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Dying Bites (The Bloodhound Files #1)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 2,885 ratings · 279 reviews

Her job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” What this really means in FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s brave new world—one in which only one percent of the population is human—is that a woman’s work is never done. And real is getting stranger every day…

Jace has been ripped from her reality by David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA....more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published June 30th 2009 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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Jan 10, 2012 CJ - Secret Charm rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: don-t-read

I'm going to be very honest. I didn't get very far into this one.

The world building and the premise was interesting but I couldn't stand the main character.

That's a problem if it's first person narrative. For a criminal profiler I found her extremely close minded and prejudice (shooting first, making derogatory "jokes" that were actually thinly veiled insults etc), demanding and incredibly bitchy.

Maybe she gets better. I don't know. I didn't care enough about her to find out.

Cassius sounded a bi...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Nichole ~Bookaholic~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, audio, pnr-uf, wispersync-for-voice, 2013-kicks-finish-that-series, not-your-typical-shifter

I am now hooked on another series (I need another series like a need a hole in the head)...I really enjoyed this one both the audio and the book. I like the parallel world, and how the histories are the same people (mostly) but different situations....I like the characters and Jace is pretty kick ass...this had everything I like, snark, humor, mystery, adventure...and Cassius....while he appears to be a "good guy" I'm still holding judgement on him...still need more background before I decide......more

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Nov 29, 2012 Aurian Booklover rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jace Valchek is a profiler for the FBI, a loner, someone whose humor is never quite understood, or appropriate. Then one night, after a few too many drinks, her life is turned upside down, when she is snatched from her bedroom into another dimension. Her job skills are needed in this alternative reality. Earth’s history changed significantly in the 12th century, and now the world is populated by vampires (37%), werewolves (43%) and golems (19%). The werewolves are a bit diluted by dogs though. Y...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Lburt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines, supernatural, vamps, weres

Detective Jace spend her days chasing the criminally insane, serials killers mostly. That is until she goes to sleep one night and wakes up in another dimension. A dimension where only 1% of the population is still human. The other 99% are vampires, weres, and golems. So why was stolen from her home and brought to this parallel world? Cause they need someone with her expertise to find and capture an insane serial killer human who's hunting weres and vamps. Then the'll send her back home. If only...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Jed Moulton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Most people you meet have a filter in place to keep the things in your head you would never say aloud. Jace is unfortunately not like most people, our heroines problem is that her filter apparently doesn't work. If its in her head - it usually pops out. Which makes relationships both personal and professional problematic. Add to this she works for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI and spends most of her time crawling around the heads of people with "issues", she is not popular at cocktail...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Rosa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fiction

I really loved this book. It is about a nonmagic fbi profiler who gets janked to a parallel universe where humans are the minority and vampires, werewolves and golems are the dominant races. I like how Jace tries to make the best of it, but is also a little snarky about having no say in the matter.
Another plus for me is the fact that the author has thought up a new sort of magical creature (golems, humanshaped bag of sand animated by an animal spirit).
The pace of the book is a lot like a CSI/N...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Veronica G. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, female-protagonist

Okay, despite my early grumblings about the heroine, Jace Valchek, I did end up liking her well enough by the end. She's dealing with a lot of change in a very short time, being snatched from her own dimension and plunked down in a similar but alternate dimension. The secondary characters we're introduced to seem likeable enough but I feel like we never really got to know any of them very well. This book wasn't great but as a first book it wasn't bad either. The resolution to the problem at hand...more

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Dinosaur Effect

Imagine waking up one day and your human species is going the way of the dinosaur; becoming extinct right before your very eyes. Agent Jace Valechek is having the dream from hell. Unfortunately that dream turns into a reality when she is involuntarily transported to another dimension on earth. Only in this reality, magic exist, humans are the minority and vampires and lycans are the majority, and the monsters told in bed time stories are real. Humans have been hunted down to 1...more

