Review: Oracle of Philadelphia

Title: Oracle of Philadelphia
Author: Elizabeth Corrigan
Genre: Urban fantasy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Carrie works at a diner in South Philadelphia, dispensing advice to humans and angels wise enough to seek her counsel. But there are some problems that even the best advice can’t solve.
Her latest supplicant, Sebastian, is unique among those who have sought her aid. He sold his soul to a demon in exchange for his sister’s life, but his heart remains pure.
Carrie has lived for millennia with the knowledge that her immortality is due to the suffering of others, and she cannot bear to see another good man damned when it is within her power to prevent it.
In order to renegotiate his contract, Carrie must travel into the depths of hell and parley with the demons that control its pathways. As the cost of her journey rises, Carrie must determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to save one good soul.

Read an excerpt here: http://redadeptpublishing.com/excerpt-oracle-of-philadelphia/

View the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLxDbw3HR6M 

I haven't read much urban fantasy, but this was fun!

Oracle of Philadelphia follows Carrie (who has a lot of other names, but this is her current one), an oracle who has the power to hear the thoughts of everyone around her. She has lived for thousands of years, making friends with some fellow immortal creatures - the angel Gabriel and a fallen angel named Bedlam - but generally keeps to herself. She knows that once you've sold your soul to the devil, there is no taking it back. But when a young man sells his soul for a selfless reason, Carrie is determined to restore it for him.

I liked that the characters didn't take themselves too seriously. There was a lot of witty dialogue, and Bedlam especially brought a lot of comic antics to the story. At times it was hard get past demons and oracles in ancient Egypt or Rome talking as they do in modern times, but that was a minor thing to get over. This book was definitely entertaining, but there were some aspects I would have liked to see more of. I was expecting a little more intensity and more on the blurred line between good and evil, and while these are touched on, they weren't explored as much as I would like.

I really liked some aspects of the mythology in this book - a few biblical stories are retold in unexpected ways, and I thought the twists were clever. I also liked the concept of angels being unable to fall out of love with each other, even if they grow apart and no longer see eye to eye. It makes for some interesting and complicated dynamics, which again were touched on but I wanted more.

I'd recommend this book to people who are looking for light-hearted urban fantasy.

A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.