Best of the Bunch (2)

Best of the Bunch is an awesome end-of-month meme created at Lyrical Reviews and now hosted by Sally at Always Lost in Stories. All you have to do is pick your favourite book of all the books you've read that month and post it.

My favourite book for June is Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells.

This is the last book in the Sabina Kane series which I absolutely loved. It's a great urban fantasy series that totalled out at five books taking place over a year of Sabina's life. It has really unique world-building with a ton of different supernatural races (vampires, mages, demons, fairies and various mixed breeds) and I've loved them since the beginning.

These introduced me to one of my favourite characters of all time - Giguhl the mischief demon. He is absolutely hilarious :)


I'd actually be happy to give the award to the entire series so here are the first four books:

This is definitely one of those series that needs to be read in order so I'd recommend starting with Red-Headed Stepchild. Links to all of my reviews can be found below:

Red-Headed Stepchild
The Mage in Black
Green-Eyed Demon
Silver-Tongued Devil
Blue-Blooded Vamp

So what was the best book you read this month?

Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells

Title: Blue-Blooded Vamp

Author: Jaye Wells
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-0-356-50075-1
Pages: 456
Series: Sabina Kane #5
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey is Cain, the immortal father of the vampire race, but Cain is also hunting her. So Sabina travels to Italy with her partner Adam Lazurus and demonic familiar Giguhl to track down a mysterious mage known only as Abel. Only he has ever managed to best Cain before, but he may not be willing to help them. Soon it becomes clear that it all comes down to who has the biggest motivation - Sabina and her revenge, or Cain and his domination?

This is the fifth and final book in the Sabina Kane series (after Red-Headed Stepchild, The Mage in Black, Green-Eyed Demon and Silver-Tongued Devil) which is probably one of my favourite urban fantasy series of all time. As much as I've loved Sabina's adventures I have to give kudos to the author for having the confidence to end the series when she intended, rather than let it drag on. As I've mentioned in my previous reviews, this is a series that really should be read in order from the beginning.

The book picks up shortly after the dramatic heart-wrenching end to the previous book which not only left me reeling as a reader, but left all the characters in the same state. Sabina is now on the hunt for Cain and this leads her to Rome, with a brief stopover in New Orleans first. This means that the story manages to give page time to previously featured characters (like Zenobia, Georgia and Brooks) without getting weighed down. The pacing is brisk and the storyline is action-packed and full of twists and turns with tons of long buried secrets being revealed.

Sabina is desperate not only for revenge but also to find a place of peace within herself. Adam and Giguhl accompany her to Italy, but they too are grieving and so there is an almost desperate feel to their quest (as Giguhl calls it). I was happy to see despite the darkness Giguhl managed to keep his sense of humour and there are some genuinely funny scenes that lift the narrative. The search for Abel, and Abel as a character, are fascinating and kept me glued to the page as every twist was revealed.

The storyline works really well to conclude the series, and the epilogue set eight months later (a year after the series started) rounds things out nicely. Some may say it tied things up too well, but I like that it touched on every character I've grown to know and love and gives an idea how they ended up. These aren't perfect Hollywood endings, and I love the touch of reality here.

Sabina's "Things to do:" list makes its final appearance, and is a bit more abrupt than previously although no less teaser-y.
     1. Get to Rome
     2. Find Abel
     3. Kill Cain

All in all this was a fantastic end to an outstanding series.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50

Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells

Title: Silver-Tongued Devil

Author: Jaye Wells
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-0-356-50074-4
Pages: 405
Series: Sabina Kane #4
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Life seems to be looking up for Sabina Kane. The threat of war is passed, her family is reunited and her romance with sexy hexy Adam Lazarus is going from strength to strength. But Sabina doesn't quite trust that peace is possible so when a series of brutual murders shocks New York, Sabina is the only one not surprised. With the peace talks stalled Sabina and Adam must work quickly to find the killer before everything crumbles around them.

This is the fourth book in the Sabina Kane series (after Red-Headed Stepchild, The Mage in Black and Green-Eyed Demon) and moves the series to a whole new level. Previously Sabina was facing off against people from her past, but now there are gods and immortal bad guys coming out of the woodwork and her battles just got that much harder. Again, if you're new to the series, I'd recommend starting at the beginning.

This installment feels more introspective than the others as Sabina is trying to adapt completely to mage life, living only off bagged blood and not killing anymore. She's ended up a little lost between her vampire and mage instincts, especially when a vamp arrives who is incredibly similar to the old Sabina, and there's a realistic search for identity here that had me rooting for Sabina even more. The pacing is excellent from the dramatic start, through all the twists and turns to the "OMG!" ending which had be reaching for the next book straight away.

