#Review - Frenchman Street by Suzanne Johnson #Paranormal #Urban Fantasy

Series: Sentinels of New Orleans # 6
Format: Kindle, 357 pages
Release Date: July 24, 2018
Publisher: Suzanne Johnson
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Paranormal / Urban Fantasy

The uneasy truce between the preternatural species of New Orleans has shattered, with wizards and elves, shifters and vampires—not to mention the historical undead—struggling for ultimate control of the city, including the humans who still think they’re atop the food chain.

They aren’t, however—and the Summer Prince of Faerie wants them to know it.

Stuck in the middle? One unemployed wizard sentinel. For DJ Jaco, war makes for strange bedfellows as she finally embraces her wizard-elven heritage and strikes a deal with the devil so she and her ragtag band of allies can return to defend her hometown. After all, when the undead French pirate Jean Lafitte is working in the mayor’s tourism department, things could go horribly wrong.

War is coming to New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras, with the elves and wizards lined up on opposite sides, the shifters with a new leader, the vampires promising loyalty to the highest bidder, and the soul of the Crescent City resting on the outcome of the civil war going on in Faerie between the rival princes of summer and winter.

Mardi Gras Day is approaching fast, the faeries have infiltrated almost every parade, and the line between friends and enemies grows thin as DJ tries to stave off open warfare on the St. Charles Avenue parade route.

Laissez les bons temps rouler…but be careful, or the good times might roll too close for comfort.

 

Frenchmen Street is the sixth and final installment in author Suzanne Johnson's Sentinels of New Orleans series. As the story begins, we find our protagonist, Drusilla (DJ) Jaco, in 1814 New Orleans (Barateria) along with her allies Rene Delachaise (Merman), Alex Warin (Shifter), and Jean Lafitte (Undead Pirate). But, she no longer trusts Alex. There has been a whole lot that has happened since the previous installment. 2 months ago, DJ fled her home in New Orleans with a steep price on her head and charges of treason.

Unemployed Wizard/Elven Sentinels with a powerful Elven Fire Stick named Charlie don't have a whole lot of other job opportunities when preternaturals, including her former boss is chasing after her. As a Sentinel of the city, DJ is supposed to protect the city's humans from those who want to subvert and control them. Like the current Summer Court Prince Florian who is about to announce, in a major way, that there are those who are much more dangerous living in the city and they are here to stay. The war has finally kicked off after a period of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This is a world where after Katrina hit New Orleans, a door opened that allowed preternaturals to flood into the city. Ever since Katrina, the various preternatural factions have been lining up for a showdown, and that showdown has resulted in some heart breaking casualties. Jean Lafitte Undead seem to be the only reliable faction that hasn't thrown in with the other groups and abandoned DJ to her fate. Jean will live as long as people remember him, and people in New Orleans will remember Lafitte for a long, long time. 

After their rocky beginning in Royal Street, Lafitte has become DJ's most worthwhile ally. It doesn't hurt when the author makes a huge disconnect between Alex Warin, and DJ, which leads DJ to seek out the one person she really doesn't like; Quince Randolph, Head of the Elven Synod who she is technically married to as his bond mate. I am one of those who hasn't exactly given DJ a break. She's made a whole lot of mistakes, including not killing someone who she should have. One could say that killing someone is never the right answer, until the person destroys your life and refuses to fade into the darkness.

I have been to Mardi Gras/New Orleans but I hope to one day in the future. I had no clue there were so many parades! Holy Cow! There must be a parade and a party and a celebration for almost anything imaginable. I think, perhaps, that was a bit overdone on the authors part, but if that's what really happens during Mardi Gras, I'll have to accept her word for it. I am happy with the break between DJ and Alex. It has been a long time coming, and Alex was always allied with the Wizards, including Elder Zrakos who wants someone to please take out DJ asap before she can do what she does. 

I honestly didn't hate Rand this time out. Yes, he is a complete sexist jerk. Yes, he really does think he is the most beautiful preternatural who ever lived. And, yes he believes that he can control DJ's actions even though she has laid down the law and stood fast and never wavered. I think the friendship between DJ and Rene was bound to become something else after Alex's actions. I loved the addition of dragons, yes, dragons who can be as small as cats, or as large as a Goodyear blimp. 

I loved Gruff, the Welsh Pembroke Corgi who Rand gives to her, and ends up saving her life more than a few times. Not a dog lover, but Gruff would definitely be at the top of my list were I to ever get one. This story is also heart breaking, and no I won't tell you why. I don't think what happened is fair, and is seems as though everyone quickly moves on after it happens. I think it's fair to say that this series coming to an end was the right thing to do. You can only stretch things out for so long before the story becomes stale.

Amazon