Grounded for All Eternity

With the occasional storytelling hiccup, this fantasy goes from hell to earth and back again, with fun unlikely heroes, some scares, and a fresh vibe. Who knew you'd be rooting for the kid from hell -- literally -- and his friends? Malachi has big black wings and a serious case of boredom and restlessness when an escaped soul ruins his summer plans. His accidental jaunt to earth (luckily incognito -- his wings are missing) will land him in so much trouble, and he's got to get home quick. But then he sees what came through the veil with him and knows he has a job to do. Parris is slowly getting stronger as he riles up the town -- here's where the scares and muggings and fights come in. Malachi needs help. Two of his friends come through from hell after him, the brilliant Lilith and Crowley, the magician of the group. And he makes two more friends from earth: a boy named Sean and his friend, Charity. And one of the seraphim pops by too, and a brownie.

OK, now it's getting complicated. All these characters are needed and more in order to combat Parris' sinister presence, but they are thrown in the mix hastily and often late in the game -- adults with supernatural skills show up really late with very little introduction. Also, Sean and Charity could have announced who they really were much sooner. No need for secrets there. It's hard to start a series and world-build, especially for a new author (this is her debut), especially when you're working with multiple dimensions and huge concepts like hell and heaven. Now that the time in purgatory of completing a first book is complete, it'll be fascinating to see what author Darcy Marks plans next for Malachi and friends.