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lisadr's review
5.0
f you haven't already read the first book Vigil then get it and read it now, for your own good. This is a gritty urban fantasy set in Brisbane featuring Verity a half Normal, half Weyrd so she has a foot in each world but since she works for the Weyrd council she spends a lot of time dealing with Weyrd and weird stuff. Working for the Weyrd council is a bit like working for the city council only more dangerous and with greater probability of encountering tails and fangs. Verity is tough, brave, super strong, pigheaded, cynical, smart thinking and soft hearted. Imagine Phyrne Fisher transplanted to modern day Brisbane and clothed in doc martens, jeans and leather jacket except on top of all that, in this instalment Verity is also heavily pregnant. As Verity investigates mysterious drownings across the city and does some snooping for an insurance company she is targeted by some muderous kitsune and goes into early labour, luckily she is rescued by a mystery woman, who it turns out has a past very much entangled with Verity's. The storytelling is top notch; it's fast paced, wickedly funny and delightfully dark and the plot is never rushed, even though there is a huge amount of story and information conveyed. Each character is properly fleshed out and well rounded and there are twists that you just won't see coming. This is a perfect read for fans of Rivers of London or the Dresden Files or for any reader that likes their comedy razor sharp and their heroines daring, caring and devil may care.
kali's review against another edition
5.0
Book 2 of the Verity Fassbinder urban fantasy series set in modern-day Brisbane. Verity becomes a mum! But as she regains her Weyrd strength, her investigation of what begins as an insurance job when foul mud fills a lawyer's home, turns into something more sinister and random people drown on dry-land. Her worries are divided between fox-girl assassins and an elusive female warrior who seems to be protecting her (but is she really and why?), and expressing enough milk for her newborn. While she can transport herself magically between Brisbane and Byron Bay, and Brisbane and the Underworld, she faces the universal dilemma of working mums: wanting to be in two places at once and feeling like she cannot succeed at one job without failing her other.
georginaballantine's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent fast-paced follow-up to Vigil, with plenty of Verity's wit and sarcasm. As a mum of three, it's refreshing to read about a female protagonist who has a baby and keeps her kickass day job, even if she is half-Weyrd with superstrength unlike the rest of us!
Looking forward to reading Book Three: Restoration!
Looking forward to reading Book Three: Restoration!
sharon4d046's review against another edition
4.0
Escapist, urban fantasy with a strong female lead, a great read.
lightlysprkling's review against another edition
4.0
Quality read, set in Brisbane (for the most part)
calissa's review against another edition
4.0
As I've mentioned before, I love a good urban fantasy and Angela Slatter's Verity Fassbinder series is turning out to be one of my favourites. Corpselight does some unusual things with the genre.
For a start, it's refreshing to see a pregnant protagonist. And I don't mean just pregnant, I mean almost-ready-to-drop pregnant. This raises the stakes in some interesting ways. Verity has scaled back her activities as an investigator for the Council, but events conspire to draw her in. She's forced to weigh her duty to the Weyrd community against her daughter's safety.
The theme of motherhood plays out in several strands of the book. In particular, it is concerned with neglectful mothers and examines where this can be fairly benign all the way through to where it facilitates abuse. Readers should be warned the story is quite dark in places, involving off-screen family abuse and on-screen suicide.
The book is not without humour, however. Fassbinder's Law of Handbags made me chuckle, and I cackled out loud at numerous points of the story. I also appreciate a book that takes its cake seriously... though marshmallow and caramel sounds a bit sweet for me.
One of my criticisms of Vigil was its depiction of Verity's love interest, David. I was pleased to see him get a little more screen time in Corpselight. He's still a relatively shallow character--but this is by design. It reverses the gender dynamics often present in male-led urban fantasy and noir. David is the supportive spouse, there to love and enable Verity. While this was also true of Vigil, his added screen time gives weight to the affection he and Verity share.
The story kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I'd figured out the direction it was going, it proved me wrong. The ending, in particular, shook things up and I'll be interested to see how events play out in the sequel.
Overall, I found Corpselight to be a thoughtful example of urban fantasy and an excellent continuation of the series.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review contains spoilers for previous volumes/books.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
For a start, it's refreshing to see a pregnant protagonist. And I don't mean just pregnant, I mean almost-ready-to-drop pregnant. This raises the stakes in some interesting ways. Verity has scaled back her activities as an investigator for the Council, but events conspire to draw her in. She's forced to weigh her duty to the Weyrd community against her daughter's safety.
The theme of motherhood plays out in several strands of the book. In particular, it is concerned with neglectful mothers and examines where this can be fairly benign all the way through to where it facilitates abuse. Readers should be warned the story is quite dark in places, involving off-screen family abuse and on-screen suicide.
The book is not without humour, however. Fassbinder's Law of Handbags made me chuckle, and I cackled out loud at numerous points of the story. I also appreciate a book that takes its cake seriously... though marshmallow and caramel sounds a bit sweet for me.
One of my criticisms of Vigil was its depiction of Verity's love interest, David. I was pleased to see him get a little more screen time in Corpselight. He's still a relatively shallow character--but this is by design. It reverses the gender dynamics often present in male-led urban fantasy and noir. David is the supportive spouse, there to love and enable Verity. While this was also true of Vigil, his added screen time gives weight to the affection he and Verity share.
The story kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I'd figured out the direction it was going, it proved me wrong. The ending, in particular, shook things up and I'll be interested to see how events play out in the sequel.
Overall, I found Corpselight to be a thoughtful example of urban fantasy and an excellent continuation of the series.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review contains spoilers for previous volumes/books.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
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