Charlie Madigan series
Encyclopedia
The Charlie Madigan series is a collection of urban fantasy
novels by author Kelly Gay
. The books present a future in which humanity has discovered two vastly different dimensions, making Atlanta a crossroads for various supernatural beings. The protagonist, Charlie Madigan, is a policewoman who attempts to balance her paranormal cases with life as a single mother.
dimensions—the heavenly Elysia and the hellish Charbydon—the Integration Task Force is created to oversee various supernatural beings who take residence on Earth. The series follows ITF officer Charlie Madigan, a driven and witty Atlanta policewoman, who works to maintain peace among humans and non-humans. Madigan has a preteen daughter named Emma, and works alongside a powerful Elysian named Hank. Additionally, Madigan herself begins to display superhuman abilities after being mysteriously revived from the dead. As the series progresses, Charlie attempts to fulfill her duties while protecting those closest to her.
The opening novel, The Better Part of Darkness, follows Charlie's efforts to find the source of an off-world narcotic spreading throughout her city. In book two, The Darkest Edge of Dawn, Charlie and Hank attempt to keep Atlanta from becoming a battleground between Elysia and Charbydon.
In 2010, author Kelly Gay announced that the third novel, The Hour of Dust and Ashes, was scheduled for release in 2011. A fourth was planned for 2012.
Despite the fantastic elements, Gay describes Charlie's life as being "pretty common in a lot of ways. She's not always the strongest, the smartest, or the most beautiful. She makes mistakes, wins as much as she loses, and sometimes her emotions get in the way. But one of my favorite things about Charlie is that her heart is in the right place; she’d give her last breath for those she loves." The author also drew from personal experience when finding her character's voice. "With Charlie, I pull a lot from my own feelings and emotions about being a mom and wanting the best for my kid—making good choices and sometimes making mistakes, too, all the hopes and fears, etc."
called The Better Part of Darkness "extraordinary." Publishers Weekly
stated, "Intricate world-building and richly complex characters mix with a fast-paced plot to create a standout start to a new series." Author Vicki Pettersson
also commended the story, stating that it "flaunts one of the greatest qualities of good fantasy: utter believability." Pettersson noted that the fantasy elements are "balanced by the simple story of a mother who will risk anything for those she loves." Jenna Black
called Charlie Madigan "the epitome of the modern kick-butt heroine". Romantic Times Book Reviews described the protagonist as "a complex heroine who is hardheaded and gutsy." The review also called the novel "an excellent start to an electrifying new series".
The Better Part of Darkness was a double finalist in the 2010 RITA Awards, presented by Romance Writers of America
. The novel also received recognition from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, a trade association representing southern-area book stores in the United States. SIBA identified the novel as an "Okra Pick" in 2009, and as a Long List Book Award Finalist the following year.
RT Book Reviews called The Darkest Edge of Dawn "even better" than its predecessor, commending it for building upon the first novel by exploring the repercussions of Charlie's actions. The review concluded that the "tight plotting keeps the pace brisk and the action exciting." The novel was also nominated for a 2010 Australian Romance Readers Award, appearing in the category of "Favourite Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy or Futuristic Romance".
Urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods...
novels by author Kelly Gay
Kelly Gay
Kelly Gay is an American author, known for her work in urban fantasy. Gay has written books in both the adult and young-adult genres, penning the latter under the name of Kelly Keaton. She is particularly known for the Charlie Madigan series, a story about a police officer who attempts to balance...
. The books present a future in which humanity has discovered two vastly different dimensions, making Atlanta a crossroads for various supernatural beings. The protagonist, Charlie Madigan, is a policewoman who attempts to balance her paranormal cases with life as a single mother.
Overview
Following mankind's discovery of two paranormalParanormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
dimensions—the heavenly Elysia and the hellish Charbydon—the Integration Task Force is created to oversee various supernatural beings who take residence on Earth. The series follows ITF officer Charlie Madigan, a driven and witty Atlanta policewoman, who works to maintain peace among humans and non-humans. Madigan has a preteen daughter named Emma, and works alongside a powerful Elysian named Hank. Additionally, Madigan herself begins to display superhuman abilities after being mysteriously revived from the dead. As the series progresses, Charlie attempts to fulfill her duties while protecting those closest to her.
