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Ordinary Magic #1
Death and Relaxation
Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle the Valkyries, werewolves, gill-men and other paranormal creatures who call the small beach town of Ordinary, Oregon their home. It’s the vacationing gods who keep her up at night.
With the famous Rhubarb Festival right around the corner, small-town tensions, tempers, and godly tantrums are at an all-time high. The last thing Delaney needs is her ex-boyfriend reappearing just when she's finally caught the attention of Ryder Bailey, the one man she should never love.
No, scratch that. The actual last thing she needs is a dead body washing ashore, especially since the dead body is a god.
Catching a murderer, wrestling a god power, and re-scheduling the apocalypse? Just another day on the job in Ordinary. Falling in love with her childhood friend while trying to keep the secrets of her town secret? That’s gonna take some work.
With the famous Rhubarb Festival right around the corner, small-town tensions, tempers, and godly tantrums are at an all-time high. The last thing Delaney needs is her ex-boyfriend reappearing just when she's finally caught the attention of Ryder Bailey, the one man she should never love.
No, scratch that. The actual last thing she needs is a dead body washing ashore, especially since the dead body is a god.
Catching a murderer, wrestling a god power, and re-scheduling the apocalypse? Just another day on the job in Ordinary. Falling in love with her childhood friend while trying to keep the secrets of her town secret? That’s gonna take some work.
326 pages, ebook
First published June 17, 2016
684 people are currently reading
2,945 people want to read
About the author
Devon Monk
75Ìýbooks2,049ÌýfollowersDevon Monk is a national best selling writer of urban fantasy. Her series include Ordinary Magic, House Immortal, Allie Beckstrom, Broken Magic and Shame and Terric. She also writes the Age of Steam steampunk series, and the occasional short story which can be found in her collection: A Cup of Normal, and in various anthologies. She has one husband, two sons, and lives in Oregon. When not writing, Devon is either drinking too much coffee or knitting silly things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 475 reviews
September 29, 2016
This book starts out fine and then it's like being a passenger in a cab in Manhattan: vroom! brake. vroom! brake. vroom! brake. Ugh. Motion sickness. And that's not even the worst of it.
The premise was kind of cool. Reminiscent of Ilona Andrews' "Innkeeper" series (and suffers by the comparison), but the similarity is shallow. Ordinary is a town in Oregon where gods and monsters go to take vacation. The "creatures" (vampires, werewolves and the like) go about their daily lives as they are, but the gods have to give up their power for the time they're on vacation. This makes them mortal and, thus, vulnerable. So, of course one is killed. This is in the blurb so it's not a spoiler.
Delaney Reed has taken over her late father's job as chief of police. She's also the one who oversees all the rigamarole to keep the gods off human radar and behaving themselves. Gods being killed in Ordinary isn't unprecedented, but this is her first time dealing with it.
The biggest problem for Delaney? She's stupid. Just plain dumb as a box of rocks. At one point she says (about something as obvious as the ocean), "why didn't I think of that?" and I said aloud, "because you're one of the dumbest characters in fiction?"
See, Delaney has to be a complete dumbass because otherwise there would be no action. She has to do stupid things so the plot can move forward. We all know what that is, right? A contrivance. Without her utter inability to do her job in any reasonable manner, nothing would happen. So there you have it.
Am I being snarky? Perhaps a bit bitchy? Probably. I'm in a sour mood because I just read a book where the main protagonist was one of the dumbest people on the planet and yet everyone around her thinks she hung the moon. She's "damn good at being chief of police" one tells her. I guess if it's beneficial to have someone with their head filled with cement as chief of police that'd be true.
I'm just really sick of women writing women as morons. Can you tell? Delaney is unreasonable. She's impulsive. She's a danger to herself and others.
Oh yeah, that's why I stopped reading Devon Monk's "Allie Beckstrom" series.
Time for me to call it quits on this author before she gives me an aneurysm.
The premise was kind of cool. Reminiscent of Ilona Andrews' "Innkeeper" series (and suffers by the comparison), but the similarity is shallow. Ordinary is a town in Oregon where gods and monsters go to take vacation. The "creatures" (vampires, werewolves and the like) go about their daily lives as they are, but the gods have to give up their power for the time they're on vacation. This makes them mortal and, thus, vulnerable. So, of course one is killed. This is in the blurb so it's not a spoiler.
Delaney Reed has taken over her late father's job as chief of police. She's also the one who oversees all the rigamarole to keep the gods off human radar and behaving themselves. Gods being killed in Ordinary isn't unprecedented, but this is her first time dealing with it.
The biggest problem for Delaney? She's stupid. Just plain dumb as a box of rocks. At one point she says (about something as obvious as the ocean), "why didn't I think of that?" and I said aloud, "because you're one of the dumbest characters in fiction?"
See, Delaney has to be a complete dumbass because otherwise there would be no action. She has to do stupid things so the plot can move forward. We all know what that is, right? A contrivance. Without her utter inability to do her job in any reasonable manner, nothing would happen. So there you have it.
Am I being snarky? Perhaps a bit bitchy? Probably. I'm in a sour mood because I just read a book where the main protagonist was one of the dumbest people on the planet and yet everyone around her thinks she hung the moon. She's "damn good at being chief of police" one tells her. I guess if it's beneficial to have someone with their head filled with cement as chief of police that'd be true.
I'm just really sick of women writing women as morons. Can you tell? Delaney is unreasonable. She's impulsive. She's a danger to herself and others.
Oh yeah, that's why I stopped reading Devon Monk's "Allie Beckstrom" series.
Time for me to call it quits on this author before she gives me an aneurysm.
March 31, 2024
I'm not going to spoiler tag this. Mostly because everything is broadcast well in advance of revelations but also because I just can't be bothered. If you're a spoiler purist, you might want to stop now.
This book about drove me crazy, trying to make things actually make sense. The central thing I just couldn't find an answer to is why on Earth any god would want to visit Ordinary? What's in it for them? They give up their power while they're there. They have to get a mundane job. And they become truly mortal and can catch diseases and even die?!? This is a vacation? This is like having kings want "the true peasant experience" where they get to experience starvation, disease, and random violence. One or two psychos might opt in, but dozens? Some of whom have been there for years, even decades? This doesn't work. There is literally no appeal to this setup.
And then you add that Delaney is a stone-cold moron. We're supposed to buy her as the chief of police because she's smart, but she can't deduce her way out of a wet paper bag. It was bad enough that she's so blasé about the power she needs to find a home for (she has a hard deadline of one week before it blows her brains out and nukes the town she lives in and she's all "but I have to monitor rhubarb events!"). But to have that power respond strongly to the same person twice in a row and her not twig that he might be the one? And then we have her, literally right after that second episode, run down the kind of traits that the person she is looking for would have and the dude she just left has every single one! How stupid is she, again?
And the mystery was barely mysterious at all and dead obvious if she had just done a little actual investigation of the most obvious of all possible suspects. Seriously, she's supposed to be a professional cop. I'm wondering if "incompetent law enforcement" is as big a draw for the vacationing gods as "might actually die" is?
And then. And then there's the train wreck that is her "romance". She's been yearning for the dude Ryder. And he seems all hunky and helpful and stuff. Only he's a little too eager. And he keeps having these reactions that say he's hiding something. And they "do it" and he transforms immediately into a giant jackwagon and says terrible, hurtful things. And I'm just so very done with this guy. This book. And this heroine. I wish I had stopped reading. At pretty much any point in the story where I felt that loss of engagement. Because seriously, there wasn't any useful payoff in this story and I have no idea why Monk wants me to be engaged with an idiot who attaches to jerks as love interests.
One star. That's still too many, but the scale doesn't go any lower.
A note about Steamy: So among all the other stupid things about this book, the single sex scene goes just far enough that I have to tag it as steamy and then draws the blinds. So it's barely steamy at all. Worse, that should have been a warning that Ryder is a giant donkey waffle because Monk couldn't bother showing actual intimacy and just has Delaney ruminating on how wonderful "it" was after the fact.
This book about drove me crazy, trying to make things actually make sense. The central thing I just couldn't find an answer to is why on Earth any god would want to visit Ordinary? What's in it for them? They give up their power while they're there. They have to get a mundane job. And they become truly mortal and can catch diseases and even die?!? This is a vacation? This is like having kings want "the true peasant experience" where they get to experience starvation, disease, and random violence. One or two psychos might opt in, but dozens? Some of whom have been there for years, even decades? This doesn't work. There is literally no appeal to this setup.
And then you add that Delaney is a stone-cold moron. We're supposed to buy her as the chief of police because she's smart, but she can't deduce her way out of a wet paper bag. It was bad enough that she's so blasé about the power she needs to find a home for (she has a hard deadline of one week before it blows her brains out and nukes the town she lives in and she's all "but I have to monitor rhubarb events!"). But to have that power respond strongly to the same person twice in a row and her not twig that he might be the one? And then we have her, literally right after that second episode, run down the kind of traits that the person she is looking for would have and the dude she just left has every single one! How stupid is she, again?
And the mystery was barely mysterious at all and dead obvious if she had just done a little actual investigation of the most obvious of all possible suspects. Seriously, she's supposed to be a professional cop. I'm wondering if "incompetent law enforcement" is as big a draw for the vacationing gods as "might actually die" is?
And then. And then there's the train wreck that is her "romance". She's been yearning for the dude Ryder. And he seems all hunky and helpful and stuff. Only he's a little too eager. And he keeps having these reactions that say he's hiding something. And they "do it" and he transforms immediately into a giant jackwagon and says terrible, hurtful things. And I'm just so very done with this guy. This book. And this heroine. I wish I had stopped reading. At pretty much any point in the story where I felt that loss of engagement. Because seriously, there wasn't any useful payoff in this story and I have no idea why Monk wants me to be engaged with an idiot who attaches to jerks as love interests.
One star. That's still too many, but the scale doesn't go any lower.
A note about Steamy: So among all the other stupid things about this book, the single sex scene goes just far enough that I have to tag it as steamy and then draws the blinds. So it's barely steamy at all. Worse, that should have been a warning that Ryder is a giant donkey waffle because Monk couldn't bother showing actual intimacy and just has Delaney ruminating on how wonderful "it" was after the fact.
July 28, 2020
[4.5/5 stars] I’ve had a high opinion of Devon Monk’s writing for a while now, so when Death and Relaxation was offered as a review copy (audio production quality) I snatched it up. I’ve been on a pretty hard urban fantasy kick lately, but I’ll admit this series wasn’t even on my radar (probably because of the atrocious cover). But I tell you what � it hit the spot!
It had a great combination of concept (small town Oregon where gods go to vacation), character (a young female police chief who takes over the department after her father dies), mystery (who the heck is ballsy enough to commit a murder in a town of gods?), and love story (the cute dynamic between the MC and the love interest � it’s just enough to be a clear selling point of the novel, but not overdone to the point where it becomes the sole focus). It was one of those books perfectly suited to my mood, and because it came from a seasoned author I trust, I was able to turn off my over-critical eye and just enjoy the ride.
Admittedly the concept wouldn’t stand up to close scrutiny, but it’s clear from the start that its main purpose is to enhance the quirky nature of this small touristy town. I started with the novella (Dues and Don’ts � ), which I would recommend because it sets the stage on what to expect in this town a lot better than the first book. It incorporated the tradition of local artisans hiding glass figurines along the beach for tourists to find, which apparently is something that actually happens in the town the series is based on. I was enamored with the whole thing. I think the fun dynamics between all the characters in this little community is my biggest source of delight. Quirky fun things like rhubarb cooking contests an long-standing interpersonal squabbles (which, naturally, involve the whole town). Any Gilmore Girls fan out there will get a better idea if I say it’s a supernatural version of Stars Hollow (only without the aggravating characters that take the fun out of the scenes � Mayor Taylor Doose, I’m talking to you).
The only ding against its rating is that I thought the solution to one of the main conflicts of the story was completely obvious right from the start. I can half-rationalize it away if I try hard enough. Like, maybe the main character had too many things going on to see it clearly. But really it would’ve made the book stronger to either hide it better or to have the characters figure it out sooner. So far that has been my only gripe.
This is one of my new personal favorite series starters � I enjoyed it that much. It is definitely more on the lighthearted side of the genre. There’s not a lot of dark grittiness that sets the tone for comparable series. But maybe that’s what I’d needed � a bit of a pick-me-up. :)
Recommendations: start with the novella! I’d hand this series to people who like urban fantasy without the semi-horror aspect. It’s actually a great crossover novel between uf, mystery, and romance. If you can snag the GraphicAudio version, you’re in for a treat! Go in with a light heart and have some fun. :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at
It had a great combination of concept (small town Oregon where gods go to vacation), character (a young female police chief who takes over the department after her father dies), mystery (who the heck is ballsy enough to commit a murder in a town of gods?), and love story (the cute dynamic between the MC and the love interest � it’s just enough to be a clear selling point of the novel, but not overdone to the point where it becomes the sole focus). It was one of those books perfectly suited to my mood, and because it came from a seasoned author I trust, I was able to turn off my over-critical eye and just enjoy the ride.
Admittedly the concept wouldn’t stand up to close scrutiny, but it’s clear from the start that its main purpose is to enhance the quirky nature of this small touristy town. I started with the novella (Dues and Don’ts � ), which I would recommend because it sets the stage on what to expect in this town a lot better than the first book. It incorporated the tradition of local artisans hiding glass figurines along the beach for tourists to find, which apparently is something that actually happens in the town the series is based on. I was enamored with the whole thing. I think the fun dynamics between all the characters in this little community is my biggest source of delight. Quirky fun things like rhubarb cooking contests an long-standing interpersonal squabbles (which, naturally, involve the whole town). Any Gilmore Girls fan out there will get a better idea if I say it’s a supernatural version of Stars Hollow (only without the aggravating characters that take the fun out of the scenes � Mayor Taylor Doose, I’m talking to you).
The only ding against its rating is that I thought the solution to one of the main conflicts of the story was completely obvious right from the start. I can half-rationalize it away if I try hard enough. Like, maybe the main character had too many things going on to see it clearly. But really it would’ve made the book stronger to either hide it better or to have the characters figure it out sooner. So far that has been my only gripe.
This is one of my new personal favorite series starters � I enjoyed it that much. It is definitely more on the lighthearted side of the genre. There’s not a lot of dark grittiness that sets the tone for comparable series. But maybe that’s what I’d needed � a bit of a pick-me-up. :)
Recommendations: start with the novella! I’d hand this series to people who like urban fantasy without the semi-horror aspect. It’s actually a great crossover novel between uf, mystery, and romance. If you can snag the GraphicAudio version, you’re in for a treat! Go in with a light heart and have some fun. :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at
December 21, 2021
Death and Relaxation
(Ordinary Magic #1)
by Devon Monk
This book has a town in Oregon that has gods, supernatural creatures of all kinds, and regular humans. Only a select few humans know of the gods and creatures. The main characters are sisters in law enforcement, the oldest taking her father's place as a bridge between gods and creatures/ man . She keeps the law.
Her ex boyfriend returns just as she finally gets the friendly with her lifetime crush. A dead body is found dead and it's not just any body but one of the gods!
Great cast of characters, interesting concept, and kept me entertained throughout!
(Ordinary Magic #1)
by Devon Monk
This book has a town in Oregon that has gods, supernatural creatures of all kinds, and regular humans. Only a select few humans know of the gods and creatures. The main characters are sisters in law enforcement, the oldest taking her father's place as a bridge between gods and creatures/ man . She keeps the law.
Her ex boyfriend returns just as she finally gets the friendly with her lifetime crush. A dead body is found dead and it's not just any body but one of the gods!
Great cast of characters, interesting concept, and kept me entertained throughout!
April 27, 2022
This book starts with a fascinating premise. Just imagine you're a god, and you envy mortals their lives free of the godly responsibilities you shoulder because of your god powers. What if you could take a vacation from being a god and live as a mortal for a span of time--a few years or decades--before you go back to your divine job? Well, you can do it in the town named Ordinary along the central Oregon coast. Here's how.
You have to sign a contract with a designated member of the Reed family, who have been doing this for many generations. That's now our first-person narrator Delaney Reed, oldest of three sisters, whose father died recently and passed the mantle on to her. You put your god powers in storage in a special place, there in Ordinary, and you learn that if you get those powers back out of storage to handle a situation, you'll have them again for at least a year, so it's back to being a god and you leave town to do that.
When you live as a mortal, you become a regular productive citizen of Ordinary, Oregon. Currently, for example, Hera is living there as Herri, the popular bar owner; trickster Raven took the name Crow and runs a glass-blowing studio; Norse god Heimdall owns a boat and brings fresh seafood to town; and we follow all the details of the Greek death god Thanatos as he settles in to run a kite rental shop.
As a mortal, you are vulnerable to all the ills, and you can even be killed. That occasionally happens, and if it does your stored god power must be vested in a willing mortal within seven days or terrible destruction occurs. Gods are like offices, held by different mortals in turn? Not all the world building is clear in this book, and we could pick over problematic details for a long time.
Well, you've guessed it by now; there's a murder mystery and the victim is one of the "vacationing" gods. Delaney is the new chief of police (her sisters are police officers too), and she has to find the killer and see to the transfer of the dead god's power to a willing mortal; if she can't do it in seven days, she will either die or go insane as the god power explodes outward, killing people she loves.
One of the strengths of this novel is the author's development of lovable characters; one of its weaknesses, as many other reviewers have pointed out, is how little goes on between some characters' ears...especially Delaney's. It's glaringly obvious who she needs to recruit to become the god, but she can't see it until it's almost too late, and the desperate measures that ensue were completely unnecessary if she'd exercised a little common sense. The identity of the killer isn't terribly surprising either, and let's not get started on Delaney's abortive love life!
Still, the interactions among a dozen or so of the townsfolk make very enjoyable reading--humans, gods, and creatures too, because we meet a vampire, a werewolf, and a gill-man. And during the course of the main adventure, the town is wrapped up in its annual rhubarb festival; Bertie the "vacationing" Valkyrie runs the show and Delaney, who hates rhubarb, has to be one of the judges.
So three stars, meaning "I liked it" in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' code, because I did have fun reading this story.
You have to sign a contract with a designated member of the Reed family, who have been doing this for many generations. That's now our first-person narrator Delaney Reed, oldest of three sisters, whose father died recently and passed the mantle on to her. You put your god powers in storage in a special place, there in Ordinary, and you learn that if you get those powers back out of storage to handle a situation, you'll have them again for at least a year, so it's back to being a god and you leave town to do that.
When you live as a mortal, you become a regular productive citizen of Ordinary, Oregon. Currently, for example, Hera is living there as Herri, the popular bar owner; trickster Raven took the name Crow and runs a glass-blowing studio; Norse god Heimdall owns a boat and brings fresh seafood to town; and we follow all the details of the Greek death god Thanatos as he settles in to run a kite rental shop.
As a mortal, you are vulnerable to all the ills, and you can even be killed. That occasionally happens, and if it does your stored god power must be vested in a willing mortal within seven days or terrible destruction occurs. Gods are like offices, held by different mortals in turn? Not all the world building is clear in this book, and we could pick over problematic details for a long time.
Well, you've guessed it by now; there's a murder mystery and the victim is one of the "vacationing" gods. Delaney is the new chief of police (her sisters are police officers too), and she has to find the killer and see to the transfer of the dead god's power to a willing mortal; if she can't do it in seven days, she will either die or go insane as the god power explodes outward, killing people she loves.
One of the strengths of this novel is the author's development of lovable characters; one of its weaknesses, as many other reviewers have pointed out, is how little goes on between some characters' ears...especially Delaney's. It's glaringly obvious who she needs to recruit to become the god, but she can't see it until it's almost too late, and the desperate measures that ensue were completely unnecessary if she'd exercised a little common sense. The identity of the killer isn't terribly surprising either, and let's not get started on Delaney's abortive love life!
Still, the interactions among a dozen or so of the townsfolk make very enjoyable reading--humans, gods, and creatures too, because we meet a vampire, a werewolf, and a gill-man. And during the course of the main adventure, the town is wrapped up in its annual rhubarb festival; Bertie the "vacationing" Valkyrie runs the show and Delaney, who hates rhubarb, has to be one of the judges.
So three stars, meaning "I liked it" in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' code, because I did have fun reading this story.
February 18, 2022
Welcome to Ordinary, the favorite vacation destination of the gods, all of them. It doesn't matter if you are one of the incarnations of immortality, a god from Norse mythology, Roman mythos or I'm sure many more to come you too can be Ordinary. Set down your powers for awhile, work a human job in a mundane town and take a break for awhile.
Delaney is the law in ordinary. It is her job to keep both the regular folk in town save and the gods in line. She also seemed to get roped into judging a contest at the local rhubarb (cringe rhubarb is the worst) festival when one of the judges ends up dead. Talk about taking one for the team. With a murder to solve, Death come to town for a vacation, her love life to figure out and a festival to judge Delany has her hands full.
I liked this book a lot. It was fun to see a town full of Gods and other supernatural creatures just trying to blend in and do day to day things. Delaney and her sisters as the law in the small town was a lot of fun and I enjoyed spending time with them getting to know the inhabitants. Delaney is smart about so many things but she is completely silly in her own love life. The man she has been pining for is back in town and trying to get close to her. She seems completely oblivious to the entire situation. Don't worry her sisters have her back and they with figure out a way to throw Delaney and Ryder together somehow.
Great intro to a series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.
Delaney is the law in ordinary. It is her job to keep both the regular folk in town save and the gods in line. She also seemed to get roped into judging a contest at the local rhubarb (cringe rhubarb is the worst) festival when one of the judges ends up dead. Talk about taking one for the team. With a murder to solve, Death come to town for a vacation, her love life to figure out and a festival to judge Delany has her hands full.
I liked this book a lot. It was fun to see a town full of Gods and other supernatural creatures just trying to blend in and do day to day things. Delaney and her sisters as the law in the small town was a lot of fun and I enjoyed spending time with them getting to know the inhabitants. Delaney is smart about so many things but she is completely silly in her own love life. The man she has been pining for is back in town and trying to get close to her. She seems completely oblivious to the entire situation. Don't worry her sisters have her back and they with figure out a way to throw Delaney and Ryder together somehow.
Great intro to a series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.
March 21, 2018
While the inability of the heroine to see what was so obvious drove me NUTS I admit I still enjoyed this story. Devon Monk did a great job creating wonderful bonds between the people of Ordinary, Oregon. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Delaney and her sisters. The town and its inhabitants were quirky and fun. Looking forward to reading more of this UF series.
June 27, 2016
3.75 stars
Devon Monk is one of my favorite urban fantasy authors. I don't think I ever find a book from hers that I don't like ever since I discovered her Allie Beckstrom series five years ago. ALTHOUGH, I did skip her Age of Steam series, mainly because I'm not really a fan of steampunk.
Anyway, this new series of her is another one that I enjoy and definitely will follow. It's a little bit lighter than her usual story. Sure, there's a dead god which fell into Delaney's jurisdiction, but things didn't feel too intense, or too life-threatening, like what I found in her other series.
I wholeheartedly loved the idea of Ordinary -- a town where supernatural beings secretly mingled with mortals: like the two of the best firefighters, Ben and Jame, one a vampire and the other a werewolf, or a Valkyrie, or a gill-man who tends a bar ... and of course, this is also the town where gods (yes, gods) take their vacation.
So we have Thor, and Zeus, and Hera, and Raven, and Odin, and Ares (though some of them using different mortal names), and latest addition ... Thanatos. I loved the concept of these gods surrendering the power while on vacation, which makes them mortal (and on that note, can die!)
Of course, an urban fantasy story will be boring without conflict. Which comes in form of a murdered god. When Heimdall is killed, Delaney is up to the task of both finding his murderer and at the same time, to find a mortal to transfer Heimdall's power to (this mortal will then become god, as in another Heimdall).
I liked Delaney -- despite few things where I thought she could be a bit reckless (not locking her doors, not exactly paying serious thoughts to her sister's warning) but I liked her attitude. I thought she was pretty good as chief of police and could be resourceful. I did think she needed to be more level-headed when it comes to the romance, though. It seemed that when Ryder was in the same vicinity, Delaney became a bit useless.
I also really liked her sisters. These Reed girls were awesome.
Oh and Ryder ... at the moment, I reserve my thoughts about thim. That thing he did with Delaney was a jerk move. So I would need him to come up with a very good explanation or a very good groveling.
All in all, a good start of a new series. It was quite funny too -- like the Rhubarb Competition, that was HIGHLY entertaining. Luckily the 2nd book will be released next month! SO yay for more gods in Ordinary :)
Devon Monk is one of my favorite urban fantasy authors. I don't think I ever find a book from hers that I don't like ever since I discovered her Allie Beckstrom series five years ago. ALTHOUGH, I did skip her Age of Steam series, mainly because I'm not really a fan of steampunk.
Anyway, this new series of her is another one that I enjoy and definitely will follow. It's a little bit lighter than her usual story. Sure, there's a dead god which fell into Delaney's jurisdiction, but things didn't feel too intense, or too life-threatening, like what I found in her other series.
I wholeheartedly loved the idea of Ordinary -- a town where supernatural beings secretly mingled with mortals: like the two of the best firefighters, Ben and Jame, one a vampire and the other a werewolf, or a Valkyrie, or a gill-man who tends a bar ... and of course, this is also the town where gods (yes, gods) take their vacation.
So we have Thor, and Zeus, and Hera, and Raven, and Odin, and Ares (though some of them using different mortal names), and latest addition ... Thanatos. I loved the concept of these gods surrendering the power while on vacation, which makes them mortal (and on that note, can die!)
Of course, an urban fantasy story will be boring without conflict. Which comes in form of a murdered god. When Heimdall is killed, Delaney is up to the task of both finding his murderer and at the same time, to find a mortal to transfer Heimdall's power to (this mortal will then become god, as in another Heimdall).
I liked Delaney -- despite few things where I thought she could be a bit reckless (not locking her doors, not exactly paying serious thoughts to her sister's warning) but I liked her attitude. I thought she was pretty good as chief of police and could be resourceful. I did think she needed to be more level-headed when it comes to the romance, though. It seemed that when Ryder was in the same vicinity, Delaney became a bit useless.
I also really liked her sisters. These Reed girls were awesome.
Oh and Ryder ... at the moment, I reserve my thoughts about thim. That thing he did with Delaney was a jerk move. So I would need him to come up with a very good explanation or a very good groveling.
All in all, a good start of a new series. It was quite funny too -- like the Rhubarb Competition, that was HIGHLY entertaining. Luckily the 2nd book will be released next month! SO yay for more gods in Ordinary :)
March 4, 2022
Better than I thought it would be, but I'm still not sure it qualifies as "good."
The protagonist is the eldest of three sisters, all of whom function as police officers for this super quaint town named "Ordinary." The sisters are technically magical, but their powers have little tangible effect on the world. Our protagonist, Delaney, can house the magical god power of a god when they die. This happens more often than you would expect, because mythological characters like to come to the town of Ordinary so that they can temporarily divest themselves of their power and live as mortals for a time.
We are given to understand there are ancient contracts with this family's bloodline that explains why these particular characters are responsible for helping the gods with their vacations. We don't fully understand why Ordinary is the town in particular where this happens.
There are other supernatural creatures around, like vampires, werewolves, and selkies. But there are very few characters representing those species, and we aren't given too much information about them. I know that at least some vampires in this town have figured out a method of going about in daylight, and Delaney is surprised by this fact. But I don't know the "rules" to these vampires otherwise. Lots of fantasy writers come up with their own takes on vampires, but I don't actually know what this author's take is.
The plot was driven by the inanity of trying to solve a murder and a mini-explosion against the backdrop of a small town rhubarb baking contest.
I enjoy the quaintness of small towns. I like the contrast of famous mythological gods against a provincial setting.
What I did not care for the was glaringly obvious candidate for taking on a god's mantle, which the protagonist should have seen plain as day, but it took 80% of the novel for her to figure it out. And she's supposed to be a police chief.
I also don't care for magic to be so limited. I recognize that magic systems have to have rules, or else there is no sense of suspense. If your protagonist can solve any problem through ill-defined magic, there are no stakes for the audience. Still, I don't like it when the magic is SO limited that the protagonist houses god power and can't actually use it for anything. And she has no power of her own to help her with detection, combat, or anything else.
Meh. I'll keep reading this series. I like it way better than the other Devon Monk series I have been reading lately, which is a huge snore and feels so arbitrary.
The protagonist is the eldest of three sisters, all of whom function as police officers for this super quaint town named "Ordinary." The sisters are technically magical, but their powers have little tangible effect on the world. Our protagonist, Delaney, can house the magical god power of a god when they die. This happens more often than you would expect, because mythological characters like to come to the town of Ordinary so that they can temporarily divest themselves of their power and live as mortals for a time.
We are given to understand there are ancient contracts with this family's bloodline that explains why these particular characters are responsible for helping the gods with their vacations. We don't fully understand why Ordinary is the town in particular where this happens.
There are other supernatural creatures around, like vampires, werewolves, and selkies. But there are very few characters representing those species, and we aren't given too much information about them. I know that at least some vampires in this town have figured out a method of going about in daylight, and Delaney is surprised by this fact. But I don't know the "rules" to these vampires otherwise. Lots of fantasy writers come up with their own takes on vampires, but I don't actually know what this author's take is.
The plot was driven by the inanity of trying to solve a murder and a mini-explosion against the backdrop of a small town rhubarb baking contest.
I enjoy the quaintness of small towns. I like the contrast of famous mythological gods against a provincial setting.
What I did not care for the was glaringly obvious candidate for taking on a god's mantle, which the protagonist should have seen plain as day, but it took 80% of the novel for her to figure it out. And she's supposed to be a police chief.
I also don't care for magic to be so limited. I recognize that magic systems have to have rules, or else there is no sense of suspense. If your protagonist can solve any problem through ill-defined magic, there are no stakes for the audience. Still, I don't like it when the magic is SO limited that the protagonist houses god power and can't actually use it for anything. And she has no power of her own to help her with detection, combat, or anything else.
Meh. I'll keep reading this series. I like it way better than the other Devon Monk series I have been reading lately, which is a huge snore and feels so arbitrary.
September 23, 2018
Interesting idea revolving around gods and their vacation destination of Ordinary, Oregon - a one horse town according to one character. Delaney Reed is the chief of the town's small police department where two of the other three full-time employees are her sisters. She's likable enough except whenever her love interest, Ryder Bailey, comes around and then her brain always turns to mush. I liked the relationship between Delaney and her sisters but pretty much started skimming all the Ryder parts from his first introduction. I don't have time for characters who make such an eyeroll-worthy entrance. There's a murder mystery going on which was rather weak, in my opinion, and the motive for the guilty party was too over-the-top. I guess the guilty party never heard of less drastic measures like slashing tires, keying the car, hiding raw shrimp in hollow curtain rods or air vents, etc. This was an okay story and I liked it, just not enough to read the rest of the series.
October 22, 2016
This was a really hard one for me to rate.
Let's start with the stuff I loved.
1. The Reed sisters
Their family dynamic is amazing. And I hope we get to dig even deeper into Myra and Jean, because I love them as much as I love Delaney. The story of their family - just drawn in broad strokes, for this first book in the series - seems complex and interesting, and I want more. But it was also great to see these three sisters and their very real relationship with each other.
2. The world-building
I love the whole idea of Ordinary. I love that gods and monsters vacation there, that they pretend to be normal. I love imagining this sleepy little coastal paradise being the, like, place where the gods kick off their shoes and pretend to be mortal.
3. The secondary cast
Even beyond the Reed sisters, the secondary cast is really engaging. I would happily read spin off books about most of them, these gods and monsters trying to fit into a human world.
Okay, so what didn't I like...
1. Our main character - a trained and, we're led to believe, very competent police chief - seems pretty slow on the uptake.
This specifically relates to the men in her life. There were obvious signs that something was up, and she just didn't even blink. In general, it's a pet peeve for me when the main character takes ages to see things that are presented obviously to the reader - I just feel like it gives the impression that our lead is a moron. But I think it is particularly undercutting for a character that we're supposed to buy as a skilled police chief.
2. Cooper, the ex-boyfriend
He was foul from the moment we met him (who just strips down and tucks themselves into the ex-girlfriend's bed, as if they own the place?), and it just got worse from there. He had some frankly concerning abusive tendencies - he lashed out at Delaney in a vicious way on multiple occasions, and just generally treated her as a doormat. How did she ever have a relationship with this guy? It is hard to believe. But then
3. Ryder, the supposed love interest
There's so much wrong with his character to me. Firstly, again, he's so OBVIOUSLY not what he claims to be, and the fact that Delaney can't see it is really stupid. I don't know what is going on with him, but something clearly is. And even worse... I don't know what is going on with him, but I don't care. I'm so incredibly tired of books with strong female heroines that are inexplicably attracted to men who treat them like crap. And let's be clear here: Ryder may have done a couple good things in this book, but overall, he didn't treat Delaney any better than Cooper did, and you could make a strong argument that he treated her even worse. What he's doing is a giant mind-fuck, and there is something so incredibly wrong with this as a theme in UF. It's okay ladies, just stick it out. He's horrible to you, but he loves you. Just keep giving him chances and he'll eventually change! For reals! What Ryder did was devastating, and I don't care what his reasons are. If he couldn't be with her, then he shouldn't have worked so hard to be with her. But if they end up together - if he's the actual love interest - then we have yet another story that is telling women that we should accept - and even embrace - men who treat us poorly, men who are incapable of viewing us as partners and equals. That this is really just what it is to be a woman in our world, because hey look, it happens even to our strong, ass-kicking heroines. This is normal. This is the best we can expect.
It's just disappointing. And I suppose that reads like a feminist tirade, but ... I guess I just don't get it. What is wrong with us - women in general - that "heroes" appeal to us when they treat us like crap? And the normalization of that kind of relationship is at the root of so many of our problems. And I'm not saying that means people can't fight - come on, conflict is normal. But this isn't fighting, or personalities rubbing each other the wrong way at first, and then resolving into some kind of attraction. This is one person taking all the power in a relationship, by playing with the other emotionally. It is damaging and wrong.
So I like this world. I like the characters (with the exception of the douchebag love interests). And I'm going to press onward, in the hopes that Ryder isn't really the love interest. But I suspect he is ... *sigh*
***3.5***
Let's start with the stuff I loved.
1. The Reed sisters
Their family dynamic is amazing. And I hope we get to dig even deeper into Myra and Jean, because I love them as much as I love Delaney. The story of their family - just drawn in broad strokes, for this first book in the series - seems complex and interesting, and I want more. But it was also great to see these three sisters and their very real relationship with each other.
2. The world-building
I love the whole idea of Ordinary. I love that gods and monsters vacation there, that they pretend to be normal. I love imagining this sleepy little coastal paradise being the, like, place where the gods kick off their shoes and pretend to be mortal.
3. The secondary cast
Even beyond the Reed sisters, the secondary cast is really engaging. I would happily read spin off books about most of them, these gods and monsters trying to fit into a human world.
Okay, so what didn't I like...
1. Our main character - a trained and, we're led to believe, very competent police chief - seems pretty slow on the uptake.
This specifically relates to the men in her life. There were obvious signs that something was up, and she just didn't even blink. In general, it's a pet peeve for me when the main character takes ages to see things that are presented obviously to the reader - I just feel like it gives the impression that our lead is a moron. But I think it is particularly undercutting for a character that we're supposed to buy as a skilled police chief.
2. Cooper, the ex-boyfriend
He was foul from the moment we met him (who just strips down and tucks themselves into the ex-girlfriend's bed, as if they own the place?), and it just got worse from there. He had some frankly concerning abusive tendencies - he lashed out at Delaney in a vicious way on multiple occasions, and just generally treated her as a doormat. How did she ever have a relationship with this guy? It is hard to believe. But then
3. Ryder, the supposed love interest
There's so much wrong with his character to me. Firstly, again, he's so OBVIOUSLY not what he claims to be, and the fact that Delaney can't see it is really stupid. I don't know what is going on with him, but something clearly is. And even worse... I don't know what is going on with him, but I don't care. I'm so incredibly tired of books with strong female heroines that are inexplicably attracted to men who treat them like crap. And let's be clear here: Ryder may have done a couple good things in this book, but overall, he didn't treat Delaney any better than Cooper did, and you could make a strong argument that he treated her even worse. What he's doing is a giant mind-fuck, and there is something so incredibly wrong with this as a theme in UF. It's okay ladies, just stick it out. He's horrible to you, but he loves you. Just keep giving him chances and he'll eventually change! For reals! What Ryder did was devastating, and I don't care what his reasons are. If he couldn't be with her, then he shouldn't have worked so hard to be with her. But if they end up together - if he's the actual love interest - then we have yet another story that is telling women that we should accept - and even embrace - men who treat us poorly, men who are incapable of viewing us as partners and equals. That this is really just what it is to be a woman in our world, because hey look, it happens even to our strong, ass-kicking heroines. This is normal. This is the best we can expect.
It's just disappointing. And I suppose that reads like a feminist tirade, but ... I guess I just don't get it. What is wrong with us - women in general - that "heroes" appeal to us when they treat us like crap? And the normalization of that kind of relationship is at the root of so many of our problems. And I'm not saying that means people can't fight - come on, conflict is normal. But this isn't fighting, or personalities rubbing each other the wrong way at first, and then resolving into some kind of attraction. This is one person taking all the power in a relationship, by playing with the other emotionally. It is damaging and wrong.
So I like this world. I like the characters (with the exception of the douchebag love interests). And I'm going to press onward, in the hopes that Ryder isn't really the love interest. But I suspect he is ... *sigh*
***3.5***
June 22, 2016
This is my third Devon Monk book, and I'm sorry to say this author is never on my autobuy, not even near it.
I do like her stories, and this is not an exception, but they never move beyond an ok, this is a nice read. I'm never particularly interested in their sequels.
Death and relaxation suffered from two main ailments: thinness, both in plot and world building, and uncertainty (Am I a uf mystery or a uf romance?).
The plot is really barely there, but I think it's linked to point 2. There's too much page time on the main romantic interest' s body, too much hormones blinding the heroine, and not enough story. And I do mean not enough story, even for a first book on a new series, mostly because it doesn't have the excuse of creating a world.
My other pet peeve was the heroine, she was portayed as way, way too naive for her role. Yes, she has barely a year under her belt in both capacities, still, her other role should be heavy enough.
I even liked less the way she looked stupid, as the author telegraphed every move/character with clarity. So as a reader I felt cheated of an intelligent heroine, I don't feel proud of myself because I understood. There was nothing to understand. Both Cooper and Ray role were immediately evident. (And in a sense so was the mystery, if we can call it such.) It was embarassing to read: he was playing her, it was evident but to her. As she was fixated. And why talk of love in this context? But that's me, I don't believe in falling in love at first sight. In theory this might have not been such, as as teenagers they were friends, but honestly I never felt the connection. I was told of a crush. But 8 years later (at least) what was cute as a fifteen girl was embarrassing in an adult.
I also wished she had a tad more pride. Ansgty should be there in this review, but it can't be. It's missing.
I hated the emphasis on his lips. I hated more that it made them look young, and I mean young, teen. They are not. And how many adult men do you know who play with their lips, biting and such?
Both the fixation and the act grated on my nerves.
Still, it's not a bad book. Just not one good enough to be recommended unless you are a fan of hers or need a UF fix strongly. The sequel is out on July, it's near enough I could remember to read it.
I do like her stories, and this is not an exception, but they never move beyond an ok, this is a nice read. I'm never particularly interested in their sequels.
Death and relaxation suffered from two main ailments: thinness, both in plot and world building, and uncertainty (Am I a uf mystery or a uf romance?).
The plot is really barely there, but I think it's linked to point 2. There's too much page time on the main romantic interest' s body, too much hormones blinding the heroine, and not enough story. And I do mean not enough story, even for a first book on a new series, mostly because it doesn't have the excuse of creating a world.
My other pet peeve was the heroine, she was portayed as way, way too naive for her role. Yes, she has barely a year under her belt in both capacities, still, her other role should be heavy enough.
I even liked less the way she looked stupid, as the author telegraphed every move/character with clarity. So as a reader I felt cheated of an intelligent heroine, I don't feel proud of myself because I understood. There was nothing to understand. Both Cooper and Ray role were immediately evident. (And in a sense so was the mystery, if we can call it such.) It was embarassing to read: he was playing her, it was evident but to her. As she was fixated. And why talk of love in this context? But that's me, I don't believe in falling in love at first sight. In theory this might have not been such, as as teenagers they were friends, but honestly I never felt the connection. I was told of a crush. But 8 years later (at least) what was cute as a fifteen girl was embarrassing in an adult.
I also wished she had a tad more pride. Ansgty should be there in this review, but it can't be. It's missing.
I hated the emphasis on his lips. I hated more that it made them look young, and I mean young, teen. They are not. And how many adult men do you know who play with their lips, biting and such?
Both the fixation and the act grated on my nerves.
Still, it's not a bad book. Just not one good enough to be recommended unless you are a fan of hers or need a UF fix strongly. The sequel is out on July, it's near enough I could remember to read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2019
The town of Ordinary is anything but... ordinary... and it’s the Reed family that enforce the law � both mortal and supernatural. After her father’s death, Delaney Reed is now in charge of maintaining order in her hometown with the help of her sisters. When a God is found murdered and dangerous shenanigans begin to surround the rhubarb festival (I kid you not), Delaney and her sisters must track down the perpetrators and solve the case before it is too late. Add to that the return of her ex-boyfriend and issues with her long-time crush and she finds herself more than a little busy.
Overall a nice/ok-ish light mystery read, with a dash of romance and humour, I may read book 2 at some point to see what happens next, but no driving urge to do so presently.
99p on amazon 20th December 2019
Overall a nice/ok-ish light mystery read, with a dash of romance and humour, I may read book 2 at some point to see what happens next, but no driving urge to do so presently.
99p on amazon 20th December 2019
November 3, 2020
The audiobook is amazing but i can't love this one since it's two of my genres that is hard for me to read. Paranormal and mystery. Except this one was obviously heavy on the mystery element.
August 30, 2017
Ordinary
If you're a die hard paranormal lover of seriously kick-tail, hard core action female protagonists you're going to be sorely disappointed with this very ordinary cozy mystery. This is essentially a formula driven mystery with an unremarkable protagonist and her equally unremarkable family and friends.
There's no surprises and nothing to keep you awake at night, but an easily readable novel that remains true to its cozy mystery genre.
If you're a die hard paranormal lover of seriously kick-tail, hard core action female protagonists you're going to be sorely disappointed with this very ordinary cozy mystery. This is essentially a formula driven mystery with an unremarkable protagonist and her equally unremarkable family and friends.
There's no surprises and nothing to keep you awake at night, but an easily readable novel that remains true to its cozy mystery genre.
September 1, 2016
What a surprise this was! First of all, I’ve had Devon Monk on my Mountain TBR for YEARS! Don’t ask me why that hasn’t been remedied, but that may change soon. So anyway, fast forward to a few days ago and I saw Ilona Andrews post about this release on Facebook and �. the cover whore in me HAD to have it. And I’m so glad I took the plunge. In a time when we are facing a lack of good paranormal books, I jump for joy any time I find a gem, and this is one.
DEATH AND RELAXATION is an urban fantasy set in a small town where supernaturals live among humans that don’t know anything about them. It’s also where the Gods go take a vacation. They leave their powers at the door and pretend to be humans for a while. The Chief of Police, always in the Reed family, has control over the Gods and their powers and keeps the supernatural order as well as upholding human law and keeping the humans in the dark about it all. This concept was so much fun to read about! And yes, I say fun because there’s quite a bit of humor in this story. Humor, some romance and sexual tension, a murder investigation, and a rhubarb festival! I was hooked.
But let’s talk about the characters because that’s what kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. A great set of characters! The Chief of Police is Delaney Reed, her father passed away a year ago and she’s now in charge of the safety of the town as well as the goings on with the Gods and her deputies are her two sisters. I loved Delaney’s character and not just because she basically has a coffee IV much like I wish I could do. She’s tough but vulnerable. She doesn’t let many people close, but she also doesn’t close herself off behind a wall like a lot of UF heroines. She cares, she’s funny, she’s smart, but she’s human. Definitely a heroine I won’t mind getting to know more and going on this journey with. Her sisters were a lot of fun especially trying to keep Delaney in check. And the townspeople and the Gods? One of my favorite things about a small town setting is that tight knit community feel and this book has that. As far as the sexual tension I mentioned? Well, I’m dying to see where the next book goes with this.
Devon Monk definitely has a winner on her hands. DEATH AND RELAXATION put a smile on my face and left me wanting more. I haven’t read a solid UF in a while that wasn’t dark, didn’t take itself too seriously and didn’t just have bitchy characters mad at the world. I think you’ll enjoy this new take on supernatural concepts we’ve all seen done before. It made for something new and interesting and the author does a great job at telling their story in an engaging way. I, for one, can’t wait for the next book to come out in July!
Favorite Quotes:
“…You know I haven’t had a vacation in months?�
“Cry me a new river. Living here is your vacation, remember?�
He grinned. “No need to resort to the truth. You’ve had your look,� he said to Thanatos. “Hand over your sparkly bits to Uncle Raven.�
“My bits,� Than said icily, “never sparkle.�
“One cannot conduct a murder investigation when one is drinking with gods.�
June 4, 2023
Death and Relaxation is book one in the Ordinary Magic series by Devon Monk.
I’ve had my eye on the Ordinary Magic series for some time now. I’ve seen many good reviews recommending the series. When I found out it was also published as a full cast graphic audio I decided it was time to dive in.
If you don’t know yet what a Graphic Audio is its a Dramatized Adaptation with a full cast of narrators making it a movie for the mind.
The town of Ordinary, Oregon is anything but!
We are introduced to Delaney Reed and the Reed family. They have been the caretakers, law, and protectors of Ordinary since the begging. Their family has a big responsibility to protect both mortal and supernaturals.
Delaney is through into the deep end with her first big case and passing on a gods power to its next protector. She and her sisters work together to track down the perpetrator and solve the case. And, to make things more difficult Delaney’s ex-boyfriend comes into time along with her long-time crush. What’s a girl to do?
We’re treated to a light mystery, a dash of romance, and humor. Monk did a wonderful job creating the bonds between the people of Ordinary. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the Reed sisters.
The romance might or might not happen between her long-time crush. I was a bit upset with how he wants it and once he gets it he backs off and says we can’t be together. Its hurtful to Delaney, so I’m not a fan at the moment on the romance aspect.
Graphic Audio: The first time I listened to a GA I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the added sound effects and full cast of characters. Death and Relaxation is no exception. I had a blast with all the voices, each stood out, and the added effects added to the drama. The only thing I didn’t care for was the sound effect for the gods powers, when it wakes up, its a bit loud and distracting in the story.
I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Death and Relaxation. It was a decent start to the series and had some interesting things in it. I plan to continue listening to the Ordinary Magic series in Graphic Audios.
Rated: 3 Stars
I’ve had my eye on the Ordinary Magic series for some time now. I’ve seen many good reviews recommending the series. When I found out it was also published as a full cast graphic audio I decided it was time to dive in.
If you don’t know yet what a Graphic Audio is its a Dramatized Adaptation with a full cast of narrators making it a movie for the mind.
The town of Ordinary, Oregon is anything but!
We are introduced to Delaney Reed and the Reed family. They have been the caretakers, law, and protectors of Ordinary since the begging. Their family has a big responsibility to protect both mortal and supernaturals.
Delaney is through into the deep end with her first big case and passing on a gods power to its next protector. She and her sisters work together to track down the perpetrator and solve the case. And, to make things more difficult Delaney’s ex-boyfriend comes into time along with her long-time crush. What’s a girl to do?
We’re treated to a light mystery, a dash of romance, and humor. Monk did a wonderful job creating the bonds between the people of Ordinary. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the Reed sisters.
The romance might or might not happen between her long-time crush. I was a bit upset with how he wants it and once he gets it he backs off and says we can’t be together. Its hurtful to Delaney, so I’m not a fan at the moment on the romance aspect.
Graphic Audio: The first time I listened to a GA I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the added sound effects and full cast of characters. Death and Relaxation is no exception. I had a blast with all the voices, each stood out, and the added effects added to the drama. The only thing I didn’t care for was the sound effect for the gods powers, when it wakes up, its a bit loud and distracting in the story.
I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Death and Relaxation. It was a decent start to the series and had some interesting things in it. I plan to continue listening to the Ordinary Magic series in Graphic Audios.
Rated: 3 Stars
March 24, 2017
The whole Ryder thing just about ruined this book for me.
November 18, 2024
A cozy urban fantasy where god’s vacay in a coastal town with supernatural creatures alongside unsuspecting humans. And the Graphic Audio dramatization format made this into lovely listening experience.
In the beach town of Ordinary, Oregon, the Reed family has always been the peacekeepers because they are uniquely immune to any god’s powers. Delaney Reed is the new sheriff after succeeding following the death of her father last year. Her two sisters are also police officers. Ordinary is not a place where crime happens, just the typical mild conflict like with the local festival’s food competition. But a dead god’s body on the beach is an unusual situation. Add in Delaney’s ex unexpectedly returning to town and her developing feelings for her childhood crush, Delaney’s got her hands full.
While the murder mystery is rather basic, it’s the world building and character arcs that held my attention throughout. This book introduced the three Reeds (likeable and assertive), a handful of gods on vacay, the various factions of supernatural beings that live in town, Delaney’s ex Cooper; and her childhood crush that returned to town a year ago, Ryder, who appears to be hiding something. The system in which the gods ‘deposit� their god powers temporarily while they are in town is a concept that was fresh. And since the gods are entirely mortal while in town brings up the question about what happens to a god’s power if they die while in the mortal state; all of this was intriguing.
This was an entertaining start with strong mystery (what’s going on with characters) vibes. I hope the nine-book series will continue to build a greater story arc about the Reeds and their personal relationships and the special residents of the town. I am thrilled that this entire series is available in Graphic Audio format.
Note: There is a free prequel available on the author’s website: . While this may hold useful information, I don’t think it hindered my reading book one without it.
In the beach town of Ordinary, Oregon, the Reed family has always been the peacekeepers because they are uniquely immune to any god’s powers. Delaney Reed is the new sheriff after succeeding following the death of her father last year. Her two sisters are also police officers. Ordinary is not a place where crime happens, just the typical mild conflict like with the local festival’s food competition. But a dead god’s body on the beach is an unusual situation. Add in Delaney’s ex unexpectedly returning to town and her developing feelings for her childhood crush, Delaney’s got her hands full.
While the murder mystery is rather basic, it’s the world building and character arcs that held my attention throughout. This book introduced the three Reeds (likeable and assertive), a handful of gods on vacay, the various factions of supernatural beings that live in town, Delaney’s ex Cooper; and her childhood crush that returned to town a year ago, Ryder, who appears to be hiding something. The system in which the gods ‘deposit� their god powers temporarily while they are in town is a concept that was fresh. And since the gods are entirely mortal while in town brings up the question about what happens to a god’s power if they die while in the mortal state; all of this was intriguing.
This was an entertaining start with strong mystery (what’s going on with characters) vibes. I hope the nine-book series will continue to build a greater story arc about the Reeds and their personal relationships and the special residents of the town. I am thrilled that this entire series is available in Graphic Audio format.
Note: There is a free prequel available on the author’s website: . While this may hold useful information, I don’t think it hindered my reading book one without it.
Want to read
January 16, 2024Kindle version Free 1/16 but not for much longer
Also, perfect for my next airplane ride. Some people read airport thrillers. I read UF.
Also, perfect for my next airplane ride. Some people read airport thrillers. I read UF.
September 9, 2016
"This is Ordinary, nothing about it has ever been normal."Ordinary Magic introduces us to Delaney Reed and her two younger sisters. All are police officers in Ordinary, Oregon, as well as "peacekeeper, guardian, and law for all the mortals, creatures, and deities who made Ordinary their home." The small town is an official vacation destination for gods, goddesses and deities who must relinquish their powers - albeit temporarily - while on holiday, which makes them human for the duration of their stay. Additionally, it's the home of vampires, weres and other creatures. Let's not forget about the mortals, some of whom are in the know, others who are not.
This. This world building is worth a 5-star rating on its own. It was fresh, unique and such fun to read. The mysteries inside it were more predictable, which lowered my overall rating to 3.5 stars. But, I'm hooked and anxious to move onto book two, .
Pre-release comments:
Yay! A new series! (sneak peek at the end of BACK LASH) Delaney is Chief of Police in Ordinary, Oregon - "... Peacekeeper, guardian, and law for all the mortals, creatures, and deities who made Ordinary their home."
December 21, 2018
i wish this was written by a better author. so many fun awesome things could have been done with the premise. devon wasn't able to put anything in this book however. there was no humor, no action, no meaty plot - there was basically nothing (well there was a lame attempt at a love triangle, but that wasn't a positive). it was a boring drawn out weird cozy mystery that was too preoccupied talking about coffee, rhubarbs and baked goods instead of the plot.
November 23, 2021
This book.
This fucking book...
Okay.....breathe....deep breaths......You can do this......
Okay in all seriousness, I'm not even really angry.
Just.....
Devon Monk is an author I've sort of had my eye on for a while now. She's prolific enough that I felt that it worth at least giving her work a try and given that the Ordinary Magic series is one of her more recent series, I figured it was as good a place to start as any.
But if this is the typical output for Miss Monk, I have to wonder how she's managed to remain so prolific. Is this another case of quantity over quality?! Because that's what this feels like.
The plot is your typical murder mystery story with a diabetic's helping of schmaltzy romance on the side in addition to Death taking a holiday and a dead god's power needing a new host. The premise of the series is that it takes place in a town in Oregon where gods and monsters give up their godhood for a time and have holidays. And that would a decent premise to work with.....If Devon Monk didn't somehow manage to take it and turn it into something so boring and mundane that I found myself speeding through the last 50 pages to get to the end.
For starters, the pacing is like a virgin's first time in the sack - a series of awkward stop-starts ending with a wet squib on the sheets followed by misery and shame. Here's a plot rundown by page count:
1 - 100: An explosion and a murder of a god. Lots of faffing about and romantic bullshit.
101 - 200: An investigation that goes nowhere. Faffing about with the god's power. Lots of talking and romantic bullshit. A food-tasting competition. More talking and romantic bullshit.
201 - 315: Romantic bullshit. The murder investigation ends. A break-up. Lot plot threads are tied up. The end.
I'm not kidding. So little of this story actually revolves around the murder investigation and is dominated by mediocre romance drama, talking, talking, more talking with nothing of consequence happening, followed by an ending that dribbles to a halt like the stain on the sheets after a clumsy shag.
Still, you'd think the setting might be worth a look.
That, dear reader, is the brain parasite in your frontal lobe leading you astray.
Despite the setting being a potential hotbed for fantastical activity, nothing distinct or interesting happens. The gods go by painfully dumb names that are mostly just their standard names cribbed down or even unchanged - seriously you have Thanatos, the god of death, go by Than?! - which itself implies the townspeople are dumber than a dumptruck full of hammers, that nobody has ever suspected something was weird.
But even if that was the case, I doubt it would matter because the gods in this book do nothing godlike. Seriously you could change out the word 'god' for 'alien' and nothing would change. Maybe the twist is that Delaney is hallucinating everything.
Maybe you're hallucinating me right now.
Maybe I'm right behind you.
Speaking of Delaney, allow me to introduce you to Delaney Reed, our resident protagonist and horny dumbass for the story. I'm not kidding when I say that Delaney is a dumbass who is so desperate for the D that the lady-spunk in her pants could flood a river. A good third of the story is literally her wetting her knickers over her childhood crush, pining over him, whining to herself about why she shouldn't pursue him, finally hooking up with him, him breaking it off for fuck knows reason, and getting bitchy about it. This is not interesting! This is padding and it's lazy padding. And that's not even accounting for her ex swooping into town and contributing fuck and all to the plot until the end.
I wasn't kidding about Delaney being an idiot. The plot literally does not move forward without her overlooking things, ignoring things, or not understanding things. This woman is supposed to be a trained cop and she acts like a horny schoolgirl! To list some of her acts of dumbassery:
- Her childhood crush mentioned valkyries and she doesn't twig to something being up. Keep in mind, this is in a town where gods and monsters are commonplace and he mentions this completely out of the blue.
- Her sister rings her late in the story and tells her she had a vision of Delaney getting hurt if she stepped outside her house. So what does she do? She goes outside and gets fucking shot!
- She is such an inept cop that the murderer literally has to walk through the door of the cop-shop and try to kill her in a scene that feels straight out of Scooby-Doo!
Even by the end, nothing about the story felt earned or accomplished. The murderer only gets caught because they themselves were a fucking twit, the dead god's power is transferred with no conflict or strain, Delaney and boytoy number 1 break up after a single night of sex and miscommunication - i.e two grown adults acting like fucking teenagers - and portents galore for a second book I will never read.
You might think by this review that I'm angry at this book for wasting my time. But honestly, I'm just bored. The premise was boring, the plot was boring, the characters were boring - seriously Delaney's romantic hunks could be replaced with puppies and that would be an improvement - the gods were boring, the mystery was boring, the resolution was boring. Everything was so fucking BORING!!!
Is this really what one can expect from Devon Monk? Is this typical for her? Is she the equivalent of John Hodgson or William Massa? Someone tell me!
This fucking book...
Okay.....breathe....deep breaths......You can do this......
Okay in all seriousness, I'm not even really angry.
Just.....
Devon Monk is an author I've sort of had my eye on for a while now. She's prolific enough that I felt that it worth at least giving her work a try and given that the Ordinary Magic series is one of her more recent series, I figured it was as good a place to start as any.
But if this is the typical output for Miss Monk, I have to wonder how she's managed to remain so prolific. Is this another case of quantity over quality?! Because that's what this feels like.
The plot is your typical murder mystery story with a diabetic's helping of schmaltzy romance on the side in addition to Death taking a holiday and a dead god's power needing a new host. The premise of the series is that it takes place in a town in Oregon where gods and monsters give up their godhood for a time and have holidays. And that would a decent premise to work with.....If Devon Monk didn't somehow manage to take it and turn it into something so boring and mundane that I found myself speeding through the last 50 pages to get to the end.
For starters, the pacing is like a virgin's first time in the sack - a series of awkward stop-starts ending with a wet squib on the sheets followed by misery and shame. Here's a plot rundown by page count:
1 - 100: An explosion and a murder of a god. Lots of faffing about and romantic bullshit.
101 - 200: An investigation that goes nowhere. Faffing about with the god's power. Lots of talking and romantic bullshit. A food-tasting competition. More talking and romantic bullshit.
201 - 315: Romantic bullshit. The murder investigation ends. A break-up. Lot plot threads are tied up. The end.
I'm not kidding. So little of this story actually revolves around the murder investigation and is dominated by mediocre romance drama, talking, talking, more talking with nothing of consequence happening, followed by an ending that dribbles to a halt like the stain on the sheets after a clumsy shag.
Still, you'd think the setting might be worth a look.
