I love Rachel Aaron. I’ve read several of her series now (Eli Monpress, Heartstrikers, and now DFZ). Of the three, Heartstrikers is probably my favorite. But I just read DFZ, so it’s the one I am going to review here. I’m a little embarrassed – if I reviewed either of the others, I couldn’t find the post(s).
Anywho, let’s talk DFZ. I don’t know if this series would be as good if you hadn’t read Heartstrikers. You absolutely can. It is definitely disconnected enough to stand alone. I can’t promise every reference that gets made will make sense, since I came into with the knowledge from Heartstrikers. I did appreciate that the references were subtle and there was only the briefest cameos.
The world of the DFZ is very good. It’s believable and both awesome and terrible in that realism. The pure-capitalism of the “Detroit Free Zone” creates a world which shows the best and worst of humanity. And it has dragons. And magic.
I love how Aaron manages modern-tech and magic. I like that her magic feels believable (for magic) with rules and science getting applied. I love the idea of “magic for the masses” and how she addresses it. I do worry that my understanding of magic from Heartstrikers makes this series easier to follow and appreciate, but honestly I think someone coming at it with fresh eyes might not even know there is a whole different concept that can be explored.
The world of this series is one of my favorite for urban fantasy. Because it happens after the “return” of magic, there isn’t this sense of “omg normies aren’t this dumb.” Well, not as often at least. I won’t say I never roll my eyes, but it is so much less common than many urban fantasy series I’ve read.
The characters are good. Not brilliant, but good. Sometimes things feel a bit obvious, but with a true “YA” rating on it (for like late-HS age), it’s fine. Some predictability isn’t painful and honestly, if I nagged every time I saw something coming…. well few books would ever pass muster. Tropes exist for a reason. People behave predictably when you have an omnipotent view of their situation. They are good.
There was a point in book 2 where I went “why is she being so dumb” and only later went “ohhhh, right. I know you said she was tired but I actually could have used that being hammered home a little more.” Another oddball reaction, since usually I’m wailing about repetitive messages in a book. So as much as I’ll note it’s a criticism, I will say that it might have been my failure as a reader as well. It’s a balance between using a clue-by-four and “show don’t tell” which overall Aaron does a good job.
Given how distractable I have felt lately, I very well may not have picked up all the clues I was supposed to. I honestly don’t know. Next time I read through this series, I’ll probably notice it better, or find that I had a valid criticism. I will say on a first-read-through… it could have been stronger.
And yes, I expect there will be a next time. I also will drool as soon as Aaron returns to this universe with more. I will buy the next book set in this universe. Hands down.
Dream by Day 