Bloodstone ( Deadtown 3) by Nancy Holzner

Hi!

i know i've already posted something today but it wasn't book related so i decided to give you this bonus^^. Like i said precedently, at the moment, i'm ejoying browsing in my TBR pile to find books with druids, Celtic Legends or Magic ...special time of the year for me^^....( Blame Saint Patrick if you want ;) ).

So far, i started new series, or i read stand alone but today i go back to a series i put aside a little ( still need to get the more recently released books) the Deadtown series. At first i discovered and started it because it included zombies and it was a topic for challenge i entered...not my favourite subjet i admit but then... i remembered from where the main Character got her special talent ^^; and yes it fits what i'm looking for  right now^^ thus here comes my opinion on Bloodstone by nancy Holzner


Happy Reading

Publisher: ACE

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  044102100X

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought
 

Short description from goodreads :

 Boston’s diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer—dubbed the South End Reaper—uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there’s no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston’s human and inhuman residents.


As the bodies pile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt Mab, and her werewolf boyfriend Kane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after something much more than blood…

My opinion:

          What I really enjoyed this time is that even if it has been ages since I read the precedent book I fell immediately back in the universe Nancy Holzner created. There were enough info to put us back on track especially since the events in Bloodstone are deeply linked to those in Hellforged, some are related to events from book 1 because we see again Vicky’s family and her niece Maria but even those are detailed enough so a newcomer to the series wouldn’t feel completely at loss starting here ( though I don’t recommend missing the first 2books)

This story focus on demons yes plural because Pryce is still around but he isn’t the only one sadly and we discover how deeply rooted in the celtic legends both his and Vicky’s family are. We knew she is Cerddorion and that’s what makes her a shapeshifter but we didn’t know a lot apart that…since this book involve all her family  we learn a lot more and while some were predictable it still surprised me quite a lot. Maria is starting to show sign of the awakening of her powers and that frighten her mother Gwen more than anything so she ask Vicky help.. then Mab the elder of the family and master at demon hunting come to the rescue (or intented to^^) and we discover a complete new side of the family and it helped me to understand Gwen a little more…if the past had been different she would perhaps not have chosen the same path ( or not so quickly)

We also learn quite a lot about the Old Ones, the special vampires (though I won’t tell more because it’s complicated and I must keep the surprise twist^^). It was deeply interesting and I really thought the series reached another level.

I loved that we saw a lot of precedent characters like Daniel, Tina, Norden, Gwen, Juliet etc and for those who follow the series we finally discover what species Axel the bar owner is^^…;it was the funny part I guess.

The investigation does come to a conclusion, there is no cliffhanger but you feel the series isn’t finished far from it and it was really well done. You can take a break after this book or continue the series immediately by jumping in the next book one way or another you won’t feel bad in my opinion.

Now this book is also darker than the precedent ones, I had to shed a little tear here and then too but the rhythm is really well paced, not rushed. All is linked and fall into place. So I can only recommend this book if you love zombie, vampires, shapeshifter, magic  because this book has a lot of it^^, action and dark ambiance^^.

Score:  3,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Hellforged ( Deadtown 2) by Nancy Holzner

Hello to all,

                  i guess the topic of this month: zombies don't motivate me a lot because i can't find a lot of free time but even when i have a few i don't feel like reading... it won't last though and i did make an effort so today i can share with you my opinion on a book full of zombies... the second Deadtown novel titled " Hellforged" written by Nancy Holzner

happy reading!

Publisher: ACE

Publication: 2010

ISBN:  0441019803

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: mild
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

A demon is stalking Vicky's dreams-just as several of Deadtown's zombies are viciously attacked and become really dead. And when Vicky realizes she is the only connection between the victims, she suspects that the demon is somehow working through her dreams to become Deadtown's living nightmare.

My opinion:

          I read a lot of urban fantasy and a few darker too but this series is definitively too realistic for my taste. It’s not bad quite the opposite, the writing style is excellent, the world building is really well thought, the plot interesting there is a tough of romance and even better they are several kind of paranormal creatures: werewolves, zombies, vampires, shifters, demons and I’m sure we will discover more along the way too…

The idea that the paranormal have made their coming out and as a consequence find themselves parked in a part of the city with less rights than a normal citizen, need permit to go somewhere else and even are killed on sight in some states.. it’s interesting and sadly  really logic and realistic.  I would like to say it’s not  but if we are honest we must admit that if that happened now, humans would become afraid and they aren’t fair with what frightened them. Sure some would be pro paranormal but the majority will make sure their security come first and if it means treating them like garbage they would do it. It’s bothering me. Science fiction and other writing genre have always been used to send message and to make people understand some situation by transposing them in a fantasy universe but with enough element for reality so the readers can make the links and think about it. It’s not something bad quite the contrary.

However, I’m perhaps already to realistic at the moment I need to evade myself not to spend my time regretting injustice in a fantasy world. Nancy Holzner writes so well that you are thinking about the situation even if you don’t want to… and I must also admit that it’s a little dark with lot of deaths too ..

Now it’s true the story is interesting and developing after each book, this time we learn more about the nature of Vicky or to be more precise we get to discover the demon’s point of view on this story because as often where there are two camps there are two stories, two truths while in reality you need to know both to approach the real truth and leave the “propaganda”. It was really well shown here and it gave us a new perspective. The romance is also better in this second book, the characters discover what they really want and what the others is doing  so their feelings looks more real, not just the sparks of the moment but like a real relationship, a commitment in a sense.

The plot managed to keep my attention during all my reading and while we learn quickly who the main bad guy is we don’t know what he is planning until the end. Now the ending…we get the resolution to the main investigation yes, we get a little happy end yes but we also see the seeds for the next book, the next villains, and in that way it’s a little cliffhanger( not a angsty one fortunately)

If you want a urban fantasy book including zombies, this book  and series is more than interesting and you could enjoy it if you are not too sensitive.

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges: