Reader Alert, the chicks have it!

I love reading. I enjoy all sorts of things that fall under "speculative fiction", with a particular adoration for things fantasy. Being this huge fangirl, I often seek out the sites and blogs of authors. With Jeaniene Frost, it just so happened that she was cyber buddies with one friend of mine or another. She made a comment that I found enlightening and we ended up friending each other on a blog site. Turned out, she not only wrote, but in my favorite genre.

"A fast-paced, sexy thrill." ~Kathryn Smith, USA Today bestselling author

Halfway to the Grave opens with Catherine Crawfield being stopped for a busted taillight. That would be a little unnerving to anyone, but with the body in the bed of her truck, stressed only begins to cover what Catherine was feeling.

Cat Crawford hunts the darkness, killing vampires in hopes that one fine night, she'll put a stake in the monster that fathered her. That's right. She's a half vampire. If I would have known that little detail before I bought the book, I may have hesitated to pick it up. Don't let it stop you! This is a great urban fantasy adventure about a would-be slayer who bites off more than she can chew--in the form of a vampire who hones her skills and teaches her not to hate herself.

The criticism that most seems to come up for this books is that Bones, the vampire in question, reminds readers a little too much of Spike from Buffy. So what? He's got the accent and the hair....and he's got his own personality. Pick it up and see for yourself.

The sequel, One Foot in the Grave, just came out April 29, 2008.

"Combines dark urban fantasy with a splash of cyberpunk, a pinch of paranormal romance, and a dash of gritting crime thriller to create a unique and engaging melange." ~Jacqueline Carey, author of Kushiel's Avatar

The above praise for Lilith Saintcrow's (and, yes, that's her real name) Working for the Devil is probably the best writer's promo blurb I have ever read. It tells you so much more than "it's a fun read!"

Dante Valentine is a necromance--you know, a necromancer without an 'r'--and a bounty hunter. She's living an interesting, if somewhat miserable life, when the Devil himself sends someone to drag her into Hell. He has a job for her to do.

I don't usually read a review of a fiction book until after I've read the book itself. I just think it's fun to see if those interested enough to post had the some sort of impressions that I had. The reviews for this book seemed to be way too positive or way too negative, with my own opinion landing smack in the middle.

Saintcrow made this fascinating mix of cyberpunk meets post-modern magic. That alone makes it worth taking a look and deserves the praise that she's gotten. She also mixed decent storytelling with perhaps the most unlikeable narrator I've ever come across. It seemed she was going for "fiesty" or "spirited" but ended up with rude and obnoxious. It only gets worse when we're introduced to her friends who can't seem to decide if they want to help each other or gut each other with a snide, "Get over it."

There was also the lack of clear information to set my nerves on edge. Skinlins and nichtvren, bits of magic and tech not used in our world. A little info, a sentence or two of explanation, so I'm not thinking skinlins are werewolves only to find out that they aren't, and nichtvren must be vampires, but no this passage makes it sound like they aren't, but wait...yeah, they are.

It's possibly most obnoxious that once you've read through the first two novels, at the end of the second is a glossary. By then, you've puzzled through most of it, and what you haven't figured out doesn't matter.

Through the second book? Yeah, there's the rub. Working for the Devil, despite any complaints about the narrator or lack of certain background tidbits, is a damned enjoyable read. And the story only gets better with Dead Man Rising. The sequel delves deeper into Danny's past, revealing far more detail on the darkeness that makes her who she is. The strength she shows, the vulnerability from her losses, and the compassion she gains go a long way in making her a sympathetic character.

And she still kicks ass.