It was fine Vicky has a lot of personal drama going on which I didn't enjoy reading It distracted from the rest of the book Also hate Tina the zombie So meh Paperback 25 starsDeadtown is an area of Boston where paranormals live That includes zombies witches werewolves vampires and Victory Vaughn the lone shapeshifter Politically there is a lot of strife regarding paranormals Depending on the state they have little to no rights but they are fighting for them Victory wasn’t involved in the political aspect of things; she was just a demon hunterkillerWhat I liked Victory didn’t need anyone else to save her She was completely capable of doing it on her own Using zombies was different They’re not common in UF The hellion demon aka The Destroyer and it’s connection to Victory’s family The demons invaded dreams It was kind of weird but uniueUnfortunately there was a lot I didn’t like Some things were really predictable I figured out instantly who it was that tried to kidnap Victory Only one person was a viable suspect for being the one who brought the Destroyer to Boston I was hoping I’d be surprised at the end that there would be some kind of a twist but it didn’t happenThe worst thing about this book was the characters It’s not a good sign when the characters I liked and I use the word liked loosely here the most were the Destroyer and Victory’s niece Victory was a kick ass woman but that was the only thing appealing about her She didn’t have close ties to anybody None of the people in her life treated her with any kind of respect but she kept them around anyway which didn’t make much sense Being a shifter definitely had some benefits but when she turned into an animal or whatever she lost her human ability of higher thought The whole shifting thing didn’t seem like the coolest ability to have Victory wasn’t smart When some creeps tried to kidnap her and throw her in a van the person she suspected was her kind of sort of boyfriend Kane WTH was up with that? The dude was a jerk but he wasn’t evil And if something like that happens and the person you suspect is the guy you’re screwing it’s time to end it because there are some serious trust issues She was self absorbed Granted she had a lot going on but several times she forgot or ignored her friends In the end it made sense that these people treated her the way they did because she didn’t treat them any betterKane wasn’t really a boyfriend It was of a friends with benefits type of situation They were both self absorbed and workaholics so it worked for them It was obvious deep down they didn’t get each other At least neither of them had illusions that their relationship was than it was and it was refreshing Shit like that happens IRL but those type of relationships are rarely depicted in UF The romance was a minor subplot but it was a love triangle Victory was seeing Kane but was interested in another guy The guy Daniel was appealing than Kane but Victory didn’t have chemistry with either of themTina the teenage twit was a zombie Why even introduce zombies into a story when the only one with significant page time was obnoxious annoying and dumb as hell? Several things she did put Victory’s life and potentially other people’s in danger and Tina didn’t give a shit Nothing would give me pleasure than her death but I have the feeling she’ll be around for the long run There were some other characters I didn’t like but they’re not even worth mentioning I wanted to like this book but it was damn hard to when none of these characters were appealing I haven’t entirely ruled out reading the next book but I won’t be rushing out to do it anytime soon Paperback I haven't read anything with zombies in it and I'm interested to see where the series goes It was a solid first in series book Paperback I would of DNF'd this if I wasn't reading this for a challenge I wish I was good at writing reviews especially rant reviews because this one deserves it The only reason I am giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is that the world building was well done I really did not care for the MC Vicky She does talking than anything else Definitely than fighting Her interaction with the men in this story was so clunky and she had no chemistry with them I am also so over women fighting in leather pants and stiletto boots I could really go on and on about things that annoyed me but I am out of steam Needless to say I will not be continuing with this series 2016 MacHalo Challenge book with non human characters Paperback Wow all the elements were there and yet it just didn't get there for me Don't get me wrong it was okay but I think it had the potential to be so much better I thought the concept was really intriguing this shifter named Victory Vaughn lives in Deadtown which is the place where all paranormals have to live Yes paranormals are public knowledge but not really accepted There's a lot of racism or uhh specism? lol going on and paranormals are constantly being attacked and called monsters Etc Victory is a shifter who has abilities to dream walk and kill demons Very cool But the battle scenes are really not that interesting So there's one point against it There are two men vying for Victory's attention also not interesting Then there's the big bad villain who wasn't really scary and the ending sort of had me saying huh? that's itSo all in all it was mediocre I'm not sure I'll bother with the next book Maybe I'll wait to see reviews from friends to tell me the second book is any better Paperback
If you were undead you'd be home by now They call it Deadtown the city's uarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents Most humans stay far from its borders but Victory Vaughn Boston's only professional demon slayer isn't exactly human Deadtown
There is a lot to like about this series and I mostly enjoyed the book but I just couldn't stand the self absorbed main character What I did like because it's always best to start out on a positive was that the protagonist a woman was strong and capable and didn't need to be saved by men she kept saving the men I liked the variety if characters and that there were racial traits like vampires generally didn't have a good sense of humor It made it real than all creatures were the same except for personality I liked the world and though it's been done before the scenario brought up some interesting moral uestions Obviously someone who can think and reason and has independent thought is a person and should have rights But what about when those rights infringe on the rights of others? The blood driven creatures in the book go nuts when presented with a small amount of blood trying to eat the bleeder If children of these creatures went to school with humans and a kid fell and scraped her knee on the playground a common enough scenario her life would be in danger So whose rights come first? I liked a lot of the characters although Tina needed some serious disciplining Juliet was wonderful although her provenance was silly I really liked both love interests but the barriers put up by the author to keep Vicky away were ridiculous contrived and transparent I wanted emotion and passion chemistry The resolution was too easy as well The words flowed the action was interesting although I prefer a little of the type where one person is in peril and the other is terrified for that person and fighting to save them both There was mostly one on one stuff here What I didn't like was the protagonist Vicky She dresses like almost every other slutty UF heroine leather jeans spiked boots leather jacket Not only is this stupid when fighting demons but it's also unoriginal not to mention tacky She's also an idiot She jumps to ridiculous conclusions that are of course wrong and they always revolve around her She also fails to see clues so big my dog would notice But that pales next to the fact that she was the most self absorbed heroine I've ever read who isnt supposed to be an antihero She doesn't care about anyone but herself and one character actually says that to her early on A couple of times she misses meeting with someone and it takes her a long time to even remember she's just so in her own head She never feels guilt for this and the other person always takes it way too well even when they really needed her and she doesn't give them an excuseOne of the best examples happens in the beginning view spoilerHer boyfriend is a werewolf and has to be seuestered during the three days around the full moon He actually loves the time because it's the only time he can feel free be who he is He asks her to go with him that weekend which he has done many times in the past She's a shapeshifter and can change into a werewolf and fit in The rest of the time he has to fit into a human world where he is desperately working on the civil rights issues of all creatures In most places non humans a re not even considered people and have no rights at all They can be killed for no reason He is a good man She outright refuses convinced that he's trying to make her into something she's not She won't even go for one day He is very hurt by this If my boyfriend only felt truly alive when he was for example on the water sailing and I really didn't like sailing I would still go for one weekend just to support him and to see what it was like for him to see what he looked and felt like when he felt truly alive I would pay money to see the man I loved that happy and would want to try to experience it with him I can understand no going every time but not even once?Then to top it off after he goes that next time she is upset that he didn't ask her again She says something like My answer would be the same but still it would have been nice to at least been asked Are you kidding me?? He's asked her several times and she always says no and this time he was really hurt by her reaction And she is upset that he didn't lay himself beneath her knife again? hide spoiler Paperback What a romp Vicky Vaughn is a demon slayer but by and large the demons she kills are those who attack humans in their dreams The one demon she dreams of killing is the one that comes from the outside the Hellion that killed her father and placed its mark on herEver since a limited plague that left every living creature in one spot in Boston a zombie or PA Paranormal American their rights have been a hot button issue Now running for governor are two diametrically opposed candidates one who wants to expand the few rights they have and one who wants to eliminate them leaving them vulnerable to scientific experimenters in places like New Hampshire which doesn't protect PAs at all Vicky has to deal one such crew of PA experimenters who want someone of her family's rare bloodline as well as a boyfriend who forgets she exists whenever the news is one an attorney working for the liberal candidate and the rights of PAs another very attractive police detective who is all too normal and the possibility that a Hellion THE Hellion could become locked into Boston if the city's shield to keep demons out is repaired and the Hellion that's been summoned to the city is trapped insideLike I said it's a romp I don't normally go for zombie narratives but now I have to track down the seuel Paperback Two rules I live by Never admit to being a shapeshifter on a first second or third date with a human And never ever bring along a zombie apprentice wannabe on a demon killThis book pushed almost all my UF Fangirl buttons It even has an artful non cheesy coverDemons? Check Shifters? Check Zombies? Check Vampires? Check Weird social system? Check New creature invented for series? Check several timesVicky Vaughn is a demon slayer but not the Buffy The Vampire type There are different forms of demons and they mainly attack people in their sleep where Vicky battles them on a dreamscape setting The town has been uarantined as the 'Deadzone' since the plague that hit and turned many alive into zombies Vicky's boyfriend Kane is a werewolf who fights for the rights of all the paranormal She lives with a roommate vampire You can't get paranormal than this story character wise or this plotVicky herself is a shapeshifter but not the Sam kind from Sookieverse She can only shift three times per month although it's not restricted to the three day lunar cycleHow the author conceived the world fascinated me the paranormal are not trusted and are cursed by various laws Werewolves have to be locked up in compounds with gates guns and guards for the three day lunar cycle Vampires are cold and lethal but out in the open perhaps against their will There is a designated goon suad invented to police the supernatural and not all cops on that team are pleased about itVicky rocks as the main character I'm tired of female protagonists with a chip on their shoulder the size of a boulder who snap at everyone who comes near them thinking they have to prove something every time they blink She's reasonable so her sarcasm works and she's compassionate so she's not a melodramatic pushover She's the only one of her kind in the town yay but she isn't so bad ass it's unrealistic and eye rolling She knows her stuff but she's still learningJuliette as the roommate vamp isodd As expected with the age old vamp types they don't have much feeling or personality They intrigue however in the small spaces they're shown The zombies are like their former selves reanimated corpses killed by the virus subtly rotting If