The Burned Spy - Book Review

The Burned Spy (Immortal Spy Book 1)
by K.A. Krantz

What is it about:
Gods. Always ready to screw you.

When Bix the Gatekeeper is summoned from exile a hundred and seventy years early by the goddess of the Norse Under World, the former Dark Ops agent knows there’s a catch. On the surface, the terms of the deal are simple. Someone attacked the pantheon’s ambassador to the Mid Worlds and left the ambassador in a coma. In exchange for early parole, Bix must identify the perpetrator and drag their soul to Hel.

It’d be a sweet contract, if not for the details. The ambassador is Bix’s ex-girlfriend, the lead suspect is the key witness from Bix’s trial, and the organization leading the official investigation is the same intelligence guild that disavowed Bix when a covert op went pear-shaped. Undeterred, Bix returns to her old stomping grounds where clues in the smoldering woods of Centralia, Pennsylvania, lead to the waterfront of Washington, DC, and Worlds beyond.

Once valued for her skills creating passageways as small as a capillary or as large as a continent, Bix’s success now depends on the relationships she was forced to abandon. As she squares off against friends who betrayed her and enemies keen to destroy her, Bix follows a trail of secrets, torture, and treason that leads to the very superpowers who banished her. With her freedom on the line and revenge within reach, this highly-trained operative will take on Fates, dragons, angels, and gods to get exactly what she wants.

Hel hath no fury like a burned spy.

What did I think of it:
I loved Krantz' Larcout, so when I learned about her new Urban Fantasy series I immediately ordered The Burned Spy.

And what a cool read!

Bix is a powerful heroine, but ten years of exile have taken their toll and left her with some vulnerabilities and a lot of enemies. As she tries to find out who attacked Mirri she stumbles from one dangerous situation into the next. There wasn't a dull moment in this book.

I really liked the world building. All pantheons seem to be present, although because Bix works for Hel, the Norse pantheon is most heavily represented in this book. Still, the world lends itself for lots of interesting Gods and stories for future books. I very much enjoyed learning about the workings and politics of all the different factions in this book.

Bix gets help from some really cool characters. With some it's clear why they help, others have more hidden motives. I seriously hope to see more of several of them in future books.

The story is suspenseful and full of intrigue and action. I very much enjoyed seeing Bix slowly discover more about what happened and to see things fit together.

All in all a great start to a very promising series. Bring on the next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool and suspenseful UF read.


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