Agent of Chaos by C.N. Crawford and Alex Rivers – Book review

Published: 13 May 2017
Series: The Dark Fae FBI Series #2
Pages: 322
Warnings: Language, violence
Source: Kindle Unlimited

London is burning, and the fae are holding the matches.

I am Cassandra Liddell: FBI Special Agent and bad-ass Pixie. After barely surviving my last assignment, I’m on the hunt for answers about my past, when bombs start exploding all over London. Fae terrorists have attacked and thrown the city into chaos.

To make matters worse, my best friend Scarlett has been abducted, and her captor is playing a twisted game of “Simon Says,” sending me riddles paired with impossible tasks. Roan, a seductive fae warrior, is willing to help me … but of course he has a price. One I’m not sure I’m willing to pay.

Hounded by supernatural pursuers and hunted by the CIA, I’m racing against time to save Scarlett, and to stop London from burning to the ground. Rage is simmering under the surface, and when it boils, I’ll unleash a fire of my own.

A new adult urban fantasy.

Book links: Amazon | Goodreads

Agent of Chaos is the second book in the Dark Far FBI series, and I’m loving it. I read this series several years ago, but I’d forgotten just how good it is. Now I’m totally engrossed in the world all over again and the best bit is, there’s no waiting time for the next installment to be released!

The story is set in modern London, where humans unknowingly live amongst the fae. This book is a continuation of the story started in book 1, Agent of Enchantment, and I definitely suggest you start the story from there. Not only would skipping it make the story a whole lot harder to track, but it’s also an awesome book! (Click here to read my review of book #1, Agent of Enchantment.)

Cassandra is on the trail of an evil fae that is terrorizing London. But she’s also dealing with some pretty heavy personal issues too. As the story goes on she is learning more and more about herself, as well as beginning to doubt some things that she has long believed as true about her past.

Gabriel and Roan are both important characters again in this book. Gabriel is a law abiding man and struggles with how he is feeling about what Cassandra chooses to do, which strains their relationship and changes their dynamic somewhat. Whereas Roan is also unhappy with Cassandra’s choices, but for entirely different reasons, and these two are also trying to work their way through how it affects their interactions. I really enjoy the way that these three link in with each other and especially how Cassandra tries to juggle her own feelings and ethical judgements against what others want and need from her.

Crammed in the back of a sports car on the lap of a primal predator, I had to question the life choices I’ve been making lately.
Cassandra

Once again I have really found myself being transported into this story. To me, the descriptions of the people and places are quite involving, so I was easily following a mental picture of the people and places throughout the whole book. And Cassandra is a great guide throughout the whole thing. Her observations, emotions and mental ramblings really are handled so well. Whether it be tension, humour, fear – they’re all there, and they’re all clear and relatable to the reader.

I found one scene especially amusing. There is a man who is under a spell and the things he says to Cassandra and the names he calls her, along with her responses, are particularly funny. The poor guy is completely hypnotized by ‘Goddess’ Cassandra and wants to worship her. I could picture him so clearly! (And I will admit, I was totally laughing at the poor man.) But it’s when Cassandra loses patience with his comically excessive fawning, and her response to his overly adoring titles for her, that really brought on the laughter. Where else will you ever hear “If you don’t stop it with the nicknames, I will smite the shit out of you”?

There is a fair degree of violence in this book, with some pretty gruesome moments in the fight scenes. They aren’t excessively described or gratuituously harped on, but even an unembellished statement of injury can be a bit jarring sometimes. If you’re not into brutal battles, there are a few spots in this book where you may want to ‘look away’. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to see them coming and if you pick up a couple of pages later, you’d be able to catch on to what you missed, storyline-wise, without too much difficulty.

Those of you who have followed my reviews will know I’m all about the romance. And to be honest, there’s not much of it in this book. There are hints of it that pop up here and there, and perhaps there’s a whiff of suggestion it that will come in a future installment of the series, but we’re not there yet. But you know what? I’m enjoying the whole thing enough that I don’t really care. And I’m being dangled along by enough of a string that it keeps reeling me in, wanting more. I’ll definitely be back for the next installment, Agent of Darkness, very shortly.

C. N. Crawford is not one person but two. We write our novels collaboratively, passing our laptops back and forth to edit each other’s words.

Christine (C) has a lifelong interest in New England folklore – with a particular fondness for creepy old cemeteries. Nick (N) spent his childhood reading fantasy and science fiction which may partly explain why he is also a scientist.

Alex Rivers is the co-author of the Dark Fae FBI Series. In the past, he’s been a journalist, a game developer, and the CEO of the company Loadingames. He is married to a woman who diligently forces him to live his dream, and is the father of an angel, a pixie, and a gremlin. He has two voracious hounds that wag their tail quite menacingly at anyone who comes near his home.

Alex has been imagining himself fighting demons and vampires since forever. Writing about it is even better, because he doesn’t get bitten, or tormented in hell, or even just muddy. In fact, he does it in his slippers.

Alex also writes crime thrillers under the pen name Mike Omer.

Follow the author: Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Email: alex@strangerealm.com