Wow. That was fun....Black Heart Loa is the second book in Adrian Phoenix's Hoodoo series. The book picks ups immediately after the events of Black Dust Mambo and works up into an exhilarating pace as it continues the story of Kallie Riviere, a young hoodoo who carries an unknown loa inside her. If you've read the first book, you couldn't have possibly missed the fact that Kallie spent nearly 75% of that book in her underwear. Well, in this book, she is more suitably attired - well, at least 75% of the time.This series is so much fun to read. It's set in the south and in the bayous of Louisiana and the author uses the lore and mythology of that area to create a captivating atmosphere. In addition, Hurricane Evelyn is bearing down on the area, growing in intensity by the hour. All of the magic and wards have gone wonky and the Hecatean Alliance is working hard to correct the situation. There's lots of dark magic, voodoo, and even a visit from Baron Samedi. Throughout all this, Kallie is working with her friend Belladonna Brown to find her missing cousin Jackson Bonaparte. (I love the characters' names in this series; my favorite has to be Felicity Fields - a real Bond girl name if there ever was one). One of my favorite chapters in this book was written from the point of view of a dog. Yup. Cielo is a special dog and the Siberian Husky had been tracking the whereabouts of his owner, Jackson. The author captures the dog's voice and feelings well. Dog lovers should enjoy that chapter.A lot happens in the space of this book and it's hard to believe that it takes place in such a short time frame. There are some surprising turns of events and a few loose ends, but on the whole this was a most satisfying read. For those interested, the author has an excellent glossary of terms on her website here. Black Heart Loa was an awesome read. I can't wait to read more books in the series.
