Darklands (Deadtown, #4)

Sep 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Worth A Read

I strongly suggest you read the previous books in the series (Deadtown, Hellforged and Bloodstone) prior to reading this installment.

This installment started off a bit slow for me. The story was enjoyable, however, the author donated a little bit more time to Vicky's relationship with her were boyfriend than I would've preferred.

I agree with another reviewer in regards to the cover. I personally found it hideous and I felt that it does not do the series justice.

I found the motive and...more

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Aug 09, 2012 J.A. Howell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This Urban Fantasy was a great read. Although this is the fourth installment, it was my first read in the Deadtown Series. Despite that, I found it easy to acclimate myself to the world of Deadtown and found the main character, Victory (Vicky) Vaughn extremely likeable and a very strong female lead. I think my main reason for liking her is because Ms. Holzner made her so relatable. She's experienced a huge loss, she is close to her family though they sometimes butt heads, and despite having a ma...more This Urban Fantasy was a great read. Although this is the fourth installment, it was my first read in the Deadtown Series. Despite that, I found it easy to acclimate myself to the world of Deadtown and found the main character, Victory (Vicky) Vaughn extremely likeable and a very strong female lead. I think my main reason for liking her is because Ms. Holzner made her so relatable. She's experienced a huge loss, she is close to her family though they sometimes butt heads, and despite having a man that loves her, she sometimes doubts herself. Despite the fact that she isn't "human", this made her a real character to me.

When Darklands begins, Vicky is starting to lose business when her clients' cancel left and right. Demons that needed slaying are simply disappearing. After being clued in that it might be her cousin -- a former demi-demon named Pryce, she conjures a guilt demon to get more info on what might be going on. From there she learns me is trying to re-create his demon half so that he can return to being a demi-demon and causing destruction and chaos.

All the meanwhile she finds herself having to blow off those she loves in order to save the world she lives in, which by the way has not only vampires, but zombies and werewolves as well. I don't want to give too much else of the story away, but that is the gist of Vicky's huge struggles she must overcome in the story.

Ms. Holzner did a wonderful job weaving together, not only Deadtown but the various other "places" that Vicky finds herself in at various times. Many of the supporting characters in this story are very memorable and equally as likeable. Such as Kane-her werewolf man, her niece Maria-whom is just starting to find out she has similar powers to her aunt, and even the guilt demon that won't leave Vicky alone- Butterfly, a nickname he acquires and seems to actually embrace. Butterfly definitely at times was the comic relief and was highly amusing.

This book was very well written and enjoyable and Ms. Holzner still gave some resolution while setting it up for a fifth installment. It looks like I will be going back and grabbing copies of the rest of the series and be waiting patiently for book #5!(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Deborah Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars

"They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…
Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Veronica G. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, female-protagonist

The Deadtown series has fast become one of my favorite UF series. It has just the right mix of supernatural s*%$ hitting the fan and romance.

Since book one (or maybe it was two), we've known that Vicky has carried the world's weight in guilt over the death of her beloved father. That all comes into play in this installment as Vicky travels to the land of the dead in order to stop the latest bid to end the world as we know it and things that happen will have consequences we'll just have to wait t...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardcopy, received-for-review

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Being the only professional demon slayer around, Vicky makes her living by bringing down the demons who prey on unsuspecting humans. But when her clients start canceling in droves as their tormenting demons disappear, Vicky knows something fishy is going on. Turns up her psychotic cousin Pryce is up to no good. He's bound and determined to get the shadow demon half that Vicky destroyed back so he can continue in his quest to conquer all of t...more Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Being the only professional demon slayer around, Vicky makes her living by bringing down the demons who prey on unsuspecting humans. But when her clients start canceling in droves as their tormenting demons disappear, Vicky knows something fishy is going on. Turns up her psychotic cousin Pryce is up to no good. He's bound and determined to get the shadow demon half that Vicky destroyed back so he can continue in his quest to conquer all of the realms, bringing about death and destruction the likes of which have never been seen. To stop him, she will have to make incredible sacrifices as she travels to the realm of the dead with no guarantee of making it back alive.

