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The Bloodhound Files #5
Back from the Undead
Another work day, another case for the Bloodhound Files. But this time, Jace is truly stumped: How is she, a mere human, supposed to penetrate the dark heart of a child-trafficking ring of pire orphans—one that turns out to be part of a blood-farm operation, in the crime-ridden border city of Vancouver, British Columbia?
Jace is in over her head. But with the help of her former lover, Tanaka—whose family is one of the last samurai clans left in Japan—she stands a chance at seeking justice for the condemned children... Until the Yakuza tries to put an end to Jace's investigation. Jace risks more than death—this time, it's the fate of her very soul that's in danger . . .
Jace is in over her head. But with the help of her former lover, Tanaka—whose family is one of the last samurai clans left in Japan—she stands a chance at seeking justice for the condemned children... Until the Yakuza tries to put an end to Jace's investigation. Jace risks more than death—this time, it's the fate of her very soul that's in danger . . .
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2012
22 people are currently reading
1378 people want to read
About the author
D.D. Barant
22 books472 followersPseudonyms: Don DeBrandt & Donn Cortez & Dixie Lyle
DD Barant lives in Vancouver, BC, and loves monsters, chocolate, animals, reading, comics and lying naked on the beach, while hating bullies, narrow-minded people, Sea Urchin Sushi and gluten. He has stated that DD Barant is a pseudonym, and that it is not the only pseudonym under which he writes.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ddbarant
http://ddbarant.com
DD Barant lives in Vancouver, BC, and loves monsters, chocolate, animals, reading, comics and lying naked on the beach, while hating bullies, narrow-minded people, Sea Urchin Sushi and gluten. He has stated that DD Barant is a pseudonym, and that it is not the only pseudonym under which he writes.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ddbarant
http://ddbarant.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 21, 2012
CAUTION: Long Review
With over 90,000 words, Back From The Undead was one of the best books in the Bloodhound Files series. As usual, BFTU had the series' signature twists and turns that sometime become too complex to comprehend. Fortunately, the twists and turns in this novel did not lose me. BFTU had one of the more linear plots in the series, something I was glad to get in this series.
Bonus to boot was BFTU's moderate amount of angst, compared to book 4 Better Off Undead which was angst heavy, and BFTU's high amount of humor, compared to the rest of the series. BFTU was truly a delight to read. I chuckled many times and it wasn't just because of the witty dialogue but also of the WTF scenes themselves. WTF-good, not WTF-bad.
We last left off from book 4 with Cassius confessing his love for Jace. Jace is insecure about the matter, and not necessarily because Cassius is her boss, or the fact that she yet refer to him by his first name David, or that she's a human and he's a vampire. It is mostly because her last three lovers betrayed her. What trust issues?
Anyway, there were a short scene between the two lovers but it was quickly interrupted by their job. Cassius disappeared on a case that took him away from Jace, and soon Jace was on a case herself. I felt their separation was a detriment to the story. Things didn't look good...
When it rains it pours
A direct line from the book, FYI.
Jace always get the most complicated case, an observation that was flat out acknowledged by her co-workers much to their headache. In BFTU, Jace gets the following problems:
1) Aristotle Stoker has asked Jace for her help. Aristotle Stoker is the villain Jace must capture/kill so she return to her home dimension. He is the villain who have eluded Jace for the last four books of the series. He is the villain the vampires and the lycanthropes fear like the bogeyman and Jack the Ripper and Hitler combined.
Is this a trap? 99.9% likely.
2) Stoker asked Jace to help him break up a human-trafficking ring... Except it's not humans being trafficked, it's vampires. It's not just vampires, it's vampire children. It's not just vampire children, it's vampire orphans who were cruelly abandoned by their parents in a world where vampire reproduction (the pregnant kind, not the bite-to-infect kind) is highly valued because not every pregnancy is successful and there's a magical price on the parents.
WTF? It's hard to believe since Stoker is a villain. Villains don't help people. It's impossible to believe because Stoker is a human supremacist/terrorist who thinks all the supernatural races should take a dirt bed.
Obviously, there's more to this trafficking ring than what he is saying. Honesty and villainy doesn't go hand in hand, especially in a sociopath like Stoker. Though if what Stoker says is true, Jace will need to stop the trafficking ring and capture Stoker.
3) Stoker asked Jace to come to Vancouver, Canada where the trafficking ring is located. In our dimension, America see Canada as "Our Great Neighbors to the North" where border security is laxed. In the other dimension, America see Canada as "Our Corrupt Neighbors to the North" where border security is stricter than the Korean DMZ of our world. Basically, Canada and Mexico switched stereotypes in Thropirelem (what Jace calls the alternate Earth). In Thropirelem, Vancouver is "the homicide capital of the world."
Jace will need to stop the trafficking ring and capture Stoker while avoiding the ubiquitous criminal.
4) Beside Stoker, Isamu is back too. He's the Yazuka lord of a vampire who promised to kill Jace in book 2. Looks like he might pull through on that promise... And somehow, he magically banned Jace from Heaven so she can never go there when she die.
As if Jace's life wasn't already in jeopardy, now her afterlife is too. Oh what joy. x_x
5) But hey. Why stop at two uber villains? How about throwing an ex who betrayed Jace and left her to die in book 2?
To be fair, Tanaka only did it because of the greater good. He ended up feeling so guilty that he swore to protect Jace by killing Isamu. However, Tanaka might need to aim at others to protect Jace because Isamu is small fry compared to the others...
6) There is a godlike character named Dagon in BFTU. Think Godzilla.
7) Let's also throw in one bored kitsune and two meddling deities for the heck of it.
This is not your usual trafficking ring case.
Raining Cats and Dogs
Meanwhile Jace is running out of gunpowder. She can make more if the global anti-gun spell wasn't such a bitch to deal with. Not only that, the spell started to affect Jace. The good news is that she get less nausea from being a dimensional displaced entity. The bad news is that her big advantage — her ability to splatter other supernaturals with her gun — is going away, leaving her largely defenseless.
The World-Building
I was happy at how the series went back to Oriental mythology for its world-building. At present, most Urban Fantasies relegate themselves to Western mythology. I love my angels and demons, my vampires and werewolves, but it can get stale sometime. Thus, I greatly appreciated it when BFTU incorporated kami, oni, and Yomi into its world.
Yomi, the Shinto hell, was one of my many favorite parts in BFTU.
A Few Gripes, Some Mehs, and Many Spoilers
The cover-art didn't make much sense. Jace did visit a graveyard, but it was at 3 am not sunset. She did get attacked by lycanthropes but it was in the forest.
As said before, there was little of Cassius in BFTU. He didn't showed up again till the end, barring Jace's dreams. When Cassius did, the ending was a cliffhanger.
I was sad when because the story successfully redeemed the character. I wish things could have gone differently.
Another thing that could have gone differently was how the trafficking ring case was resolved. It was realistic the way things ended, but I thought it could have been happier, even at the risk of making the ending sickeningly sweet.
If readers love Jace's co-workers, they will be disappointed in BFTU. There were very few scenes of Gretchen. Charlie, along with Eisfanger, was with Jace on her case but Charlie didn't play a big role compared to the other books because Stoker took some of that spotlight. Surprisingly, I wasn't bothered by these changes.
