Viper Moon

The first installment in Roland's Earth Witches saga is an undistinguished urban fantasy laden with clich%C3%A9s. Cassandra Archer is a Huntress in service to the Earth Mother. Her specialty is rescuing kidnapped children from the Barrows, a desolate and dangerous area of Duivel, Mo., that most people don't even know exists. Monsters live in the sewers below and gang members, murderers, kiddie porn distributors, and other human predators inhabit the buildings above. Tasked with finding the sister of sexy police detective Flynn and the son of an infamous crime lord, Cass falls for the "yummy" detective while being seduced by Michael, the mysterious owner of a trendy exercise studio and health food restaurant located at the edge of the Barrows. A predictable narrative and superficial character development make this a less than memorable read. (July)