Pooka in My Pantry

by R.L. Naquin

[celinenyx]

I learnt from this book that one truly does not want a pooka in their pantry. Those guys are nasty.

Zoey helps people and monsters alike - and her help is now needed more than ever. The Leprechaun Mafia is killing supernaturals, while Riley's boss is making life very difficult for Zoey. Will she survive the bad luck that seems to follow her everywhere?

The first Monster Haven book was a fun supernatural romp through a wacky urban fantasy world. It had some issues with plotting, not thoroughly mixing the storylines. Luckily, Pooka in My Pantry shows vast improvement in this area. The plotting was more consistent, and tension was sustained for a longer amount of time. I'm always glad to see an author improve, and Ms Naquin did overcome some issues that were prevalent in her debut novel.

Because of the happenings in Pooka in My Pantry, the tone of the novel is slightly more serious than the one in Monster in My Closet. Though it never gets truly dark, the atmosphere in this novel fits the subject matter. The stakes are raised for out main characters, as the people Zoey loves get in plenty of danger. It made for an engaging read, but for me the fun moments were too few and far in between. I was hoping for more laughs from this book, and less sadness.

That said, the Monster Haven world is still crazy, and I always enjoy seeing what kind of monsters the author comes up with now. The world is slowly expanding, more lore is being added, without it being overwhelming. I'm looking forward to see what comes next for Zoey, the reaper she's dating, and her closet monster.