The opening novel, The Better Part of Darkness, follows Charlie's efforts to find the source of an off-world narcotic spreading throughout her city. In book two, The Darkest Edge of Dawn, Charlie and Hank attempt to keep Atlanta from becoming a battleground between Elysia and Charbydon.
In 2010, author Kelly Gay announced that the third novel, The Hour of Dust and Ashes, was scheduled for release in 2011. A fourth was planned for 2012.
Background
Wanting to explore the "normal within the paranormal", Gay chose to give her protagonist a complex personal life. "In the UF world, it seemed very natural to me that there would exist heroines that could doll out the whoopings and also have family, a child, a marriage, a tight support group. I wanted to see what would happen if I placed that kind of character, one juggling a kid, an ex-husband, and work into the urban fantasy mold."Despite the fantastic elements, Gay describes Charlie's life as being "pretty common in a lot of ways. She's not always the strongest, the smartest, or the most beautiful. She makes mistakes, wins as much as she loses, and sometimes her emotions get in the way. But one of my favorite things about Charlie is that her heart is in the right place; she’d give her last breath for those she loves." The author also drew from personal experience when finding her character's voice. "With Charlie, I pull a lot from my own feelings and emotions about being a mom and wanting the best for my kid—making good choices and sometimes making mistakes, too, all the hopes and fears, etc."
Novels
| Book # | Title | US release | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Better Part of Darkness | November 24, 2009 | |||
| Atlanta has become a crossroads for two paranormal dimensions, Elysia and Charbydon, resulting in a variety of supernatural beings living among humans. Policewoman Charlie Madigan works to maintain peace amidst life as a single mother. | |||||
| 2 | The Darkest Edge of Dawn | August 31, 2010 | |||
| The truce between Elysia and Charbydon begins to crumble, with Atlanta caught in the middle of their conflict. While trying to maintain order, Charlie faces a variety of personal matters, including the one-year anniversary of her divorce, and the ongoing efforts to protect her family. | |||||
| 3 | The Hour of Dust and Ashes | August 30, 2011 | |||
| The third installment. | |||||
| 4 | TBA | TBA | |||
| The fourth installment. | |||||
Reception
BooklistBooklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
called The Better Part of Darkness "extraordinary." Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
stated, "Intricate world-building and richly complex characters mix with a fast-paced plot to create a standout start to a new series." Author Vicki Pettersson
Vicki Pettersson
Vicki Pettersson is an American author best known for her Zodiac urban fantasy series set in modern Las Vegas which sets Agents of Light and Shadow against each other for control over Sin City. The series follows casino heiress Joanna Archer, who discovers on her 25th birthday that she has...
also commended the story, stating that it "flaunts one of the greatest qualities of good fantasy: utter believability." Pettersson noted that the fantasy elements are "balanced by the simple story of a mother who will risk anything for those she loves." Jenna Black
Jenna Black
Jennifer Bellak is an American author of paranormal romance novels, urban fantasy, and young adult fantasy novels under the pen name Jenna Black. She published one novel under her married name, Jennifer Barlow and at least two short stories under her maiden name.-Biography:Jenna Black was raised in...
called Charlie Madigan "the epitome of the modern kick-butt heroine". Romantic Times Book Reviews described the protagonist as "a complex heroine who is hardheaded and gutsy." The review also called the novel "an excellent start to an electrifying new series".
The Better Part of Darkness was a double finalist in the 2010 RITA Awards, presented by Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America is a national non-profit genre writers association. It provides networking and support to individuals seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction and supports top authors such as Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught.-History:...
. The novel also received recognition from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, a trade association representing southern-area book stores in the United States. SIBA identified the novel as an "Okra Pick" in 2009, and as a Long List Book Award Finalist the following year.
RT Book Reviews called The Darkest Edge of Dawn "even better" than its predecessor, commending it for building upon the first novel by exploring the repercussions of Charlie's actions. The review concluded that the "tight plotting keeps the pace brisk and the action exciting." The novel was also nominated for a 2010 Australian Romance Readers Award, appearing in the category of "Favourite Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy or Futuristic Romance".