That, dear reader, is the brain parasite in your frontal lobe leading you astray.
Despite the setting being a potential hotbed for fantastical activity, nothing distinct or interesting happens. The gods go by painfully dumb names that are mostly just their standard names cribbed down or even unchanged - seriously you have Thanatos, the god of death, go by Than?! - which itself implies the townspeople are dumber than a dumptruck full of hammers, that nobody has ever suspected something was weird.
But even if that was the case, I doubt it would matter because the gods in this book do nothing godlike. Seriously you could change out the word 'god' for 'alien' and nothing would change. Maybe the twist is that Delaney is hallucinating everything.
Maybe you're hallucinating me right now.
Maybe I'm right behind you.
Speaking of Delaney, allow me to introduce you to Delaney Reed, our resident protagonist and horny dumbass for the story. I'm not kidding when I say that Delaney is a dumbass who is so desperate for the D that the lady-spunk in her pants could flood a river. A good third of the story is literally her wetting her knickers over her childhood crush, pining over him, whining to herself about why she shouldn't pursue him, finally hooking up with him, him breaking it off for fuck knows reason, and getting bitchy about it. This is not interesting! This is padding and it's lazy padding. And that's not even accounting for her ex swooping into town and contributing fuck and all to the plot until the end.
I wasn't kidding about Delaney being an idiot. The plot literally does not move forward without her overlooking things, ignoring things, or not understanding things. This woman is supposed to be a trained cop and she acts like a horny schoolgirl! To list some of her acts of dumbassery:
- Her childhood crush mentioned valkyries and she doesn't twig to something being up. Keep in mind, this is in a town where gods and monsters are commonplace and he mentions this completely out of the blue.
- Her sister rings her late in the story and tells her she had a vision of Delaney getting hurt if she stepped outside her house. So what does she do? She goes outside and gets fucking shot!
- She is such an inept cop that the murderer literally has to walk through the door of the cop-shop and try to kill her in a scene that feels straight out of Scooby-Doo!
Even by the end, nothing about the story felt earned or accomplished. The murderer only gets caught because they themselves were a fucking twit, the dead god's power is transferred with no conflict or strain, Delaney and boytoy number 1 break up after a single night of sex and miscommunication - i.e two grown adults acting like fucking teenagers - and portents galore for a second book I will never read.
You might think by this review that I'm angry at this book for wasting my time. But honestly, I'm just bored. The premise was boring, the plot was boring, the characters were boring - seriously Delaney's romantic hunks could be replaced with puppies and that would be an improvement - the gods were boring, the mystery was boring, the resolution was boring. Everything was so fucking BORING!!!
Is this really what one can expect from Devon Monk? Is this typical for her? Is she the equivalent of John Hodgson or William Massa? Someone tell me!
July 5, 2017
A true small town story. I would know, I live in one, minus the vacationing gods. You get the setup of how the town works, then a god is murdered. The police chief is not only a chief, her family finds a new mortal the god power has to go in. The chief actually holds that power in her body until then. There are a lot of questions about the chief's childhood crush too, that need answering. It was really a great murder mystery, I always enjoy paranormal crime books. It was interesting enough that I just bought books 2 & 3. There are a lot of questions after book 1, because the goddess Hera jumps in at the end with a cryptic message about war. So, I look forward to see what happens next.
July 9, 2017
Story was ok but I didn't enjoy the relationship dynamic at all. Got the the end of book 2 and didn't bother with book 3. I was so put off by the MC's.
December 28, 2017
Delaney Reed is the chief of police in Ordinary, Oregon, but her town is anything but ordinary. It is a place where various creatures � vampires, werewolves, etc. � live among humans and where gods of the world come for a vacation. When they do, they have to give up their ‘god powers� and live as mortals. They also must have a job for the duration of their stay in Ordinary. So there is a bar in Ordinary owned by Hera. There is a kite rental place owned by Thanatos, the god of death. There is a glass blowing studio owned by the trickster god Raven. They do make smart business owners, those gods.
But not everything is simple in Ordinary, and Delaney has her hands full. Someone blew up a rhubarb patch of a very cranky man. Someone killed a god. And someone shot Delaney herself, almost killing her. Delaney has to solve all those problems on time if she wants the traditional Rhubarb Festival to go as planned.
There is a mix of humor, absurd, and supernatural in this story that tickled my craving for a lighthearted read. The pacing is fast, the writing clean, the story fresh, and the characters unbelievable but fun. I enjoyed reading this story and already bought the second one in the series.
But not everything is simple in Ordinary, and Delaney has her hands full. Someone blew up a rhubarb patch of a very cranky man. Someone killed a god. And someone shot Delaney herself, almost killing her. Delaney has to solve all those problems on time if she wants the traditional Rhubarb Festival to go as planned.
There is a mix of humor, absurd, and supernatural in this story that tickled my craving for a lighthearted read. The pacing is fast, the writing clean, the story fresh, and the characters unbelievable but fun. I enjoyed reading this story and already bought the second one in the series.
August 17, 2016
Small town, urban fantasy that is quite different from other Devon Monk books I've read. Delaney Reed was an interesting character as the chief of police of Ordinary, Oregon. It's the place where gods go to vacation, which means each Reed child has a unique ability to meet the requirements of living in an usual town. There's a murder to solve and the Reed daughters are up to the task.
Our heroine as is typical of many Urban Fantasy leads, of being seemingly being able to function on coffee alone. When not drinking coffee donuts, pastries and takeaways fuel the body, feed the mind. I've decided the Ordinary, Oregon doesn't stock water, vegetables (unless in burgers or as chips), or fruit. Unless it's rhubarb, which can be made into alcohol. Our heroine can also continue to doing amazing feats regardless of her lack of sleep and any injuries suffered.
All in all though, the mystery did capture my interest and the gods going about normal, everyday lives was an interesting concept. I'll continue with the series.
Our heroine as is typical of many Urban Fantasy leads, of being seemingly being able to function on coffee alone. When not drinking coffee donuts, pastries and takeaways fuel the body, feed the mind. I've decided the Ordinary, Oregon doesn't stock water, vegetables (unless in burgers or as chips), or fruit. Unless it's rhubarb, which can be made into alcohol. Our heroine can also continue to doing amazing feats regardless of her lack of sleep and any injuries suffered.
All in all though, the mystery did capture my interest and the gods going about normal, everyday lives was an interesting concept. I'll continue with the series.
February 21, 2017
Death and Relaxation is the first in the Ordinary Magic series and tells the story of Delany Reed, the police chief and keeper of all things supernatural in the town of Ordinary. The Reed family have looked after and kept the secrets of the supernatural community for centuries and with her father's recent death Delany is now head of her family's obligations. With the death of a God, Delaney not only has to find the murderer but also a new host for the God power and she has just seven days to do it. It doesn't help when the guy she has fancied since school suddenly decides to take a shine to her too.
Devon Monk isn't a well known author and she should be. Her Urban Fantasy books are fantastic and an automatic buy for me. I tend to find the first book in a new series a little bit slow, there is a lot of character history to write and world building to do and this is the case for Death and Relaxation. However the characters are worth it, they are well written, likeable and have depth. It's been a long time since I have read a new UF series that I want to invest my time and money into but this is definitely one I will be carrying on with.
Devon Monk isn't a well known author and she should be. Her Urban Fantasy books are fantastic and an automatic buy for me. I tend to find the first book in a new series a little bit slow, there is a lot of character history to write and world building to do and this is the case for Death and Relaxation. However the characters are worth it, they are well written, likeable and have depth. It's been a long time since I have read a new UF series that I want to invest my time and money into but this is definitely one I will be carrying on with.
August 12, 2019
4.5 Stars... The town of Ordinary is anything but... ordinary... Delaney Reed maintains the secrets of her town and it's supernatural inhabitants through enforcing both the mortal and supernatural laws... When a god is found murdered and dangerous shenanigans begin to surround the rhubarb festival, Delaney and her sisters must track down the culprits and solve the case before it is too late... Add in a returning ex-boyfriend and the mystery surrounding her lifetime crush and things just got a whole lot more complicated in Ordinary... A great mix of sweet and sexy with a splash of humor and rolled together with a tantalizing supernatural mystery; this read held all the elements I love in Devon Monk's books... I look forward to delving further into this series and watching the mysteries of Ordinary unravel.:)
August 24, 2020
This was a great book. I enjoyed the audio version I listened too very much. The narrator had me hanging on for more. I can't wait to see what happens next. I like Delaney and her sisters. I am curious to know about Ryder Bailey and how he plays into to the big picture of the town of Ordinary. But I am excited to read book two and have already purchased it.
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