Wrong Side of Dead (Dreg City, #4)

Mar 09, 2012 Kat Kennedy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: death-by-paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy-woot, the-great-shelf-of-meh

I have this hangup, you see. The thing that's always bugged me about serialized novels is how they take X amount of time to catch you up on all the previous novels.

Look, I get it's important for people who can't remember all the past storylines and for those that haven't read the previous books. But I have never been one to start in the middle of a series or to need these little updates so they always aggravated me. They always seemed like gigantic wastes of time and stalled each book more and m...more I have this hangup, you see. The thing that's always bugged me about serialized novels is how they take X amount of time to catch you up on all the previous novels.

Look, I get it's important for people who can't remember all the past storylines and for those that haven't read the previous books. But I have never been one to start in the middle of a series or to need these little updates so they always aggravated me. They always seemed like gigantic wastes of time and stalled each book more and more as the series progressed.

However, I accidentally requested this title from Netgalley not knowing it was the fourth book in a series I'd never even heard of. So going in blind caused me to have a love/hate relationship with the recaps. I absolutely needed them to know what was going on with the long, involved storyline. However, on the otherhand - and this is not to say Meding did them badly but that all catchups are pretty much like this - they didn't provide enough information or understanding to truly grasp what had happened in previous novels.

And unfortunately, Wrong Side of Dead has a huge backstory to catch up on which feels disingenuous because most of these complicated, deep relationships seem to have begun only a few weeks ago. So when the main character says, "I'd trust him with my back any day!" and then a chapter later we find out that she's only known him for three week, it felt weird.

But then, I'm told the House of Night series, Marked, take place over a couple of weeks and there are a lot more of those.

So my first problem was too many characters, intricate relationships, history and backstory to really get a grasp of in this novel. The storyline kept stalling as Meding needed to go back and explain complicated history, interspecies politics and try to reinforce the importance of a romantic relationship that is scarcely seen in this book.

My second problem was that Meding takes so long to get to the actual plot that it was easy to forget there was one. This series seems to have fallen into the trap where the romantic relationship - or its lack of, has become so important that it has taken control of the story.

My third problem was that, even though I knew nothing of the history of the villain and had only been introduced to him in this book, his comical fiendishness was both predictable and a little trite. There were times when I thought, "Hey, guys... um, this is going to happen so you'd better do something about it. Just sayin'." Then three chapters later it happened, everyone reeled in shock, and I facepalmed myself.

The writing was servicable and several of the characters were certainly likable - but this just isn't a series to pick up halfway through. Perhaps the reviews of dedicated fans who have an emotional investment in the story and characters would be more helpful. I just didn't feel like this series offered anything that you couldn't find in other, tighter, better written series.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolf-tastic, vampire-ific, sweet-romance, shifter-ific, romantic-suspense, romantic-elements, received-for-review, netgalley, magic-tastic, favourites, bad-ass-dude, kick-ass-chicks

MEDING HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

I have yet to be disappointed with anything Kelly Meding has written. Her stories are always exciting, interesting, dramatic and full of lovely, juicy action scenes and often some highly emotional ones, too.

I also enjoy the dangly carrot method of writing she likes to employ that keeps you furiously turning the pages of her books. I am, of course, referring to the flashback plot device. This is something that has been consistent with all four books in the series so far,...more MEDING HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

I have yet to be disappointed with anything Kelly Meding has written. Her stories are always exciting, interesting, dramatic and full of lovely, juicy action scenes and often some highly emotional ones, too.

I also enjoy the dangly carrot method of writing she likes to employ that keeps you furiously turning the pages of her books. I am, of course, referring to the flashback plot device. This is something that has been consistent with all four books in the series so far, as we've slowly built the characters' back stories.

I know flashbacks probably aren't everyone's idea of a good time. And I can see how they might be confusing, and maybe even a little annoying at times for some people. But as a method of tweaking your interest to make you desperate for answers, they really are effective. And for me, as a big L.O.S.T fan back in the day, they feel perfectly natural and are very well executed by Meding, in my most humble opinion.

I don't know much about the process of writing a book, but I can only imagine that using jumping time lines like this must make your job that much harder. Trying to keep everything straight, or not straight, as the case may be. I found it fascinating, therefore, that Meding not only does this, but that she also changes from past tense prose for the present day scenes, to present tense for the flashbacks... You know, 'cause clearly before it was just not complicated enough for her! Pfft!

Is the woman some sort of masochist, maybe? I'm just sayin'.

Well, whatever the reason behind it, it really works, and there was not one section of the book, no matter which time we were in, that was slow or dull in any way. It is slightly different from the previous three books in that instead of flashing back to before Evy got her new bod, we have jumped forward four weeks and are flashing back to events between now and the end of the last book. And a lot of things have changed, let me tell you! You might even find yourself wondering if you missed a book somewhere. You haven't. And it will all become clear... eventually.

It's hard to discuss the actual plot without giving anything away, so I'm not going to bother other than to say that a former nemesis is back in town and they haven't given up on their master plan muah ha ha ha! As villains go, they're pretty scary simply because they are completely insane. And you just can't reason with the crazies. You just can't.

So, in sum, if you are an Urban Fantasy fan and you haven't read anything by Meding yet, you are seriously missing out on some top quality UF. You are pretty much guaranteed a fast-paced, action-packed tale full of twists, turns, shocks and WTF's. So go add her to your shelf, like, right now! That's an order!

5 Stars! ★★★★★
Review Copy: Received from the publisher for an honest review(less)

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Apr 10, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, genre-urban-fantasy, borrowed-library

*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0

*Review* (Series Update)

Wrong Side of Dead is the fourth novel in Kelly Meding’s Dreg City series. When it comes to timeline of events, this story takes place 3 weeks after Evy escaped the mad scientist Walter Thackery who tortured her, and left her for dead (Another Kind of Dead) and 3 months after she was killed by a goblin queen and woke up in her current body (Three Days to Dead).

This story is uniquely different in many ways from the previous three installmen...more

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Jul 12, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, let me say that this is my first book in this series. That being said, I wasn't lost in this world. The author does a great job of recapping the very extensive and deep plotlines for first-timers. If I'd read the other books before this one, I might be a tad bit peeved that the author spent so much time recapping but I'm not so I wasn't.

This is a great series! I really liked the world that Meding created--it felt very possible and probable, even with the weres and such. Evy's a fabulo...more

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May 07, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, weres, werewolves, vampires, good-guy-vampires, good-vs-evil, friendship, paranormal, chicks-who-kick-ass

Evy and company now have a new headquarters and a new alliance. The humans, vampires and the Therians (weres) have joined forces to protect the innocent. Their main target is Halfies, humans turned by vampire bites. But they are also after Thackery, a human who has been experimenting with all species. Evy was at one time the object of his interest and she is not about to let him get away with it. But it is also a time when alliances and old truths are being tested. Innocent Therians have been ki...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another great book by Kelly Meding! I have been counting down the days until I could find out what would happen to Evy and crew after the hit the triads took at the end of Another Kind of Dead and I completely devoured this book. In this story the triads (or least what is left of them) forge a new alliance with the Therians and the Vampires. They begin this alliance by tracking down a new brand of Half-Breeds, who somehow can retain their mental capabilities. This story held a few great plots tw...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines, favorite-urban-fantasy

Fourth installment of Meding's Dreg City series; it does not disappoint. Evy Stone is back as a courageous, shockingly resilient, kick ass heroine. New characters are introduced and the Triads, out of necessity,join forces with shape shifters and vampires. There's two big surprises thrown in, which had me completely guessing where the story was going. Amazing action and pleasantly surprised about the character growth of Evy, finallly accepting her new self and reaching out, not running from affe...more

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May 18, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

As much as I loved Another Kind of Dead, when I finished it, I asked myself how long Kelly Meding could sustain what felt like one long story which already spanned three books. Each installment picked up right where the last one left off, gaining more and more momentum. But here, Meding does something a little different, which had me on my toes from the first page.

A few weeks have passed since the events of the last book and there have been massive changes to Evy's world. She is working for a ne...more As much as I loved Another Kind of Dead, when I finished it, I asked myself how long Kelly Meding could sustain what felt like one long story which already spanned three books. Each installment picked up right where the last one left off, gaining more and more momentum. But here, Meding does something a little different, which had me on my toes from the first page.

A few weeks have passed since the events of the last book and there have been massive changes to Evy's world. She is working for a new organization. An old friend has been infected by the vampire virus. And perhaps most unsettling, she and Wyatt have broken up. At first, I wondered Did I miss a book? Then I got a little mad because I was out of the comfort zone I developed with the series. But I really should have given Meding more credit, because the story paid off as I kept reading.

Thackery, our mad-scientist villain, is still on the loose. Now he has kidnapped a handful of the Therians, including the Owlkin survivors that Evy vowed to protect earlier in the series. Of course, that makes the rescue mission personal for her and Phin. They work along with their new "Watchtower" brethren to get them back.

The Watchtower project is great because it's made up of members of the human, vampire, and Therian races. We see how they are letting go of old stereotypes and are forging bonds among the species. It means Evy's once narrow world is expanding yet again, and as it grows, so does she.

The problems between her and Wyatt are a little frustrating. It's hard to reconcile their split with the deep connection we've seen between them in earlier books. I understand the reason we're given, but it just didn't ring true for me. That being said, the remaining feelings between them are unmistakable. And when a crisis comes knocking for one of them, their struggles help give it a better emotional payoff.

There's a lot going on, with subplots surrounding the new-found existence of werewolves, the infection of the vampires, and the betrayal of the Fae --all in addition to the kidnapping arc I mentioned earlier. It's fast moving and feels like the beginning of a new chapter for our characters. (Evy doesn't even get tortured in this one!) That makes it all the more upsetting that Random House has opted not to continue publishing the series.

The ending is fantastic and satisfying. But it's clear that Meding has more story left to tell. I love where she ultimately went with Wyatt's story and I hope there be more books. In the meantime, I urge new readers to start with book one in the series, Three Days to Dead. This isn't a story that you want to pick up in the middle.

Rating: B (less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Ratkin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This won't be so much a review as a comment. I love Kelly Meding's Evy Stone series, but this installment got to be just a little too much like work for my comfort. Meding isn't the first to use the "bounce back and forth from the past to the present" format for telling a story, but I started to find it annoying, after a while. Things that were mentioned in the 'present' sections (some of which I thought I must have forgotten from prior books) were explained later on in some of the flashbacks, b...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Debbie by: Kayla Farber

Meding is shaking it up a little in this, the 4th of the “Dead” series. I’m not sure if this is really a spoiler or not, but out of the 4 books this is the first time Evy does not die. I really liked it, because after all, dying in every book gets old. Okay so this time Evy and Wyatt start the book as a broken couple and this is explained in Meding’s usual style of using flash backs. Now the humans and the Dregs are all working together to keep the city safe, which only makes sense since they’r...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really feel like this series gets better and better which is why I was DEVASTATED to learn that Bantam opted out of buying any future Dreg City books. I hate the idea of not knowing what lies in store for Evy, Wyatt, Phin and the rest of the beloved characters of this dark and refreshingly original urban fantasy series. If you enjoyed the first three novels, I highly recommend the fourth. It is as fast-paced and action-packed as the first three, maybe even more so. I also implore you to recomm...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Lyn Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paperback-mass-market, reviewed, 2012-reviews

A tasty supernatural soup that's full of delicious fun!

Hunters, Therians, Fae, Vampires, Half-Breeds. This book is so full of hearty paranormal goodness that reading it is absolutely essential to your well-being!

Evy Stone is such a powerful and strong lead character. She's a take-no-prisoners and never-take-no-for-an-answer kind of gal whose been dropped into the middle of a supernatural war.

Evy and her love interest, Wyatt, have a rocky roller-coaster relationship in this installment. In the pa...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. It's been way too long since I last read the Dreg City books by Kelly Meding. My memory was a total blank in some areas. Luckily, Kelly does the important recaps in Wrong Side of Dead. It helped me somewhat, but other details were still too lost. That's the trouble with reading too many books! Sadly, this is the last book in the series as it was cancelled. There's always help for resurrection though!

This book has two stories going on, one in the past and the other the present. For the most...more Wow. It's been way too long since I last read the Dreg City books by Kelly Meding. My memory was a total blank in some areas. Luckily, Kelly does the important recaps in Wrong Side of Dead. It helped me somewhat, but other details were still too lost. That's the trouble with reading too many books! Sadly, this is the last book in the series as it was cancelled. There's always help for resurrection though!

This book has two stories going on, one in the past and the other the present. For the most part, we're in the present and the past is really just about a month ago, weeks even. The Triads are gone. The whole system that Evie and Wyatt were apart of has disbursed. There's a new one on the horizon though, composed of Triad members and others, such as the vampires and a few shifter types. They are called the Watch and basically do the same thing the Triads did, fighting evil in Dreg City and keeping the humans safe.

Walter Thackery is still on the loose and still scheming as always. His need to protect and preserve the human race includes killing anything non-human. His skewed personality is due to having his wife and unborn child killed by a Halfie. But he just keeps on killing other "others" and he must be stopped.

When Evie's friend and goddaughter are kidnapped by Thackery, she goes to amazing lengths to save them before he can kill or torment them like he did to her. Although, she was a special case, it's best to never put anything past the madman.

The segments of the present take place in a day. Like I said, there are brief segments--ie a few chapters--where we're in the past about a month ago and it moves forward a bit. But the current time, everything goes down in a day. Including Wyatt being attacked by a werewolf. He battles infection for quite awhile and it doesn't look good for him and it drives Evie to fight even harder. Thackery must die.

It's sad to read a book and know that it is the last in the series unwillingly. I was expecting shocking cliffhanger endings, much like I received in another series I read that was cancelled and I didn't know until later on. But knowing doesn't make it any easier. This ending though wasn't as horrid with the cliffhangers as I thought it would be. True, there's some unfinished business, but the day ends on a somewhat happy note, if not, content.

The action though was pretty awesome! Being just another day in Evie's chaotic life, there was never a dull moment. Although, I was slightly confused with the flashbacks when they started happening. I couldn't quite figure out what their purpose was, until they got moving a little more. Then it made sense and all was well.

Evy is a fun heroine. I feel she is very real and down to earth. She's not the total badass chick in leather--although those are pretty wicked--but she's still pretty kickass. She can handle herself and I feel like that is a good type of heroine. She has her struggles with some physical things since she still cannot get used to the new body she's in, but she tries.

There wasn't too much romance in this one, since in the beginning Evy and Wyatt are on a break and we find out why through some of those flashbacks. Which I keep saying flashbacks, but it's not Evy reflecting on anything, I think it's more like one of those things that benefits the reader, we get to see what she went through.

Overall it was a very good read! I wish I hadn't stayed away too long since my memory recall isn't the hottest thing around when I read so many different books. Going to have more challenges ahead of me when I move onto some other previously untouched series. But I did enjoy this! The series from the beginning has been interesting and there are still so many questions I have about Evy and her abilities that I cannot recall if they were ever answered. It's possible. One of these days I will have to re-read the series.

Overall Rating 4/5 stars(less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Kayla Guyette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

(Spoiler Alert:Do not read if you have no read the previous books in the series)
I’ll start by saying Wrong Side of Dead is my favorite book in the Dreg City series to date. It’s unbelievable how far the characters have all come in just a few months. It was Wrong Side of Dead that had me adding Kelly Meding to my short list of favorite authors.

>Wrong Side Of Dead opens not too long after Evy Stone was freed from the torturous hands of mad-scientist Walter Thackery. Evy was only gone a few week...more (Spoiler Alert:Do not read if you have no read the previous books in the series)
I’ll start by saying Wrong Side of Dead is my favorite book in the Dreg City series to date. It’s unbelievable how far the characters have all come in just a few months. It was Wrong Side of Dead that had me adding Kelly Meding to my short list of favorite authors.

>Wrong Side Of Dead opens not too long after Evy Stone was freed from the torturous hands of mad-scientist Walter Thackery. Evy was only gone a few weeks yet comes back to find the world she lives in gone. The Triads are gone, a few allies are now enemies, those she once hunted become friends, the believed to be extinct werewolves are alive and well and Thackery is still on the loose. Evy finds herself growing apart from Wyatt, who was always a constant in life, well lives. Now she adjusts to life at The Watchtower, the new sort of boot camp that is made up of humans, vampires and therians.

When half-blood vampires, who lose their sanity, start showing signs of possessing sanity and logic the Watchtower knows only one man can be behind it – Thackery. When various therians start disappearing, Evy takes the mission even more personally. Before she can even begin to track down Thackery, Wyatt is attacked and put on his deathbed. With time running for not only Wyatt but also the kidnapped therians, Evy must track down the man who tortured her for weeks to save the people she cares about and has sworn to protect. It won’t be easy Thackery has a way of being two steps ahead, but now Evy Stone has more motivation than ever.

I’ve become a huge fan of Meding’s action packed writing. While there are times I wish poor Evy would get a moment’s break, I do love the nonstop-page-turning action. Wrong Side of Dead is a bit different from the other books because there are a lot of flashbacks to fill in parts of the story. At times I became annoyed at not having the answers right away, but found it to keep me reading on. I advise anyone reading to keep note of the dates for the ‘present’ time and the flashbacks to avoid confusion. Overall, I loved Wrong Side of Dead, like I previously stated it’s my favorite in the series. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes some nonstop supernatural reading.
Rating 10/10
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Apr 02, 2013 Phil Giunta rated it 4 of 5 stars

The fourth and most recent volume in Meding's Dreg City series takes everything that she had built in the first three books, shakes it up, flips it and drops it on its head. Following her escape from torture at the hands of crazed scientist Walter Thackery, Evangeline "Evy" Stone returns to find an alliance forged between humans, vampires, and Therians (shape-shifters that change from animal to human form) united against a common foe, Thackery.

The devious geneticist is determined to find a cure...more The fourth and most recent volume in Meding's Dreg City series takes everything that she had built in the first three books, shakes it up, flips it and drops it on its head. Following her escape from torture at the hands of crazed scientist Walter Thackery, Evangeline "Evy" Stone returns to find an alliance forged between humans, vampires, and Therians (shape-shifters that change from animal to human form) united against a common foe, Thackery.

The devious geneticist is determined to find a cure for the infection in humans caused by vampire saliva. Years before, Thackery's wife and son had been attacked and bitten by half-human vampires (known as "Halfies"). When he was unable to find a cure for the raging, murderous insanity that consumes Halfie victims, Thackery had been forced to kill his family. Now, his obsession for finding the antidote has driven him far beyond the bounds of compassion and medical ethics and into ruthless barbarism. After a fruitless attempt to find it through sadistic experimentation on Evy Stone, whose uncanny ability to spontaneously heal was thought to be the answer, Thackery turns his attention along a new path of research...

The adventure begins when Boot Camp, a brutal military-style academy for training human Hunters, is attacked and destroyed by monstrous genetically-altered creatures created by Thackery himself. Evy Stone had been trained there as well as dozens of other Hunters who, upon graduation, are grouped in teams of three known as Triads and assigned to a Handler. The Handler is responsible for sending his or her Triad on missions throughout the city, typically to kill non-human creatures of the night when they get out of line.