It seems like Vicky never gets more than a brief respite before she is thrown into another world threatening mess. In Darklands, the stakes are even higher than before and there was plenty of heart pounding action. But in between all those action packed moments, Vicky also went through a lot of growth, both in her relationship with Kane, which I'll get into in a little bit, but also in facing the incredible amount of guilt over her father's death that she has carried over the years. Because of this she has thrown herself into a lone ranger type of mentality, making relying on others incredibly difficult for her, with her mentor, Mab being the only exception. Yet, due to a guilt demon forcing her to face those issues as well an interesting turn of events, Vicky finally seems to be on the path to accepting help when she needs it. And trust me, she needs it in Darklands. I really enjoyed seeing her open up to others to accept their help despite wanting to keep them safe. It's time she learned that she isn't the only one who can take risks for the people they care about.

Vicky's insecurities with her relationship with Kane really came to a head in Darklands. She's very hot and cold towards him, and it is very obvious that she really cares, but there is that extreme fear of commitment. Despite his willingness, Vicky still hesitates to take the next step, or really anything to solidify the relationship at all. I really think she doesn't believe she deserves Kane, especially since she could never give him a picket fence life. So she pushes him away, but it would seem that he's had just about enough of her wishy-washiness, and is bound and determined to prove to her that he isn't going anywhere. In fact, I'd say he does one heck of a job showing her that he would follow her anywhere and give up anything for her no matter the cost, forcing Vicky to face her feelings for him. It really says something when a man is willing to literally go to hell and back for the woman he loves. All I can say is that is well past time Vicky wakes up and faces the music.

With each book in the Deadtown series, I only get sucked further in, this installment even more so considering the way things ended. While not a cliffhanger in the strictest sense, a lot of things are left in the balance, leaving me desperate to find out what happens next. Darklands was incredibly action packed, leaving me literally on the edge of my seat. Combine that with the intense emotional moments and Vicky's character growth, and Darklands made for an incredibly entertaining installment that cannot be missed!

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Aug 05, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-5-stars

Plot: 4.5 Stars
This series holds a special place in my heart because Nancy was the first author to ever contact me for a review. I have loved each and every installment in this series, and this title was no different. I've learned to expect the unexpected. The author always keeps my on my toes with the twists and turns. I also really enjoy the wide array of paranormal creatures within the world the author has created. All too often, novels feel the author threw in everything but the kitchen sink...more Plot: 4.5 Stars
This series holds a special place in my heart because Nancy was the first author to ever contact me for a review. I have loved each and every installment in this series, and this title was no different. I've learned to expect the unexpected. The author always keeps my on my toes with the twists and turns. I also really enjoy the wide array of paranormal creatures within the world the author has created. All too often, novels feel the author threw in everything but the kitchen sink, but it really works in this series. I also really enjoy the idea of Deadtown and the fight for paranormal rights.

Pace: 4 Stars
The first half of this novel flew by. It felt like I was catching up with old friends. The novel had just enough recap to bring me up to date without dragging the story down. Although at first, I wished the story had begun with a demon extermination like the three previous installments, I quickly changed my mind. This novel started out with an even bigger bang at Tina's career day. Once we were introduced to the Darklands, the realm of the dead, there were points in which the pacing slowed down a bit. But then the book ended with a bang, leaving me excited for the next novel.

Characters: 5 Stars
All of the characters in this series made great appearances in this novel, no matter how big or small. Tina was her usual self in the beginning, when she brought Vicki in for career day. I forget how much I love Tina's snarkiness in between novels, but she's definitely one of my favorite characters. I also really enjoyed seeing more of Maria, Vicki's niece. You get to learn more about the Cerddorion and how they develop their powers as she experiences the changes. It was also amusing to see how Juliet spent her house-arrest. I really liked the new characters introduced in this installment, especially one that was a big surprise. Although I really enjoy Vicki as a strong urban fantasy heroine, I think the cast of characters around her really make this series fantastic.

