Marked: Book One of the Soulseer Chronicles

After a strong opening, Tingey's urban fantasy debut falters. Lucinda "Lucky" De Salle is a psychic whose best friend (her only friend, really) is a ghost named Kayla. In a powerfully creepy opening scene, Lucky encounters a demon, Henri le Dent, sent from the "other side" with a message for Kayla: they want her back. But back where? And who wants her? After Henri le Dent's visit, Lucky's life abruptly slides out of normality: she's attacked by another demon, Kayla begins acting strangely, and her quiet home is invaded by a group of characters straight out of fairy tales. Tingey stumbles into amateur territory with coincidental plot saves and a cartoonish cast. Ideally the rest of the series will live up to the promise of this volume's first chapters. (Oct.)