This untested and dubious alliance of humans and non-humans makes its headquarters in an abandoned shopping mall, now retrofitted with a war room, crew quarters, infirmary, holding cells, cafeteria and gymnasium. A magic spell surrounds the area, subtly dissuading passersby from paying the slightest attention. The facility is dubbed "The Watchtower." No sooner does this new order set up shop than seven Therians are reported missing from their homes, thought to be kidnapped by agents working for Thackery.

To make matters worse, in a recent incursion with Halfies on a bus, one of their own Hunters, Felix, fell victim to their bite and has himself become one of them. He had managed to escape and is now at large. Due to the danger they pose to society, Halfies are hunted with extreme prejudice and killed on sight. Yet when Evy and her Therian allies corner Felix on the rooftop of a nightclub, they are surprised to find that he is rational, cogent and rather...well...sane. Rather than kill him, they capture and imprison Felix at the Watchtower for questioning where he admits to working with Thackery and that the scientist has found a drug that inhibits the madness caused by Halfie saliva. Unfortunately, before Felix can answer any further questions, a bomb implanted inside his body by Thackery detonates.

Although only Felix is killed, the bomb releases an airborne toxin that infects the pure-breed vampires living and working in the Watchtower. Worse, it is discovered that Thackery has employed not just one, but a pack of werewolves known as Lupa, long thought to be exterminated by the other Therians centuries ago. While on a mission, Evy and her Handler-turned-lover Wyatt Truman are attacked by one of the Lupa and Wyatt is bitten. It is not long before his body and mind are ravaged by the poison from the werewolf's saliva and the Watchtower's CMO is forced to induce coma to stabilize him.

With the odds now stacked against them, will the alliance be able to track down Thackery and the missing Therians before his new line of research leaves yet another trail of bodies in its wake? And what of Wyatt? Will he be cured of the poison that is turning man into beast, or will Evy lose him forever?

And is there an even deeper conspiracy at work? One that calls into question the very founding of the Triads, Boot Camp and the Hunters?

Like the other books in the series, Wrong Side of Dead is a quick, action-packed read that ties up a few loose ends in the previous books without actually resolving all of them—and introduces two or three more. Clues and hints, cleverly sprinkled throughout the series, bear fruit here and are clear evidence of thorough world-building and plotting. Word has it that although Bantam Dell has canceled the Dreg City series, Meding will self-publish the fifth installment. As of this writing, I have not heard of a release date.

Overall, it has been an enjoyable saga thus far. As far as protagonists go, Evy Stone is at times amazing and other times infuriating and unreasonable. However, like any good hero, she undergoes an obvious change from hard-ass killer—who actually enjoys her job—to rape and murder victim only to be resurrected in a new body and slowly transform into a woman still more than capable of handling herself, but also of expressing love and kindness in a life that has precious little of either. As the review states in the cover image below, Meding is a real storyteller who knows how to move the story along, write dynamic action scenes and develop strong, memorable characters.

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Jan 30, 2013 Nikki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, fiction, magic, paranormal, urban-fantasy, vampires, own, 2013

It has been a while since I read the last installment of the Dreg City series and as this is likely to be the last one I was looking forward to finishing the series. Unfortunately, I felt as though Wrong Side of Dead was the weakest in the series.

The first issue I had with the book was the fact that we jump into the middle of the story essentially, but you aren't really certain you did. I kept second-guessing whether I remembered how the third book ended and how could I have forgotten such majo...more It has been a while since I read the last installment of the Dreg City series and as this is likely to be the last one I was looking forward to finishing the series. Unfortunately, I felt as though Wrong Side of Dead was the weakest in the series.

The first issue I had with the book was the fact that we jump into the middle of the story essentially, but you aren't really certain you did. I kept second-guessing whether I remembered how the third book ended and how could I have forgotten such major details? Turns out, I didn't. Meding decided to tell the story in a nonlinear manner. Many chapters in we finally get pieces of the background story on what has been the underlining drama for Evy, the main character. Meding continues to do this throughout the book, going back to previous weeks and filling us in on details. However, by that point I could not bring myself to care for the "greater" detail, especially considering it interrupted the story which was already going on. I also did not feel as though this information was worthy of waiting for like it was some big reveal throughout. The story should have been told more linearly, it would have increased the enjoyment overall, although probably not by a ton.

A slight nitpick: in the first few chapters Meding used parentheses too much (much too much). I did not understand why she just did not include what she wrote in the parentheses in the flow of the story (much like the nonlinear format). It was rather distracting (see what I'm doing here?).

Evy and Wyatt. Jeez louise, why all the drama? I just did not feel as though the extra drama between the two characters was necessary in this installment. The reason the two are separated now is also pretty weak in my opinion, especially after everything that the characters have been through, such as both dying!

