Hellforged (Deadtown, #2)

Jul 14, 2011 L-D rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

I enjoyed the second book of this series. It was not quite 4 stars but I always round up. Victory again finds herself up against her nemesis, The Destroyer, a Hellion that she is bound to. In addition to this returning foe, she also faces a demi-demon, Pryce, who is the proclaimed King of Uffran (hell). Kane returns in this book from his lobbying in D.C. and Vicky must choose between their on-again/off-again relationship or her still-new relationship with Daniel, the Boston PD Detective. After c...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, parnormal, romance-paranormal, urban-fantasy

4.5 stars (almost)

I picked up this book the day after I finished the first one. I liked it much much better.

First I loved the glitch. That is one awesome demon.

Mab is the other awesome thing. That woman kicks butt. I totally connected to her character. I could see her, understand her and I adore her. She is probably my favorite character in the whole series so far.

Vicky makes some better choices, although I still want to shake her occasionally. the trip to whales didn't bug me at all (which is...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Dianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-reading

Victoria Vaughan is a demon-killing shape-shifter in a world where a virus accidentally killed, then re-animated much of downtown Boston.

Because I'd written a pretty good review of Book 1, Deadtown, I decided to pick this one up on the way out of the office on my last day before a long road trip.

Remember how in "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" Joss Whedon would have 2-3 episodes that contributed to the big overall storyline, then he'd throw in 1 that was just a one-off. It was a tension-breaker. You...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-5-stars

Plot: 5 Stars
I love, love, love the world that the author has created. From the non-traditional zombies to the different kinds of demons, it's all very unique and creative. I also enjoy the politics surrounding PAs, or Paranormal Americans. Their fight for civil rights really rings true to me, because in a way it's a lot like what the LGBT community is fighting for right now. It almost brings a personal aspect to the novel for me, the way I relate so well to these Paranormal Americans that just...more Plot: 5 Stars
I love, love, love the world that the author has created. From the non-traditional zombies to the different kinds of demons, it's all very unique and creative. I also enjoy the politics surrounding PAs, or Paranormal Americans. Their fight for civil rights really rings true to me, because in a way it's a lot like what the LGBT community is fighting for right now. It almost brings a personal aspect to the novel for me, the way I relate so well to these Paranormal Americans that just want to be treated fairly. But back to the novel at hand... It was amazing for me to read this novel with so many strings of different plot elements blowing in the wind, and then watch all of these seemingly random events wrap up together so succinctly in the end.

Pace: 4 Stars
The first third of this novel flew by. One event after another had Victory going in every direction. But the second third sputtered for a minute. While Victory was in Wales, studying and practicing with Mab, there were times were it got a touch repetitive. There was just a tiny bit too much reading from The Book of Utter Darkness, a tiny bit too much learning to control Hellforged (the athame). It just needed a bit more action packed into it. But the final third of the book kicks off with a punch (or glitch) while they're flying back to Boston and it doesn't let go until the end. It was a race to the end, full of twist and turns and more questions.

Characters: 4 Stars
As much as I loved the plot of this novel, I wish more of the events could've taken place in Boston. Victory spends so much time in Wales, that many characters don't get nearly enough face time. I really, really missed Tina throughout this book. As much as she can annoy me at times, I still find her character hilarious, and would've liked to witness a bit more of her rise to stardom. Although Kane was around a bit more than I thought he would be, I still want to know more about him. It was great to see more of Mab, and to get to visit her in Wales. And I can't wait for the next novel, because I really want to know what's going on with Juliet.

Cover: 5 Stars
Again. I will say it again. Two words: Flaming sword. Although Victory never uses the flaming sword in this novel, it still exists, therefore it is welcome on the covers. So many of the details on the cover are 100% to the story, and it amazes me. The athame on her thigh, the crows in the sky, the slate headstones... Even the cover model's haircut. It's not very often such accuracy happens. The color palette for this novel is very eye-catching, although after reading I would've expected something darker considering the darkness surrounding the morfran and the book. But my favorite part is the celtic-like design behind the title.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the author. (less)

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Feb 07, 2011 Gail rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

This eagerly awaited (by me) sequel to Deadtown starts off with an enthralling scene where demon killer Victory is hunting down demon-infested computers called "Glitches." She defeats it after some rather squishy-icky results. Victory is still haunted by the Hellion she is bonded to and he seems to have infested her dreams.

Then zombies, otherwise known as previously deceased humans, start dying after talking with her. Getting no support or information from the police, paranormal or otherwise, sh...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Ana rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Oct 29, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

After Deadtown I wondered if Hellforged could improve further and fulfill the potential that I saw in it's predecessor. I'm glad to say that it did, giving me a brilliantly entertaining time. As with my review for Deadtown, I must say though that there isn't much here to make it stand out head and shoulders above the plethora of UF books out there. But, as I also said last time, I don't read bad UF - if I even get a whiff it sucks, I put it down. The fact that it doesn't stick out from the other...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hellforged is the second book in the Deadtown series by Nancy Holzner and an ACE Fantasy.

Book Blurb:

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

After Vicky banished her demon nemesis to the fiery depths of Hell, she thought life would return to normal. But considering she has a werewolf lawyer boyfriend, a zombie apprentice who...more

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May 14, 2011 Paula Weston rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Following up a well-received debut novel is always a bit tricky, but Nancy Holzner doesn’t miss a beat with the second book in her Deadtown paranormal series.

Last year, Deadtown introduced us to Vicky Vaughn, a shapeshifter demon hunter, who lives in the quarantined area of Boston that’s now home to the city’s resident zombie, vampire and werewolf population (the Deadtown of the title).

It gave Holzner the chance to set up her fully formed world – complete with paranormal politics – in an action-...more Following up a well-received debut novel is always a bit tricky, but Nancy Holzner doesn’t miss a beat with the second book in her Deadtown paranormal series.

Last year, Deadtown introduced us to Vicky Vaughn, a shapeshifter demon hunter, who lives in the quarantined area of Boston that’s now home to the city’s resident zombie, vampire and werewolf population (the Deadtown of the title).

It gave Holzner the chance to set up her fully formed world – complete with paranormal politics – in an action-packed story peppered with wry humour.

In Hellforged, the action picks up again in Boston, where Vicky is continuing to ply her extermination trade while dealing with the repercussions of binding herself to the demon who killed her father.

But she has a few other things on her mind: as well as some troubling political changes in the wind, there’s a series of gruesome zombie murders in Deadtown. And when Vicky realises she may have a connection to the macabre crimes, she heads to Wales to learn more about her family’s shapeshifter heritage.

There, she resumes training with her enigmatic Aunt Mab and meets a “cousin” with a dark agenda. Ultimately, Vicky must face her demons – figuratively and literally – and learn to use a new weapon known as Hellforged to save Boston’s zombie population. Not to mention save herself from a fate worse than death.

One of the things I liked most about Deadtown was the social justice sub-text, where zombies and other paranormals were struggling for equal rights alongside their human counterparts.

There’s still a flavour of this in Hellforged – in fact the checkpoint scenes reflect restrictions imposed by an oppressive regime in a certain part of the world today – but Hellforged also delves deeper into Vicky’s story. The focus enables some interesting plot development and world building, with Holzner introducing more Welsh mythology into her Deadtown universe.

By moving a large part of the story to Wales, Holzner is able to create a new atmosphere, which keeps things fresh. But there’s still plenty of non-stop action and tension.

Supporting characters from Deadtown return, including zombie teenager Tina (slightly less annoying this time around), good guy cop Daniel, and werewolf civil rights lawyer Kane, who finally gets out of the court room and flexes some muscle.

It’s a good addition to the series, resolving a couple major plot issues, and setting up at a few new ones for the next instalment.
(less)

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Jan 17, 2011 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: deadtown-series, urban-fantasy

Hellforged opens with demon hunter, Victory Vaughn and her zombie teen apprentice, Tina, attempting to rid MIT computer labs of a nasty Glitch demon. Of course things don’t go smoothly, but Vicki manages to make the best of the situation. And that is how Vicki rolls.

Although I did not read Deadtown, the first book in Ms. Holzner’s series, I did not feel as if I missed a beat (but I hear the book is wonderful). The author does a great job with world-building - making the zombie-infested streets...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Kitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010, urban-fantasy, arc, books-i-own, deadtown

Find the original posted on Paperback Dolls.com

When we left Victory Vaughn last year in Deadtown, Ms.Holzner’s debut, she was confused, battered, and a little broken from sending the Hellion, Difethwr the Destroyer, to Hell. Now almost six months later she’s entirely recovered. Well... unless you count that demon mark still burning up her arm. O.. or the confusion of choosing between to delectable men. But whose counting?

Beginning Hellforged is Ms. Holzner’s unmistakable fast paced fighting sty...more Find the original posted on Paperback Dolls.com

When we left Victory Vaughn last year in Deadtown, Ms.Holzner’s debut, she was confused, battered, and a little broken from sending the Hellion, Difethwr the Destroyer, to Hell. Now almost six months later she’s entirely recovered. Well... unless you count that demon mark still burning up her arm. O.. or the confusion of choosing between to delectable men. But whose counting?

