Flight from Mayhem (Fly by Night, #2)

by Yasmine Galenorn

[Beth C.]

Creatures–dragons, vampires, werewolves, and more–exist among us, and it’s well-known to most humans…though not always liked. Shimmer is one of those creatures–a dragon orphan exiled to the realm of humans for a crime she committed against another dragon. She works for a vampire (whose ex is a succubus), her closest friend is a djinn, and she lives across the street from a ghost. Not your average, run-of-the-mill grouping here. When a serial killer strikes, preying on Elder Fae and stealing their wealth, Shimmer and those she works with must try to find the killer. In the meantime, she must also deal with the ghost across the street, the jealous succubus, a stalker, a Salamander on the loose, AND her own feelings for her boss. It’s going to be a busy week.

If the description sounded like the book was a lot–it was. Several storylines taking place all at once just made the book feel cluttered, and not in a good way. Rather than feeling fast-paced and breathless, it just felt…busy. What didn’t help was the writing, at least for me. Being the second book in the series, I get that the author needed to cover some bases for a new reader (like me). But it felt forced, and so much of the information was repeated several times. It was almost like I do with my children–remind them several times to PACK THEIR HOMEWORK because I know that if I stop talking long enough to take a breath–they will *forget the homework*. The problem here, of course, is that readers are generally far better at remembering things than the average child on their way to school, and they don’t tend to like being told the same thing over and over. In the same way, there were several times during the book where things just felt…convenient. For example, again without spoilers, how the situation with the Salamander plays out.

The storyline itself had potential, though a few strings that should have been tied up were left hanging (no spoilers). I think that had I felt less like I was being led around by my nose BECAUSE DON’T FORGET THINGS, and had there not been so much going on, it definitely would have had potential. I love the idea of a dragon, in human form, living among us, having been banished from her own kind. But things just never felt tight and cohesive and non-bludgeony, so…I found myself sadly disappointed.