This dark urban fantasy novel is set in Atlanta -- a re-imagined Atlanta -- which has become a desirable destination for "off-worlders" from two different parallel dimensions called "Elysia" (which is a name drawn from the Elysian fields section of the mythical Greek underworld) and "Charbydon." I may be wrong, but based on the origins of the word Elysia, I can't help thinking that the name Charbydon is very close to Charybdis a monster that appears in Homer and which is linked with a dangerous whirlpool called Charybdis. In the novel, Elysia is like a sort of heaven and Charbydon is like a sort of hell. The visitors from these dimensions have special powers for good or for evil, light or dark.
The protagonist is Charlie Madigan. She is a single mother and a tough cop on the "Integration Task Force" who has returned from the dead with some mysterious, newly emerging magickal powers of her own. Charlie and her Elysian partner Hank find themselves grappling with the terrible effects that a deadly new narcotic called "Ash" has upon those who try it. Ultimately the fate of the people of Atlanta depends upon Charlie developing a greater control over her new abilities.
Not bad. Entertaining enough for an evening's reading.
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