It isn't just Sabina who is struggling. Maisie has been left badly scarred by her experiences in New Orleans and is locking herself away in her room, refusing to talk to anyone. PW is still firmly clinging to her feminine identity (and ends up becoming incredibly bitchy) and even Mac and Georgia are having issues. The latter is incredibly heart-wrenching and well written with a bittersweet feel.

The setting returns to New York, which also means returning to Slade's club. Giguhl's beloved demon fight club has been replaced with demonic roller derby, which means he swiftly ends up coaching the Manhattan Marauders leading to some brilliant one liners. The return to New York also means that secrets buried in previous books are revealed with far-reaching results.

Sabina's "Things to-do" list remains and is just as awesome as ever.
     1. Find a murderer
     2. Learn how to be a team player
     3. Save the future of the dark races

All in all this was an excellent read and I can't wait for Blue-Blooded Vamp.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 47/50

Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells

Title: Green-Eyed Demon

Author: Jaye Wells
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-758-7
Pages: 376
Series: Sabina Kane #3
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Sabina Kane is racing against the clock. Her sister Maisie has been kidnapped by their sadistic grandmother Lavinia, the dark races are on the brink of war and and the sinister Caste of Nod are manipulating everyone from behind the scenes. Based on information from an unlikely ally Sabina, Adam and Giguhl have travelled to New Orleans and find unusual new allies in a voodoo trained human, a colourful fairy, a renegade mage and a belligerent werewolf. But when they run across magic-wielding vampires the question soon becomes can they survive long enough to rescue Maisie?

This is the third book in the now complete Sabina Kane series (after Red-Headed Stepchild and The Mage in Black) which is has to be one of my favourite urban fantasy series. It is one of those series that really should be read in order, especially given that this installment picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of the last. This time the setting has been changed to New Orleans which is one of my favourite settings for books and this version certainly doesn't disappoint.

Once again the pacing is consistently taught with the manipulative aspects common to this series provided by both Lavinia and the Caste of Nod. A greater purpose has been brought into play which means it is no longer all about Sabina, rather she has become a tool that could be manipulated or strike her manipulators down. The frankly creepy owl Stryx has also returned and is once again following Sabina around.

It seems each book challenges an aspect of Sabina's preconceptions with the first dealing with vampires, the second with mages and this installment forces her to work with a human. While Sabina has shaken free of most of her vampire prejudices she really struggles when faced with a plain old human, albeit one who practises voodoo and is a quarter mage. The request that she abstain from human blood in favour of animal does not go down well either. There is also a focus on the fairy races, with the Queen being presented in an unusual less-than-attractive form.

Sabina and Adam's relationship comes more into play after their literal separation in the previous book. Now thrown together in close quarters, Adam makes his interest clear while Sabina struggles to deal with the possibility of love amongst so much loss. There are some incredibly sweet scenes and Adam is incredibly understanding of why Sabina is resistant.

Giguhl is dealing with a dramatic breakup but quickly blends into life in New Orleans, bonding with their hosts Zenobia and Brooks. Brooks is hilarious and his flirtation with Adam (and Adam's discomfort) add a lightness to an otherwise quite dark book. Brooks also has a unique performance which had me laughing out loud.

Once again Sabina's "Things to do:" checklist has been paperclipped to the back covers. I love the uniqueness of this feature and how it hints to the plot of the book. This one reads:
1. Rescue sister from kidnappers
2. Take on leader of entire vampire race
3. Survive

All in all, this was another great read and I can't wait for Silver-Tongued Devil.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 47/50

Teaser Tuesdays (30)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser:

"I hadn't known cat lips could purse before. But Giguhl rocked the martyr mask like a pro."

~ Page 120, Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells

The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

Title: The Mage in Black

Author: Jaye Wells
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-757-0
Pages: 326
Series: Sabina Kane #2
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


After turning her back on her vampire upbringing half-blood Sabina Kane finds herself thrust into the mage world in New York. United with the twin sister she never knew she had, Sabina has to deal with her family issues whilst suddenly having to follow mage rules. Faced with a prophecy claiming that she is destined to unite the dark races, Sabina isn't into destiny. But faced with demonic fight club, territorial werewolves and an old flame it looks like the Big Apple may be about to take a bite out of her...

This is the second book in the now complete Sabina Kane series (after Red-Headed Stepchild) which is one of my favourite urban fantasy series. It really needs to be read in order from the beginning due to the character development and world building. The storyline is both well plotted and well paced, and surprised me by the amount of twists, turns and manipulation still echoing throughout Sabina's life. The mysterious Caste of Nod are covered in more detail and are beginning to come out as a key player.

Sabina is really thrown in at the deep end, both with her sister Maisie and with mage culture in general. She has to further remove herself from vampire culture (drinking bagged blood for example) and also needs to learn to harness the innate talents endowed by her mage blood. Not only is she turning her back on her childhood, Sabina really doesn't think she is capable of doing anything but assassinate people and it is her insecurity that makes her accessible.

Maisie is the complete opposite of Sabina. She is a huggy, emotionally open earth mother type who paints her dreams and automatically accepts Sabina with no questions. She even supports Sabina's much-resisted attraction to Adam, who is sadly absent for much of the book. In his place is Sabina's old flame Slade who gives Sabina a chance to access elements of her old life. Adam's absence does means that the overdone love triangle is avoided and allows Sabina the space to make a decision as to which life (and guy) she truly wants.

Slade also opens a door for Giguhl, who is still my favourite character and is just as awesome and hilarious as ever. Slade's club hosts a demon fight club where Giguhl soon finds himself star of the show. The whole idea of the fight club is hilarious and the concept is well handled, managing to be action-packed and entertaining whilst growing Sabina and Giguhl's friendship.

I love that the designers kept Sabina's "Things to do:" checklist that looks paperclipped to the back covers. This installment has:
     1. Survive Magic 101
     2. Bond with long-lost sister
     3. Stay alive

All in all, this was another great read and I can't wait for Green-Eyed Demon.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Title: Red-Headed Stepchild

Author: Jaye Wells
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-756-3
Pages: 325
Series: Sabina Kane #1
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Sabina Kane is an outcast in a world where bloodlines rule. Her mixed vampire/mage blood mean she is stuck as an assassin for the vampire council, the Dominae, led by Sabina's grandmother Lavina. So when the Dominae give her the opportunity to gain their favour by taking out Clovis Trakiya a mixed blood cult leader threatening their power base, she grabs the chance and goes undercover. But when Sabina is forced to work with mage Adam Lazarus she soon discovers her past is full of secrets and lies that threaten her very existence...

This is the first book in the now complete Sabina Kane series and is a great urban fantasy with perfect mix of light and funny with dark and gritty. The whole series has a really unique premise where all vampires are descended from Cain and Lilith (yup the ones from the Bible), whilst mages come from the goddess Hekate. They aren't the only two races here though as there are also demons and fairies each with their own unique varieties. Despite the depth to the world building there is no info-dumping and the only sign of this being the first in a series is the sense of opportunity in the ending.

The storyline is tightly plotted with good pacing, a rare factor in undercover books. The book starts with a bang, moving from action packed scene to action packed scene before the main plotline kicks in when the pacing stays pretty solid interspersed with intense scenes. There are a host of unexpected twists and turns and the underlying manipulation adds a high level of tension, especially as Sabina is never sure who is actually manipulating her at any given time. The book has a very low romance level and is more about Sabina discovering the truth about herself and her life.

Sabina is a great lead character and although she seems unlikeable to start, it soon becomes clear that she is a product of her upbringing. This means that the distance from her grandmother and the rest of the Dominae-led vampires leads Sabina to discover a lot more about herself and it's great to have this revealed to the reader as she goes. Adam is the ideal hunky friend/foe and, as a mage, someone Sabina resists her attraction to from day one. Clovis on the other hand is seriously creepy and disturbing with a weird cult-leader-buying-into-his-own-hype vibe making him the ideal villain.

My favourite character though has to be Giguhl who is a mischief demon who accidentally ends up bound to Sabina, and then through a series of mishaps gets turned into a hairless cat. He has some absolutely hilarious lines and quickly becomes Sabina's best friend/protector/foil. I also have a soft spot for Vinca who is an irrepressible fairy Sabina rooms with while undercover. She's girly but with a core of steel and I can see why Sabina finds herself becoming friends with her despite her best intentions.

One really unique thing I love about these books are Sabina's "Things to do:" checklists that look paperclipped to the back covers. This installment has:
     1. Infiltrate rival vampire cult and assassinate leader
     2. Get rid of demon houseguest
     3. Ditch the hot mage stalker
     4. Betray family

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to The Mage in Black.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 48/50

Teaser Tuesdays (29)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser:

"I almost said a very naughty word. Actually, I might have said it aloud if the shocked looks on their faces were any indication."

~ Page 29, Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells