Book Review : Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, #1) by Richelle Mead

Mass Market Paperback, 360 pages

Published August 1st 2010 by Zebra

Synopsis

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore—free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

Review

I've never read any book with a succubus as the main character, until this book. In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus (plural succubi) is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men. In Succubus Blues, Georgina Kincaid is a heroine who, despite being a succubus, has many traits which are comparable to humans. She drinks coffee, reads books, and has a crush on her favourite author. She also can shape-shift into anyone she likes. But she is clueless about what she wants. Even when she knows what she wants, she has no guts to admit it.

While this book has some pretty interesting characters - I couldn't really relate to any of them, but I somehow understand Georgina's feelings and lack of confidence in getting what she really wanted. Georgina's favourite author, Seth Mortensen is seriously lacking of interpersonal skills. He is quite an introvert and likes to speak monosyllable terms. Georgina's other admirer, Roman is a dashing, unabashed man who seems to have the confidence to do anything in order to woo her. However, I seriously don't like this character. He is too cocky, and in my opinion, a little perverted.

The plot is good, though. It keeps me guessing who the villain is, and when the villain is finally revealed, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity for him/her even though he/she is a total baddie. Succubus Blue is quite good, but it still has rooms for improvements.

Rating:
Warning: This book is PG-18.

Book Review : Constantine by John Shirley

Constantine by John Shirley

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Published January 25th 2005 by Pocket Star

Available on Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Synopsis

Hidden from mortal eyes are the angels and demons that coexist with mankind...supernatural beings who seek to influence our lives for better and for worse. Amoral and irreverent renegade occultist and paranormal detective John Constantine is blessed and cursed with the ability to interact with this secret world. When Constantine teams up with skeptical L.A. policewoman Angela Dodson to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation catapults them into a catastrophic series of otherworldly events — even as the forces of Hell conspire against Constantine to claim his immortal soul....

Review

Alright, I admit it: I bought this book because I loved the movie. Unsurprisingly, it didn't let me down. I totally enjoyed reading it. Constantine is portrayed as the same cynical, irreverent supernatural detective who is dying of lung cancer caused by too much smoking. He knows he is damned to hell for his past attempt of committing suicide and tries his best to win back God's grace. This book pretty much follows everything that's shown in the movie, although there were some minor differences. Constantine is a mix between paranormal and action, and reading it is really an exhilarating adventure - you wouldn't want to miss it!

Rating:

Book Review : Sacrifice by Dakota Banks

Sacrifice (Mortal Path #2) by Dakota Banks

Product Details:

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Eos (August 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061687324
• ISBN-13: 978-0061687327
• Available @ Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Borders /HarperCollins / The Book Depository

A demon's enslaved executioner—a ravager of lives and souls—Maliha Crayne has been reborn, willing to sacrifice her immortality for a chance at freedom . . . and salvation. Now she has an opportunity to prevent the death of thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—to make up for the countless lives she has obliterated over the centuries. To do so, she must locate and destroy an evil cabal of madmen in possession of a weapon of unspeakable power—and survive the immortal assassins who are now after her blood. But it means reverting to the old ways and surrendering once more to the darkness. And if Maliha dies before the mission is accomplished, the hell she once knew will seem like a picnic compared to the eternal torments awaiting her.

I really loved the first book, and it was the one which introduced me to the urban-fantasy genre. Sacrifice, the second book is just as good. It is intense and action-packed. I finally have a clue about Jake when Dakota answers the big question mark which was left hanging there at the end of the first book.

As for Maliha, she is on a quest to search the pieces of shards scattered in every corner of the world in order to destroy the seven demon offsprings of Anu while trying her best to balance the scales on her belly. She values her friends very much and can turn out to be a passionate lover as well. Romance plays an important part in this book. She finds out that another Ageless, a Roman centurion named Lucius is in love with her. But who is the one she really loves? Please note that there are adult contents in this book.

The villain in this book is so evil, he wanted to poison everyone in the big, powerful countries with something that will destroy them from the inside. And once again, Maliha is in charge of saving the world. But this nearly causes her to revert to her old ways in which she enjoys the act of killing and the feel of power and excitement it gives her.

Maliha has a strong feeling of love and protection for her friends whom she has already considered as part of her family. She is willing to go to great lengths to ensure their safety and well-being. But of course, being a human, she makes mistakes, and not just ordinary ones, but deadly ones. She blames herself for the deaths of the ones whom she fails to protect although she has tried her best.

Overall, the plot is quite entertaining and the characters are well-developed, especially Maliha. I've grown quite fond of Lucius who plays an important role in this book, and I'm sad that he has to leave the series so soon.

As a conclusion, I highly recommend the Sacrifice (Mortal Path #2) by Dakota Banks to all UF lovers who are 18 and above. Make sure you read the first book before this one so that you know what's going on. To start gaining knowledge of the series, you can read my review for Dark Time (Mortal Path #1) or visit Dakota's Website to find out more.

Rating:

My deepest gratitude to Dakota Banks for sending me a signed paperback copy of Sacrifice (Mortal Path #2)! Thank you, Dakota!

Visit Dakota Bank's Website.

Read more about the Mortal Path Series.

Buy it from Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Borders /HarperCollins / The Book Depository