This book started out really good, few different perspectives and i was intrigued to see how the author was going to connect it altogether. For me personally i got a bit bored with this book, i found myself losing interest in it very quickly. Which is a shame because the book is well written, the characters are different (i really like the Vampires in this book) but it just didnt keep me entertained.

I grabbed Night Owls the first book in the new urban fantasy series by Lauren M. Roy for the setting. The tale takes place in the college town of Edgewood at a bookstore called Night Owls. Roy offered an engaging tale with a motley crew of supernatural and human characters. Mini review: With a new supernatural creature and interesting characters, it holds the promise of an exciting new series.

Valerie McTeague is the proud owner of the Night Owls bookstore and a vampire. Her Renfield, Chaz, helps her by running the business during the day, along with Jason an undergrad student from the local college. Elly, is a young girl of sixteen who hunts Jackals or Creeps; flesh devouring creatures, with her guardian Father Value. When Value is killed after stealing a book, she takes matters into her own hands. The book causes Valerie and Elly to cross paths and team up to stop the Jackals. The tale that unfolds has us conjuring up spells, hang out with Succubus and learning more about this world.

Roy shared this tale using third person with multiple perspectives. It was a unique attempt and gave us insight into the characters. There are five characters who work against the Jackals or Creeps. Why the two names? Elly Garrett was raised by the Brotherhood under the guidance of Father Value, and this little girl is one tough cookie. Roy showed us Elly’s bad-ass skills but also revealed the child beneath. Valerie our store owner and the local vampire has an interesting history. She is fearless, and for the most part avoids interaction with the supernatural world. When one her “own” is in danger she quickly steps into action. I liked Valerie, and her Renfield, Chaz (who clearly has a crush on her). The author skimmed the surface of how they came to be, and I am anxious to learn more. Justin Kennedy the undergrad who works for Val unwittingly gets himself in trouble and becomes a target. Cavale was a fascinating character. He does odd jobs like removing poltergeists and casting spells. He is also connected to Elly, and I found the thread interesting. The succubus; Lia and Sunny were funny, and could kick-butt.

Night Owls, was a fast read, and I quickly consumed it. The world-building was solid but not as in depth as first books in this genre typically are. Roy still managed to give us enough details to keep me engaged, and the shorter length will appeal to some readers. There isn’t a romance, although one character has hidden feelings for another. The perspective helped flesh out the characters, and they worked well together as a team. Each offers different strengths, and I am anxious to see how they develop. I loved the blending of spells, myth, secret societies and the paranormal creatures we encounter. The casting of circles, wards and secret archives gave the tale a vibe similar to the television show Supernatural. The tale was not without flaws; there were a few minor inconsistencies but didn’t deter from my overall enjoyment and fascination with the story. Night Owls could have taken on a darker tone with the Jackals and that element missed the mark. Whether by intent or not, it is one I would have preferred. We aren’t given much of a history on these new supernatural creatures leaving them shrouded in mystery. I have it on good authority that the next book will provide some of those answers. Intense moments where infused with humor making this a lighter tale.

Night Owls offered a solid start to this new urban fantasy series. Fans of old school urban fantasy will find this appealing. I look forward to reading the next book in the Night Owls series.

It wasn't horrible, just dragged out and I found myself not caring and wondering why I didn't just DNF. However, the ending made me curious about the next one that I'm expecting to be the same way.

I picked this one up and put it back down a couple times before finally trying it. I liked the idea of the book and I enjoy the occasional urban fantasy foray, but the mention of Creeps, the main villainous creature of this book, enjoying the blood of virgins most of all in the first few pages really made me nervous. Unjustly, it turns out. Although that is a thing, it's not handled the way that I had feared it might be. Also, starting the book with Elly, a completely different character than Val, who's mentioned as the main character in all the descriptions, threw me. Oh, great, I thought. Another sassy teenager with more sexuality than sense. Yup, wrong again. Having read the book, I think Elly might be my favorite character now. Just goes to show you that jumping to conclusions is bad.

