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    Dark Currents
    Dark Currents
    Dark Currents
    Audiobook10 hours

    Dark Currents

    Written by Jacqueline Carey

    Narrated by Johanna Parker

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Jacqueline Carey is the New York Times best-selling author of the award-winning Kushiel's Legacy series. Dark Currents introduces Daisy Johanssen, a hell-spawn living in a Mid-west resort town that also boasts fairies, vampires, and a Norse goddess. As police department liaison for the paranormal, Daisy takes notice when a drowning victim shows signs of eldritch involvement. Paired with officer- and werewolf- Cody Fairfax, she must solve the case before tourist season is ruined.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateOct 2, 2012
    ISBN9781470323851
    Dark Currents
    Author

    Jacqueline Carey

    New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey was born in 1964. After receiving BA degrees in Psychology and English Literature, she embarked on a writing career. Kushiel’s Avatar is her third fantasy novel, completing the Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy, which also includes Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Chosen.

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    Reviews for Dark Currents

    4/5

    255 ratings38 reviews

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    • 5/5
      DARK CURRENTS begins an urban fantasy trilogy. It is set in the resort town of Pemkowet, Michigan, and is peopled by locals, summer people, tourists -- and fairies, ghouls, vampires, sprites, naiads, and lots of other eldritch folks. They are all presided over by Hel who is a reclusive Norse goddess.Daisy Johanssen is Hel's deputy. She is a half-breed fathered by Belphegor, lesser demon and occasional incubus, on her human mother. She's a twenty-something blond with her father's black eyes. She works for the local police department as a part-time file clerk who is called in when the cases involve the eldritch community. She has a crush of Deputy Cody Fairfax who is keeping the fact that he's a werewolf secret from most of the community.When a frat boy is found drowned in the river and Hel tasks Daisy with finding out what happened to him, she and Cody are teamed up to work the case. They are under pressure to solve the case fast because the boy's family is not a fan of the eldritch and wants them to be outlawed.This was a great story that integrated a lot of worldbuilding seamlessly into the action-filled plot. Daisy has her hands full juggling her duties with Hel and the Pemkowet Police department. She also gathers quite a crop of potential suitors including the new head of the ghouls Stefan. Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this story and be eager to read more about the world that was developed and Daisy's further adventures.
    • 2/5
      Daisy is no Phèdre. It's probably my fault, but I started reading the book expecting something like the Kushiel series, and instead I got something a lot simpler.
      The worldbuilding concepts are interesting, but the characters aren't. I won't be looking out for the sequels.
    • 4/5
      I thought this story was fun. I really enjoy urban fantasy, and while this one is decidedly less urban than most others I have read, I liked the setting. (I actually looked up the history of Singapore, MI out of curiosity based on the description in the book.) Daisy is a unique character who handles new challenges with a mix of emotions. Carey doesn't make Daisy perfect and, in fact, has provided her with a constant character flaw (that of her father's nature) that creates tension in every emotionally charged scene. I also loved the wide range of supernatural beings that put in appearances throughout the book, from vampires and werewolves to fairies and naiads. (In a fantastic twist, the vampires are NOT a major part of the story line. That's refreshing.) I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.
    • 3/5
      A really good concept, with mediocre execution and some irritating points.
      Daisy is Hel's liaison, charged with dispensing uustice among the supernatural community of a small town. She's half demon spawn, and even has a tail. The major flaw here is she could cause all kinds of trouble by invoking her demonic birthright, and is supposed to be tempted by sin etc. which is super cool- except I didn't buy it. Daisy's a major goody goody, no hint of darkness at all. And didn't seem to have much in the way of passionate fire either, except some very mild outburts of temper to people who deserved it.
      Some other things that bugged me:
      *The heroine's favourite word "gah"
      *The romantic interests (three of them) didn't stand out much
      *The 1st person voice wasn't written very well. There were many pointless grating asides to the reader like 'I don't know why blah blah" or "Yes, I....".
      *The plot was pretty boring til the very end
      *Filled with cultural references, which I usually adore, but they came off wrong here