Overall I did not feel as though Wrong Side of Dead was a good addition to the Dreg City series. There seemed to be drama for the sake of drama, the characters did not impress me and the style that the author chose to tell this installment was unsatisfying. I suppose this disappointment does makes it easier to say goodbye to the series.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban, magic-users, romance, elves-fae, paranormal, read-in-2012, shifter-not-wolf, vampire, werewolf

Dark and intense, probably the best book in the series so far. My only real complaint was in the way the author played around with the timeline. I don't mind that except it wasn't clear that she was doing that in the beginning, so when things were being discussed that I didn't remember at all, I thought they happened in the last book and I just couldn't remember, not an unusual problem for me but things usually come back to me pretty fast once they start being referred to. So it was frustrating,...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Paris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2012, must-read-series, must-read-author

This is a series that took me a bit to get into. In fact, the first book I had to try more than once before I was able to get through it. Now that we are at book four this has become one of my favorite series. I love Evy now that I feel a connection to her. She’s strong, yet still completely vulnerable. I love her and Warren together and I love what took place between them in this book. Walter Thackery is uber creepy. He makes my skin crawl and I’m super glad he’s just a bad guy in a book, altho...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.5 stars
My biggest issues with this book are more technical:

Unlike the other books where the timeline is linear, this one starts in the present, where I'm shoved into action, with reference to something in the past. I feel like I just step into the unknown, feeling confused about what has happened. Evy talking about her breakup with Wyatt, and I am like, "WHAT?! Aren't they just so positively in love in the end of book #3??". Then about several chapters later, there's the "BEFORE" timeline, wh...more 3.5 stars
My biggest issues with this book are more technical:

Unlike the other books where the timeline is linear, this one starts in the present, where I'm shoved into action, with reference to something in the past. I feel like I just step into the unknown, feeling confused about what has happened. Evy talking about her breakup with Wyatt, and I am like, "WHAT?! Aren't they just so positively in love in the end of book #3??". Then about several chapters later, there's the "BEFORE" timeline, where the 'past' is finally unraveled to me. It happens a couple of times. While I admit that it works in the end, but it disrupt my way of reading.

The other technical issue is, Ms. Meding RARELY gives some sort of 'recap' of what has happened previously. I don't have good memory, and I struggle to remember a story that I read a year before. I always struggle to remember the secondary characters names. I just need a couple of pointers.

Aside from that, this book is choc full of action, with a couple of twist!! I still cannot believe what these characters are going through. Since the story doesn't move too long from the last one, Evy has just survived one catastrophy, and now facing another. The evil scientist who kidnapped her for three weeks (and made her lost her finger) is back with another threat, after being successfully raise werewolves as his family. Phin's "family" is kidnapped, and so do other Therians (shapeshifters). Her lover, Wyatt, is bitten by Lupa (werewolf Clan), and goes into comma.

A couple of secondary characters succumb to their death, vampires are being exposed to disease ... allies becomes enemies, and enemies become friends (spoiler: (view spoiler)). While it is not directly Evy who is experiencing all the troubles, but still, it's her friends.

At least one of the 'big' villain is dead. I wonder with the development of Wyatt now (view spoiler), what will happen in the next book.

I really like that Phin's role is getting bigger. The were-osprey is very significant here. I like how he's being Evy's best friend with no romantic tone. It's easy to make him another love interest for Evy, to be one of those never ending love triangle, but I'm glad it doesn't go there. He needs his own love interest though :).

Another secondary character whose role I wish to be bigger next time is Milo, another Hunter. Simply because he's gay. Yes, I'm a supporter for LGBT character in mainstream novels, so I'm glad that this book has one.(less)

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Feb 10, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

WRONG SIDE OF DEAD ended up being my favorite Dreg City book yet. Its been a few months since the events of book 3 ANOTHER KIND OF DEAD. The story jumps a bit between the past (couple months ago) and the present day. There were a few points that that got a bit annoying but only because something good or suspenseful was going on and I was impatient to find out what would happen next.

I couldn't imagine a better fit in the series then Evy and Wyatt. They have been through so many ups and downs that...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2012

Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Kelly Meding is back with the fourth installment in her Dreg City series, Wrong Side of Dead. This is such a unique and interesting series. Very dark and very gritty, you can’t have a light stomach to read these books. But, as I’ve said in past reviews, you never feel like the gore is too much or that it’s just there to make you squirm – it really blends well with the story and somehow just fits. It helps remind us that this world that Kelly created is d...more Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Kelly Meding is back with the fourth installment in her Dreg City series, Wrong Side of Dead. This is such a unique and interesting series. Very dark and very gritty, you can’t have a light stomach to read these books. But, as I’ve said in past reviews, you never feel like the gore is too much or that it’s just there to make you squirm – it really blends well with the story and somehow just fits. It helps remind us that this world that Kelly created is dark and it helps us truly see just how strong her characters are. For anyone to be able to survive what these people survive, you have to be resilient and ridiculously brave. These are people who have been through hell and back and who are still standing, still ready to fight and still ready to help each other out. And as much as the world impresses me in this series, the characters impress me more.

