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LIFE AND LIMB  by Jennifer Roberson

LIFE AND LIMB

by Jennifer Roberson

Pub Date: Nov. 5th, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7564-1539-6
Publisher: DAW/Berkley

Two sort-of angels reluctantly join the fight against the forces of hell.

Gabriel and Remi were raised separately with the same purpose in mind. Their Grandaddy, who wasn’t really their grandfather by blood, promised them both they’d grow to become soldiers with “the fate of the world” on their shoulders. Still, when grown-up biker Gabe meets Remi for the first time and hears he’s going to partner up with a cowboy, he’s skeptical. And when Grandaddy tells the two of them they were “born of heavenly matter” and they’ve got to start killing demons disguised as werewolves, black dogs, and other mythical creatures, he’s downright incredulous. All while learning to trust a man he doesn’t know—a man who likes country music. To be fair, it is a lot to take on board, but Gabe takes a tediously long time to accept his new destiny. Gabe is a likable enough protagonist, and the world Roberson (Sword-Bound, 2013, etc.) has created is rich with colorful characters and exciting beasties. But Gabe and his partner have no clear goal of their own aside from the demon-killing charge they’ve reluctantly accepted, so they spend all their time reacting to events, sapping the plot of momentum. The book ends up feeling mostly like a setup for a supernatural mystery Gabe and Remi look set to tackle in the next volume of this planned series.

A meandering plot weakens what could have been a fun yarn about heaven-sent ghost hunters.