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May 09, 2012 Shazza Maddog rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jace is literally a woman in a whole new world. As a profiler for the FBI, she's helped track down some nasty people. When magic drags her into an alternate Earth, where vampires and werewolves are not only real but the dominant life forms, and humans are on the fast track to extinction. The reason Jace has been dragged to this world is because someone is murdering pires and thropes - not just murdering, but making a spectacle of it. And Cassius, a very old vampire, wants Jace to capture the per...more

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May 09, 2012 Anoolka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, series, crime-mystery-thriller, female-protagonist, gods-demigods-immortals, mythology-and-folklore, paranormal, parallel-worlds, shapeshifters, vampires, werewolves, witches-and-wizards

I'm not sure how I feel about this book, or rather the main character. She's strong and proactive but some things just didn't gel for me. For a professional she acted very unprofessionaly at times. i get that this different world could leave her feeling unsettled and not quite herself, but the narrative rather shows that she's being her usual self. She is judgemental and looking for conflict, for someone so well versed in psychology, especially of psychopaths, she should know a little better how...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jace is a psychological profile for the government when one night she is sucked into another dimension by David Cassius. Cassius is the lead of the NSA, but one that is completely different than the one she knows. In this world humans make up 1% of the population and lycanthropes (thropes), vampires (pires), and golems (lems) the other 99%. But there number one enemy who is perpetrating very disturbing crimes is a human. Not having mental illness with any of their kinds they decide they need an...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vaginal-urban-fantasy, urban-paranormal

So this is a mystery/thriller/fantasy/paranormal/romance-y hybrid. I like the idea of this a lot, an FBI investigator woman transported into an alt universe where humans are the minority, vamps and werewolfs and golems are the majority. It's just the execution is spotty because the world is just unbelievable in some of the building blocks. And unfortunately the deeper you get into this series the harder it is to have your disbelief suspended because of some of those worldbuilding aspects as well...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

3.5 stars

Between the gore, the first person present narrative, and the please-no-love-triangles mantra I kept chanting, I feel like I shouldn't like this, but I'm a sucker for a competent, smart-ass heroine. Overall, I enjoyed the story and found the alternate Earth the author created to be fascinating -- I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of vampires being Muslim Shintoists. Another major plus: whenever a character has an accent, be it Japanese or French-Canadian, the author just...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, fairies-or-fae

In a crowded genre, Dying Bites is fresh. The premise is so simple that it feels obvious, which is the mark of a really ingenious idea: Jace Valcheck is an FBI profiler pulled into another dimension, a same-yet-different world where humans make up only 1% of the population. In this new world, vampires and werewolves have all the physical advantages and all the political power; humans are barely scraping by.

There are some original twists on vamps and weres - like the spell that allows vampires t...more In a crowded genre, Dying Bites is fresh. The premise is so simple that it feels obvious, which is the mark of a really ingenious idea: Jace Valcheck is an FBI profiler pulled into another dimension, a same-yet-different world where humans make up only 1% of the population. In this new world, vampires and werewolves have all the physical advantages and all the political power; humans are barely scraping by.

There are some original twists on vamps and weres - like the spell that allows vampires to reproduce by donating biological years to their child, with the baby growing one year older for each six months the parents age - but the really fun new addition is golems. In Barant's world, the golems are technologically advanced versions of the clay statues of legend; a slaughtered animal's spirit is fused with sand and then poured into a plastic casing. The golems don't eat, don't sleep, don't have sex, and can't swim (they're too heavy!). Jace, as a weak human, is assigned a very intimidating golem bodyguard, Charlie, made from the spirit of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. For all his limitations, Charlie is just about the best character in the novel - he has a dry wit, a dapper style, and he's utterly fearless. I didn't expect to find the golems very interesting, but it only took a few pages with Charlie before I was totally sold.

The storyline could be an episode of CSI, with the addition of supernatural beings. The NSA is tracking a serial killer, a human murderer with three victims under his belt. The NSA bigwigs are certain that the guy is crazy, and that's why they need Jace. Vampires and Werewolves are immune to mental illness, and with so few humans around there is little knowledge of such diseases. Her expertise is literally non-existent in this parallel world.

