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Burning Water
Burning Water
Burning Water
Audiobook10 hours

Burning Water

Written by Mercedes Lackey

Narrated by Traci Odom

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

Dallas Police Detective Mark Valdez isn't just any cop, he's a psychic who knows that the cattle mutilations and torture murders he's been investigating are somehow tied together. He also knows that his meager psychic abilities aren't enough to identify the killers, much less stop them.

Luckily, Mark has an ace up his sleeve: an attractive young romance novelist who happens to be a practicing witch. And not just any witch, either-Diana Tregarde is a Guardian, charged with protecting the Earth and all its creatures.

Using modern science and ancient magics, Diana and Mark discover that they are tailing no ordinary serial killer but the awakened avatar of an Aztec god. Tezcatlipoca and his four beautiful handmaidens are preparing for a great sacrifice that will transform North America into a new Aztec realm.

Diana isn't sure her powers are strong enough to take on those of a risen Aztec god, but she has no choice. As a Guardian, she is sworn to protect mankind, even at the cost of her own life. Luckily, she does not stand alone. Mark Valdez is more than just a cop. And Tezcatlipoca is not the only Aztec god walking in the world.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 20, 2019
ISBN9781515943983
Burning Water
Author

Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes Lackey is the author of the bestselling Valdemar series, the Obsidian Trilogy (The Outstretched Shadow, To Light a Candle, and When Darkness Falls), the Enduring Flame trilogy (The Phoenix Unchained, The Phoenix Engendered, and The Phoenix Transformed), and The Phoenix Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. She has written many other books, including Trio of Sorcery, Phoenix and Ashes, Sacred Ground, The Firebird, The Fairy Godmother, and Alta. Lackey is the co-author, with Andre Norton, of the Halfblood Chronicles, including Elvenborn. Mercedes Lackey was born in Chicago and graduated from Purdue University. She has worked as an artist’s model, a computer programmer, and for American Airlines, and has written lyrics and recorded more than fifty songs. She lives in Oklahoma.

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Reviews for Burning Water

Rating: 3.556034541091954 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

348 ratings21 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An early work in the urban fantasy genre, this one includes a Wiccan and the paranormal branch of the Dallas PD as they search for clues to a string of mass sacrificial killings. What stood out for me was the range of people who formed the "extras" in this book, everything from a young girl on her 17th birthday who meets the great evil at the beginning, to the cigar-chomping Chief of Police of Dallas, to a pesky reporter who ventures a little too far into areas he was exploring. And the characters in the extras were a good mix of men and women, something that was burgeoning in the late 80's when this book was written.The idea was an original one: "something" is woken from a long slumber and it begins its rise to power through its old way of blood sacrifices. We see a few of the victims, dislikable types who wish to harm others or who do not care what harm is done to others as long as they get their way in the world. Detective Mark Valdez is a likable fellow who knows that what he is facing is way out of his league, so he brings in his long-time Wiccan friend, Diana Tregarde, with her paranormal abilities. And having two main characters who are just friends is a relief, and means that the plot is about solving the killings rather than "will they or won't they." I also enjoyed Diana's networking into different areas of Dallas' paranormal community, and how they confirm that what she is facing is bigger than anything she has experienced before. Many of them have fled or gone into hiding because of the reach of this great evil that is working in the City. And both she and Mark are treated as valued members of the Dallas PD without any hesitation for their paranormal work.What did not work well for me was the amount of time spent detailing Diana's inability to solve what the Great Evil was. I could have done with less reading about mass killing/ritual sacrifice and more about how they worked to defeat it. It was not until 3/4 of the way through the book that Diana and Mark meet with a professor who states the obvious, and it is only then that the spell of confusion surrounding Diana melts away. Which of course puts them on the right track, and good triumphs over evil. A good re-read and a good venture into this genre for this fantasy author.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    “Burning Water” is the first of the fantasy books by Mercedes Lackey about her character, Diana Tregarde. It takes place in 1980’s Dallas, Texas.In this book Diana, or Di, teams up with an old friend of hers, a Dallas homicide detective, Mark Valdez, to investigate a series of murders in Dallas that involve magic and the supernatural. Valdez knows Di is a powerful witch, so when he suspects there’s a magic aspect to the murders he asks his chief to let him call Di in as a consultant. For the whole time they’re investigating they know there’s magic, but they have to keep reporting to the chief as though there isn’t, because who would believe that?We know from the first chapter that the supernatural villain is based on Aztec mythology.I was disappointed by the deus ex machina ending, feeling like that left the story kind of flat.I didn’t like the depiction of white Texans in the story, their dialogue all made them sound like cartoon caricatures of Texans. Maybe many Texans talk like that, but the only Texan I personally know certainly doesn’t, he speaks English like the well educated person he is with barely an accent.Overall, the book was alright. I was entertained for a few hours reading it. If I hadn’t already bought the two follow up Diane Tregarde novels, I’m not sure this book alone would’ve motivated me to buy them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first book in the Diana Tregarde series but the book didn’t quite feel like Di was the main character. It was more about Mark and his observation of Di as she helps him solve some killings in Dallas. The book was released in 1989 and you can tell it was. There are some definite points that show its age but that also help give it a fantastical feel which is exactly what this book is – paranormal goodness.

    The book is really good and full of action, history and relationships. The story starts off immediately and it doesn’t really ever ease up on the intensity until the last few pages of the book. Both Mark and Di are very interesting characters and the author establishes the length of the relationship and you never doubt it because of the ease they have with each other. The mystery is a little obvious and there were times I wondered why Mark and Di didn’t see it. The author tried to explain it away but it still seemed too obvious.

    The friendship between Mark and Di was so refreshing because it was a man and woman true friendship. No gay best friend, no secret love for each other, no friends with benefits -- just a good friendship built over years of knowing each other.

    I actually had to deduct a whole star for the ending. I can’t really get into too much other than to say it was less than satisfying. I also think the Kindle version needs some editing as there several editing errors in the book.

    Overall a really good book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Diana Tregard, powerful Guardian and protector of supernatural folks, is travelling to Texas to help out her friend and cop , Mark Valdez, with his investigation into a series of ritualized murders. It seems a great power is growing and needs to be stopped before it claims more victims.I liked the Aztec mythology built into this one, but I doubt it's terribly accurate. Diana continues to be a bad-ass heroine and Mark was a decent character as well. It was too bad Diana's vampire boyfriend Andre didn't factor much in this, but the lack of romance wasn't terribly missed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first book in the Tregarde series. This book had action and suspense. It didn't really contain any romance, which was fine. I liked the information about the Aztecs and the their religion. Most of it seemed accurate. A few points could have used some more clarity but nothing major.It did make me want to read the next book in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Diana Tegarde is a witch and helps the police with cases that have occult facets. In this case she is invited to Texas to help investigate a series of murders that result in hearts being removed and the corpse left with flowers around it. The body count is going up and up and Diana seeks help from every type of mystic living in the area until she is able to reach a bruja who points her towards an Aztec god trying to return to the living to avenge the decimation of his people.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm not normally into mysteries or detective novels, but I really enjoyed this one. Rather than rely on a plot trick to hide the true mystery, this is more about how the main character will use her skills to get to the bottom of the problem, no matter what. Enjoyable and hard to put down.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I am so bored by this book! They never do anything, just sit around and talk about the case or how great Di is. The only action is from a victim's perspective, usually a loser or a jerk or both so I don't even care about them. It's also ridiculous how quickly a small Texas town Sheriff accepts her. And if I see just one more word unnecessarily italicized I shall go batty!

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mercedes Lackey admitted to writing the Diana Tregarde books because paranormal investigations were big at the time and she had no problem with making a little cash by playing the fads. I'm glad that she did, because although the series isn't fantastic, it's still very entertaining to read through. In this one, Diana is called upon to help with a police investigation of a serial murder, and ends up getting tangled up in the middle of a plot to resurrect ancient Aztec gods into modern-day (or relatively modern, at least) Dallas.I admit, it's a little disconcerting to read Burning Water and seeing the remarkably un-PC language used throughout. References to "Indians", "krauts", and "gypsies" are littered through the pages, terms which people don't tend to use anymore unless they want to get glared at on the street and called ignorant. Sometimes I had to make myself take a step back and remember that this was all written before PC language was really coming into its heyday, and such terms, while not perfectly acceptable, were still in more common use, and so in context, it's not that unusual to see them mentioned.That being said, the attitude towards paganism as a relgion as expressed in the novel is rather ahead of its time, given that even today, 20 years later, some people still don't have that level of understanding when it comes to non-Abrahamic religions. The idea that there's no one true way seems to be a common theme in Lackey's work, though, and so it was no surprise to see it echoed here.The writing style is still very early-Lackey, lacking some of the polish she attained with more practice, though it still shows a lot of promise of what's to come, all the good bits that I like about her writing. True to style, too, it's a rather large amount of build-up, finding the pieces of the puzzle, and a then a relatively short period of high-action tense conclusion at the end.Burning Water's ending was interesting because although there was a conclusion to the immediate problem, it was still remarkably open-ended and unfinished. The immediate resurrection plot ends, but the god is not destroyed, not even really defeated or even daunted, and the reader is left with a slight feeling of incompletion. Which, I have no doubt, was the entire point. The battle was won, but the war goes on, and when one is dealing with things on a scale as grand as gods, you often can't expect much better at the end.Definitely a book worth reading if you're into Lackey's work or you enjoy a good paranormal investigation that doesn't get bogged down in being overly dark and gritty.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    OK, so Mark wasn't one of the original Spook Squad (since I've just read Arcanum 101) - he must have come along later. Yeah, that's made explicit in the story, actually, I just didn't remember. This story is a little frustrating for me because I knew the first time who was involved, at least generally - admittedly, we the readers get some major clues Di and Mark don't. But that made (and makes) the tip-of-the-tongue syndrome rather annoying. On the other hand, Di's investigations into the various occult groups in the area are interesting in themselves, and would have been unnecessary if she'd known the tradition involved. More than a bit gory, which doesn't bother me when it's story-connected, not gratuitous - and this is very pertinent to the story. The ending is a bit frustrating - no real closure. Even with Robert gone, what about the others? No clue where they went or what they might be up to. Maybe they lost all power when the ritual failed - and maybe they didn't....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first novel by Mercedes Lackey involving Diana Tregarde. There are two others, Jinx High and Children of the Night. I read somewhere they didn't sell relatively well, and because of that Lackey doesn't intend to write more of them. I consider that a shame. Lackey is a favorite author and the Tregarde books are among my favorites by her. Before LK Hamilton's Anita Blake, before Buffy, Lackey was writing an appealing, strong heroine in Urban Fantasy and she was unusual back then in presenting pagan beliefs and Wicca in a positive light. I think that gives a kind of verisimilitude to Diana and her supernatural investigations. The Aztec material is interesting and it's striking and unusual to see that used in fantasy. This is an engaging and fun read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read the second book in this series, Children of the Night, before I did this one. They stand alone, so I wasn't lost reading the second, but I do compare this one to it. Honestly, I preferred the sequel, but I enjoyed this one as well.The Diana Tregarde series is an urban fantasy, involving a witch who helps the police solve occult crimes. This particular book dealt with a serial killer that is also the avatar of an Aztec god. The story moves briskly, and the character of Diana is very appealing. This series came out before the current onslaught of urban fantasy, and I think it is superior in some ways, such as the writing and characters. I also like that the supernatural creatures aren't so over-the-top, like one finds in a lot of the werewolf/vampire/zombie lit enjoying popularity. The only problems I have with this book is that it is very bloody, to the point that it at times seems ridiculous. I also think a little more personal life would do Diana some good - she's very all work and no play - and maybe some more rounded out background characters. In all, an enjoyable read, I'll definitely pick up any other books I find in the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've enjoyed Lackey's fantasy books, but never felt a burning urge to read them all. They're enjoyable, but not my first choice. This series is paranormal & was done before it was really cool, so I give her a bonus for that. It wasn't badly written, but I just never developed much interest in any of the characters nor was the end ever in doubt. Actually, the script of the book wasn't in doubt.Diana, the heroine, is tough, smart & pretty powerful. I expected to like her, care & worry about how she'd overcome the various obstacles in her life. I didn't. I KNEW she would & she did, in perfect style. She was never in any danger, thus never really engaged me. I knew pretty much how the book would turn out from the first few pages & it never varied much from that format. The few 'dangerous' situations were shallow. Everyone loved her, she never did any wrong. Too perfect, perhaps.There were other characters in the book, but none of them grabbed me either. The police chief was overdone & I don't care much for reading mangled language - only done in his case. Our hero, blindly following in Diana's footsteps, was a perfect gentleman. The only sexual tension was explained & taken care of early, never mentioned or felt again. Everyone & everything was perfectly scripted, adhered to their niches in society without ever straying or really making me take notice.If there was a 'yawn' rating, I'd give it that. A good book to read if you're sick & not tracking so well.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A bit dated but a good library read when you can't find anything else. Wouldn't go out of my way for it. Not Lackey's best. Probably won't keep this title.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Occult meets real life crime solving....and it worked! A great mesh of supernatural witchcraft and good old fashioned detective foot work creates a intriguing and captivating story. Diana is an "average" girl that just happens to be a witch. While her witchcraft plays an important role in helping to track down a murderous cult, she would not have been able to do it by those means alone. With an ending that at first leaves you a bit upset, Mercedes Lackey ties everything up quite neatly and satisfactorily in the last few pages without giving the reader a rushed feeling.While some of the occult references aren't quite accurate to historical accounts, the story is written in a way that makes it easy to forgive and accept the slight inaccuracies.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Diana Tregarde is a witch, and she's consulted by a friend in Texas to come help with a peculiar series of murders that have occult overtones. It's an exciting, engrossing story that fits right in with the contemporary fantasy genre that's very popular now--unfortunately, it appears that Lackey was ahead of her time, and in the late 80s, early 90s, the series just didn't sell very well. I'd suspect it would sell now, but maybe not--it ends up feeling a little... unsophisticated, when compared with current offerings in the same niche.And maybe that was always the problem. Burning Water is a straightforward paranormal mystery/adventure story, with no romance muddying the waters, and very little change in the characters. Not much emotional turmoil, either. It's Agatha Christie in a J. D. Robb world.I'm quite fond of that analogy, as it describes my feelings about the book very well. It's urban fantasy's version of the cozy mystery. In fact, my complaints about the book have very little to do with the plot, and mostly to do with the writing.My one plot-related complaint is that, while Diana's missing the Aztec connection was very well explained (and a plot point that I enjoyed very much), it doesn't explain why nobody else caught it. Perhaps that's due to the times, too, though I have trouble believing that. I'm pretty sure that in 1989 the Aztecs would have been familiar to most people.So the plot was mostly fine, but the writing tics kept throwing me out of the book time after time. Italics were overused to the point where it made the book physically hard to read. Some internal thoughts were italicized, some weren't, adding to the confusion. Then there was the use of dialect. Rule of thumb for writing accents: write it out phonetically for one or two sentences, then trust the reader to remember that the character speaks with an accent. Don't put it in every line of dialogue and all the character's thoughts as well. It's hard to read. You'll lose your readers.And then there was the itty-bitty thing that made me lose my patience, and ended up overshadowing the entire story--the one thing I didn't have to refresh my memory about even though it's been 3 weeks since I read this: "ack-emma." Every single character in the entire book refers to morning as "ack-emma." It drove me up the freaking wall, to the point where I had to look it up. Thank-you, Wikipedia, for explaining that it's... get this... WWI (that's ONE) British Army phonetic-alphabet slang. Bashing my head on the desk here. I can understand one character using this slang, as part of their personality. I can even stretch that to including someone who's a close friend or coworker who's picked it up. But people they've never met before? ARRRRGGGHHH.I swear, without the damn "ack-emma," it would have been 4.5 stars, it irritated me that badly. I know, I know. Let it go. I'm trying.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Exciting story only marred by a slightly anti climatic ending.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I usually enjoy Lackey's fare, but this entry was sadly lacking. The characters were at best flat and uninteresting, and at worst outright irritating. Though I found her foray into the supernatural mystery genre disappointing, Lackey has written some compelling fantasy. Check out Lackey's 500 Kingdoms series or her Valdemar books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I've got a soft spot for this series, and I'd say it's a predecessor of the Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake books. I'd recommend it to any of Hamilton's fans, and anyone in general who likes straight-forward super-natural suspense/horror. It's a fun and well-written read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Burning Water is just a fun book. Fun not as in making me laugh or anything, but fun in the sense that it was just a good old adventure/occult fiction story. I happen to really like that type of book and a person can't read literature all of the time!Synopsis:There is a bizarre killer on the loose in the Dallas TX area. People are turning up dead everywhere, with the only clue left at the scene usually some flower petals. Mark Valdez, a detective in the police department, knows that these killings smack of something not of this world and calls on his old friend Diana Tregarde to help out. Diana writes romance novels but is also a witch and has great powers. So they join forces in trying to solve the murders.Like I said, this was a fun diversion from my more "serious" reading. I'd recommend it to people who want something less serious in their reading, who like occult fiction and who are interested in this series.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I usually try to give every book a decent shot. I try to be less judgemental of them because I'd hate for someone to judge my book harshly. That said, I'm not a big fan of this book. It was full of too much information that the reader didn't need to know and not enough of the information that the reader DID need. Plus, I'll sleep better from now on now that I don't have to ever remember the phrase "Four Ack Emma"!!