Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain #2) by Amanda Carlson (review)

Paperback, 320 pages
Published April 23rd 2013 by Orbit
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:
It hasn’t been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge — but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she’s the only female werewolf in town…it comes with its own set of rules…and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day’s work for a girl.

Review:

The Jessica McClain series continued in Hot Blooded where Jessica, her twin brother, another werewolf, a cop and two vampires (whew) set off to rescue Jessica’s mate from a vengeful goddess who is determined to keep Jessica’s mate for herself. That was a mouthful.

The novel continues in the same vein as the first one in the series. It is chocked full of action, supernatural creatures, danger and goats. Yes, man eating goats that provide much needed humour in the novel. The vampires are interesting and though there are some corny bits in the writing (kind of cheesy, actually) the novel is fun.

Jessica discovers new things about herself and she gains some new powers or rather discovers abilities and skills that she didn’t know she had or could access. She makes a female friend in  the vampire (there are barely any females in the novels). The male to female ratio is extremely skewed but ah well, this series is a guilty pleasure.

The goddess is on the wrong side of crazy (and not in a good way either) and the ending complicates things even more. However, the mate is rescued (as if there was any doubt) and then commences a lot of snogging and some extremely cheesy dialogue until things go crazy once a gain and this is when we take a breath which we will release when the third book in the series is released. Hopefully soon. As I said before, fans of Ilona Andrews, Karen Chance and Seanan McGuire will appreciate this series.

Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain #2) by Amanda Carlson (review)

Paperback, 320 pages
Published April 23rd 2013 by Orbit
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:
It hasn’t been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge — but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she’s the only female werewolf in town…it comes with its own set of rules…and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day’s work for a girl.

Review:

The Jessica McClain series continued in Hot Blooded where Jessica, her twin brother, another werewolf, a cop and two vampires (whew) set off to rescue Jessica’s mate from a vengeful goddess who is determined to keep Jessica’s mate for herself. That was a mouthful.

The novel continues in the same vein as the first one in the series. It is chocked full of action, supernatural creatures, danger and goats. Yes, man eating goats that provide much needed humour in the novel. The vampires are interesting and though there are some corny bits in the writing (kind of cheesy, actually) the novel is fun.

Jessica discovers new things about herself and she gains some new powers or rather discovers abilities and skills that she didn’t know she had or could access. She makes a female friend in  the vampire (there are barely any females in the novels). The male to female ratio is extremely skewed but ah well, this series is a guilty pleasure.

The goddess is on the wrong side of crazy (and not in a good way either) and the ending complicates things even more. However, the mate is rescued (as if there was any doubt) and then commences a lot of snogging and some extremely cheesy dialogue until things go crazy once a gain and this is when we take a breath which we will release when the third book in the series is released. Hopefully soon. As I said before, fans of Ilona Andrews, Karen Chance and Seanan McGuire will appreciate this series.

River Road (Sentinels of New Orleans #2) by Suzanne Johnson (review)

Hardcover, 332 pages
Published November 13th 2012 by Tor Books
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:
Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.

Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.

It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.

Review:

I enjoyed River Road a bit better than I did its predecessor. I found the prose flowed better and the situations, as they occurred, were better planned out. The pace, too, was quick and as this genre functions primarily on the thrills it gives readers through the action scenes, this was a good thing.

I also like that Drusilla, unlike the many tough-talking badass UF protagonists out there, doesn’t know how to handle a gun. She’s a bit softer than a UF protagonist usually is and I liked how that makes her distinct. She’s not super strong but she is smart and so she has to find ways to make up for the lack of physical strength. I also like how Drusilla’s elven nature is coming to the fore and her heritage is going to be discussed possibly in the next book. I can’t wait to see how that pans out.

The descriptions of New Orleans feel authentic and the world-building is very well done. However, the characters, apart from the main two, could do with a bit more work. Three years have passed (in book time) since the events of the first book and I expected that to have a lot more bearing on the characters than it actually does. Drusilla is unchanged as are Alex and Jake. It seems weird that Alex wouldn’t have told Drusilla that she was “going out” with him and who goes out with one person for three years without the family ever meeting her? And the city isn’t that big, how has Drusilla managed not to run into Jake despite her partner living in the flat above Jake’s bar. Stuff like this detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

Additionally, there are two other things that still bother me about this novel. One is Drusilla’s many suitors. Alex is cute and I can accept that there is friction between Dru and Alex, then there is Jacob, who, okay, his presence has a lot of potential for tension and conflict and I understand his presence too but then there is Jean LaFitte. She’s nowhere like Anita Blake but three guys is pushing it.

Two, this girl is judgmental as hell. I dislike slut shaming. I don’t think a woman’s morals should be judged by her sexuality or the clothes she wears or the twist of her hips. If you feel insecure about another woman’s beauty, confidence and sexuality, the issues and the insecurities are yours. There is no problem with the other woman being as she is. Besides, the “slut” in question is a nymph so it’s her nature.

I hated that Drusilla described a nymph as a slut. And mentioned it once and again. I also disliked that Drusilla didn’t want to wear red because it was reminiscent of a brothel or she didn’t want someone’s mother’s thoughts to go that way. I also didn’t like her saying “Happy Hooker” to describe what she’s not with regards to her own sexuality. I think the author needs to have more sensitivity and a keener awareness about the messages that she may be unintentionally sending through Drusilla. I like the world and the settings. I like the mythology and I like the idea of a Beyond. However, I do not like rape culture.

I will read the next book though, with the hope that Drusilla will get more sensitive, more aware and less judgmental.

Full Blooded (Jessica McClain #1) by Amanda Carlson (review)

Paperback, 322 pages
Published September 11th 2012 by Orbit
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:
Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can’t control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there’s no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

Review:

I really like how this book begins. We meet Jessica when she is in the middle of changing. In Carlson’s world, there are no such things are female werewolves so when Jessica does the impossible and becomes one, things get messy quick.

It has been a while since I read urban fantasy that I liked much. I’ve learned to go to my trusted authors and not try anyone new because of previously unsavoury experiences. However, Carlson has created a world teeming with interesting supernatural creatures, a likable heroine and fun side characters. There is a reverse harem of sorts and while the novel is sexy, it is moderately so and not the orgiastic deluge that comes with Laurell K. Hamilton’s novels.

The pacing is very fast. Things happen and keep on happening and then we take a breath and read the next book but that’s another review. The breakneck speed works for the genre so I didn’t mind it at all and I also liked how Jessica gains her powers gradually. It’s not all “I woke up one day and I was awesomely powerful.” I liked how Carlson created Jessica’s “wolf.” She seems to be a personality of her own, independent of Jessica’s feelings and thoughts. And okay, their internal monologues are funny, especially where one werecat is concerned. I think the “mate” thing came about a bit too soon because I would have liked Jessica to become more comfortable on her own, as a werewolf, before being saddled with the emotional drama that comes with having a mate who is not even your own species.

However, the series is off to a snazzy start. I like it and people who like Ilona Andrews, Karen Chance and other similar authors will appreciate this as well.

Grave Memory – Kalayna Price (review)

Mass Market Paperback, 1st Edition, 373 pages
Published July 3rd 2012 by Roc
Source: Library

Synopsis:
As a Grave Witch, Alex solves murders by raising the dead—an ability that comes at a cost, and after her last few cases, that cost is compounding. But her magic isn’t the only thing causing havoc in her life. While she’s always been on friendly terms with Death himself, things have recently become a whole lot more close and personal. Then there’s her sometime partner, agent Falin Andrews, who is under the glamour of the Winter Queen. To top everything off, her best friend has been forever changed by her time spent captive in Faerie.

But the personal takes a backseat to the professional when a mysterious suicide occurs in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shade she raises has no memory of the days leading up to his brutal ending, so despite the very public apparent suicide, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why does the shade lack the memory of his death? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won’t have a life to remember at all…

Review:

I was anticipating the third installment in the Alex Craft series because I had really really enjoyed the first two and I suppose I did enjoy this one to a certain degree but I also felt let down to a certain degree. I disliked how all the action was distilled down to the last two percent of the novel and I read on fearing that I’d be left at a horrible cliff hanger with no way to bring myself down. The novel was peppered with varying degrees of action but it in no way reflected the roller coaster razziness (yes, I made up that word) of the first two novels. For one thing, there was too much in the way of the love triangle. Who is she in love with? Is she in love with both? Does it really make a difference? Do I care? Is she going to be with any of them for any length of time? For a satisfying length of time?

Can we just focus on the world and the case? I guess. I think the relationship that fascinates me most if the one between Alex and her father. It is chockfull of unspoken things and I have a feeling that when we do get into it, it’ll surprise the hell out of us. As for the major case/crime of the novel, it was interesting in that it proved the existence of yet another dimension that Alex can tap into.

Alex’s friends are rather…interesting but I like their relationship because there’s a certain give and take that I can relate to. There was way too much romance in this one to suit me so I hope the next one focuses on one guy. I can only handle them one at a time because they are both hot that I cannot choose. Also that mortal woman is so badass. I hope she is added to Alex’s coterie.

This Case is Gonna Kill Me – Phillipa Bornikova (review)

Paperback, 1st Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication: September 4th 2012 by Tor Books
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

What happens when The Firm meets Anita Blake? You get the Halls of Power—our modern world, but twisted. Law, finance, the military, and politics are under the sway of long-lived vampires, werewolves, and the elven Alfar. Humans make the best of rule by “the Spooks,” and contend among themselves to affiliate with the powers-that-be, in order to avoid becoming their prey. Very loyal humans are rewarded with power over other women and men. Very lucky humans are selected to join the vampires, werewolves, and elves—or, on occasion, to live at the Seelie Court.

Linnet Ellery is the offspring of an affluent Connecticut family dating back to Colonial times. Fresh out of law school, she’s beginning her career in a powerful New York “white fang” law firm. She has high hopes of eventually making partner.

But strange things keep happening to her. In a workplace where some humans will eventually achieve immense power and centuries of extra lifespan, office politics can be vicious beyond belief. After some initial missteps, she finds herself sidelined and assigned to unpromising cases. Then, for no reason she can see, she becomes the target of repeated, apparently random violent attacks, escaping injury each time through increasingly improbable circumstances. However, there’s apparently more to Linnet Ellery than a little old-money human privilege. More than even she knows. And as she comes to understand this, she’s going to shake up the system like you wouldn’t believe….

Review:

Whoever named this novel must have been on crack because honestly, along with book covers, no, more than book covers, it is the titles of books that lure me in and This Case is Gonna Kill Me does not, in any way, attract me as a reader. The book could have been called so many other things that would have aptly, more attractively, reflected the story within but alas.

Moving on, the novel has a very interesting set up. Vampires, werewolves and fairies all inhabiting the world of law. Lawyering and law are hardly the stuff made for excitement – unless it is criminal law of course. But Bornikova succeeds in creating a fresh new world where vampire lawyers exist and female vampires do not. Where werewolves are violent and faeries are fae. Linnet is a human lawyer who is also a vampire fosterling and following her acceptance at one of the most lauded law firms, gets inexplicably embroiled in hair raising situations. She has an uncanny knack for survival and this tells me that there is more to Linnet than meets the eye. Where law, lawyering and the business are concerned, the writing is crisp and on point. The plot, while predictable, is exciting and keeps you turnings the pages. What I had problems with is the romance.

Bornikova needs to work on her characterizations.  Linnet is not very interesting or compelling but the love interest, the fae whose name I can’t remember, is even flatter. I do not understand why he drops everything to help her out – to the point that he even got out of bed with another woman to come rescue her. The mush factor is huge and feels very improbable. The love interest is created more as an ideal partner than a person in his own right, with his own foibles and flaws. Linnet has, not very originally, gay best friends. She also is not very secure about her looks. I would have thought that someone with the smarts to be a lawyer would have more esteem and confidence that she shows.

Despite my quibbling, however, I did enjoy the novel. I just hope that the sequel tones down the romance and fleshes out the characters.

In a Fix – Linda Grimes (review)

Paperback, 334 pages
Expected publication: September 4th 2012 by Tor
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.

This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable… that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.

Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years—both skilled adaptors—step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.

Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

Review:

This delicious urban fantasy surprised me on several levels. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did considering the main character had something of a harem going on but you know what? I just went with it and enjoyed the heck out of it. Ciel has this irrepressible voice, irreverent and charming – she is the quintessential younger sister with many older brothers who coddle her and protect her even when protecting is the last thing she wants. There is also a delicious friend of older brother who never seems to see her for the woman she is and a best friend who has recently blurred the lines of their relationship. Then there is the action – you are running, screaming, avoiding been shot, being drugged and then escaping – there are mad men wanting to increase the testosterone level of the general male population and a sexy CIA agent who may or may not be kissing (and other things) Ciel’s crush. And most irritating of all, there are all these men who keep on trying to “protect” Ciel.

The pace of the story is akin to riding a roller coaster and I’m not just saying that. This is not a serious affair where the survival of the world depends on these characters but more a light hearted foray into a family, somewhat like the mafia, who are able to change their appearance at will. It’s fun, it’s sexy and it packs a hell lot of a punch. I really liked this one.  The whole plot and the overarching narrative is a bit out there but not enough that it is utterly unbelievable. The villains are, of course, appropriate villainous but more caricatures than actual serious villains and it works in this novel.

Where the romance is concerned, I, of course, see-sawed between Billy and Mark because though the latter seems more dependable, the former is more fun and rather more honest. Billy doesn’t play games but Mark, it seems, does. Billy also wins major points for letting Ciel be the person she wants to be without wanting to protect her every second. Who knows what the triangular relationship is going to look like next but if Grimes has taught me anything with In A Fix, it’s that I’m going to enjoy finding out. Strongly recommended for those who love wicked wit in their protagonists, delicious kisses and just sheer irrepressible fun.

The Ravenous Dead – Natasha Hoar (Lost Souls #2)

ebook
Expected publication: July 16th 2012 by Carina Press
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

This time the dead are hungry…

Rachel Miller doesn’t just see dead people, she rescues them. As a member of The Order of Rescue Mediums, she spends most of her time helping stubborn spirits move on from the world. But after she learns the details of three brutal murders, she knows the culprit can only be a reaper, an undead monster that relentlessly stalks its victims to feed on their souls.

A reaper once consumed the soul of Rachel’s mentor as she watched frozen in fear. Now, Rachel is in the role of teacher to Kit Elkeles, a rodach just learning to control his wraithlike powers. After Kit and Rachel rescue a half-vampire, they work to protect him while searching for a way to stop the reaper. But when Rachel realizes who the monster is really after—and just what kind of dark magic she’ll need to stop it—will she be able to do what is necessary before it devours one of her friends…or even herself?

Review:

The Ravenous Dead is the second installment in the Lost Souls series starring rescue medium Rachel Miller and her coterie of supernatural kin. One of the biggest attractions of this series for me is that it’s set in Vancouver. You don’t get many UF series set in Vancouver so let me savour the novelty. Another plus is the strength of its writing and plotting. Both remain as tight and well imagined as the first installment. Perhaps, even better than the first one actually.

Rachel is dealing with a reaper in this installment. Something that is terrible, feasts on human souls and is one fast ticket into supernatural insanity. Not a good thing. Kit, the rodach she saved in the first novel, has stuck around and is fast becoming Rachel’s sidekick and perhaps something more on the romantic front. Not sure but perhaps the fae mob boss may have something to say about this. The fae mob boss whose name I don’t remember was missing in this one and his absence was noted. My main problem with the novel..la was once again it’s length.

Here’s the thing, I’m used to read novels that are 300+ pages long, especially UF novels. The installments in this series seem more like chapters in one novel, for example Kim Harrison’s Hollows series. They seem more like teasers especially considering that the main narrative, the overarching story barely gets developed before the book is over. I wish Hoar would rethink her word limit/count because I find the pace rather jarring and considering the amount of time that passes before each novella is released, I find that I forget the entire story/characters when the new one comes around.

I’d recommend you wait until all the installments (however many there are) are released before you read this. You should read this but I think you’d get more enjoyment if you were to read it all in one gulp.

Kindling the Moon (Arcadia Bell #1) – June Bennett

Mass Market Paperback, 358 pages
Published June 28th 2011 by Pocket
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

Review:

There are several good reasons to read Kindling the Moon and the most important one of them is the likable nature of the protagonist. Arcadia Bell is, well, not a perfect but a very good example of a balance of confidence, vulnerability mixed with stubbornness and some other faults that keep her human. She is very easy to like and empathize with. In fact, apart from her not so normal magical powers, she may as well be someone you know. Another good reason, and a surprise at that, is the relative normalcy of the romance aspect of the novel. You kinda expect something swoony in UF where the romantic hero is concerned. It’s practically a written rule by now. Bennett takes a bit of a different approach, however, by juxtaposing the swooniness with something very normal. The love interest is quite a bit older than the protagonist and he’s a single father – he’s also not human. Okay, we’ve seen both of these things in love interests in various other UF but that’s usually when the love interest is a vampire and that age issue is somehow not addressed except in quaint and faint ways that never really get to the point of it. In Kindling the Moon, there is an understanding of the age gap and it is addressed, not exhaustively but enough (excuse me while I go kill the dog next door, ugh, it won’t stop barking) (okay I’m back).

I also really liked Lon’s kid who gets more page time than I would have thought and gives a far more accurate representation of his age group than I would have expected. My point is, Bennett’s characters are well developed and their relationships with each other are dynamic and work to progress the story in an interesting manner. Oh and the sexytimes? Are sexy as hell so rawr. However, I must point out that the synopsis is misleading when it says that Lon has an expertise in sexual spells – he doesn’t. I only mention it because the synopsis tries to make the novel seem a lot edgier than it really is. It is edgy, gritty but at the same time, it has a completely different feel to it than say Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer series. The difference evolves from the presence of Lon and his son and it is, in no way, a bad thing. I liked the novel precisely because it brought something different to the table.

Also, there was no love triangle. Yes, no love triangle. I may have heard angels singing. Hah. Anyway, moving on to the plot. I thought it was pretty gripping and for once, I was not able to predict how it would play out ultimately. Well. Okay, I did have some predictions but they were wrong and I was flummoxed at the end when things came to light. I’m not sure how I felt or how I was supposed to feel. To be totally honest. While the world building was good, it could have been better and I feel that the author could have prepared us for the conclusion a bit more than she does. However, when all is said and done, I did enjoy this novel and I do recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new and engaging UF series. One that does not (as yet) have werewolves, fairies or even vampires. Magicians and demons ftw!

Mind Games (The Disillusionists #1) – Carolyn Crane

Mass Market Paperback, 371 pages
Published March 23rd 2010 by Spectra
Source: Library

Synopsis:
JUSTINE KNOWS
SHE’S GOING TO DIE.
ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it?

In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness – only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

Review:

The first installment in the Disillusionist’s trilogy infuses a much needed uniqueness in a genre stuffed full of werewolves, fairies and vampires. I liked how new this mythology was and not just that, it was brilliantly logical as well. Something that may very well be possible in the real world were we able to find people who could do what Packard does. And Justine is a very likable heroine. Her voice has the right amount of irreverence mixed with human-ness that makes her easy to relate to. And her fears for her health, hypochondriac though she may be, resonates with me because let’s face it, who hasn’t wondered whether that ache in her head is a hint of a tumor? Well, I have anyway and I’m not a hypochondriac. I don’t think so anyway.

The “gang” as Justine called her fellow Disillusionists are also a very engaging lot with their different personalities and politics. The pace is fairly fast and the writing pulls you into Justine’s world very quickly. I was enjoying the novel quite a lot until I came across Otto Sanchez. Let me tell you, I had already unraveled the main twist in the novel from the very beginning of the novel when all parts had fallen into place. Maybe it’s because I write and am able to tell where the author is pushing her reader’s attention to or from but it was very obvious to me and I was not surprised to find my suspicions were correct. What threw me off was, once again, as seem inevitable nowadays, was the romance. Call me traditional, call me old fashioned but seriously, if you have almost had sex (twice) with one man and not just meaningless sex but sex that comes back with emotions why in all hell that’s blue are you having sex with his nemesis the second time you meet him, this too backed by feelings (yeah, I’m not very convinced, this is the second time you’ve met him and I don’t care how many times you’ve breached his mind and essence, you need more time before you go betraying one). I just didn’t like Justine all that much after that. I like romance as much as the next girl. I like sexytimes but not when you end up being weak and in love and go betraying everyone you owe your loyalty to. So, while I started the book enjoying it, I ended it not liking it much at all. It became less about disillusioning and more about the romance.

It would have been nice if the focus had remained on the gray area of the disillusionists’ work where rehabilitating criminals is concerned. When the main conflict is solved so easily, it becomes anticlimactic and affects my enjoyment of the novel. And dude, the romance. Ugh. Another love triangle. I don’t know. I liked this first installment well enough but I’m going to pass up on the next two because I cannot handle more waffling between two men.