Speaking of the devil, it was weird watching Stoker and Jace working together rather amicably. On one hand, I wanted to scream at Jace to shoot the guy already before he ran away again. On the other, I appreciated how they didn't antagonize one another, resulting in a low amount of angst. Angst wasn't something I wanted to get again after book 4.
Too bad Stoker was the series' villain, because he worked well with Jace. My biggest gripe about him was that I thought he needed more character development to make his change in BFTU believable.
And just when I thought things were going right.
In Conclusion
Truthfully, BFTU was a 3.5. Many things did work for me, including the weird partnership between Stoker and Jace, the series' villain and heroine respectively. However, I wish the ending was more different. I wish the ending was a happier, more conclusive one. I really wish the ending wasn't a cliffhanger.
The reason why I rounded up my rating was because Jace shined greatly as an FBI profiler, an element that hasn't shown consistently in a big way throughout the series. Her profiling skill largely compensated the declining advantage of her gun in BFTU. Watching Jace out-scheming the other characters was a joy, especially at climax against Isamu. That and the unexpected high amount of humor the novel delivered is why I rate BFTU 4 stars for I really liked it.
With over 90,000 words, Back From The Undead was one of the best books in the Bloodhound Files series. As usual, BFTU had the series' signature twists and turns that sometime become too complex to comprehend. Fortunately, the twists and turns in this novel did not lose me. BFTU had one of the more linear plots in the series, something I was glad to get in this series.
Bonus to boot was BFTU's moderate amount of angst, compared to book 4 Better Off Undead which was angst heavy, and BFTU's high amount of humor, compared to the rest of the series. BFTU was truly a delight to read. I chuckled many times and it wasn't just because of the witty dialogue but also of the WTF scenes themselves. WTF-good, not WTF-bad.
We last left off from book 4 with Cassius confessing his love for Jace. Jace is insecure about the matter, and not necessarily because Cassius is her boss, or the fact that she yet refer to him by his first name David, or that she's a human and he's a vampire. It is mostly because her last three lovers betrayed her. What trust issues?
Anyway, there were a short scene between the two lovers but it was quickly interrupted by their job. Cassius disappeared on a case that took him away from Jace, and soon Jace was on a case herself. I felt their separation was a detriment to the story. Things didn't look good...
When it rains it pours
A direct line from the book, FYI.
Jace always get the most complicated case, an observation that was flat out acknowledged by her co-workers much to their headache. In BFTU, Jace gets the following problems:
1) Aristotle Stoker has asked Jace for her help. Aristotle Stoker is the villain Jace must capture/kill so she return to her home dimension. He is the villain who have eluded Jace for the last four books of the series. He is the villain the vampires and the lycanthropes fear like the bogeyman and Jack the Ripper and Hitler combined.
Is this a trap? 99.9% likely.
2) Stoker asked Jace to help him break up a human-trafficking ring... Except it's not humans being trafficked, it's vampires. It's not just vampires, it's vampire children. It's not just vampire children, it's vampire orphans who were cruelly abandoned by their parents in a world where vampire reproduction (the pregnant kind, not the bite-to-infect kind) is highly valued because not every pregnancy is successful and there's a magical price on the parents.
WTF? It's hard to believe since Stoker is a villain. Villains don't help people. It's impossible to believe because Stoker is a human supremacist/terrorist who thinks all the supernatural races should take a dirt bed.
Obviously, there's more to this trafficking ring than what he is saying. Honesty and villainy doesn't go hand in hand, especially in a sociopath like Stoker. Though if what Stoker says is true, Jace will need to stop the trafficking ring and capture Stoker.
3) Stoker asked Jace to come to Vancouver, Canada where the trafficking ring is located. In our dimension, America see Canada as "Our Great Neighbors to the North" where border security is laxed. In the other dimension, America see Canada as "Our Corrupt Neighbors to the North" where border security is stricter than the Korean DMZ of our world. Basically, Canada and Mexico switched stereotypes in Thropirelem (what Jace calls the alternate Earth). In Thropirelem, Vancouver is "the homicide capital of the world."
Jace will need to stop the trafficking ring and capture Stoker while avoiding the ubiquitous criminal.
4) Beside Stoker, Isamu is back too. He's the Yazuka lord of a vampire who promised to kill Jace in book 2. Looks like he might pull through on that promise... And somehow, he magically banned Jace from Heaven so she can never go there when she die.
As if Jace's life wasn't already in jeopardy, now her afterlife is too. Oh what joy. x_x
5) But hey. Why stop at two uber villains? How about throwing an ex who betrayed Jace and left her to die in book 2?
To be fair, Tanaka only did it because of the greater good. He ended up feeling so guilty that he swore to protect Jace by killing Isamu. However, Tanaka might need to aim at others to protect Jace because Isamu is small fry compared to the others...
6) There is a godlike character named Dagon in BFTU. Think Godzilla.
7) Let's also throw in one bored kitsune and two meddling deities for the heck of it.
This is not your usual trafficking ring case.
Raining Cats and Dogs
Meanwhile Jace is running out of gunpowder. She can make more if the global anti-gun spell wasn't such a bitch to deal with. Not only that, the spell started to affect Jace. The good news is that she get less nausea from being a dimensional displaced entity. The bad news is that her big advantage — her ability to splatter other supernaturals with her gun — is going away, leaving her largely defenseless.
The World-Building
I was happy at how the series went back to Oriental mythology for its world-building. At present, most Urban Fantasies relegate themselves to Western mythology. I love my angels and demons, my vampires and werewolves, but it can get stale sometime. Thus, I greatly appreciated it when BFTU incorporated kami, oni, and Yomi into its world.
Yomi, the Shinto hell, was one of my many favorite parts in BFTU.
A Christian Hell, for example, would be full of fire and torment, populated by leering, sadistic demons. Not a nice place to visit—or to have angry at you.Jace didn't just visit "the homicide capital of the world [filled with vampires, lycanthropes, and golems]," she also visit Hell.
The Asian Hell, by contrast, is simply boring.
Now, that’s a very Eastern approach, and no doubt a room full of philosophers could spend an eternity arguing about which fate was worse: everlasting agony or never-ending dullness (or possibly being locked in a room full of arguing philosophers).
A Few Gripes, Some Mehs, and Many Spoilers
The cover-art didn't make much sense. Jace did visit a graveyard, but it was at 3 am not sunset. She did get attacked by lycanthropes but it was in the forest.
As said before, there was little of Cassius in BFTU. He didn't showed up again till the end, barring Jace's dreams. When Cassius did, the ending was a cliffhanger.
I was sad when because the story successfully redeemed the character. I wish things could have gone differently.
Another thing that could have gone differently was how the trafficking ring case was resolved. It was realistic the way things ended, but I thought it could have been happier, even at the risk of making the ending sickeningly sweet.
If readers love Jace's co-workers, they will be disappointed in BFTU. There were very few scenes of Gretchen. Charlie, along with Eisfanger, was with Jace on her case but Charlie didn't play a big role compared to the other books because Stoker took some of that spotlight. Surprisingly, I wasn't bothered by these changes.
Speaking of the devil, it was weird watching Stoker and Jace working together rather amicably. On one hand, I wanted to scream at Jace to shoot the guy already before he ran away again. On the other, I appreciated how they didn't antagonize one another, resulting in a low amount of angst. Angst wasn't something I wanted to get again after book 4.
Too bad Stoker was the series' villain, because he worked well with Jace. My biggest gripe about him was that I thought he needed more character development to make his change in BFTU believable.
And just when I thought things were going right.
In Conclusion
Truthfully, BFTU was a 3.5. Many things did work for me, including the weird partnership between Stoker and Jace, the series' villain and heroine respectively. However, I wish the ending was more different. I wish the ending was a happier, more conclusive one. I really wish the ending wasn't a cliffhanger.
The reason why I rounded up my rating was because Jace shined greatly as an FBI profiler, an element that hasn't shown consistently in a big way throughout the series. Her profiling skill largely compensated the declining advantage of her gun in BFTU. Watching Jace out-scheming the other characters was a joy, especially at climax against Isamu. That and the unexpected high amount of humor the novel delivered is why I rate BFTU 4 stars for I really liked it.
April 11, 2012
Oh my beloved D.D., your "Bloodhound Files" just keep getting better and better and better... I found myself laughing so much through this book. Thank You! Our beloved Jace has finally connected sexually with David Cassius, and it rocks her world and his. But a message from the man she was brought to this universe to apprehend has her traveling with her bodyguard, Golem Chalie Aleph and NSA's resident shaman and WereBear Damon Eisfanger to Canada, which on this parallel Earth, is a nation hard to enter and lethal to try and leave. While the most wanted man on this planet juggles clues to get Jace and her team to cause situations to end the way he wants, Jace is getting deeper in the workings of magical deities. Many unexpected circumstances help Jace and many hinder, and through it all are the erotic but jumbled dreams she is having of her and David. Jace's hunt will soon come to an end, or will it? What will the outcome show her when the dreams of David lead her to the fact that he is missing?
I just HAVE to list some funny quotes from the book:
"I sigh and take another look around. Nothing but gentle smiling faces looking back. Damn, I was really hoping there'd be more Scotch. And male strippers. And houses made out of chocolate, filled with male strippers who would bring me Scotch."
And the "NOT INTERESTED" line of all times:
"Not interested. Not now. Not ever. Not if we both become vampires and go to the moon and the Earth blows up and we're stuck in a little moon dome for the next thousand years. Not with a gallon jug of tequila. Not if you have your brain swapped with a twenty-year-old clone of Elvis Presley. Are we clear?"
I just HAVE to list some funny quotes from the book:
"I sigh and take another look around. Nothing but gentle smiling faces looking back. Damn, I was really hoping there'd be more Scotch. And male strippers. And houses made out of chocolate, filled with male strippers who would bring me Scotch."
And the "NOT INTERESTED" line of all times:
"Not interested. Not now. Not ever. Not if we both become vampires and go to the moon and the Earth blows up and we're stuck in a little moon dome for the next thousand years. Not with a gallon jug of tequila. Not if you have your brain swapped with a twenty-year-old clone of Elvis Presley. Are we clear?"
March 30, 2018
Jace's story continues and it's full of action, twists and turns and a sense of humor that I really enjoy.
Jace has gotten used to the dimension she'd been dragged into a while ago and has learned to work with and around the differences between this world and her own. In the course of this book she has a lot to deal with and a few loose ends from previous books are even tied up, but quite a few remain loose, with the addition of a cliffhanger ending.
I look forward to the last book in the series, Undead to the World, but I'm also a bit wary of it, since I know that some people found the ending less than satisfying.
According to a comment by the author, her story isn't exactly over but will continue in a different form - that of a webcomic. That might be interesting to see when it's done and I'll make sure to check it out when it's finally out.
Previous Book Reviews:
✦ Killing Rocks (The Bloodhound Files, #3)
✦ Better Off Undead (The Bloodhound Files, #4)
Jace has gotten used to the dimension she'd been dragged into a while ago and has learned to work with and around the differences between this world and her own. In the course of this book she has a lot to deal with and a few loose ends from previous books are even tied up, but quite a few remain loose, with the addition of a cliffhanger ending.
I look forward to the last book in the series, Undead to the World, but I'm also a bit wary of it, since I know that some people found the ending less than satisfying.
According to a comment by the author, her story isn't exactly over but will continue in a different form - that of a webcomic. That might be interesting to see when it's done and I'll make sure to check it out when it's finally out.
Previous Book Reviews:
✦ Killing Rocks (The Bloodhound Files, #3)
✦ Better Off Undead (The Bloodhound Files, #4)
July 5, 2019
Totally unsatisfying ending !
November 13, 2016
When Stoker, an old adversary of Jace's, contacts the NSA seeking help to break up a child trafficking ring, Jace isn't sure she should leap to the bait. If there's any chance that this could be true, Jace knows she has to try. Stopping child trafficking will see Jace cross the border where her badge doesn't hold as much power she's used to and if that were not enough, she's running out of ammunition for her gun, not that a gun will necessarily help her against the ancient God whose attention she seems to have unwittingly garnered. Just like everything else since Jace has entered Thropirelem, everything is SNAFU.
The hook for this story is supposedly a child trafficking ring; however, D.D. Barant quickly changes the focus and the child trafficking actually becomes an almost insignificant plot point. As a reader, it felt a little bit like a bait and switch situation for me, particularly given that the plot we were given is so very convoluted that at times it was hard to follow. Also, if you're going to bring up something as serious as child trafficking, you really need to follow through.
Thropirelem is an alternate universe in which vampires, Golems, and shifters exist in greater numbers than humans and have in fact take over the earth. This is not a book one should read if you have not already read the preceding four books. As it is, even with awareness of the backstory, Back from the Undead is hard to follow at times. D.D. Barant spends a lot of time on Shintoism in this book and introduces its concept of heaven and hell, as well as various deities. I will admit upfront that other than the kitsune, I know virtually nothing about Shintoism and therefore, I am no place to judge how Barant treated the belief system.
Having a large focus of Back from the Undead be Shintoism, naturally led to the inclusion of characters of colour, including the return of Tanaka. Unfortunately, the characters of colour were all evil in some way with the exception of Tanaka. This is a problem given that this series hasn't been particularly inclusive in terms of race. We did learn about Tanaka's back story and it turns out that he's a samurai who now feels that he owes Jace a debt because he betrayed her. Unfortunately, paying back this debt means sacrificing himself for Jace. If you're keeping score, this means that all of the Asians are evil and the only one who isn't dies. This isn't great.
As aforementioned, the number of characters of colour absolutely increased in this book however the only time racism is invoked is in reference to lems which are supernatural creatures who don't exist. Lem's are coded by the different kind of material used to give them a life force. A black enforcement Lem for instance is powered by dinosaur DNA.
You’re not even an enforcement lem—what, the police department couldn’t afford the real thing?”
“Budget cutbacks,” the pire says.