Actually, there was a lot to like in this book. There's an ensemble cast, which I always enjoy. There are vampires, but there are also the Creeps that I mentioned above, and a pair of succubi, so it's not all-vamps-all-the-time. The vampires fall into some of the normal stereotypes - the commanding presence, the lack of human ethics, the sucking of blood - but the main vampire that we see, Val, is actually a really decent person. There was action, but there was also working together, figuring things out, having emotional moments.

The characters each have a past, and some of that is explored. You get a decent introduction to the world, but you also get the sense that there's a lot more to learn. There is no romance in this book, but there are unrequited feelings that you know are going to have to be addressed at some point. And there's a nice little teaser for the next book in the series that is just enough to make you want to keep going.

In short, this has all the makings of a really solid urban fantasy series. I'm looking forward to reading more!

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Great intro book to the series. Although I didn't love Elly the main character the 'support' cast was brilliant! Val and Chaz and then the succubi! This has left enough open storylines to leave me wanting more! 3.5 stars

This was fun! better than I expected to be and a quick read. looking forward to the next one (I assume there's a next one given the ending.)

Great start to a new paranormal series. Good world-building, interesting characters, and snappy dialogue. (I especially liked the lesbian succubi couple. And I loved the college town/bookstore setting.) Looking forward to book #2.

I picked this book up initially because a writer friend mentioned it, and it sounded interesting. I enjoyed the author's handling of the vampire ethos and her introduction of other unique elements into the world of the story. The characters are well-drawn and interesting, and the story surprised me several times. Would definitely read another in this series. Great paranormal/urban fantasy reading!

Full disclosure: I know the author, Lauren Roy. She and I attended the same writers workshop in 2012. That had a lot to do with getting the book in my hands. It, however, had nothing at all to do with either my rating or this review.

Note: There are some very mild spoilers. I didn't flag the whole review "Spoilerific" because these are spoilers you'll encounter in the first few chapters.

For a debut novel, this is very strong. One of the better ones I've come across. The premise is simple: Night Owls is a book store in a college town where students hang out until the wee hours. The owner, Val, happens to be a vampire. Not a very old one, but old enough. She's been through a lot, and came to this small town to get away from all the big, hairy problems. To live peacefully, selling books, collecting rare books, and going about her unlife.

Until circumstances land those big, hairy problems right in her lap. A rare book with dangerous magic in it arrives at the bookstore in the wake of its owner's murder by Jackals, which are kind of like a cross between a vampire and a werewolf, but not as cuddly. Vampires and Jackals hate one another. More like loathe. And in Val's old life, she used to hunt Jackals down and kill them. Now, they want that book. Val's fine with giving it to them, if it will get them to leave her alone.

The problems start when one of her young employees accidentally reads the book . . . and the magic enters him instead of remaining in the book. The Jackals now want the young man, and will stop at nothing to get it.

Note: those aren't very big spoilers. Those are, like, chapter 3 spoilers at best.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly. It has good, believable, sympathetic characters who have strengths and weaknesses, and lives that don't seem to have just begun on page 1. The magic is believable and neither over- nor under-powered. The vampire lore is different to an extent that we only brush lightly in this first book. And the Jackals are, as far as I know, Lauren Roy's own invention. The world feels richer than is shown in this novel, and it's clear that there's more going on than is told in these pages.

The pacing is wonderful. The book is filled with action, but not so relentless that I felt out of breath. Nor are there lulls during which I was tempted to flip forward to find out when it was going to get moving again. In other words, just right.

A larger story is hinted at, tantalizingly, in this first novel, and there are definitely sequels coming. And I will eagerly pick them up. As I said, I bought the book because it was by a friend. I read the book because it was enjoyable. And I'm rating and reviewing the book because I think you will like it, too, if you like urban fantasy, vampires, shape-changers, magic, action, adventure, dark secrets, and a good dose of humor.