The series is told from Evy’s perspective. Her story is insane. Her story is also what makes this series so different. Ever since she was brought back from the dead (no, she’s not a zombie – she’s way cooler) in book one, Evy has struggled. She’s not sure who she is or what her purpose is. She’s dealing with feelings from ‘old’ Evy and ‘new’ Evy and isn’t sure how to mesh everything together. She’s always a strong, kick ass chick filled with heart and loyalty but her vulnerability and how she deals with what her new life throws at her is what makes her truly special. I have enjoyed her journey in these books, and I loved where her character went in Wrong Side of Dead. I feel like Evy finally has some closure and has a better understanding of who she is now. She has grown in leaps and bounds and is almost at peace with her new life. I was so happy for her because if someone deserves a happy moment or two, it’s Evy.

Speaking of happy moments or two, Wyatt really needs that. Especially after this installment. I never would have anticipated where his character has ended up. Evy is usually the one who carries the ‘vulnerability torch’ in their relationship and Wyatt is usually the stronger, more stable one, but this time around we really see deep into Wyatt and feel his fear and confusion over the journey he is about to undertake.

We even witnessed the more supporting characters change. Then again they did have to, either in this book or the last book, face some pretty important events that would force anyone to change. I mean…yeah. I even felt for the vampires!

Seriously, the character growth in this book was amazing.

Phin is another character I want to mention. In this book, he is totally bad-ass. Yet he still has that softer side – the side that makes you want to tell him anything because you know, without a doubt, that you can trust him with it. He is a little perturbed in this book and we really see how he is when someone messes with a loved one. Yes, we got a good idea in the second book, but for some reason, I feel we see it even better this time around. I love Phin’s character. I love how he is a main-ish character and is male yet is only friends with Evy – that there is no romantic anything there. I would not be disappointed at all if Phin suddenly decided to create a bit of a love triangle with Evy and Wyatt, but in the end Evy and Wyatt belong together so the love triangle would be moot. But really, I just want to see Phin kiss someone. I bet he’s a good kisser ;)

There is one more thing about this series, other than the characters and the world, that makes it unique: it’s the way it’s written. Each chapter is a different timeline. Book one counts down how much time Evy has left. In this book, you bounce from right after the events at the end of book three to present time (about a three month span). You see and sense tension between characters or events are being referred to that you are not completely sure of the details, then you are brought there and it all falls into place. It is really neat and brings a whole different dynamic to the stories.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of this series. It’s one of my absolute favorites. Everything about it, I like. Powerful characters mixed with interesting settings and a unique writing style. It’s Urban Fantasy the way it was meant to written. Wrong Side of Dead brings the series to places I wouldn’t have assumed it would go, but that work. It kept me guessing and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next.
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Feb 07, 2012 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

In the fourth book of the Dreg City series, Evy is back smack dab in the middle of things. She's trying to recuperate from her prior kidnapping and torture to find out that Wyatt and several others have formed new alliances and changed things up. Then, several shifters have gone missing and on top of that Halfies are now sane?

Okay, let me just start out with this, if you've started reading this book and are wondering if you've lost your mind ... you haven't. If you remember from the end of the...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-obsess-over, dark-and-gritty, favorites, kick-ass-heroines, magic, series-i-can-t-wait-to-continue, shifters, unbelievably-sexy-heros, vampires

Couldn't decide between 4 and 5 stars, so technically, I'm giving this 4.5 stars!

Originally posted at http://addicted2heroines.blogspot.com...

Wrong Side of Dead, Kelly Meding's fourth Dreg City novel, takes place almost a month after Evy's rescue from the hands of the mad scientist, Walter Thackery. We find out that Evy and Wyatt are on a break. They had a huge argument and Evy feels like her relationship with Wyatt is broken due to her own doing. Wyatt, Phin, Kismet, Tybalt and the remaining T...more Couldn't decide between 4 and 5 stars, so technically, I'm giving this 4.5 stars!

Originally posted at http://addicted2heroines.blogspot.com...

Wrong Side of Dead, Kelly Meding's fourth Dreg City novel, takes place almost a month after Evy's rescue from the hands of the mad scientist, Walter Thackery. We find out that Evy and Wyatt are on a break. They had a huge argument and Evy feels like her relationship with Wyatt is broken due to her own doing. Wyatt, Phin, Kismet, Tybalt and the remaining Triad members and handlers have reached a tentative agreement with the Therians (shifters) and vampires in Dreg City to protect human from the Halfies (half-blooded vampires). This affiliation of species makes their base at The Watchtower, the shopping mall that has appeared in previous books.

As a rule, Halfies are deranged and violent. What is turning up in Dreg City are lucid and almost sane Halfies. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Aurora, Ava (Evy's shifter Goddaughter) and Joseph, all members of Clan Coni and Phin's only remaining brethren, are kidnapped and the race is on to find them before they are executed.

Meding's storytelling improves with this fourth installment of the Dreg City series. She masterfully uses flashback chapters to tell the story of Evy and Wyatt's breakup, the unfortunate event that happens to ex-triad member Felix, and of how the Watchtower came into existence. These flashback chapters are sprinkled throughout the book. Meding uses past tense when writing about the action occurring in the present, and present tense in the flashback chapters. It is risky story-telling, but she pulls it off beautifully.