“Hey, that’s racist,” the lem says, sounding wounded. “The color of my skin doesn’t define what I can do—”
“You’re animated by the life force of a cow,” the pire says. “Not even a bull. A dairy cow.” (pg 160)
As aforementioned, Thropirelem is an alternate universe which for me took some of the joy out of a great majority of the story being set in Vancouver. It's not often that urban fantasy books are set in Canada, and so I always get excited but in this case, Vancouver is unrecognizable. In this world, the Canadian police are corrupt, Vancouver is a haven for drugs and gangs and so dangerous that the Americans have built a wall to keep Canadians out. I will say however that I loved Jace's interactions with the customs officials. Who hasn't wanted to pull the rug out from under a power hungry bureaucrat?
Read More
The hook for this story is supposedly a child trafficking ring; however, D.D. Barant quickly changes the focus and the child trafficking actually becomes an almost insignificant plot point. As a reader, it felt a little bit like a bait and switch situation for me, particularly given that the plot we were given is so very convoluted that at times it was hard to follow. Also, if you're going to bring up something as serious as child trafficking, you really need to follow through.
Thropirelem is an alternate universe in which vampires, Golems, and shifters exist in greater numbers than humans and have in fact take over the earth. This is not a book one should read if you have not already read the preceding four books. As it is, even with awareness of the backstory, Back from the Undead is hard to follow at times. D.D. Barant spends a lot of time on Shintoism in this book and introduces its concept of heaven and hell, as well as various deities. I will admit upfront that other than the kitsune, I know virtually nothing about Shintoism and therefore, I am no place to judge how Barant treated the belief system.
Having a large focus of Back from the Undead be Shintoism, naturally led to the inclusion of characters of colour, including the return of Tanaka. Unfortunately, the characters of colour were all evil in some way with the exception of Tanaka. This is a problem given that this series hasn't been particularly inclusive in terms of race. We did learn about Tanaka's back story and it turns out that he's a samurai who now feels that he owes Jace a debt because he betrayed her. Unfortunately, paying back this debt means sacrificing himself for Jace. If you're keeping score, this means that all of the Asians are evil and the only one who isn't dies. This isn't great.
As aforementioned, the number of characters of colour absolutely increased in this book however the only time racism is invoked is in reference to lems which are supernatural creatures who don't exist. Lem's are coded by the different kind of material used to give them a life force. A black enforcement Lem for instance is powered by dinosaur DNA.
You’re not even an enforcement lem—what, the police department couldn’t afford the real thing?”
“Budget cutbacks,” the pire says.
“Hey, that’s racist,” the lem says, sounding wounded. “The color of my skin doesn’t define what I can do—”
“You’re animated by the life force of a cow,” the pire says. “Not even a bull. A dairy cow.” (pg 160)
As aforementioned, Thropirelem is an alternate universe which for me took some of the joy out of a great majority of the story being set in Vancouver. It's not often that urban fantasy books are set in Canada, and so I always get excited but in this case, Vancouver is unrecognizable. In this world, the Canadian police are corrupt, Vancouver is a haven for drugs and gangs and so dangerous that the Americans have built a wall to keep Canadians out. I will say however that I loved Jace's interactions with the customs officials. Who hasn't wanted to pull the rug out from under a power hungry bureaucrat?
Read More
April 7, 2012
Wow... Just wow. I can honestly say that this book blew me away. The fact that Mr. Barant can write a supernatural series while still maintaining a credible female lead and still have a twisty, edge of your seat mystery is absolutely astounding.
Book 5 of the Bloundhound Files starts rather innocently, with Jace doing the girly, agonizing over her new relationship with Cassius, while still trying to maintain her straightforward, no BS, cool chick image. She succeeds and, in an interesting twist (first in a long series of mind blowing twists), is contacted by who we can kinda call her semi arch nemesis, Stocker, in a strange bid for help. This pulls her over to Canada, which in Thropirelem (the alternate universe that Jace was originally pulled into that's mainly populated by werwolves and vampires and humans as a very small minority), is a cesspool of crime and corruption. There, he asks for her help in tracking down who is kidnapping pire children and finding out why.
Part of this amazing story is going along with Jace on this rollercoaster of a case so, like usual, I'm not going to summarize or spoil the story. What I can say is... I don't know how Mr. Barant does it. He created an alternate universe, filled it with the usual supernatural creatures and made it not only believable but credible. His world building is amazing and after reading this book, I'm still agog at the, for lack of a better term, vast world he's created. Not only that but the dialog... it makes me smile b/c it is *just*that*good*. Jace and Charlie are the best team I think I've ever read. They have the perfect partnership. They fit so well and their witty banter is sharp, sarcastic, and very, very funny.
And Jace is the perfect mix of sarcasm and wiley banter. I love how Mr. Barant has made her a kick ass, intelligent, and resourceful character while not imbibing her with unrealistic powers or abilities. She is perfectly believable as a strong woman, who jumps in feet first and can think fast on her feet. I'm amazed that Mr. Barant is Mr. Barant as he writes Jace perfectly and never falls into stereotypes.
What also amazes me is the complex and complicated "mystery" that Mr. Barant created. It's not just who is doing what, but the supernatural forces directing behind the scenes. And how Jace can navigate around actual gods and magical creatures vastly superior to her.
I am clearly a fan of Mr. Barant and this series is definitely one of my favorite. I anxiously await each and every new book and I've gotten to the point where I preorder them the instant they are available. I'm hoping that this series continues on for a long while mainly just to see the amazing and complex situations that Jace finds herself involved in.
Book 5 of the Bloundhound Files starts rather innocently, with Jace doing the girly, agonizing over her new relationship with Cassius, while still trying to maintain her straightforward, no BS, cool chick image. She succeeds and, in an interesting twist (first in a long series of mind blowing twists), is contacted by who we can kinda call her semi arch nemesis, Stocker, in a strange bid for help. This pulls her over to Canada, which in Thropirelem (the alternate universe that Jace was originally pulled into that's mainly populated by werwolves and vampires and humans as a very small minority), is a cesspool of crime and corruption. There, he asks for her help in tracking down who is kidnapping pire children and finding out why.
Part of this amazing story is going along with Jace on this rollercoaster of a case so, like usual, I'm not going to summarize or spoil the story. What I can say is... I don't know how Mr. Barant does it. He created an alternate universe, filled it with the usual supernatural creatures and made it not only believable but credible. His world building is amazing and after reading this book, I'm still agog at the, for lack of a better term, vast world he's created. Not only that but the dialog... it makes me smile b/c it is *just*that*good*. Jace and Charlie are the best team I think I've ever read. They have the perfect partnership. They fit so well and their witty banter is sharp, sarcastic, and very, very funny.
And Jace is the perfect mix of sarcasm and wiley banter. I love how Mr. Barant has made her a kick ass, intelligent, and resourceful character while not imbibing her with unrealistic powers or abilities. She is perfectly believable as a strong woman, who jumps in feet first and can think fast on her feet. I'm amazed that Mr. Barant is Mr. Barant as he writes Jace perfectly and never falls into stereotypes.
What also amazes me is the complex and complicated "mystery" that Mr. Barant created. It's not just who is doing what, but the supernatural forces directing behind the scenes. And how Jace can navigate around actual gods and magical creatures vastly superior to her.
I am clearly a fan of Mr. Barant and this series is definitely one of my favorite. I anxiously await each and every new book and I've gotten to the point where I preorder them the instant they are available. I'm hoping that this series continues on for a long while mainly just to see the amazing and complex situations that Jace finds herself involved in.
April 3, 2012
There was definitely something different in this book; something that differentiated it from the others in the series. I don't know what it was, but it made the book go by a little slower. I think it might have been the absence of our favorite pires- David Cassius and Gretchen.
The plot was still engaging and the characters intriguing, but Cassius and Gretchen add something to the mix that makes it a page turner. I loved how this novel was dealing with the problem of missing pire children though and Stroker's arrival in the novel made it kick-butt. I loved seeing him for the person he is instead of the monster the monsters fear. I cannot wait to see where this is going to go in the next one. I also liked the addition of two more Greater Gods. I found the comic book feel of the novel wavered a little, but overall it was still respectably present.
Barant kept me reading till the last page and I cannot wait to see what is coming next, especially with the odd teaser chapter at the end. :)
The plot was still engaging and the characters intriguing, but Cassius and Gretchen add something to the mix that makes it a page turner. I loved how this novel was dealing with the problem of missing pire children though and Stroker's arrival in the novel made it kick-butt. I loved seeing him for the person he is instead of the monster the monsters fear. I cannot wait to see where this is going to go in the next one. I also liked the addition of two more Greater Gods. I found the comic book feel of the novel wavered a little, but overall it was still respectably present.
Barant kept me reading till the last page and I cannot wait to see what is coming next, especially with the odd teaser chapter at the end. :)
April 23, 2012
This book, grrr I don't know. I love this series but this one hit a snag for me. :( I was 23% into the book and I lost interest. Which was really bizzarre. I guess it's because Cassius is MIA? Eh. I don't know.
Since I've gone through all the books I have on hand... I picked this one up again. Which is good. That's when Stoker comes back into the picture. And a bonus of T!
As for the ending. I liked it. :)
Some how Jace isn't as badass now... And her witty lines aren't as witty. :( I don't know... Maybe her novelty is wearing off. Grrr. What I love the most in this book is her ever loyal and snappy Golem. :)
Since I've gone through all the books I have on hand... I picked this one up again. Which is good. That's when Stoker comes back into the picture. And a bonus of T!
As for the ending. I liked it. :)
Some how Jace isn't as badass now... And her witty lines aren't as witty. :( I don't know... Maybe her novelty is wearing off. Grrr. What I love the most in this book is her ever loyal and snappy Golem. :)
April 5, 2012
Earlier books in the series were much better IMO, this was not by any means bad, just a little more convoluted in areas. When you deal with Japanese/Shinto Gods, it might have a tendency to do that. Otherwise the action scenes were good, some plot points tied up and new ones emerge. I still really like this series, it's different than your usual fare and I appreciate that, what with all the UF out there different is good. You never know what DD Barrant is going to throw your way in this world and the unexpected is appreciated by me. So, I will continue with this series, which is huge for me, considering I drop them like yesterday's newspapers.
April 12, 2012
This book was not as enjoyable as the previous ones, I still enjoyed it somewhat. The characters remain entertaining, there were some new plots and alliances hatched. Will be looking forward to the next one.
March 2, 2019
I didn't care for the progression of the plot in this installment. It seems like the main characeter is losing steam.
June 22, 2014
At the end I just got a head ache
May 18, 2021
Overall this was an ok book, not as good as the previous books have been. There have been a few good scenes like at the near beginning when Jace was experimenting in her apartment, gunpowder. Charlie stands up & boom, Charlie has pieces of a vase in him, his smart suit ruined. Then there's when Jace & Charlie gets ambushed twice in Vancouver, Charlie pissed that Jace got into trouble while he was elsewhere, Charlie's transformation in the virtual reality world & his happy mood afterwards, Jace's confrontation with Zevon (after figuring out he's been messing her for his own entertainment) & her meeting with 2 gods.
Tanaka dies in this book, saving Jace's life, pissing her off.
Tanaka dies in this book, saving Jace's life, pissing her off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2018
Once again agent Jace Valcek cannot stay on task.
She gets a cry for help from none other than Stolker about missing pire children in Canada.
If you've ever read any of this series you know what to expect from Jace. Yep, sarcastic comments, weird stuff, drama, danger, and a crazy plot that leaves Uace chasing leads.
So what more can Jace do as human from another dimension? After all she's already hunted crazy humans, killed werewolves and vampires and don't forget about a god free reign on this Earth (previous books in series) read and find out.
She gets a cry for help from none other than Stolker about missing pire children in Canada.
If you've ever read any of this series you know what to expect from Jace. Yep, sarcastic comments, weird stuff, drama, danger, and a crazy plot that leaves Uace chasing leads.
So what more can Jace do as human from another dimension? After all she's already hunted crazy humans, killed werewolves and vampires and don't forget about a god free reign on this Earth (previous books in series) read and find out.
December 11, 2019
This series is definitely growing on me. The narrator does an amazing job with multiple voices and makes the listen fun. The banter between characters and the plot advancement is worth the suspension of disbelief. I usually complain about supernatural stories and their need to re-invent archetypes and this series has that too. But the continuing story arc has been fun. I'll revisit Lim-Prior-Thorp for another installment.
February 5, 2017
This book was much better than the last couple. Jace is such a hilarious badass. I love her tenacity and her strength in herself. I love the trust she has in her allies and the depth that she will go for them
May 12, 2017
I couldn't finish it
February 8, 2018
still a good sereis
April 27, 2019
Liked it especially when Jace figures things out & the end when Jace wins against Isamu
September 15, 2019
extra 1/2 star
April 20, 2021
Very much enjoyed this series
It was a different take on the supernatural world
Look forward to reading more
It was a different take on the supernatural world
Look forward to reading more
August 12, 2022
A lot happens in this book. Overall, this storyline is not really of my taste. Too much unrealistic and weird things to it. To each their own though.
February 5, 2025
As usual, I got a little lost in the middle of the plot because so many things were happening but they were all wrapped nicely. I’m excited to finish the series and see what happens to Jace.
January 16, 2024
Warning: This review is really not well written so please forgive me.
This series is one of the minority of urban fantasy books that aren’t sexist. She isn’t ruled by trying to get a guy and she isn’t trying to make scanty clothes her main wardrobe. I fact, at one point she talks about how she’s wearing low heels with her skirt because they were better to run in. There is a romance but it is an extremely slow burn. She can both take control and take orders, giving opinions on what she’s asked to do but really only questioning those that really make no sense to her. She may do it in a snarky way but truthfully, most people snark back. She does snark a lot but a most of it is internal monologues or with her friends, or with bad guys that she won’t be able to talk her way out of attacking her. I think she’s rarely TSTL. Her opinion is valued and she is trusted and respected. She is an equal.
I really love the humor. Very dry. And I like that they don’t explain it which many books do. I find the sentence “She joked,” painful. As I said, she’s sarcastic but she’s not nasty to anyone who doesn’t deserve it. And she really is smart and funny, we’re not just told she is. She figures things out. She’s also not the only sarcastic one. Her partner has the driest and stabbing humor of all. (He’s my favorite character.)
But this book I have mixed feelings about. It’s definitely my least favorite of the series. There were several times when I felt it lost the plot. She was so busy trying to deal with her gun and interpret her dreams that the primary plot felt like an afterthought. There were things that tried to kill her for seemingly no reason at all like a skeleton thing that was summoned by someone seeming to really be trying to help her.
I also really hate dream sequences and realities with no rules (here it was the after lives of several different belief systems) and there were a lot. (Even in a fantasy world, rules are established for that realm that have to be followed. Like a world where people drive everywhere and complain about how long it’s taking don’t suddenly start teleporting.) I think there is a place for them when someone has a short dream. But extended time spent in these realms is, I feel, kind of cheating. There are no rules. You can make anything happen. Yes, the dreams were trying to tell her something but they were way too involved and long, one of them so ridiculously long I found my mind wandering.
The afterlives weren’t much better. They were a little more linear but there were still oddities like one person appeared in two different ones. I’m all for thinking outside the box and having multiple plots going on at the same time, but I want them to stem from the same source or unite in some way or at least make sense. The gun thing did, make sense though. I’m actually glad she addressed the reality of a finite amount of ammo.
What I really hated was that she figured out what was going on without giving the reader any clues. It was just like she confronted someone with all the explanations and I was like huh? Things in the end eventually all came together but it felt forced. Like “here’s this fix, let’s use it to fix that too while we’re at it,” even though it has nothing to do with what we’re doing here.
This is one of my favorite readers. She does a really good job of different voices including men’s, she does the sarcasm wonderfully and her intonation is perfect.
I’m definitely going to read further in the series because I really liked the others.
It’s really funny that Vancouver is this disgusting pool of the dregs of society. It’s a really beautiful city in our reality. I am fortunate to live only a few hours away so I’ve been there a lot. They have the same problems as any big city but for the most part, it’s a really great place.
This series is one of the minority of urban fantasy books that aren’t sexist. She isn’t ruled by trying to get a guy and she isn’t trying to make scanty clothes her main wardrobe. I fact, at one point she talks about how she’s wearing low heels with her skirt because they were better to run in. There is a romance but it is an extremely slow burn. She can both take control and take orders, giving opinions on what she’s asked to do but really only questioning those that really make no sense to her. She may do it in a snarky way but truthfully, most people snark back. She does snark a lot but a most of it is internal monologues or with her friends, or with bad guys that she won’t be able to talk her way out of attacking her. I think she’s rarely TSTL. Her opinion is valued and she is trusted and respected. She is an equal.
I really love the humor. Very dry. And I like that they don’t explain it which many books do. I find the sentence “She joked,” painful. As I said, she’s sarcastic but she’s not nasty to anyone who doesn’t deserve it. And she really is smart and funny, we’re not just told she is. She figures things out. She’s also not the only sarcastic one. Her partner has the driest and stabbing humor of all. (He’s my favorite character.)
But this book I have mixed feelings about. It’s definitely my least favorite of the series. There were several times when I felt it lost the plot. She was so busy trying to deal with her gun and interpret her dreams that the primary plot felt like an afterthought. There were things that tried to kill her for seemingly no reason at all like a skeleton thing that was summoned by someone seeming to really be trying to help her.
I also really hate dream sequences and realities with no rules (here it was the after lives of several different belief systems) and there were a lot. (Even in a fantasy world, rules are established for that realm that have to be followed. Like a world where people drive everywhere and complain about how long it’s taking don’t suddenly start teleporting.) I think there is a place for them when someone has a short dream. But extended time spent in these realms is, I feel, kind of cheating. There are no rules. You can make anything happen. Yes, the dreams were trying to tell her something but they were way too involved and long, one of them so ridiculously long I found my mind wandering.
The afterlives weren’t much better. They were a little more linear but there were still oddities like one person appeared in two different ones. I’m all for thinking outside the box and having multiple plots going on at the same time, but I want them to stem from the same source or unite in some way or at least make sense. The gun thing did, make sense though. I’m actually glad she addressed the reality of a finite amount of ammo.
What I really hated was that she figured out what was going on without giving the reader any clues. It was just like she confronted someone with all the explanations and I was like huh? Things in the end eventually all came together but it felt forced. Like “here’s this fix, let’s use it to fix that too while we’re at it,” even though it has nothing to do with what we’re doing here.
This is one of my favorite readers. She does a really good job of different voices including men’s, she does the sarcasm wonderfully and her intonation is perfect.
I’m definitely going to read further in the series because I really liked the others.
It’s really funny that Vancouver is this disgusting pool of the dregs of society. It’s a really beautiful city in our reality. I am fortunate to live only a few hours away so I’ve been there a lot. They have the same problems as any big city but for the most part, it’s a really great place.
September 24, 2012
4.15 stars
Quick recap of the book for personal purpose ...
"Why is it that every time I work on a case with you it always spirals into some kind of overblown hyperweirdness?"
I must say that Eisfanger voices my reaction perfectly :). It has never been simple with Jace -- and this case is not different. However, I think this is my favorite book of the series, so far. The case, no matter how complicated it becomes in the end, is quite 'linear' from start to finish. Yes, there's some WTF-eckery that happen -- visit to Yomi (Japanese underworld), arranged meetings with gods, and OMG talking bones! -- but they are all GOOD.
I really love the wacky humor of alternate Vancouver as the major center for narcotics trade and multicultural melting pot. Interesting :). I enjoy the Asian touch, in terms of Shinto and Japanese spirit gods.
I think this is one of the funniest books in the series as well. There are some major "hoot" moments that make me chuckling like crazy. Keanu as a waiter, for example. And as always, the DELIGHTFUL banters of Charlie and Jace. It never gets old
...
“Good thought. Paranoid, but good.”
“Paranoia is just the bastard child of fear and good sense.”
“Poor thing. Let’s adopt it, give it a last name and raise it right.”
“You want to get it a puppy, too?”
“Sure. We’ll call it Panic. It and little Paranoia can play together at the park and scare the hell out of all the other kids.”
....
HILARIOUS. I am so happy that Charlie's presence here is as strong as ever. Especially since he accompanies Jace to some of the weird places, including to the alternate afterlife, where we finally read about Charlie having the T-rex tail. I only feel bad that Eisfanger is mostly left behind in the hotel, though.
The temporary partnership with Stoker is kind of nice, though I spend most of the times worrying that it's just another trap. I'm not sure if Stoker really has changed . I also don't know whether it will be the last time we ever see . I do feel slightly bad about Tanaka ( but at the same time, I never develop some sort of sympathy for him -- unlike the one I feel for Dr. Pete, for instance.
Then, there's that EVIL cliffhanger ending!! Urgh! At least I only have to wait few months, since book #6 will be released in November ...
Quick recap of the book for personal purpose ...
"Why is it that every time I work on a case with you it always spirals into some kind of overblown hyperweirdness?"
I must say that Eisfanger voices my reaction perfectly :). It has never been simple with Jace -- and this case is not different. However, I think this is my favorite book of the series, so far. The case, no matter how complicated it becomes in the end, is quite 'linear' from start to finish. Yes, there's some WTF-eckery that happen -- visit to Yomi (Japanese underworld), arranged meetings with gods, and OMG talking bones! -- but they are all GOOD.
I really love the wacky humor of alternate Vancouver as the major center for narcotics trade and multicultural melting pot. Interesting :). I enjoy the Asian touch, in terms of Shinto and Japanese spirit gods.
I think this is one of the funniest books in the series as well. There are some major "hoot" moments that make me chuckling like crazy. Keanu as a waiter, for example. And as always, the DELIGHTFUL banters of Charlie and Jace. It never gets old
...
“Good thought. Paranoid, but good.”
“Paranoia is just the bastard child of fear and good sense.”
“Poor thing. Let’s adopt it, give it a last name and raise it right.”
“You want to get it a puppy, too?”
“Sure. We’ll call it Panic. It and little Paranoia can play together at the park and scare the hell out of all the other kids.”
....
HILARIOUS. I am so happy that Charlie's presence here is as strong as ever. Especially since he accompanies Jace to some of the weird places, including to the alternate afterlife, where we finally read about Charlie having the T-rex tail. I only feel bad that Eisfanger is mostly left behind in the hotel, though.
The temporary partnership with Stoker is kind of nice, though I spend most of the times worrying that it's just another trap. I'm not sure if Stoker really has changed . I also don't know whether it will be the last time we ever see . I do feel slightly bad about Tanaka ( but at the same time, I never develop some sort of sympathy for him -- unlike the one I feel for Dr. Pete, for instance.
Then, there's that EVIL cliffhanger ending!! Urgh! At least I only have to wait few months, since book #6 will be released in November ...
June 6, 2013
Continuing down the line of series I haven't read in over a year is D.D. Barant's The Bloohound Files. This is a very exciting series where the heroine is sucked into another world, much like her own except that all sorts of supernatural characters rule the day and night, and humans make up about 1% of the world population. Jace was brought over from her world to this one to track down and capture or kill a serial killer known as Aristotle Stoker. The only problem is, that the sorcerer who did the spell that brought her to this world is in cahoots with Stoker and just plain has a plan of his own.
One thing I've noticed lately in these last 3 covers--including the next one--are the wolves that surround Jace. It's odd because there are never really moments where she's in the company of so many werewolves. Granted the covers are pretty awesome now, but don't make much sense to the story.
Anyway, the case Jace works on this time in Back from the Undead, is definitely interesting. Vampire children have gone missing, they are orphans basically, on the street, but too many are disappearing and it's been noticed. Surprisingly by Stoker, our villain. Jace is going to have to work with Stoker this time around in order to uncover all the unsavory doings of the unknown villain and get the children back to their normal life. It's pretty much a given that being homeless has got to be better than being used and tormented in some dastardly way.
Much like with my last read, I have totally forgotten nearly everything that has happened previously in this series. I recalled a little bit here and there, but it's hard to leave a series untouched for awhile and then dive back in and understand all that's going on.
But it was nice in some ways because a lot of things can be surprising. Like I nearly forgotten that Jace and Cassius got physical last time around! There wasn't much time for romance though, as before Jace takes on this case, Cassius leaves to handle one of his own and was practically non-existent for the remainder of the novel--all 200+ pages that remained. But it wasn't dreadful. I much enjoy the action scenes than the romance ones, although those are always nice when they pop up unexpectedly!
This had a nice mystery vibe going, but I think my being gone from the series and the world for so long made it harder for me to pick up on things. There's quite a bit of mythology woven into this one and it wasn't one I was familiar with. Those little things combined made it harder for me to understand the aha! moment. But I just rolled with it really!
There was lots of action in this one, Jace seems to attract the wrong kind of attention at the worst times, but it always makes for a great adventure! Charlie, the lovable golem--never thought I would type that sentence--is positively my favorite character. Made from the remains of a T-Rex, he is one tough dude! He can kick major ass when needed and he and Jace have developed quite the friendship and it's endearing all that would do for her. He's also pretty damn funny, Jace is the sarcastic, snarky type and Charlie will just surprise you with a random quip that is just too funny! He can match Jace in her sarcasm when the moment calls for it.
Looking forward to seeing how this series ends, because after the mystery part of the story was all wrapped up, D.D. throws in a whopper of a cliffhanger! Luckily I have the final book ready to go!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
One thing I've noticed lately in these last 3 covers--including the next one--are the wolves that surround Jace. It's odd because there are never really moments where she's in the company of so many werewolves. Granted the covers are pretty awesome now, but don't make much sense to the story.
Anyway, the case Jace works on this time in Back from the Undead, is definitely interesting. Vampire children have gone missing, they are orphans basically, on the street, but too many are disappearing and it's been noticed. Surprisingly by Stoker, our villain. Jace is going to have to work with Stoker this time around in order to uncover all the unsavory doings of the unknown villain and get the children back to their normal life. It's pretty much a given that being homeless has got to be better than being used and tormented in some dastardly way.
Much like with my last read, I have totally forgotten nearly everything that has happened previously in this series. I recalled a little bit here and there, but it's hard to leave a series untouched for awhile and then dive back in and understand all that's going on.
But it was nice in some ways because a lot of things can be surprising. Like I nearly forgotten that Jace and Cassius got physical last time around! There wasn't much time for romance though, as before Jace takes on this case, Cassius leaves to handle one of his own and was practically non-existent for the remainder of the novel--all 200+ pages that remained. But it wasn't dreadful. I much enjoy the action scenes than the romance ones, although those are always nice when they pop up unexpectedly!
This had a nice mystery vibe going, but I think my being gone from the series and the world for so long made it harder for me to pick up on things. There's quite a bit of mythology woven into this one and it wasn't one I was familiar with. Those little things combined made it harder for me to understand the aha! moment. But I just rolled with it really!
There was lots of action in this one, Jace seems to attract the wrong kind of attention at the worst times, but it always makes for a great adventure! Charlie, the lovable golem--never thought I would type that sentence--is positively my favorite character. Made from the remains of a T-Rex, he is one tough dude! He can kick major ass when needed and he and Jace have developed quite the friendship and it's endearing all that would do for her. He's also pretty damn funny, Jace is the sarcastic, snarky type and Charlie will just surprise you with a random quip that is just too funny! He can match Jace in her sarcasm when the moment calls for it.
Looking forward to seeing how this series ends, because after the mystery part of the story was all wrapped up, D.D. throws in a whopper of a cliffhanger! Luckily I have the final book ready to go!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
March 30, 2012
Synopsis: NSA agent to the world of Thropirelem, has just hooked up with her boss, and now doesn't know what to do about it. He disappears on a mission and she takes a case to work with Aristotle Stoker. Yes the man she is supposed to apprehend so she can come back to her home dimension. Stoker informs her there are a bunch of missing Pire children, and she needs to help. She packs up herself, her partner enforcer Lem Charlie, and the nerdy Thrope Damon to the crime ridden Vancouver Canada.
Review: I was a bit disappointed. There was a lot of the same action and humor, but it rang flat for me. Pros--The ever funny and witty lines. I mean Barant knows how to keep them coming. Jace and Charlie's back and forth is guaranteed to make everyone who has ever had a "partner in crime" giggle. The dream sequences were detailed and felt like you were in the dream with Jace. The sex scene, pretty hot.
Cons--it was just flat. It didn't really add anything to the main plot, except for the ending which is of course a cliffhanger. But the cliffhanger appeared out of nowhere. Also, we barely saw some of our favorite characters, and one was glaringly missing. And the villain was not very scary. It was just . . . enjoyable, but flat.
