Jennifer Blackstream has invented something here, she has clawed at the market that is urban fantasy and created a small little hole for herself and sometime in the future she will be as commonly known as the mercyverse.

Atleast that is my prediction,
Shade Renard and her pixy sidekick have a lot of the typical characteristic of a female MC in urban fantasy, but there are details, important details, that set them apart. The sidekick, the annoying, let-me-wring-your-neck-out, annoying sidekick is actually in a loving relationship with her witch. They're family, and they squabble like an older sister looking out for a much younger one. (Despite the pixy actually being the older one).
Shade Renard is filled with this strong desire to do good, she is filled with a type of moral where she WONT stand by when shit is hitting the fan. Also typical in the genre, however Shade Renard has a reason for it. A dark past she refuses to linger much thought on, but one that is hinted heavily at is the reason why she is so moral now, such a heroine, she is seeking redemption, from something.

But what really sells this series is the universe, and it is set up so perfectly. Shade Renard, the witch who is god knows how old meets a human cop and somehow gets him entangled in all this. He's a cop, and once he's onboard all he does is ask question. This way he will ask what is x, and what is y, and Shade Renard will try to explain.
This way the reader gets fed pieces of information about this universe, its magical creatures, and its systems and it is good.

I cannot detest books that just fling around magic without any systems, here.. here there are rules, some commonly known and some a little more complex. (In book 4 we get introduced to a technomancer and that was VERY interesting). I love the magic in this book, I love the basic spellslinging magic and the more advanced magic that when explained actually shows a basis in science.

This book was great, and it's a promising start to what will, hopefully, be a long journey.