Although Evy and Wyatt are on uncertain terms, it is obvious that they love one another very much. Evy and Wyatt continue to work together on official business, while Evy trains to get her body (okay, Chalice's body) back into fighting shape. While out on assignment, Wyatt is injured and spends a good chunk of this book fighting for his life in a coma. Now, while I would rather have more Wyatt in this story, this gives Evy a chance to come to terms with what she believes are her failures, and allows her to begin healing from the torturous events of her past.

Phin is present in this book, and I am SO happy that Kelly Meding didn't make him into a third of a love triangle. I like it that Phin and Evy are very close friends. There are no romantic notions between them, and I find it very refreshing. Phin is very loyal to and supportive of Evy, and he helps her to understand that life is too short to push away people that she loves. Evy has already traded in her life for Phin once, and I am sure that Phin would gladly return the favor. It's a lovely friendship these two have.

The twist towards the end involving Wyatt was difficult for me to take. I don't know what's going to happen with Wyatt, but I know it will be interesting to read. This whole book was filled with action and only snippets of personal reflection. There was a nice mix, and it kept the plot moving and intriguing. There is much violence and bad-ass fighting in this book, and one explosion in particular that I won't forget anytime soon.

I believe that this is the best book to date in this series, and I look forward to the release of the next book. Evy is quickly becoming one of my favorite, kick-ass heroines, and Wyatt had become a truly alpha-type hero. But please, can Ms. Meding give this girl a break? She needs a little R&R time.

Favorite Quotes:

"I know what it's like to spend hour after hour, day after day, in agony, just praying the pain will stop. But it doesn't. It's always there, even when you're asleep. You can't get away from it. The goblins tortured me, Thackery tortured me, and both times, I'd have given anything for it to stop. Even if it was just for a few minutes. And all I had to look forward to was death."

"Most of my life, I thought love was just something people did in movies. That in real life, people hurt each other and left and you just picked up the pieces for the next person who came along to hurt you."

"Love makes me stronger." I laughed, choked and wiped my nose on my arm. "That sounds like a fucking greeting card, I know."(less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Andi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

3.5 stars. Evy gets a break from physical torture this time around, but there wasn't a lot of action in this book. Also, something happened after she returned from Thackery's that fractured her relationship with Wyatt. You don't find out what it was at first, but the events are slowly revealed when the story moves back and forth between the present and "Before" - the point when she just returned from Thackery's. It was a bit confusing at first, so pay attention to the chapter headings to keep up...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely awesome book! Quite the roller coaster ride in this one...especially between her and Wyatt. Very glad they sorted things out in the end and both stopped being so pig-headed, LOL!

**SPOILERS**

Some sad events though especially with Felix and Jenner. :-( Plus the fact that Wyatt is infected with the Wererwolf virus, but I guess at least he didn't die. Hopefully this will help them in the future and he won't be so susceptible to injuries, etc. Not that they have taken Thakery out of the pi...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-modern-fantasy, what-shapeshifting, what-glbtq, why-favorite-series, why-favorite-authors, why-favorites

I don't have a lot to say about this wonderful addition to a series I love. I couldn't put it down. There were a couple of parts explaining what happened in really early books as being part of a big scheme where I wondered if she thought of this intrigue and subversion after she had already wrote the first couple, but overall, the novel worked for me, the plot was good, the pacing excellent --lots and lots of action, people in peril, emotional and tense moments, drama, fear, anger, love, betraya...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Natalia Sulca rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 12, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, netgalley, series, urban-fantasy

If there is anyone who needs a vacation it is Evy Stone. She has been killed and brought back twice, tortured twice, beat up repeatedly, and killed countless enemy all in about a four month period. Now, in this book she has to deal with her estranged boyfriend, a new agency and a new threat to said agency. Wow! The next book in the series should be a novella where she does nothing but sits on a beach with drinks with little paper umbrellas for fifty pages.

Seriously, this book answered a few ques...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, e-book, net-galley-books, uf, shifters, vampires

I normally really like this series, but this book seemed to be off to me. Part of it is that I am getting tired of the whole Wyatt and Evy drama, they are off, then on, then off again, all the while declaring their love for each other. I also am getting tired of Evy dying all the time. It seems like she has more lives that a cat. The whole timeline and flashbacks didn't work for me. I would have enjoyed the story more if it was more linear.

But there were things that I really liked. I like the s...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Chelsea Long rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book though I'm not sure that I like it more than the previous ones. I'm not a fan of jumping back and forth in the timeline throughout the book because it kind of took me out of the moment. I'd get into the story and then all of the sudden I started asking questions and it throws me back into the past. I know that the dates/times were at the top of the first page of the chapter but I kept having to go back and recheck what the previous chapter was. Anyway, I love Dreg city and Evy...more

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Wrong Side of Dead (Dreg City #4)

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