Hounding the Moon by P.R. Frost

Hounding the Moon (A Tess Noncoiré Adventure) by P.R. Frost. New York: Daw Books, Inc., 2006. ISBN:

P.R. Frost is a pseudonym for Phyllis Irene Radford. Why a pseudonym? According to the author (on her website): “If you like your fantasy a little edgier check out my contemporary fantasy written under the pseudonym P.R. Frost.”

So is it edgier? I guess what that means is that the female lead has some graphically described illicit sex with a gorgeous guy who just might turn out to be a demon, one of her enemies. She has a sidekick who is quite literally an imp, a creature from another dimension who is supposed to have the power to turn into a supernatural weapon at need for fighting off demons. She belongs to a sisterhood that kicked her out, yet nevertheless helps fight their battles to prevent demons from breaking into the world and wreaking havoc upon it.

When I read that “A Tess Noncoiré Adventure” line, I assumed this was one in a series, which I suppose it is, but it's the first book in the series, not one in the middle somewhere as I thought when I read it. I don't know if the second volume, Moon in the Mirror, is out yet or not (the author's web sites are maddingly vague about such trivia), but you can read a “sneak preview” online.

The books seems aimed at that midpoint between what librarians call “young adult” and standard adult fiction. It will probably appeal to both age groups, and, featuring a sexy young fantasy author as its heroine, seems likely to have special appeal for young women. It's a good read, even if the premises seem more than a little far fetched to me. But then, that's what fantasy is supposed to be like, right?