Easy Pickings by Faith Hunter and C. E. Murphy

When Dorothy and Toto are whisked out of Kansas, they are given a few guides to help along the way. When Jane Yellowrock and Joanne Walker get taken out of New Orleans close to Mardi Gras, they only get a man who’s all mystery and a rampaging demon. Dorothy and her dog also had the luxury of being from the same world. Jane and Jo seem to come from two different planes of existence. This is how we begin the crossover of two successful urban fantasy series (Jane Yellowrock Series and Walker Papers Series). I got this book as an audiobook and since there’s little question as to the abilities of the authors, I’ll talk a little about the performance and story.

Individually, Kristine Hvam and Gabra Zackman are excellent at their craft. I’ve always though Kristine Hvam’s voice was suited to the character of Jane Yellowrock. Gabra Zackman was a little different for me. She has a pleasant voice and reads well, putting emphasis and personality in all the right places. The only problem for me was that her voice gave a different mental image than the description in the text or the cover of the book. I know this is my perception and others may not see it that way. The difference is mild enough to not take me out of the story. My only real complaint was with the audio editing. There are spots where the levels were way off and did threaten to pull me out of the story.

The story itself was very interesting and I thought they handled the crossover well. They were able to take to characters from two very different worlds and make it seem not only plausible but almost inevitable for them to meet. I also applaud the authors for being able to meld the styles. It’s not seamless but, I thought the seams were part of the texture of the story.  In that they helped illustrate the disparity among these characters and worlds.

I am a big fan of both Faith Hunter and Kristine Hvam and love the Jane Yellowrock series. This book has done its job and tempted me to check out the Walker Papers series. If you are likewise a fan of either of these book series’, I highly suggest reading or listening to this one.