Sex: One hot sex scene, kissing. nothing too over the top.
Violence: some fighting, action sequences. Nothing too brutally described.
Favorite Quote:
“Then I’m going to operate on the assumption that I’m right.”
“Don’t you always? No, don’t answer that. Very well, the Yakuza are collaborating with not one, not two, but three of the most powerful entities we know of— one of whom tried to kill you. How do you plan to proceed?” “I figured I’d charm them with my winning personality and dazzling wit.”
“Excellent. Would you prefer cremation, a closed-coffin ceremony, or burial at sea?”
Next Book: Undead to the World, coming out November 27, 2012
Review: I was a bit disappointed. There was a lot of the same action and humor, but it rang flat for me. Pros--The ever funny and witty lines. I mean Barant knows how to keep them coming. Jace and Charlie's back and forth is guaranteed to make everyone who has ever had a "partner in crime" giggle. The dream sequences were detailed and felt like you were in the dream with Jace. The sex scene, pretty hot.
Cons--it was just flat. It didn't really add anything to the main plot, except for the ending which is of course a cliffhanger. But the cliffhanger appeared out of nowhere. Also, we barely saw some of our favorite characters, and one was glaringly missing. And the villain was not very scary. It was just . . . enjoyable, but flat.
Sex: One hot sex scene, kissing. nothing too over the top.
Violence: some fighting, action sequences. Nothing too brutally described.
Favorite Quote:
“Then I’m going to operate on the assumption that I’m right.”
“Don’t you always? No, don’t answer that. Very well, the Yakuza are collaborating with not one, not two, but three of the most powerful entities we know of— one of whom tried to kill you. How do you plan to proceed?” “I figured I’d charm them with my winning personality and dazzling wit.”
“Excellent. Would you prefer cremation, a closed-coffin ceremony, or burial at sea?”
Next Book: Undead to the World, coming out November 27, 2012
September 3, 2012
As if things weren't complicated enough, Jace has decided to engage in an office romance with her boss. Not cool? well no it was actually very hot and sweaty and the neighbors complained. While Jace can deal with that what she is having problems with is Cassius has been sent on an assignment. Problem with working with Intelligence operatives, they usually cant tell you what they are up to. Oh well she can come up with something to keep her occupied. Like the fact that Aristotle Stroker wants to surrender to her. Jace just has one question - whats the catch? Aristotle still wants to change the world, but he has come to the conclusion that he is going about it all wrong. He needs Jace's help to investigate what is happening to orphan pire children. They are disappearing and Aristotle no longer has the connections to investigate or do something about it since he is no longer associated with the Free Human Alliance. So this should be simple - go get him, do some investigating about the missing children, bring him back. What could possibly go wrong? Well for starters Aristotle is in Vancouver. Called North Hollywood the area is ruled by corrupt cops, yakuza, triad, and other various assorted nastiness. Because Diplomatic relations between Canada and the US are strained on a good day the NSA cant offer any real back up on this one. Jace quickly learns that there is a lot more going on then she bargained for because an old enemy has shown up as well as an old friend. In addition to ancient gods, various thugs, crooks, spirits and the fact that Jace is having erotic dreams about Cassius that seem like Cassius is calling for help, this is getting complicated. Just another day in the field for Jace and her merry band of miscreants.
January 5, 2015
I have really enjoyed this series. The books are well written with believable characters and the stories flow well. It is a bit of a different take on the genre, as the main character is taken from her (our) universe and pulled into an alternate universe where vampires, werewolves, golems, and other things that go bump in the night are the norm, and humans are an endangered species.
These books are all tied together, so they do need to be read in order.
In this book, Jace Valchek, FBI Profiler, human, current NSA agent, travels across the border into a nearly lawless Vancouver - that is more like our Tijuana - to find the villain from the first book. Needless to say, shenanigans aplenty follow. Our heroes are attacked, kidnapped, assaulted, tricked, trapped, and have to deal with surly bureacrats. Despite all this, it is not a purely action oriented story. There is a somewhat political side to the story that involves not only the border crossing into Canada (minor but relevant to the story), but also the politics of divine beings. This is the point where the story loses me a little. I am not a big fan of involving omnipotent type beings into stories about "normal" people, but it did not seem to lessen my enjoyment of the book, or my anxiousness to dive into the next book in the series.
Fans of Liz Williams' DETECTIVE INSPECTOR CHEN series would probably enjoy this series.
These books are all tied together, so they do need to be read in order.
In this book, Jace Valchek, FBI Profiler, human, current NSA agent, travels across the border into a nearly lawless Vancouver - that is more like our Tijuana - to find the villain from the first book. Needless to say, shenanigans aplenty follow. Our heroes are attacked, kidnapped, assaulted, tricked, trapped, and have to deal with surly bureacrats. Despite all this, it is not a purely action oriented story. There is a somewhat political side to the story that involves not only the border crossing into Canada (minor but relevant to the story), but also the politics of divine beings. This is the point where the story loses me a little. I am not a big fan of involving omnipotent type beings into stories about "normal" people, but it did not seem to lessen my enjoyment of the book, or my anxiousness to dive into the next book in the series.
Fans of Liz Williams' DETECTIVE INSPECTOR CHEN series would probably enjoy this series.
May 8, 2012
3 1\2 stars
I'm utterly confused by this book. All of the Bloodhound are convoluted and with a complex mythology/world-building, but I suspect this one went over the top.
I loved it was set in Vancouver, BC. I stayed there for some time and it was fun seeing an alternate version of it. I loved the humor, Jace and Charlie, Jace vs the local TSA.
I was confused by the plot, the gods, the tricksters, the ex and new lovers. I felt there was simply too much going on.
This series is truly unique (and stays so). What I love is the blend of UF, mystery/procedural, magic/technology. But I guess success lies in the balance of all these elements. And to me Back from the Undead lacked this balance.
I liked it all the same, but it lost some of its appeal. I don't know if there's a real story arch toward Jace's return to Earth. It would seem so: at the end of this book she has one of the missing pieces and, according to the cliff-ending, she'll go search the other.
But it's weird. The previous book was better as a mystery but lacked an advancement toward the overall story arch. This book has it but it's detached from the rest of the story. It almost seems the author had no real plan in mind.
I'm utterly confused by this book. All of the Bloodhound are convoluted and with a complex mythology/world-building, but I suspect this one went over the top.
I loved it was set in Vancouver, BC. I stayed there for some time and it was fun seeing an alternate version of it. I loved the humor, Jace and Charlie, Jace vs the local TSA.
I was confused by the plot, the gods, the tricksters, the ex and new lovers. I felt there was simply too much going on.
This series is truly unique (and stays so). What I love is the blend of UF, mystery/procedural, magic/technology. But I guess success lies in the balance of all these elements. And to me Back from the Undead lacked this balance.
I liked it all the same, but it lost some of its appeal. I don't know if there's a real story arch toward Jace's return to Earth. It would seem so: at the end of this book she has one of the missing pieces and, according to the cliff-ending, she'll go search the other.
But it's weird. The previous book was better as a mystery but lacked an advancement toward the overall story arch. This book has it but it's detached from the rest of the story. It almost seems the author had no real plan in mind.
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