I was really hooked on the plot as Jace pieces together an understanding of the villain's motives and, simultaneously, discovers that she can't trust her own team. The murders are clearly political in nature - a human being outraged at the way his species is treated - and the NSA people don't feel like telling Jace about all the horrors and atrocities fueling the killer's anger. At some point, as the information trickles in, Jace starts to wonder if she's on the right side.

Mixed in with all this good stuff are a few pretty serious flaws. First of all, all the romantic elements here are horribly botched. There isn't one moment of sexual tension that felt real to me. All the men capable of having urges in this book are attracted to Jace - that's annoying. It's especially annoying because these guys give off vibes which seem really low key to me - "That Jace Valcheck, she's spunky and good-looking, wouldn't mind sleeping with her" - but Jace interprets these mild urges as cause for serious drama, which made me think she was a little pathetic.

Which brings me to my biggest problem with the novel: Jace. She is supposed to be a consummate professional but she is not. In the course of this one novel she gets drunk on the job, she sleeps with a colleague, and she goes AWOL repeatedly. In general, if Jace has to choose between calmly taking control of a situation and running off half-cocked, she'll go for the latter. As a character, she felt incoherent to me.

I've been reading urban fantasy for a long time now, and it's harder and harder to hook me on a series. Books that would have put an author on my auto-buy list five years ago don't make the cut anymore. There's just a lot more out there, and fans can afford to have higher standards. This one would have made the cut a couple of years ago. Today? I'm not so sure.(less)

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Feb 07, 2011 Obsidian rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Feb 07, 2011 Rosa Folgar rated it 5 of 5 stars

I know I'm currently in the middle of like a ton of books and it was kind of dumb to start a new one, but seeing as to how, not only did I start, but finish it before going back to the others, it says a lot about how good I thought this book was.

Jace Valcheck is your regular kick ass kind of girl. She is a Psychological profiler for the FBI (or some other gov agency) and she gets sucked out of her world to a parallel dimension where Vampires, Wares and golems are the ruling classes. They have br...more I know I'm currently in the middle of like a ton of books and it was kind of dumb to start a new one, but seeing as to how, not only did I start, but finish it before going back to the others, it says a lot about how good I thought this book was.

Jace Valcheck is your regular kick ass kind of girl. She is a Psychological profiler for the FBI (or some other gov agency) and she gets sucked out of her world to a parallel dimension where Vampires, Wares and golems are the ruling classes. They have brought the human population down to 1% of the world population. In this universe humans are referred to as OR (original recipe) and they are viewed as pet like or food. Well, Jace is yanked out of our normal world because she is damn good at helping to catch psycho serial killers and this world doesn't know how to deal w a string of killings targeting the supernatural. Since supernatural beings are immune to illness, mental health issues are not something they know how to deal with.

The NSA and her new boss, Cassius, a zesty but cold and calculating vamp who looks like a california surfer, contracts her to help catch the madman in return for a one way-cruise back home. I don't want to give to much away in case someone wants to read it, but I'll say this, Jace has to now figure out who is behind these murders and why, she has to deal with all kinds of cross-culture inter-dimensional weirdness from this new world inhabited by monsters, such as Moondays, the underground blood market, and a world with NO GUNS, but at least she has some company. The easy-going doctor who helps her try to acclimate and survive, Dr Pete, who happens to be a werewolf. The smart and kick ass kind of girl herself, Gretchen, who also happens to be head of intelligence at the NSA and is the closest thing Jace has to a girlfriend on this universe, even if she is a vamp. And the sarcastic but deadly Golem, Charlie, her partner and bodyguard.

I was surprised to find out D.D Barant is a guy, he really got into the female head pretty well, if you ask me...or maybe Im just screwed up. Whatever. This book had all the elements I look for in a book. It had crime and mystery, it pissed me off in sections, it had a little romantic tension, it has a heroine who kicks butt, included the 3F's (fur, fanged, and fey), and was a fun read. Can't wait to start the next one.(less)

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Jan 11, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great introduction to a fun series. FBI profiler Jace Valchek is delightfully snarky and sarcastic in the face of being snatched away from the Earth she knows to one that is populated with vampires, werewolves and golems (although, in this reality, they are typically referred to as "pires, thropes [short for 'lycanthropes'] and lems"). Here, regular humans make up only one percent of that population.

But her trip to the land of monsters is no accident. The National Security Agency of this dimen...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jace has never really fit in with her peers due to her job and the mindset she must be in to catch the really nasty criminals. However, she never thought her particular skill set would make her attractive to another reality, much less an almost completely supernatural one. She is ripped from the world as we know it into a world where less than one percent of the population is human. She is tasked with finding a psychotic killer who is human, but is preying on the supernatural community with a ve...more Jace has never really fit in with her peers due to her job and the mindset she must be in to catch the really nasty criminals. However, she never thought her particular skill set would make her attractive to another reality, much less an almost completely supernatural one. She is ripped from the world as we know it into a world where less than one percent of the population is human. She is tasked with finding a psychotic killer who is human, but is preying on the supernatural community with a vengeance. She must find and stop him for his capture is her ticket home, there are no ruby slippers for this Agent.

The world building in this book is amazing. The whole idea of our world having a parallel version of it, but with supernatural aspects is really intriguing. Even more so is the fact that this other version knows about ours and has the means to transport people across the boundary. I think the characters are well thought out, and Jace's struggles yet almost easy acceptance works well with her personality. Very few people could have just accepted her circumstances and been able to almost instantly cope. I feel the author did an amazing job at crafting a realistic character for this part.

I'm typically not a fan of books that have absolutely no real romance in them, nor do I really like a book that is almost 100% romance either, I prefer a happy mix. However, this one is definitely an exception to the rule. Yes, Jace does "hook" up with someone for a one night stand, but that's really the furthest it treads into the romance category. The story was so complex and kept me completely engrossed that I didn't miss its complete lack of romance at all. I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a non-romantic book as much as this one.

This book was really intriguing and kept me hooked the entire time. While it wasn't incredibly fast paced, it had no trouble holding my attention. The characters are all well thought out, and really fit the world and plot. I look forward to reading more about Jace and her struggles, as well as accomplishments in this new world. I highly recommend for any Urban Fantasy fans as well as anyone who enjoys reading about anything paranormal.(less)

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Nov 11, 2010 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-universe-fantasy

Jace Valchek is an FBI profiler whose having a spectacularly bad dream - a dream in which she's yanked out of her own universe still dressed in her pajamas and plopped down into an alternate universe in which humanity has been reduced to a measly 1% of the population through methods Nazi Germany would laud. An alternate universe where vampires and lycanthropes are the majority and one of the few humans left is running around with a serious axe to grind and executing members of that majority. And...more Jace Valchek is an FBI profiler whose having a spectacularly bad dream - a dream in which she's yanked out of her own universe still dressed in her pajamas and plopped down into an alternate universe in which humanity has been reduced to a measly 1% of the population through methods Nazi Germany would laud. An alternate universe where vampires and lycanthropes are the majority and one of the few humans left is running around with a serious axe to grind and executing members of that majority. And the vampires and lycanthropes don't have the first clue how to track and capture a human serial killer, necessitating Jace's speciality and her abilities.

To make matters worse, Jace quickly realizes she's not asleep, and in fact the world in which she's been unceremoniously dumped...or perhaps not so unceremoniously, as we find out...makes her viciously ill just to be in it.

And that's just the barest of bare bones of the synopsis of D. D. Barant's first book in a new series, Dying Bites, and I can only hope to see much more. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The depth of plot and the characterizations were detailed and fleshed out and while the pacing lagged a wee bit here and there, over all it was pretty well rounded and cleanly told. I enjoyed Jace - she's a sarcastic smart ass without a whole lot of peo...er...social skills, and I've always found that fun when it doesn't cross the line into total bitch. I was relieved the author didn't spend an overtly large amount of time getting Jace to accept her predicament and I really enjoyed how Jace used the quest for the serial killer as sort of a normalizing agent - considering how not normal her life has suddenly become. I was particularly fond of the golem Charlie, who through the book became a true favorite of mine.