      So as you can see, I was tossing up between 2 and 3 stars. The whole time I kept thinking that this or that fantasy book does this or that WAY better, which speaks to the lack of originality in most ofmit. Ultimately I gave it three stars for the concept (the hellspawn concept, not everything else) behind it but really it's more of a 2.5. Probably won't pick up the sequel.
    • 3/5
      Vacation Town Fantasy? Yes, that's urban fantasy taking place in a small lake town. It's a welcome change from the basic gritty city setting.

      Daisy is the goddess Hel's liaison between the human world and that of the paranormal. She's also the daughter of a demon who, if she ever embraces her full powers, could destroy the world.

      The thing about this book I particularly enjoyed was the mystery. I didn't figure it out at all and when I learned what was happening... it was almost unbearably sad. I think Carey has a gift for that, the knife to the gut with that little extra twist to make sure you really feel it.

      I'd love to see more of these.
    • 3/5
      I love JC, the Kushiel books are my very favorite!
      Dark Currents is a fun, quick read. I didn't rate it any higher because the urban fantasy genre isn't my favorite. When I pick up a JC book I am hoping for more depth and substance.

    • 4/5
      I was very ready to roll my eyes at this series... had read some of Carey's Cushiel series - lots of intrigue, high fantasy... this seemed so "lite".
      But I enjoyed it. A bit of Harry Dresden meets Rachel Morgan on the set of Grimm... but I like all of those things, and it was not just a rehash.
      I'll move on to the next in the series....
    • 4/5
      If I were judging this book solely on an urban fantasy level, it was one of the better ones I've read. If I were judging it on what I know Jacqueline Carey's writing abilities, it wasn't quite as good as her Kushiel series.However, because of the genre switch, I think that there is a level of change that should be expected in the writing style. It was still well written, it just took me a bit off guard having only previously read her fantasy novels. There was a lot more humor in this urban fantasy then I have found in other series of the same genre. It helped to keep the pace going at a rate that I enjoyed, and never felt bogged down with too much seriousness.I did feel that too much was crammed into the one book, mostly on the part of introducing different supernatural creatures. It seemed Carey wanted to get in every species in this first installment, and because of that the went off on tangents that seemed unnecessary. I feel like this could have been spread out throughout the series. The protagonist, Daisy, is a very like-able and relate-able character, and had a lot of great characterization throughout the novel that endeared you to her, and kept you wanting more of her. She has an endearing quality about her that makes her one of the more memorable heroine's in the genre.Unfortunately I felt Daisy was about the only well fleshed out character, while the other's were a little more two dimensional. They lacked the level of characterization I know Carey is capable of. I also really loved that Carey took the time to explain why there was such a large supernatural presence in this particular town. In other series in the genre it can often be overlooked, and we just have to take for granted that all these creatures are in one spot. It was refreshing to have an explanation.Definitely an Urban fantasy worth reading if you enjoy the genre. Jacqueline Carey is just simply an excellent writer. I will say though, for as much as I enjoyed this, I hope so badly that Carey returns to the fantasy genre soon.
    • 3/5
      Well written, moves well, has interesting mix of the usual and not so usual urban fantasy types, yes werewolves, yes vampires, ghouls are a bit of a surprise. Nevertheless it's small town heroine with a plus is one of many out there kicking some monster butt while eyeing other monster butt.
    • 4/5
      Daisy has an interesting job: she works with the police in the town of Pemkowet to make sure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities remain calm. Being not quite human and not quite eldritch, owing to her mixed heritage, she seems to be the perfect fit for such a task. And indeed, she is. But when a college student drowns, the tourist trade of that resort town threatened and the eldritdh community is blamed. This tale has just the right mix of elements to make an interesting story from beginning to end: other-worldly characters, regular humans, romance, danger, and mystery, a little something for everyone.
    • 5/5
      4.5
      Throw your idea of the normal supernatural regulars out with this book. There are more varieties and they are unique; Werewolves, Brownies, Vampires, Ghouls, Mermaids and more. The head Ghoul, is sexy with a beating heart and blood in his veins. Hel is a Norse goddess who rules supreme over the edritch (supernatural others) that live there.