Cover: 4 Stars
This cover breaks from the pattern of the first three a bit in the angle and stance of the cover model. It's the first cover that zooms in and doesn't include a full body shot. The flaming sword also isn't quite as front and center as the previous covers. But all in all, the cover definitely fits in with the rest. It gives off the same kick-ass vibe as the rest of the series, and the greens in the lower corner stand out. I really love that the title and author are in the same font and the same placement on each cover. It helps give the series continuity.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for review. (less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: parnormal

3.5 Stars

Vicky is going to kill me. I spent most of this book wanting to shake her.

Pryce is back. He steals a magic cauldron, kidnaps a bunch of demons and then enters the realm of the dead to try and recreate his demon so he can be restored to his full powers. Vicky is the only one who can stop him.

What I liked:
I liked meeting her mom, and her dad. The parents are cool. I like most of the family dynamics. the situation with Gwen and Maria is interesting and I really liked adding Vicky's mom t...more 3.5 Stars

Vicky is going to kill me. I spent most of this book wanting to shake her.

Pryce is back. He steals a magic cauldron, kidnaps a bunch of demons and then enters the realm of the dead to try and recreate his demon so he can be restored to his full powers. Vicky is the only one who can stop him.

What I liked:
I liked meeting her mom, and her dad. The parents are cool. I like most of the family dynamics. the situation with Gwen and Maria is interesting and I really liked adding Vicky's mom to the mix.

I LOVE the world building in this series. The different characters and the mythology mixed in are awesome. Exploring the Deadlands, the hag, Arwan, spectacular! This is why I keep coming back to this series, because the world is so vivid and ideas awesome.

She got territorial about Kane. Halleluiah. Finally some actually bone-a-find attachment. But she won't talk to him about it and worries about every single possibility. She doesn't even try to talk to him about it. She's female, she should try to talk to him.

What I didn't like:
Summoning a guilt demon, was one of her stupider moves. I got really sick of Vicky feeling guilty about everything and after a while started skimming those parts.

When Pryce shows up and starts throwing around magic, Vicky just stands there. She is so afraid of getting shot with an arrow that she just watches until its practically to late to do anything. Vicky is the KickA$$ heroine. She should not be standing around gawking while her evil nemesis takes back his power.

I couldn't make up my mind if I liked Vicky's father or not while in the deadlands. However when I encountered him in the real world he went firmly in the not like category. He wants what he wants and he is not perfect. Vicky has idolized him but he's flawed and is going to get her in big big trouble.

The last sentence about choosing between Kane and Dad, the answer is easy, Kane. Besides Mab (who has her own agenda), Kane is the only one who really really cares about Vicky. Her father is not as good as he seems. (less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Melliane rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5/5

Mon avis en Français

My English review

And now here I am with the last volume of the series currently published in the United States. Oh it will be hard now to wait until the 5th! This new novel was a real pleasure to read and Vicky is always more or more interesting to follow. I enjoy the Nancy Holzner ideas in this series, our heroine is still facing many problems and each novel makes her work harder than the previous.

From the beginning of the novel, Victory finds herself very anxious. Inde...more 4.5/5

Mon avis en Français

My English review

And now here I am with the last volume of the series currently published in the United States. Oh it will be hard now to wait until the 5th! This new novel was a real pleasure to read and Vicky is always more or more interesting to follow. I enjoy the Nancy Holzner ideas in this series, our heroine is still facing many problems and each novel makes her work harder than the previous.

From the beginning of the novel, Victory finds herself very anxious. Indeed, all her customers cancel their exterminations which make her full of questions and concerns. And during a work, she realizes that someone captures her demons, and that someone is none other than Pryce, her cousin. But the reason is however difficult to understand. He wants to recover his powers and kill her once and for all. But another concern is added to this ... Simone, a young werewolf that Kane is helping, seems desperate to steal her lover. Vicky is determined to intervene and force her to give up! And while her quest for revenge against Pryce leads her in mysterious places, our heroine will have to fight to stay alive and to save everyone she loves.

New characters appear in this novel, from the past and the present of Vicky. It was nice to discover them all. This allows us to understand a little more our heroine and her family. We also meet a demon called Butterfly, who is quite annoying even if he is still pretty funny. He loves to make her doubt, making her blaming herself for all sorts of things and at the same time he tries to help her as he can (if you can call it "help"). I must say that most of the time he does not even realize what he's doing. A strange relationship appears between them although I doubt that Vicky really appreciate what he does to her. I wonder if we will have the opportunity to see him in the future, but in any case it would be a pleasure. We also appreciate Kane more and more through each of the volumes. He likes a lot Vicky and despite what she thinks he always wants to protect her. Wherever she goes, he is ready to follow her when she thinks she is the only one who needs to support the weight of the world on her shoulders. He is even able to put his life at stake, if it means he can help her in her quest. It is quite sad to see what he wants from her, when it is so difficult for her to express what she has in her heart. We know she loves him just as much, but it's hard for her to admit it and even harder to tell him. We can also quickly meet the mother of Victory. After all the mentions through the first three volumes, I was really curious to see how she would be, and even if we do not see her a lot, I can’t wait to learn more.

This novel will take us into another world, showing us the subtleties of this universe. It was really interesting to have the opportunity to learn more. We meet some new mythical characters, new types of magic, new lifestyles. Our heroine's life will be turned upside down once again, and it announces more worries for the next volume. An enemy is rising, recovering his strength to make her fail, but Vicky has many friends who will be at her side. She manages to understand her destiny gradually even if she doesn’t understand all the details. This is a very good series of urban fantasy and I’m impatient for the release of Volume 5!
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Aug 05, 2012 Bamafever rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf, zombies, aug-2012

Victory Vaughn demon slayer is going to have to face her old nemesis. Pyrce has reared his ugly head and wants to restore his shadow demon and destroy the world. AGAIN! Kane is the face of werewolves and Victory's boyfriend. He will do anything to protect her and goes above and beyond once again to ensure she makes it out of the Darklands. We get to see Tina the teenage zombie but not very much in this book.

For anyone who doesn't like zombies you will still enjoy this book. The zombies in this...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This ended up getting more entertaining than I thought it would, so I pushed through to the end last night.

I would give this book 3.5 stars, I didn't think it was as entertaining or as interesting as the other books in the series. I am starting to get frustrated with Vicki, I feel like she paid the ultimate price when she didn't listen to her Aunt Mab as a teen, and should have learned from then on that her aunt knew what she was talking about. It really bugged me that Vicki totally disregarded...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Cameron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read

I’ve always enjoyed Holzner’s books, so it was no surprise to me that I would like this one as well. Filled with humor, suspense, mythology, memorable characters, and just a touch of danger, this book will keep you reading well past the time you should be in bed.

One of the things that first drew me to Holzner’s writing was her use of Welsh mythology and demon lore throughout her books, and this book is no exception. This one deals with a few of my...more Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read

I’ve always enjoyed Holzner’s books, so it was no surprise to me that I would like this one as well. Filled with humor, suspense, mythology, memorable characters, and just a touch of danger, this book will keep you reading well past the time you should be in bed.

One of the things that first drew me to Holzner’s writing was her use of Welsh mythology and demon lore throughout her books, and this book is no exception. This one deals with a few of my favorites, though Holzner, as always, puts a spin on them which I found to be rather fascinating. I won’t go into any details, because I don’t want to spoil things, but let me simply say that by the time I was done reading this book, I wanted to pull out my human’s book on Welsh myths and give it another read through just for the fun of it. =~.^=

Another plus that this book had going for it was the humor. The scene in which Vicky interacts with a guilt demon had me smirking the whole time. Add in Vicky’s occasional one-liner jokes, and Tina’s crazy personality, and I found myself enjoying the humor in this book more than in previous ones. At the very least I understood the jokes better. I mean who doesn’t wish that there was a listing for kidnappers in the yellow pages sometimes?

Holzner’s characters have all undergone some serious changes and growth as the series has progressed, and it was nice to see that they continued to grow in this one as well. Particularly Vicky. For the last three books she’s been on the fence about her relationship with Kane, and in this book, she is forced to confront the issue head on. She’s still just as strong as she’s always been, and just as stubborn, but now we also get to see her deal with jealousy and insecurity regarding her feelings towards Kane. Kane himself as gone through the biggest change for me. I didn’t really like him when I first started the series, but after the events of the previous book and this one, my respect for him has shot through the roof! Tina’s another character that has been hit or miss with me throughout the series, but who’s managed to gain some of my respect. She really wants to prove herself to Vicky, and though I feel like she’s still a bit of a pain sometimes, I found myself wanting her to succeed in convincing Vicky to take her back as her apprentice. Now I could go on about my thoughts regarding each of the characters in the book, but I’ll simply sum things up by saying that I love each and every one of them, even the villain.

This book is a fun read. It’s fast paced, filled with action, and leaves you anxious to get your paws on the next book in the series. The ending isn’t exactly a cliffhanger, but there are definitely things left unfinished and Vicky’s going to be faced with some hard decisions soon. I can’t wait for the fifth book to come out!(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Darklands is the fourth book in the Deadtown series by Nancy Holzner and an ACE Fantasy.

Blurb:

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border--but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...

Boston's demons have been disappearing, and Vicky's clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron fr...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Shandy Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy, zombie, reviews-2012

Have you ever had a book you get and can't wait to read? I mean you open the mail and start reading immediately. Well this was one of those. As soon as I opened the package and saw what it was, I started reading.
Victory Vaughn is a demon slayer who's running out of demons to slay, and someones trying to kill her. To add insult to injury someone keeps beating her to the punch. When they cross pathes in a clients dreamscape she learns her "cousin" Pryce is back and stealing her jobs to farther his...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Michelle Leah Olson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literal-addiction-books, pub-arc, reviewed

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer, Kathy M:

I’ve enjoyed Nancy Holzner’s Deadtown series and her latest offering was no exception. Darklands is fast paced, action packed and laced with humor, thanks in large part to the introduction of a demon named Butterfly.

Vicky, the heroine, is Boston’s only demon exterminator and she’s really good at her job. But when it comes to dealing with her feelings of guilt regarding her father’s death, or her uncertainty of her relationship with her...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Wendy O'connell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book I’ve read in Nancy Holzner’s Deadtown Novel Series books and let me say, it just keeps getting better. For me, it starts with Holzner’s brilliant characterization and unfolds from there. Victory Vaughn isn’t exactly human in the sense she’s a shapeshifter, but she is human in every other way – in the ways that count. I would follow her through ten more books. She’s that good of a character. She’s not just a little hookish with a bit of voice. Victory is the whole package....more This is the second book I’ve read in Nancy Holzner’s Deadtown Novel Series books and let me say, it just keeps getting better. For me, it starts with Holzner’s brilliant characterization and unfolds from there. Victory Vaughn isn’t exactly human in the sense she’s a shapeshifter, but she is human in every other way – in the ways that count. I would follow her through ten more books. She’s that good of a character. She’s not just a little hookish with a bit of voice. Victory is the whole package. Let me give you one of her dimensions - her soft side. This is Victory thinking backing on her dad. This is also, a chick that wields a heavy sword with ease.
“Memories rushed back. When I was a little girl, jolted awake by a nightmare, and my father’s arms felt like a fortress against the terrors of the night.”
This is Victory can taking care of herself, as in this graph. She doesn’t even have to shapeshift into a ferocious beast to do so.
“I checked the weapons I already wore – knives in thigh and ankle sheathes, pistol in a shoulder holster, another at my hip. All set. Good to be prepared, but I didn’t expect to use any weapons here.”
In other words, she can fight. She can feel, but that last part can sometimes flaw her, which often makes for a more interesting story. In this particular one, it brought in a delightful new character known as Butterfly. This character makes me rethink my own flaws such as should I really eat that fat, piece of cake? You’ll have to read and find out who Butterfly is in the book. The rest of Victory’s supporting cast did a great job, but the one that stood out the most to me was Kane. I like nice guys, and for a werewolf Kane is a great example of one. Let me give you one and then I’ll close the door on quotes.
“I’ve fought by your side before, and I’m always ready to do it again. Always. Don’t go alone – wait until I can be with you….”
There’s more to this, but I’m afraid of giving too much away. Mostly, Kane is willing to be with Victory anywhere and he allows her to be who she is without trying to make her into something she is not, or own her. Like I said, he is a nice guy in every sense of the word.
Now, a word on the plot of this book which was put together like a master craftsman. I believe Holzner must carefully plan her books out like a professor does a college classroom using a syllabus. It would impossible not to do so. Her ideas are anything but simple, but how she unfolds them to the reader make it easy to understand. The background research involving things like Arthurian Legends, and Welsh Mythology had to be enormous on top of the writing itself. The hard work and dedication has paid off in this series, and I for one plan to pass it around. I highly recommend, not just Darklands but Bloodstone, the book before it. I would also recommend reading it slow. This is not easy with good books.
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Sep 09, 2012 Tonya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-urban, paranormal-weres-vamps-fae-etc, zombies, deadtown-novel

Victory Vaughn is back in this installment of the Deadtown novels and she's a very busy woman even though all her clients are canceling appointments saying their personal demons are gone and they're sleeping like babies.

I found this book to be very busy, almost to the point of overload. Vicky is worried Kane might be snatched away by another werewolf and being attacked by harpies, Juliet is under house arrest and Vicky's niece is going through pre-shapeshifter anxiety. This is all just in the fi...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher-author

I gave it 3.5 stars

First thought when picking up the book was how much I dislike the cover, I really don't picture Vicky looking like that and it throws me off. If i didnt already like the series I probably wouldnt pick up DARKLANDS for the cover alone.

Unfortunately for Vicky (well and the world really) Pryce is back and already up to no good. It doesnt take Vicky long to come up with a game plan to once again get rid of him no matter what she has to sacrifice to do it. DARKLANDS brought out a l...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

3.5 stars

Darklands refer the place where departed souls (or shades) stay temporarily. The Darklands are home to three magical cauldrons: the rebirth, the renegeration, and transformation. When shades' time at The Darklands is up, they will get 'pulled' by one of the cauldrons and they either return to the Ordinary world (rebirth), renews their soul to dwell permanently in the Darklands (renegeration), or changes them into another (transformation). When Pryce plans to release demons into The Dark...more 3.5 stars

Darklands refer the place where departed souls (or shades) stay temporarily. The Darklands are home to three magical cauldrons: the rebirth, the renegeration, and transformation. When shades' time at The Darklands is up, they will get 'pulled' by one of the cauldrons and they either return to the Ordinary world (rebirth), renews their soul to dwell permanently in the Darklands (renegeration), or changes them into another (transformation). When Pryce plans to release demons into The Darklands in order to get a new shadow-demon, using cauldron of transformation, it's up to Vicky to try to stop his evil plan.

On one hand, the details of the Darklands, where the action happens almost half of the book are truly fascinating. I love the myth of the cauldrons and how the shades are wearing cloaks with different colors that show their status -- black means their time is up, by the way. I love the creatures there, like Rhudda Gawr - The Red Giant who owns an arrow that never misses its target, Lord Arawn -- the ruler of the Darklands, or the Keepers. I love Vicky's adventure there ...

On the other hand, Nancy Holzner writes a plot that I come to strongly dislike when it comes to urban fantasy with female protagonist. That the heroine feels the need to do everything alone -- either because she feels it's her responsibility, her destiny, her baggage, her burden, her mistake, her guilt, etc -- and refuses to ask help or listen to advices for her friends and loved ones, which in the end only brings a more catastrophic result. It's just so fricking annoying. I'm not saying that I'm being sexist, that because of it's "female", I want the heroine to ask for help. I will say the same for male protagonists as well. Unfortunately, I find this type of plot happens more on the urban fantasy series I read featuring female protagonist. Male protagonists, on the other hand, often have side-kicks or friends who help them.

In this book, that plot makes me resent Vicky very much, especially regarding Kane, her werewolf lover. Kane has done so much by her; he travels to Wales to tell Vicky how important she if for him, he fights Myrddin, he attacks The Destroyer, and in this book he offers servitude for a year and a day to Mallt-y-Nos or The Night Hag in order to bring Vicky back home from The Darklands. All he wants is for Vicky to share that night where he turns into werewolf during three full-moon nights at Princeton and to acknowledge that they fight better together. But noooo, Vicky thinks that killing Pryce is her own responsibility and she doesn't need Kane's help for that. Well, sorry, it makes me very, VERY annoyed with her. It even comes to the point where I think Kane is better off without her.

Sure, Vicky does accept help when she is in The Darklands from (view spoiler) but (view spoiler). She denies Mab's advices to focus on how to stop Pryce in this world rather than The Darklands, and Mab is her aunt that has been done a lot by her when it comes to magic. It's frustrates the hell out of me.

I will still continue with the next book, of course. I just hope that Vicky gets her sh*t together, especially with Kane now being in debt to serves Mallt-y-Nos ...(less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: deadtown-series, urban-fantasy

My Rating:4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend(A-)
Full review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/08/revi...

After the previous two Deadtown series books opened with our heroine Vicky working at her job as a demon slayer, it was a completely fun change of pace to witness Vicky participating in the zombie high school career event. Vicky is there to help her one-time apprentice, Tina, although she’d rather be out fighting evil. Things seem to go as planned until a vicious Harpy demon attempts to kill V...more My Rating:4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Full review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/08/revi...

After the previous two Deadtown series books opened with our heroine Vicky working at her job as a demon slayer, it was a completely fun change of pace to witness Vicky participating in the zombie high school career event. Vicky is there to help her one-time apprentice, Tina, although she’d rather be out fighting evil. Things seem to go as planned until a vicious Harpy demon attempts to kill Vicky, and she must demonstrate her job first hand to the zombie teens. Such is the life of Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer. Oh, AND she may also be the subject of an ancient prophecy, she has a demi-demon cousin out to kill her, she’s summoned an Eidolon demon who is literally gnawing away her insides because of her own guilt, she’s dating a high-profile werewolf, and now she has to deal with another woman trying to horn in on her wolf, er... man.

One thing that I enjoy immensely about the Deadtown series is watching Vicky grow as an individual from the start to finish of each book, and how she builds upon the progress from book to book. In this story we go further into Vicky's psyche via the Eidolon. Having Vicky infest herself with a demon was an interesting twist. While providing some comic relief, the primary purpose is to help Vicky work through all of the things she regrets/feels guilty about, etc.

Darklands continues the story of Vicky vs. Pryce. Vicky discovers that Pryce is attempting to recreate his shadow demon by smuggling captured demons into the Darklands - the “afterlife” plane where souls move on, wait to be reborn in a new life, or are regenerated and continue to stay in the Darklands. Once again, Vicky strikes out on her own, feeling the weight of saving the world rests solely on her shoulders. She makes a deal with the Mistress of the Hunt to enter the Darklands so she may begin her quest to defeat Pryce. Fortunately, Vicky finds help from her long-dead father, Evan. Together the two not only go on a danger-filled journey, but they take the time to clear the air and reconnect. Again, a superb balance of action and emotion.

