Review: The Day of First Sun by Sheryl Steines

Goodreads Blurb:

When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun?

My Thoughts:

This books reminded me vaguely of Harry Potter; magical beings living among us in their own communities, while us normal folk don't notice a thing. The headquarters of the Wizards Guard, where Annie and Cham work, reminded me of the Ministry of Magic, a big, official magic hub.

The Day of First Sun was fast paced and had a whole ton of magic. Magic is definitely a huge part of Annie and Cham's lives. They use it for everything from teleporting to healing to summoning their clothes when they wake up in the morning. In this book, there is a very strong distinction between black and white magic, rather than being on a continuum. There was no grey area as far as I could see.

On the down side, I didn't feel a much of a connection  with the characters as I would have liked to. There was nothing wrong with them, I just didn't fall in love with them. I would have liked to see more of a lead-up to Annie's decision about Cham. Also, maybe it's the gamer girl in me, but I felt like the Wizard Guard was overpowered. Every thing they did seemed like a bit of a cakewalk, but maybe that's how law enforcement should be. Also, I could have done without the prologue or epilogue (which had a weird shift from third person to first).

On the Cover:

I don't mind this cover, although I'm not a huge fan of brown. I think this cover feels more like high fantasy than urban fantasy though.

Favourite Character:

Honestly, probably Sturtagaard. He's everything a vampire should be: selfish, smart and vicious. Definitely not sparkly!

Favourite Scene:

Sturtagaard's epic escape attempt.

Rating: 3 Hearts

Source: I received an ecopy as part of Novel Publicity's whirlwind tour.

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About the book: A vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soulless zombies are par for the course for Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard. But when the non-magical princess, Amelie of Amborix, is murdered by magical means, a deeper plot unfolds. Get it on Amazon.

About the author: Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise, using her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy. Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.