      Daisy is a half demon and agent of Hel. She was raised by her mother, and taught to be 'good.' She has to avoid temptation, called the seven deadlies. She will gain enormous power and then hell on earth will reign. Not easy when she's quick to lose her temper and her demon father is always trying to get her to come over to the dark side. She is single and looking, and there are some nice men to look at. She is a bit immature, and acts a bit like a teen, IMHO. She is new at this, and she grows up before the end of the book.
      When a Frat boy turns up drowned, and his death points to supernatural causes, Daisy is partnered up with hot police officer Cody Fairfax. He long time crush. They work together hunting clues and trying to keep her on the non-evil side of the force. -She is a hot head- They meet up with Stefen, the head ghoul and hunky hotness that he his, he stole the show for me. : ) He has powers that can help and offers them. But can he be trusted ?
      The humans is town don't like the supernaturals and this killing brings all the craziness out to disgrace the town and the police department. This could be the end of the uneasy balance the town has. The clock is set and them team must rush to solve this case before it gets really bad.
      The bad-I was bothered by Daisy's tail, it is brought up too much. it was twitching, it was rubbing, it was...okay I get it she has a tail. The sexual torture, I hate this subject, but it was not detailed nor graphic and I appreciated that. I was also miffed at the lack of romance, but when dealing with the subject of the story i am relieved it was left out. It would have been totally inappropriate. So I guess it's not a problem, I just wanted it. LOL
      There are two more books planned and I am jumping on them asap.
    • 3/5
      so-so urban fantasy. Seems very Anita Blake-ish, midseries. The romance aspect is more annoying than tantalizing, but the worldbuilding, small town ambience and family-relations saves the book from being completely predictable and dreary.
    • 5/5
      Another very well written and enjoyable book by Carey. Even if the target audience seemed a bit younger than for previous books, the characters were interesting with a lot of depth as usual.
    • 5/5
      It might be a bit trash, but it was definitely fun and hard to put down. It was thrilling and adventurous and emotional without being girly or chick-lit. I was drawn into the character's world, and didn't want to leave. Synopsis: Daisy is a hell-spawn trying to make her way in the world. She works as a part-time clerk at the local police department in Pemkowet, Michigan. But this isn't any Midwestern town. It also has a functioning underworld, ruled over by the Norse goddess of the dead, Hel. Daisy is also a half-breed. Her mother is an amazing human... Her father is Belphegor, lesser demon and sometimes incubus. There was an ... incident. Then came Daisy. She works now as part-time clerk in the local police station. She's also Hel's (goddess, not underworld) enforcer and eldritch liaison. When a frat boy is found drowned under suspicious, magical-tainted circumstances, Daisy is called in to help alongside her long-time crush, Cody, a police officer and closeted werewolf. Also on the scene is Stefan, a long-not-quite-dead ghoul. And is hit on by her babysitter, but it's cool cuz she attracted to her... Lurline, the lamia who found fame as a B-movie star. There are vampires, ghouls, fairies, naiads, ogres, undines, and at least three references to Princess Bride. I read this at the exact perfect time. If you are looking for a fun read, with a great urban fantasy feel, a bit of romance and a strong female lead, I'd recommend it.
    • 5/5
      This novel demonstrates the flexibility of Carey's storytelling abilities as she moves seamlessly from the high medieval fantasy she's known for to a modern urban fantasy setting. As always with Carey's work, this book is well-written, reflecting the author's extensive vocabulary and skill at composing prose. The mystery plot is reasonably compelling and the relationships between the characters hold the potential for intriguing developments in the next installments. The various supernatural inhabitants of Carey's world are convincingly portrayed, and I look forward to learning more about the functioning of the eldritch community as Daisy continues to grow into her role as Hel's liason.
    • 2/5
      This book made it up to three stars at times. In fact, I probably would have given it three stars if I had read it instead of listened to it. If I had read it, I could've skimmed over the little things that drove me insane. Also, it wouldn't have taken me 10 hours to read.

