Why Stacia Kane's Chess Putnam Series Works For Me

All that anyone was talking about last month on the majority of the blogs I read was all about Stacia Kane's  Chess Putnam series. This is a dark and gritty world about a drug addicted heroine where facts are truth, meaning that religion and the belief in god and a peaceful afterlife has been rejected. For Stacia to come up with a heroine, who not only pops pills, but snorts and sometimes injects drugs, and where faith and spirituality is non-existence, that takes a lot of balls. Stacia Kane is an author with balls because this series is really not for the faint of heart but works so well for me.

For the first time, in a long time, based on all the reviews, I bought Unholy Ghosts, Unholy Magic and City of Ghosts after the non-stop buzzing about Chess and her shaky relationship with the possible anti-hero called Terrible. This is a perfect example of what word of mouth and the power of blogs can do for an author. If not for blogs, I would have never picked up this series. And I'm so happy I did. Count me in as one who now attends the church of Chess Putnam.

Unholy Ghosts (book #1) takes place in a post-apocalyptic word set around the year 2020. Back in 1997, the undead rose up as homicidal ghosts, killing any humans who crossed their path during a week known as Haunted Week. Millions died and not even their churches, the places where they pray and hope for salivation could save them. When all was said and done and the ghosts were defeated, people turned their back on their religious beliefs and the only church to survive (which is a bit of an irony) is the Church of Real Truth. This church is like a religious order, but their beliefs are based on truth. The Real Church now runs the whole world.

The setting of this series takes place in Triumph City, mainly in the Downside neighborhood. Downside is filled with the dregs of society. Run by a drug lord called Bump, he gives the unwashed and pathetic masses a way to escape. One of his "followers" and buyers is Chess Putnam. Chess was only an infant when Haunted Week occurred. She was taken in by the Church as an orphan and trained to be a Churchwitch. Chess has the ability to hunt and eliminate ghosts that still haunt houses and buildings. She's covered with Church sanctioned tattoos and is pretty much protected by the church as their appointed ghost buster. But Chess hides a very deadly secret that could have her excommunicated. Chess is a full blown drug addict. She pops pills, snorts, smokes and swallows anything that will give her that high, and bring her down if need be. Bump is Chess's only supplier and knows he basically owns her because there is no where else she can score her dope. And because of that, he forces her to do some side work for him.

Chess can't stand herself. She lives for her drugs. She's without hope and doesn't believe she has a future. But she's good at her job and it gives her a purpose. Bump has given her a special order where he wants her to get rid of some pesky ghosts at a run down airport so he can import his drugs. She is forced to partner up with Bump's main enforcer, Terrible. Terrible is down right ugly. He wears bowling shirts, drives a black 1969 Chevelle and does all of Bump's dirty work. Bump wants Terrible to watch Chess like a hawk and from that Chess and Terrible start a very interesting friendship. This friendship has so many ups and downs that occur over next two books.

We see Chess navigating through a very dangerous world where she's beaten up in such a way that no normal person would be able to go on. Along with Terrible, who scares Chess half the time, he helps her when she needs it. Then there's Lex, another drug dealer who works for Bump's competitor. Lex ends up kidnapping Chess because he also needs her for some dirty work. He nicknames her Tulip, based on the tulip tattoo she has. And not only is he willing to give her free drugs to get her out from under Bump's hands, but some TLC in the form of unemotional sex.

So here we have Chess, an unstable druggie who can barely make ends meet, looking for her next score, trying to keep a job, and make sure that everyone around her is happy. Chess sacrifices so much because she's being blackmailed from every which end. In Unholy Ghosts, (book #2), we see how much she has come to care for Terrible, who is just as emotionally damaged as Chess is. Terrible wants to be loved, and with Chess he has formed a precious bond. Whereas Terrible sees something special in Chess, she sees the same in him. These two become close, and even closer still, but because of Chess's lies and inability to trust, she ruins everything she and Terrible have because she continues to keep Lex on the side. The moment Terrible figures this out, he is destroyed, and in turn rips out Chess's heart.

Then in City of Ghosts (book 3), we see Chess at her worst. Her work is killing her, the drugs she's taking has increased, where she can barely keep it together, and Terrible rages against her. Not only are the ghosts Chess tires to exterminate are one the rise, but there's a deadly underground type of cult that wants Chess dead. Chess is near suicidal in her actions and thinking mainly because of her guilt regarding Terrible.

Trying to explain why this series has me hooked is a hard one. Chess is a tough character to like. She has her TSTL moments and for all purposes should be dead. How she functions on the amount of smack she ingests is as much of the fantasy as these books are. Chess is the only heroine I've read that has almost has no soul. She is almost pathetic, but still gives up a good fight and refuses to surrender.

Chess reminds me of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake. The Anita I remembered, before I stopped reading the series, is one who keeps people at a distance, but is looking for that one person to understand and love her unconditionally, faults and all. In this instance, the relationship between Chess and Terrible comes to mind. Talk about two opposites in everyway. Terrible becomes Chess's rock, her salvation, and it happens quite suddenly.

Chess is not always likable, and I'm waiting for someone, perhaps Terrible to give her the wake up she needs in regards to her drug addiction. Has anyone else noticed that Terrible doesn't feel the need to lose himself into the oblivion of drugs like Chess does? But, I don't expect much where Chess is concerned. The way Stacia ends City of Ghosts gives me hope that Chess will find some inner peace, if only for a small period of time. And those who are fans of this series, knows what may save her. Stacia has given us that with an amazing, stand up and cheer cliffhanger in City of Ghosts that has me dying for the next book.

The Downside world is harsh and the street lingo confusing at understand at times. There is gore, bloody and spooky magic. Those who are also very spiritual may have a tough time reading as well.

I don’t know how Stacia has done it, but she has created a world that is electric and inspiring to both readers and a writers. Chess Putnam is the bomb, and the woman who has invented her is very much the same. *in order to get the "bomb" reference, you must read City of Ghosts. The last three pages are full of awesome*

Unholy Ghost and Unholy Magic both get B+'s and City of Ghosts gets an A- and in my top 20 for 2010. (Del Ray Books)