It's certainly not a light read, as the author doesn't shirk on giving a pretty clear picture of how the human population dwindled to a shocking 1% during roughly the equivalent of WWII, and the book deals with nothing but gray areas, considering the killer is human and sorta has a point in why he's doing what he's doing, and the people responsible for pulling Jace into this mess are exactly the people responsible for that genocide. In fact, that's one of the things I really enjoyed about this book. I prefer books that deal with the many and varied shades of gray. Even Jace, as the heroine of the book, isn't a traditional White Hat by any means. Another particular pleasure were the parts that differentiated their world and ours - historically and culturally. Definitely an original, unique premise, and I'm always up for anything in the SciFi/Urban Fantasy/Paranormal book realm that's original and unique. They're hard to find.

I will caution readers who prefer paranormal romance to "straight" AU fantasy/urban fantasy that you may not enjoy this book. There is some emotional tension between Jace and Vampire NSA chief David Cassius - the vampire responsible for bringer her into the world and the one holding her ticket home (dependent on her catching the killer and ending his reign of terror) - but that tension is as far as it goes and while there are a couple of hookups, they're by no means romantic. If you just want a good read and can take the romance or leave it, then I recommend Dying Bites. I really enjoyed it.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. (less)

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Jul 31, 2010 Kristi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fluff, threestars

Kind of a fun read for the supernatural set. Behavioral analyst for the FBI on psychotic killers, Jace is yoinked out of our world and into a nearby parallel world where magic is real, vampires and werewolves exist, as do golems and Elder Gods, and humans are an endangered species. Even with the Elder Gods, apparently madness is considered a sickness that the supernatural set is largely immune from and there's a human serial killer out there gruesomely murdering vampires and werewolves. That's w...more

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Oct 16, 2009 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

From what I seen on goodreads, not too many liked this overly much, and frankly I don't know why not. I really enjoyed it. I took to it almost instantly, you just know once you start reading that this can be a great book or you have to warm up to it, I knew from the begining it was going to be interesting. I was in teh mood for one of these books which helped also.
I found the characters written great and they were really fun to read. Jace Valchek is the protagonist in this book. She's strong,...more

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Sep 26, 2009 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, urban-fantasy

Not bad... I picked this one at the library on a whim but I'm glad I did. It was unique concept. The main character Jace (is a criminal profiler) thinks she's dreaming when someone in a suit walks into her bedroom and asks her to take 3 things with her that she could never leave behind. She then walks through a door and end's up in a man's office and realizes that in fact she's not really sleeping but fully awake. Cassius explains that she is now in an alternative universe where humans only acco...more

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Jul 31, 2009 Shelly Holder rated it 1 of 5 stars

http://bibliophilicme.blogspot.com/20...

THIS ONE BITES

No, it's not a pun.

I have no accurate number of books that I have read in my twenty years, and I probably wouldn't get anywhere near the true count. I do know that I personally own what is probably about 1,500 books, and I have read at least twice that. At least.

So when I say there are few books I dislike, and even few still that I don't finish, I mean it. If I start a book, I am pretty much guaranteed to finish the book, even if I don't care...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-list-of-read-books

What can I say about this book that isn't a glowing recommendation?! I absolutely love the heroine. Her spunky, take no prisoners and no crap, kick ass attitude is what made me fall in love with her. When she first meets her vampire boss instead of falling for him or saying how wonderful he is she puts a few bullets into his sternum and then into his face! WOW WHAT AN ENTRANCE :)

All the side characters are interesting and loveable. The world is well built and I love the introduction of golems as...more What can I say about this book that isn't a glowing recommendation?! I absolutely love the heroine. Her spunky, take no prisoners and no crap, kick ass attitude is what made me fall in love with her. When she first meets her vampire boss instead of falling for him or saying how wonderful he is she puts a few bullets into his sternum and then into his face! WOW WHAT AN ENTRANCE :)

All the side characters are interesting and loveable. The world is well built and I love the introduction of golems as part of this mystic world. Charlie, the resident golem for most of the book and Jace's partner, is probably the biggest source of hilarious comments apart from Jace. His deadpan dry humor is great. He is probably my second favorite character after Jace. All the characters are wonderful in their own way and even although we don't learn TOO much about each one in this book I have a feeling that will change in future installments of this series. This book had to introduce us as readers to the world and Jace's plight before it can delve into the personal lives of the side characters.

I will say that the twists involving the bad guy, about Jace questioning who is really evil and wrong in this world, and the ever-presence of grey areas really added to the story and gave weight to all the decisions Jace had to make. I felt for her and I could definitely sympathize with her thoughts. As a serious student of the Japanese language and culture I have to say that I give props to the author for definitely knowing what he is talking about. His description of the culture and the background on Shinto was fascinating. It made me happy to see someone who isn't just throwing around the name of Japan without knowing the full details behind that country. Japan appreciates your accurate portrayal of them DD Barant and so do I!

I will finish this review by sharing two of my favorite quotes in the whole book (mind you, I have many of these so it was hard to choose):

"...Charlie informs me he heard noises coming from my tent that seemed to indicate either demonic possession or my having sex with a chain saw and he didn't feel it was safe to interrupt either one. I inform him that my snoring isn't anywhere near that bad, and anyway, shut up."

"...he reminds me of Paddington Bear after a horrible car accident."(less)

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May 14, 2012 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf

3.5 Stars for the possibilities of the series. This one is really tough to review, it wasn't an easy read. It's a suspense/thriller, but there is some paranormal and UF thrown in, some sci-fi and alternate history, and just a touch of Clive Cussler weirdness thrown in for good measure. It was certainly different, I'll give it that. Good wordbuilding, and an interesting and strange (if a bit heartless) alternate world. I don't know if the strangeness comes from something in the authors life, or f...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Noodle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

Wow, I just wrote a complete review of this book and failed to save it before my web browser spat the dummy, so apologies, as this is not likely to be as good as the last.

Dying Bites fell into my lap unexpectedly and what a surprise. A delightful little world with great characters and easy paradigms to get your head around.

Despite the author choosing an alternate universe to explain the existence of vampires and lycanthropes in this story, - something I have never really got on board with, alien...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Gwyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dying Bites is an original take on the typical urban fantasy setting with a solid, fast-paced plot and strong, if slightly flat, characters. Although there were a few things I would have liked to see done differently, I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to the reading the next.

The plot is by far Bites' greatest strength. Jace Valchek is a FBI criminal profiler who finds herself kidnapped and brought to a different dimension--one where humans are a minority and most the population sees...more Dying Bites is an original take on the typical urban fantasy setting with a solid, fast-paced plot and strong, if slightly flat, characters. Although there were a few things I would have liked to see done differently, I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to the reading the next.

The plot is by far Bites' greatest strength. Jace Valchek is a FBI criminal profiler who finds herself kidnapped and brought to a different dimension--one where humans are a minority and most the population sees her as a potential meal--so solve a series of sadistic murders for Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA. The storyline is strong, believable, and never slows down; I read it in almost a single sitting.

On the other hand, the characters--which I generally consider more important than plot--are the book's greatest weakness. What personality the characters have is intense, and shows in every scene, but they have no depth, no complexity. They are cardboard cutouts of people--brightly colored cutouts, but cardboard all the same. Although there is a great deal of opportunity for the characters to have meaningful interactions--as seen in the romantic tension between Jace and Cassius--these opportunities are usually missed or not taken full advantage of. I predict this will be a major problem, since the greatest draw of a series is watching the characters grow and change, both as individuals and in their relationships with each other. Jace herself is somewhat implausible. Although I'm not sure what a criminal profiler's job descriptiopn entails, I'm pretty sure they don't usually do a lot of detective work, forensics work, or shooting--all of which Jace has a great deal of experience.

Despite an abundance of studly men, there is almost no romance in Bites. For me this was a major disappointment, but it may come as a welcome change to some, who may be tired of the sexual focus of many books in the the UF genre. In many ways, Bites is not typical of genre, which makes it all the better for UF fans.(less)

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Dec 22, 2011 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story line is a fabulous concept...the characters...outstanding. My fault with this book was getting used to the story being told in the heroines voice per ce. AS in "I lift my hand and put it on my forehead"...which is from her point of view, but it's so very singular.
Pulled magically from her plane of existence Jace Valchek finds herself working in a world where humans are a dying race. Lycanthropes, vampires and golems are the rulers of the Unnatural States of America and make a deal with...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Ivanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolf-shape-shifter, vampire

Jace yang 'di culik' dan di bawa ke dunia lain yang berisi makhluk yang selama ini dia anggap mitos ajja. Di tawari pekerjaan untuk mencari pembunuh yang telah membunuh vampire dan Lycanthropes oleh kepala NSA David Cassius. Mau ga mau Jace harus menerima kalo dia ingin kembali ke dunia nya lagi.

Dengan rekannya Charlie (golem), dia terbang ke jepang untuk menyelidikinya.. yang di sana harus berhadapan dengan Yakuza... (wuiiiiiiiihh).. dengan di bantu dengan agen di sana yaitu Tanaka.

Selidik puny...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Nairabell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2011, 5-star

FBI profiler Jace Valcheck has literally been ripped from our world and dumped in a new one. If that wasn't strange enough, she's quickly informed that while this world still has humans, they only form 1% of the population. The rest is made up of vampires (called hemovores), lycanthropes and golems. Jace has been pulled into their world to deal with something they rarely see - a mentally unstable human serial killer. And if Jace ever wants to make it home, she'll have to catch the killer first....more FBI profiler Jace Valcheck has literally been ripped from our world and dumped in a new one. If that wasn't strange enough, she's quickly informed that while this world still has humans, they only form 1% of the population. The rest is made up of vampires (called hemovores), lycanthropes and golems. Jace has been pulled into their world to deal with something they rarely see - a mentally unstable human serial killer. And if Jace ever wants to make it home, she'll have to catch the killer first.

I'd heard good things about this and after seeing mostly positive reviews for it I decided to pick up a copy. I really enjoyed it, although it reminded me a little of Mark of the Demon because of the police work focus. It's not something I come across often in urban fantasy, and I haven't read a book where the heroine is ripped into a different world before so this is a pretty unique read.

The plot is well paced, but not particularly fast moving. However this actually helps the book to avoid info-dumping as we explore Jace's new world with her, and it means each species is carefully introduced. The tension does build towards the end, but this does lead into another book so don't read it expecting the storyline to be completely concluded. The romance aspect of the book is minor, but I actually appreciate the focus on developing the story.

I like Jace as a lead character as she's smart and snarky, and the snark and sarcasm shine through the narrative. Her bodyguard/partner Charlie is hilarious, and is a great way to get to understand golems especially as they're pretty rare even in paranormal fiction. They have some great snarky interactions. There are possible love interests in Japanese were Tanaka, vampire boss Cassius and sweet were-doctor Pete. As I said before there isn't much romance so each is developed more as a supporting character.

One thing did bother me - just after Jace meets Tanaka he is referred to as a vampire for part of a chapter. It annoyed me a bit, especially as that really should have been caught in the editing process.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Death Blows.

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

Overall: 47/50 (less)

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About D.D. Barant

Pseudonyms: Don DeBrandt & Donn Cortez

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 D.D. Barant is a pseudonym, and that it is not the only pseudonym under which he writes.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/ddbarant
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Books by D.D. Barant

Killing Rocks (The Bloodhound Files, #3)

Better Off Undead (The Bloodhound Files, #4)

Back from the Undead (The Bloodhound Files, #5)

Undead to the World (The Bloodhound Files, #6)

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Quotes from Dying Bites

“I've got a bad case of the 3:00 am guilts - you know, when you lie in bed awake and replay all those things you didn't do right? Because, as we all know, nothing solves insomnia like a nice warm glass of regret, depression and self-loathing.” — 112 people liked it

“I look over at him. He stares straight ahead.
"So," I say. "Golem, huh?"
"I prefer the term 'Mineral-American.” — 42 people liked it

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Dying Bites (The Bloodhound Files #1)

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