      Dark Currents reminded me of a less interesting version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer structured around a police procedural instead of a high school drama. The plot was interesting, and I especially liked the Norse elements, Stefan in general, and Carey's really interesting take on ghouls/the outcast. Daisy's relationship with her mother and her devotion to her friend Jen were other highlights.

      However, not only was there a love triangle (my biggest literary stumbling block), but then an additional guy was thrown in for good measure at the end. Also, Carey relied way too much on Daisy's tail to demonstrate any sort of emotional reaction. And every time Daisy lost her temper, I swear the text was copied and pasted in. Scent of ozone? Check. Mention of tail twitching? Check. Things rattling? Check. Also, the dialogue was not great, especially any sort of police-related dialogue (WAY over the top) and the constant "Gah!" from Daisy. What was with the "Gah!"?
    • 4/5
      A new series that is set in a small town in the Midwest where the Fae and others can cross into our world. Sometimes you get a glimpse and sometimes it changes your world forever. Daisy is half demon that was conceived during a college weekend trip and now she is is the goddess Hel's mortal representative in town keeping all the non-mortals in line. The death of a visiting college student from a nearby uptight town brings her position out more in the public eye and more in contact with her secret crush. What I liked about this series setup is she has a good female friend and a good family relationship and she talks to both during the course of the book. I'm interested in reading the next
    • 3/5
      Pretty standard criminal investigation urban fantasy. Disappointing, because "standard" is not something you can say about any of Carey's other series (even if I couldn't get through Banewreaker).
    • 4/5
      The start of a new urban fantasy trilogy, Dark Currents is definitely headed in the right direction! Taking place in a small tourist town of Pemkowet on the shores of Lake Michigan, I absolutely adored the feel of this community. Everyone knows everyone else and yet its not as low key as you would think because it is a bustling tourist town. It’s major draw is that it has an “Underworld” ruled by a Norse goddess, Hel. Her presence makes it possible for other creatures and people of the magical persuasion to exist in the mortal realm.

      Now everyone knows humans love the magical and mystical creatures of any kind so this makes Pemkowet an attraction for lookie loos to hopefully catch a glimpse. The main character Daisy happens to be a half human, half demon that functions as Hel’s liaison between the Underworld and human community’s. She’s young and still learning the ropes of her job. Along with having an extremely hot temper she has to contend with constant temptation from her inclinations towards the seven deadly sins. Don’t start thinking Dark Currents is one of those Heaven vs Hell stories because it really isn’t – or at least I didn’t get that feeling. Daisy has a whole barrel of issues to deal with, from discrimination, her temperament and temptations possibly setting off Armageddon to having the hots for a certain werewolf in hiding coworker.

      Dark Currents is one that stands out amongst the many urban fantasies I have read because while it had all of the elements there that an urban fantasy reader would look for, it still manages to bring something fresh and unique to the table. There is a wonderful mixture of lore from various cultures as well as a new type of creature I have definitely not seen before. Daisy has a strong personality that is equally matched by a great cast of supporting characters. Not to mention the sexy sizzle factor from a few of them. I can’t get my hands on the next book soon enough!
    • 4/5
      I'll admit that the main reason I bought this book was because I had a store credit at Porter Sq Books for almost exactly the cover price, but I really enjoyed it. The protagonist is irreverant and fallible and snarky and quite good at her supplementary job of investigating supernatural aspects of small town crime (her main job is as a file clerk at the police station). A rich young visitor is found drowned in the river and his conservative family is trying to ruin the tourist trade by saying that the supernatural beings who live in the small Michigan town are a dire threat. Daisy's a half demon and is working with an in the closet werewolf on this case, and there's a new ghoul in town who's helping out. I'm fairly sick of the love triangle thing, if her werewolf partner can stay friendly (hints point to no), and the ghoul is the temptation/bad boy, okay, but then near the end a new mostly human guy is added to the mix (his Jamaican heritage and easy going attitude were interesting, but Carey seems to be conflating Rastafarian with Jamaican). New guy is going to feature in the next book in the series, so we'll see. There's also some best friend drama, a lamia as a godmother, tempation from her demon father (that's the main special snowflake bit, she has the potential to bring on Armageddon *sigh*), and a good mother/daughter relationship that reminds me of Vicky and her mom from the Blood books (hope things don't end the same way!).
    • 3/5
      The best thing about this book is the world building and secondary characters. The town in which the story takes place is fleshed out and the various magical creatures are not uniform or without flaws. There is a diversity of beings introduced. Presumably, different characters will be used as the series continues.

      The central figure, Daisy, is half-demon. She's young and living in a small town in Michigan known for it's supernatural residents. A young man from a rich family is found drowned and there is a race to find the murderer before his family successfully punishes Daisy's hometown for his death. Daisy is a part-time file clerk for the police and serves as Hel's (the Norse goddess of death)liaison to the human world.

      There are elements of romance as Daisy deals with her feelings for her childhood friend, Cody, and her attraction to the new leader of the ghouls, Stefan. However, it's not a romance in the strict sense of the term. It's a cozy sort of mystery matched up with an urban fantasy. Fans of Kushiel's Dart looking for another high fantasy will not find it here but it's a fun read.

      There are strong female friendships presented and valued which is a nice change.

      Fans of Sookie Stackhouse, small town mysteries, and lighter urban fantasies would enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      What a story! I love the world Jacqueline Carey has created. The lead female character is awesome and I can't wait to see what else she is going to be doing in the next book. The magical community that she uses is so awesome. The story was interesting thoughout the whole book. The murder mystery was a little shocking. Can't wait to read the next book.
    • 4/5
      Funny and relaxing, a real nice urban fantasy. This story does not have the quality or the depth of the Kushiel Legacy books or the Naamah trilogy, but is a good read non the less. Do not put your expectations beyond the reach of a normal but nice urban and you will be perfectly satisfied.
    • 3/5
      Passable enough for a bit of escapism. It promised much more than it delivered, but I guess it's really just a set-up for the inevitable sequels. I give it bonus points for being able to read the whole thing in a single day.
    • 4/5
      Not quite as textually dense as the Kushiel series, but quite enjoyable regardless.
    • 4/5
      Dark Currents fits right into the current trend of urban fantasy and supernatural mystery books with spunky female protagonists, only the urban part is missing. An enthralling story of accidental death and mild mayhem set in the rural midwest in a town, not quite like your own, because of the presence of Yggdrasil II and the Norse Goddess Hel. There are the obligatory werewolves and vampires, but the main character is a half-demon police irregular, who serves as Hel's liason between the eldrich community and the mundanes.

      Dark Currents caught my interest enough to stay up after bed-time reading, but couldn't quite earn the elusive 5th star. While nowhere nearly as sexually explicit than Carey's earlier works, there is enough discussion of desire that I would hesitate to give this book to a younger reader.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this UF from Jacqueline Carey. It had an interesting take on ghouls (some might compare it to a psychic vampire - feeding on other peoples' emotions).. I like the setting of Pemkowet and the interesting side characters of a werewolf in hiding policeman, a lamia that happens to be a good friend of the MC, and Hel herself.

      Not such a fan of the multiple love interest angle, or how often the world "Gah" appeared when the MC appeared to be frustrated/concerned/ or upset.

