Book Review: Janis and the Reaper

 

After a short, strange life, Janis Lyn Pereda wakes up dead the day before her sixteenth birthday. To her dismay, and not missing the irony, this is the first time in her existence that she’s ever felt alive.

After spending almost 70 years trapped in various human bodies, Jayan Mati is bored of his exile from the respected ranks of reapers. He fills his days as forensic pathologist in a body that is slowly turning against him.

When the two collide outside a Richmond, Virginia morgue, they uncover a sinister secret: someone is killing off reapers to cover up an illegal faerie deal gone astray.

Unfolding across a magical tapestry of the U.S. and beyond, Jay and Janis find themselves unraveling the corruption at the heart of the faerie courts with the help of a demigod of death, a forgetful psychic and an (occasionally) friendly demon. Janis and Jay set out to expose the fae and get justice for those affected by the corruption while coming to understand the true nature of their own identities and just how deep the love of found family can run.

My Review

I really enjoyed this book. Like the cover, I kind of got the old nostalgia vibes from it. Although, I have to admit that in the beginning, it did take me a little while to actually like this book. While there were things happening early on in the storyline, I just felt like it was moving at a slow pace. Yet, once I did find myself really engaging in the story, it was different. 

Jay may be a reaper, but he is not all heartless. In fact, he was giving off fatherly vibes towards Janis. Yet even Jay was in uncharted territory with the fae coming after reapers. As the story progressed, both Janis and Jay became stronger. 

We will forget that moment when Jay had to deal with Sylvie. Beware flying strawberries! I laughed at Jay and Janis's first meeting with Sylvie. There are a few other funny moments in this book. I never knew what would come out of Sylvie's mouth. Also, there is Friend, who instantly I liked a lot. They kept things interesting as well and were a good addition to this group.