expensive black market drug. Without it, Karyn hallucinates slices of the future until they totally overwhelm her, leaving her unable to distinguish the present from the mess of certainties and possibilities yet to come.

The client behind the heist is Enoch Sobell, a notorious crime lord with a reputation for being ruthless and exacting—and a purported practitioner of dark magic. Sobell is almost certainly condemned to Hell for a magically extended lifetime full of shady dealings. Once you’re in business with him, there’s no backing out.

Karyn and her associates are used to the supernatural and the occult, but their target is more than just the usual family heirloom or cursed necklace. It’s a piece of something larger. Something sinister.

Karyn’s crew, and even Sobell himself, are about to find out just how powerful it is… and how powerful it may yet become.

three-stars

I am on the fence about Premonitions. There is nothing particularly wrong with it… but it just didn’t quite jive for me. The basic premise is that of a crew of thieves (upstanding individuals, however comprise this crew) who steal magical items and is run by an oracle named Karyn Ames. Karyn has the ability to read the future, hence the title of the book Premonitions. The fun twist is that for Karyn, she cannot tell the difference between reality and the possible futures she sees. She is also addicted to a very expensive drug called blind, which curbs her talent and allows her to mostly function and not become lost in her visions. Her addiction, while related to her condition, is still an addiction with all the ugly downsides. I didn’t enjoy reading about her taking her hits, and her worry about needing more and more… and her desire for money to pay her dealer. Interesting concept- not fantastic delivery. Karyn is billed as the head of the group, but as far as I can tell, it is the secondary character, Anna, who really runs the show. Karyn is terrible at communicating, and I believe she said a few sentences the entire book. I also believe that her refusal to talk about her visions (which you get to read in gory detail) put her crew in jeopardy multiple times. She was a liability in the book, not an asset. Also, ALL of her visions were dark and disturbing. It was frustrating that NOTHING happy came through. This seems unlikely to me.

Premonitions is well written, I read it in just under a day. I enjoyed the idea and I enjoyed the plot and execution of said plot. My problem was with Karyn. As a main character, she was a big let down. Thankfully, the story is told through multiple POV’s. Enoch Sobell, the bad guy, is fantastic! Nail, Anna, Genevieve, Tommy, and Drew are all well built secondary characters who carry the story well. I will read the next book in this series, and I hope the focus moves away from Karyn and her “gift.” I think this novel would appeal to either either gender and call it a solid read. The demons are awesome.  😉

Maggie

Maggie

When not taking care of my two children, husband and mini doxy, rushing here and there on the go, I can always be found reading. Fantasy of course being my favorite genre, but not the only I'll read. Oh yes, and I throw bad books.
Maggie

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12 Responses to “Review: Premonitions by Jamie Schultz”

  3. Kirsty-Marie

    Yeah, lucky it is told through different perspectives because I struggle to keep reading when I hate the main character, I can’t get past it. It does sound like an interesting concept, but yeah, I’m not that into reading about drugs and addicts, so I’d hate that part, and probably all of Karyn’s perspectives, haha.
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  6. Danya @ Fine Print

    I really like thieving books (and UF, obviously!) so I may have to give this one a try. The consistently dark visions combined with the protagonist’s drug addiction is a little bit dark for me though…maybe I’ll brave through it!
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