Darklands is another solid and wonderful story from Ms. Holzner. Her stories are fierce and exciting, full of spirit and emotion. The stories feel familiar, but the mythology is unique. Ms. Holzner's world is engrossing and engaging. It's not easy, but she always finds a way to pull together all of the pieces of the story by the end of each book. In the end, Vicky must take a long hard look at what is in her heart and decide what is worth fighting for. I love it!(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Enjoyable but I'm getting tired of the story line, particularly with the "prophesies" that was only get vague references to but never actually learn what they are.

I liked the return of an older character in this but felt a bit like the reveal at the end surrounding this character was a bit like god-moding, it was too convenient.

Still, over all it was an engaging, competent, and predominantly consistent entry in the series.

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Aug 23, 2012 Stefanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-paranormal-fantasy

Excellent addition to the series. New details concerning Pryce and his continuous quest to rule. Also surprising info about Vicky's father. I really enjoyed the pace of this book and the look it gave into other planes of existence in Vicky's world. The Darklands were a very interesting. Can't wait for the next one. Hoping there will be more instances where Vicky has to help her niece Maria adjust to being a shifter.

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Nov 20, 2012 L-D rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shifters-weres, demons, pnr, series, paranormal-abilities-superpowers, armageddon-apocalypse-dystopia, urban-fantasy, vampires, zombies

I liked this book of the Deadtown series. Victory Vaughn's demon ass-kicking business is not doing so well. For some reason, the demons have disappeared from the humans' dream landscapes, leaving no one for Victory to banish. When she goes into a client's dreamscape, she finds the reason - Pryce is back and he's collecting up demons. The question is why? I have to say that Kane, Vicky's furry boyfriend, has really, really been growing on me. In the first book, since their relationship was so cas...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Emily Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fiction

Victory's latest adventure is even more intense than her previous ones, and this time finds her on the borderlands between life and death--and she's not the only one at risk. There were a lot of things I wasn't expecting in this book, and it kept me interested and reading. Looking forward to the next one.

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Sep 15, 2012 Mindi Ridgeway rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

After 4 books i've gotten to that point where i feel close to our heroine. We're friends, good friends even. I understand what makes her tick, but it doesn't keep me from wanting to punch her in the throat for being a stubborn bitch! Maybe we're too much alike? Except for the demon killing part....

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Aug 24, 2012 Vicki rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best in the series, most certainly better then the last book which I felt was a bit slow. I enjoyed Nancy Holzner's vision of the 'darklands' and the world she built within the world she had already established.I rarely get time to sit an read for long periods but still managed to read this in a matter of days.

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Aug 25, 2012 Dr susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

This series does not hold my interest and thrill me like many other urban fantasies do. I read each book to give it another chance and find myself skimming through to finish.

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Aug 04, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

With solid pacing, fabulous character growth, and an intriguing plotline, DARKLANDS continues the tradition it started as a fantastic urban fantasy series.

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Aug 17, 2012 B.E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Typically awesome story by Nancy. I loved the twist at the end. Totally didn't see that coming. What I didn't love, though, was Kane. He's beginning to get on my nerves. I hope the next book resolves his issues so Vicky can be happy with him, or brings the whole thing to a head, so she can be happy without him.

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Oct 25, 2012 Amanda [Novel Addiction] rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, magic, mythology, series, sci-fi, shifters

Look for my review of DARKLANDS on Romance Reviews Today in November 2012.

But to put it shortly - AHH, I need the next book!

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Aug 06, 2012 Delia rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Kick ass heroine and some really crazy demons this book is a lot of fun to read!

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Darklands (Deadtown #4)

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