Profil

3.5 / 5

"Is this a kissing book?"
I was not prepared for the first half of this book being mostly about Devi's (struggle with her) feelings. So I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more ass-kicking in the beginning.

Still, I like the author's style, her voice (even if I can't always relate to Devi's POV) and her characters (mostly). (Extra points for Hyrek's joke! :) ).
I also liked how the story got resolved in the end, plus the glimpse we got of King Stephen (I'm not worthy!)

If there is going to be a Blackbird spin-off (wishful thinking? rumours?), I'll surely give it a go (though I am currently not finished with Eli nor the Heartstrikers, yet).

DNF - 20%
Somehow I couldn't relate to the main character. She seemed to be dithering between "I'm just trying to be a good mom", "I think my husband is cheating on me, but I still want to keep him, even though he's creeped out by my condition", "RAWR, my werewolf client is HAWT" and "I can kill all you losers with my little finger".

DNF at page 178. While the story itself is intriguing, it was much too depressing for me, so I didn't finish it. :(
My 1 star rating is NOT about the quality of the book, it is ONLY about personal taste.

The first book of the series I have read.
It took me a while to get used to the over-the-top setting, also I couldn't relate very well to the main characters. Some of the supporting cast of characters more than made up for that, though, and it was still a fun read - and I enjoyed it enough that it made me curious about the other books in the series. :)

Disclaimer: I am neither a gun nut / connoisseur nor do I usually enjoy "eldritch horrors" or splatter.
And although this book contains all of the above (and generous amounts, to boot), it was still a very enjoyable read for me. The tone was snarky enough to keep me entertained when things got a bit too splattery for my taste.
I liked the cast of characters and rooted for them (yes, even Agent Franks), though not everybody made it through alive or in one piece.

One of my favourite quotes:
"Everyone dug down into the ditch, prepared to fight. Nervous but competent. Scared but professional. We were ready to put some smack down. Not bad for an accountant, a librarian, a schoolteacher, and a stripper.”

Not bad at all. :)