they were injured when dying they keep the ugly blemishes and dismemberments Their personality is the same as before so they aren't the mindless brain eating monsters of typical lore There is the issue of their appetite though they consume large uantities and any blood in the area can send them in a mindless blood thirsty frenzyThis book is fun because of the humor that works naturally through Holzner's appealing writing style not hokey complex enough with it's supernatural world building and pacing is kept swift as Vicky has to battle several obstacles that shove themselves in her way There's a mini love triangle potential but it doesn't take away from the story or the characters themselvesThe only thing I didn't like was Tina the apprentice She's supposed to be funny on an annoying teenager style but she got on my nerves and I hated her Besides her screwing up the dreamscape fight she then actually stole a sword and plays it off like it's not a big deal Couldn't stand her but have a feeling she'll be a series regularAlready bought the rest of the series can't wait to lose myself into of this intriguing supernatural worldAs a series starter it's almost drool worthy Paperback 35I have been waffling back and forth all day on this bookOn the one hand there was some fun stuff going on This world is an exciting one with some twists on old monsters zombies and shapeshifters are a little bit different than we have seen them in other places and an explosive framework as the relatively newly revealed monsters fight on the world stage for basic human rights Things are touch and go for them right now In some states for example New Hampshire they have no rights at all any human is free to kill them at any time for any reason They have less legal status than animals A fairly horrific scientific group has set up shop in New Hampshire where it happily rounds them up for experimentation torture and no one really bats an eye about it Massachusetts the location of this book is friendlier to them than most states That's because of Deadtown Because the PAs Paranormal Americans played a huge hand in helping the city handle the zombie catastrophe they were rewarded with a sector of the city that they can call their own and with a smattering of basic very basic rights It is still a far cry from a good situation but it is better than most and it is a good start In this book they are on the eve of an election with one of the candidates running on a get rid of all the monsters platformSo that's the world As I said I found it exciting But beyond this I had a lot of problems with the bookI didn't find the heroine to be very likableVicky was pretty TSTL She barreled her way into some dumb situations She was constantly making idiotic assumptions view spoiler she spent easily 13 of the book assuming her boyfriend had tried to have people kidnap her instead of realizing that it was one of the BAD GUYS who had much better cause for such a thing hide spoiler Paperback 25 stars Mediocre urban fantasy in a genre filled with other great offeringsVictory Vaughn a shapeshifter and professional demon slayer lives in an area known as Deadtown Boston's uarantined section for shifters vampires and zombies The monsters have recently come out of the closet Many 'Paranormal Americans' are fighting for their rights including Vicky's on and off again boyfriend Alexander Kane lawyer and werewolf The fast paced plot includes demon plagued clients police consultations family dramas a suspicious research facility studying shifters and an incredibly annoying and foolish zombie apprentice Tina The plot was a pretty good mix of action and suspense The author's explanation on zombies and shifters was original The author also did a good job with world building She didn't make the mistake so many authors do with long boring 'data dumps' of explanation but rather let the world build through dialogue and actions I liked the backstory about the death of Vicky's father by the demon The family interactions added depth to the story While I was annoyed with her sister Gwen I understood her viewpoints and thought the decisions she made seemed in keeping with her character I enjoyed some elements of the leading female character Vicky strong a great fighter and loyal but several times felt she could have been smarter for example when thugs tried to kidnap her she immediately wondered if Alex could have been behind itwhat?? What about the crazy research scientist or demon calling sorcerer who is after her? That made no sense to me The lack of humorous dialogue is a big element missing in the series When I think of some of my favorite UFs eg Briggs' Mercy Thompson Andrews' Kate Daniels Chance's Dorina Basrab Neill's Chicagoland Vampires all of them have elements simliar to this one strong leading lady interesting UF plotlines high actionsuspense but what they all have that this one doesn't is funny snappy dialogue Tina the irritating zombie apprentice I think was introduced to be a humorous side kick but she reminded me of Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars a character that you just want to smack and certainly have no interest in reading about She consistently made poor choices that put Vicky's life in danger I didn't buy that Vicky would keep hanging around a 'too stupid to live' character Another thing that bugged me was the way the relationships were handled The interactions with Alex the supposed boyfriend who seemed like a 'friend with benefits' rather than a boyfriend and mild flirting with Daniel the detective were flat If an author is going to introduce potential romantic relationships they need to be done well make the reader feel something ie romantic tension conflict etc I didn't feel much of anything for these characters There wasn't much to the interactions and the character development was weak I missed the snappy dialogue that is typical in the genre between potential partners eg Kate Curran Mercy Adam Merit Ethan etc Overall this was a mediocre urban fantasy Other series I'd recommend over this one Mercy Thompson and Alpha Omega series by Patricia Briggs Don't miss the anthology in On the Prowlwhich is a preuel to Cry Wolf Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews World of Lupi series by Eileen Wilks Sookie Sackhouse by Charlaine Harris Cassandra Palmer and Dorina Basarab Dhampir series by Karen Chance I like Dory better than Cassie but from a timeline perspective Cassie comes first Dory is a great kick btt character reminiscent of Kate Daniels Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill Fever series by KM MoningKara Gillian series by Diana Rowland Jane True by Nicole Peeler October Daye series by Seanan McGuire Paperback