      I'll definitely check out the next book in the series though. I very much enjoyed the novel overall.
    • 4/5
      This was delightful, well-executed and reasonably thoughtful fluffy urban fantasy. I *like* fluffy urban fantasy, so I am totally ok with that, and the couple of uniquely Carey touches (notably Lurine, for a couple of reasons) make it all the better. Totally a thumbs-up recommendation for fans of the genre, and my fangirl heart hopes that this ends up a solid mainstream success, because it really is better than most of the genre, while still being indubitably right in the heart of it.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars. This was good, and maybe I really should be giving it a full 4 stars, but I'm a huge fan of Ms. Carey's and that's probably making me overly critical.First of all, Jacqueline Carey does urban fantasy? Yes, please! I enjoy her Kushiel books so much more for her gorgeous prose and her amazing world building, but I was really curious what Dark Currents would be like. I wasn't a big fan of her Santa Olivia series; even though I loved the first book, the sequel Saints Astray just seemed to be missing something. That series has always been a bit of an odd sock, taking place in an urban fantasy setting but without all the urban fantasy elements.Dark Currents better fits the mold. After reading so much urban fantasy and paranormal romance titles this past year from authors like Jeaniene Frost, Karen Marie Moning, Patricia Briggs and others, I can honestly say Jacqueline Carey's book can stand its own next to any of them. In many ways, it even shines above the rest. Sure, it has its share of vampires and werewolves, but I love book's unique premise and its half-demon protagonist fulfilling her role as an agent of a Norse goddess -- Hel, who presides over an eldritch underworld located in the small Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet. Carey has always been very good at writing fantasy worlds.Also a little different are the Ghouls/Outcasts in this series. These are not your usual slavering, rotting pop culture ghouls. I thought I'd mention them because they play a big part in this novel, and I really liked the author's unconventional yet intriguing take on it.Now, for the stuff that didn't really do it for me. Like many books of this genre, the plot of Dark Currents revolves around a mystery, and in this case, Pemkowet authorities are baffled by the suspicious death of a college boy and the supernatural circumstances surrounding it. That in itself wasn't a problem for me, and in fact I got into the story right off the bat and was really looking forward to the characters solving the case.The problem is, maybe I've read too many fast-paced, action-packed crime and detective novels lately, because I felt the investigation in this book went way too sluggishly. Our protagonist and narrator Daisy Johanssen keeps getting waylaid by so many other problems in her life. I didn't so much mind the detours she had to take which involved her work as an Agent of Hel because I understand it's part of the world building, but I could have done with way less drama from her personal life like her fight with her BFF or the fact she seems to get distracted every time she sees a cute guy. It all adds to her character, but I honestly just wanted to get moving along with solving the crime. On the other hand, maybe it speaks well of the book that the mystery had me so hooked.Also, I have to say that Jacqueline Carey books are so much more of a joy to read when they're written in the first person. Maybe that was another problem I had with the Santa Olivia series, as I just like it so much more when we're in her characters' heads. However, I have to say that Daisy really got on my nerves with the number of times she says "GAH!" in this book. Daisy is wonderful, but she's definitely no Phedre. But really, who is?
    • 4/5
      Daisy works as a file clerk for the police in her small Midwestern town. Also, she is the half-human spawn of a demon who raped her mother; Daisy could destroy the world if she so chose, and when she gets angry the veils between the spheres thin and her father tempts her. And she’s the local liaison between the supernatural world and the human world, with Hel’s authority (Hel being the local goddess). When the son of some local, politically connected anti-magic zealots dies in a suspicious accident, she’s forced to work with the hot werewolf on the force (her longtime crush) and with a mysterious, attractive new ghoul in town, ghouls here feeding on human emotions rather than flesh. There are also vampires, psychics, and a variety of other beasties. Given the hot guys circling around Daisy (there’s a third human one I didn’t even mention), this feels like Carey’s foray into a popular market niche because it will sell, but Carey’s good so I didn’t mind. Still, I can’t help but hope for something like her Oathbreaker books again.