Originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 I'm an avid speculative fiction fan (in case you haven't noticed) and a lover of Canadian fiction so I can't believe it has taken me this long to pick up a Lesley Livingston novel! 
 Starling is a unique story. It takes traditional Nordic myths and legends and places them smack dab in the present day. I am a sucker for myth re-tellings but I have so rarely come across ones that focus on Nordic mythology. This book felt like a breath of fresh air, in an otherwise Greek God dominated market. An original and captivating story meant right off the bat I was fascinated with Starling. 
 What maintained my interest throughout the reading of this novel however wasn't just the mythological element. Starling, is a fast paced read with lots of great action and adventure. I love a good fight scene and/or battle and this book is full of them. It made for a lot of heart thumping moments during which it was impossible to pry the book out of my hands. All these action packed sequences were intertwined with a great mystery and the twists and turns kept coming. 
 Speaking of the mystery -- Starling, has a fairly unpredictable plot. In this case it was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it made this story incredibly interesting with some great surprises. It kept me guessing which I always appreciate. However, at the same time a few of those twists made me go "wait...where did this come from?" and even flipping back through the book didn't clear it up for me. I'm hoping some of these issues will be resolved in subsequent books, so I'm not really counting this as a criticism. Just a note from a concerned reader. 
 And then there's Mason. I really wanted to like her, and sometimes I did. Other times however, I felt like she just had things happen to her, but didn't actually do all that much herself. I really would have liked to see more independent, proactive actions from her. It wasn't until the end of the book that I thought her real potential really shone through. Hopefully that means she'll keep growing as a character the more the story unfolds. 
 I will definitely keep reading this series. Lesley Livingston has such a fun fresh way of writing and I want to see more of that. And if that weren't enough I am incredibly curious to find out where she takes this story next and how some of my questions get answered. This may have been my first Lesley Livingston novel, but it certainly won't be my last. 
 Final recommendation: Fans of myth and fairy tale re-tellings are going to enjoy this original new addition to the genre.Also a great read for paranormal fans who are tired of vampires and werewolves.