Dianne's Reviews > Charming

With a name like John Charming, one would need to develop a thick skin, because the opportunities to be the brunt of not-so-witty references to ‘Prince Charming’ could be endless, especially when you are immortal and in an alternate universe, you really are a descendant of THE Prince Charming. Be warned- Charming by Elliott James is not a twenty-first century fairy tale with sparkly fairies, magic wands or princesses waiting to be rescued, it is a dark urban fantasy filled with evil, attitude and the eternal fight to keep humans safe from things they do not even know exist. Templar Knight John Charming reluctantly finds himself in the thick of it, once again as he is thrown back into the fight against contemporary ‘things that go bump in the night.’ Contemporary vampires are getting sloppy and their casual blood-sucking is threatening to expose supernaturals to the world. Joining forces with a powerful, gorgeous Valkyrie and a team of Others, the fight between good and evil rages on, but at what cost to John, whose questionable mixed-blood line makes him an enigma with a few extra tricks up his sleeve.

Elliott James turned the blender on high with Charming, mixing fairy tales, alternate histories and dark urban fantasy with a dollop of snark, a dash of romantic tension and pound of flesh, living, and undead, human and supernatural. What came out was a fresh, fast-paced and creative adult tale that had me begging for more and pondering the question-what if Harry Dresden and John Charming teamed up…oh, the possibilities!

An ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group
Series: Pax Arcana, #1
ISBN: 9780316253390
Number of Pages: 400
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Adults
My Rating: 4 Stars
Available from: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
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