Symphony for the Devil

There is a trend in Urban Fantasy novels that rings true, and probably is the reason why the genre is so popular: Having powers doesn’t make things any easier. Being a vampire or werewolf or The Chosen One doesn’t mean much when you have to scrape to make rent. The novel Symphony for the Devil plays with this theme. Even though the family is unimaginably wealthy and, in theory, careers are taking off for our protagonists, Trevor and Braxton, dealing with the jealousies and insecurities of any new couple is something that even a magnificent condo in downtown Seattle can’t solve. When followers of an ancient evil, something the Witches of the Blackmoore clan have fought against and been hunted by since the dawn of civilization, all the money and prestige don’t save things; it is the love between family and each other that gives them the strength to the end.

This is a novel of descriptions. Meals are lavished over, landmarks are circled constantly, and clothes are intricately described. Trevor and friends name-drop brand names like a mail-order catalog. It is this last thing that is probably the biggest weakness of the book. You are constantly barraged with designer labels, to the point where it becomes comedic. Heroines run from zombies, but not before stopping to grab their Cole Haan bags. They run on their Marc Jacobs stiletto heels (and every shoe mentioned has stiletto heels). I have never heard anyone say a line like “…I want to go to Nordstrom’s. There’s this Givenchy skirt and matching blouse I must have – oh, and these Burberry ankle boots with stiletto heels…” It left me chuckling in high-tension scenes that they stopped to mention that the jacket that was torn getting away was Theory. However, this is a fun romp of a novel that refreshingly shows gay relationships in the same light as straight. The fact that the main characters are in a relationship with each other isn’t a big deal when compared to being hunted by an ancient evil god. It’s enough that I’m slightly surprised there isn’t a bit more tension with the other characters. However, that isn’t the focus of the novel. While about gay characters, this isn’t particularly a gay novel.

Symphony for the Devil is a novel for people who are fans of Urban Fantasy, the Seattle area, or love to page through catalogs.