Royal Street

Starred review from February 6, 2012
The first Sentinels of New Orleans fantasy is a vivid debut that’s far more than the sum of its parts. Empathetic wizard and deputy sentinel Drusilla “DJ” Jaco faces several challenges in the summer and fall of 2005: Hurricane Katrina breaches the levees as well as crucial magical barriers, and her mentor, Gerry, disappears. DJ is put in charge of protecting New Orleans by the Congress of Elders, who send heavily armed Enforcer Alexander Warin to assist during her probationary period. As DJ and Alex search for Gerry, they also must help the NOPD investigate a series of murders with ritual overtones and defend DJ against the attentions of infamous and deceased pirate Jean Lafitte. Sympathetic, entertaining DJ is the perfect narrator for a lively tale jam-packed with action, magic, and intriguing plot twists. Agent: Marlene Stringer, the Stringer Literary Agency.

Starred review from April 15, 2012

Drusilla Jaco, a junior wizard sentinel for the city of New Orleans, dutifully studies ritual magic and potion making and assists her mentor, the Red Congress sentinel Gerald St. Simon. When St. Simon mysteriously disappears, the Congress of Elders appoints Drusilla as acting sentinel and sends an enforcer to assist her efforts--and keep her impulsive nature in line. In the nonmagical world, Hurricane Katrina slams into New Orleans, its flood waters breaching more than the levees and releasing powerful ghosts and other undead to cross over into a city already haunted by its history and now on the verge of destruction. Drusilla's investigations into St. Simon's disappearance and the discovery that the new ghostly arrivals have their own agenda suggest that someone in the mage community might be a traitor. VERDICT Former New Orleans resident Johnson's fantasy debut introduces a resourceful heroine who relies on her magical ingenuity rather than flashy powers. In addition, the author captures Katrina's devastation and the long recovery of a city's resilient people.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2012
Using the rich history of New Orleans, Johnson creates the unique world of Old Orleans, a ghostly version of the city populated by the dead, who live as long as they are remembered by the living. Which means historical figures like Marie Laveau and Jean Laffite are not only alive and well but also have a strong fascination with the modern world. Barriers usually keep the dead within the boundaries of Old Orleans, but the smart and strong can always find a way out, which provides steady work for Drusilla Jaco (DJ) and her fellow guardians. When Hurricane Katrina strikes, it rips apart the magical barriers and creates a flood of new problems for DJ and her new (and not so welcome) partner, Alex, a trained assassin. Can DJ find both a murderer and her missing mentor, Gerald, and discover why she seems to have special abilities in relation to time? Make sure to suggest this fast, fun, and engaging fantasy-thriller to fans of Charlaine Harris and Cat Adams.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)