The Fallen Dagger

Wright launches her Hellion Saga series with this brisk, trope-filled urban fantasy. Assassin Gray Carver was recruited from a troubled childhood into Ash City’s shadiest organization by the dangerous, elusive Lilah. Now she wants out. But on her first night after walking away from her criminal life, Gray and her pediatrician fiancé are murdered. Lucifer offers her resurrection with a catch: Gray must steal the Dagger of the Fallen, the knife that mutilated Lucifer’s wings, from Lilah before she uses it to raise a demonic host. Invisible to mortals and intent on revenge, Gray follows the dagger’s trail through the supernatural streets of Counterfeit City. Wright’s clean prose and snappy pacing moves this thriller along quickly, but the plot that links the cursory fight scenes is lifted from an array of genre staples (including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, and John Woo films) leaving little room for surprise. This paint-by-numbers paranormal adventure is solid but simple. (Self-published)