"Charming" by Elliot James

CHARMING - Elliot James (released September 2013)

The first book in the PAX ARCANA series.

The title is definitely intriguing.  I would have picked this book up if I were in a bookstore simply on the the title alone. 

The book is about a rogue knight, John Charming, who hunts monsters - vampires, werewolves, Indian Gods, etc.  However, Charming isn't 100% human himself.  He's been trained in the art of killing monsters by the Knights Templar, but once they found out he's not entirely human, he has to go rouge and hide from the Knights, while still fulfilling his swore duty of destroying creatures threatening the Pax Arcana.  (The Pax Arcana, to put simply, is the veil that separates these monsters from exposing themselves to humans.) But of course, there has to be a love story.  (He's a Charming, come on.)  Charming meets Sig one night while slaying some vampires and a forbidden love/love triangle ensues.  Charming becomes a part of a team of supernatural good guys who have to destroy this lair of vampires before they become too powerful.  But Sig's old ass boyfriend, Dvornik, is a prick and doesn't want Charming involved, and jealousy and tantrums follow.

The story has a fairly predictable twist that you can easily see coming.  Charming's inner monologue are entertaining and funny.  The reader definitely roots for him and finds him easily likable.  He's like that smart-ass, sarcastic friend that knows when to deliver a great snarky remark.  Sig is a little harder to like.  The reader feels for her occasionally, but the character is so guarded and bitchy, that at times, you don't really care if Charming and her get together.  I found myself liking the smaller characters - Choo and Molly -  because they more relatable and entertaining than Sig.

Ultimately I would probably read the second book the series to see where the story goes.  It's an easy read and it kept my attention so I kept picking it up to read it every night.  I enjoyed Charming and thought Elliot James provided believable inner monologues, but the actual dialogue between the characters was a little forced and the story was a little predictable.  

Final say: Read it, if you don't have any else to read.