Beginning Hellforged is Ms. Holzner’s unmistakable fast paced fighting style. Vicky’s on a job to take care of a Glitch with her sidekick Tina when things get out of control which is usually just an example of another days hard work. Except this day is the last time anything will make since for our demon slayer for quite sometime, because when she goes home from Creature Comforts later that night to get a little shut eye, her dream-scape is invaded by none other than the Destroyer himself.

Here is where Hellforged slows down. Vicky’s Aunt Mab calls her home to Maenllyd in Wales to "finish her training". While she’s there, it’s a constant schedule for Vicky of taking that next step in her demon education. The second prophecy at her birth has been set in motion and now Vicky’s trying her hardest to make sure The Book of Utter Darkness’s edict doesn’t become her fate.

So, I know everyone wants to know of what has happened in the Vicky, sexy were-wolf attorney Alexander Kane and gorgeous Detective Daniel Costello love triangle, but I’m going to disappoint. There’s honestly nothing I can tell what with Vicky being in Wales for over half the book and then the other half being too spoilery. In reality, there isn't much romance what-so-ever. In UF's I don't expect to have a romance, but if there is a presence of one, I do expect some growth of character for those of romantic interest to which I found Hellforged lacking in. However, I will say that Vicky does choose by the end (for now ;)) and I am really happy by her choice.

By the end, Hellforged did bring back all the heart pumping, pulse racing, edge-of-your-seat action that we saw in Deadtown. Though we missed out on the comical zombie aspect to which I think makes this series so great. Ms. Holzner’s writing style keeps me turning those pages, but her ending is what has me hoping that the next in the series releases sooner rather than later. Ms. Holzner your slight cliff-hanger ending was not nice. (less)

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Aug 24, 2011 Jessica Bronder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vicky Vaughn is a shape shifting demon slayer. But it seems things are going downhill fast. Her zombie apprentice has decided that she would rather be a backup singer in the only zombie rock band. The Destroyer, the demon bound to Vicky, is invading her dreams, and zombies are being turned into black goo.

Vicky breaks down and asks her Aunt Mab for help and is told to get home and not to fall asleep until she is there. Vicky learns that a demi-demon, Pryce, has found a prophecy that says the two...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Suz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is a good series overall and I was quite pleased that the author closed up the blossoming love triangle without dragging it out and making it angsty. We didn't to share in the resultant heat and I thought that was a bit of a cop out, but overall I was pleased that the author chose not to toy with the readers with a much over used triangle trope.

The world is quite rich and the elements exist in a constant state of push/ pull that feels very real to me. Some times it's gritty and other times...more This is a good series overall and I was quite pleased that the author closed up the blossoming love triangle without dragging it out and making it angsty. We didn't to share in the resultant heat and I thought that was a bit of a cop out, but overall I was pleased that the author chose not to toy with the readers with a much over used triangle trope.

The world is quite rich and the elements exist in a constant state of push/ pull that feels very real to me. Some times it's gritty and other times it feels a bit too bubble gum, but when I stop to think about it life can be that way too so it seems to flow naturally for me.

I liked that there was a resolution to a longer arc with a nemesis in this book, too. The heroine was petrified that she was out matched and for a good bit of the book it looked like that might be the case. She even had a bit of dumb luck that played into it.

I feel a bit torn about the ending, to be honest. It's an unresolved set up for the next book, possibly even the new long arc given that the old long arc got resolved in this book. It wasn't jarring and it didn't feel manipulative but it certainly didn't feel like a resolution either. In fact she began introducing the story early in the book and weaved it into the book arc in such a way that it would be fair to say that it not only is the introduction of the long arc but it's also an unresolved piece of this book arc, leaving this book feeling a bit unfinished and like a "part 1 of 2" kind of thing without actually saying it.

I can't decide if I'm not flipping out about the "cliff hanger ending" because it wasn't jarring or because I just wasn't that invested in the book. Normally I give 1 star ratings for cliff hangers but since I can't really put my finger on this one I'm only going to grade down a star for a general sense of incompleteness. Otherwise it was a solid 4 stars that I would upgrade to 4.5 if we could have gotten a peak at the consummation of the relationship commitment.(less)

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Victory “Vicky” Vaughn thought she sent the Hellion demon known as ‘The Destroyer’ to Hell for the long haul (hopefully forever). However, she now finds her dreams are haunted again by The Destroyer and her zombie friends start dying mysteriously. It doesn't take long for Vicky to realize that she's the only connection between the murders and fears that the Destroyer is using her to kill her friends.

I really enjoyed this book and I liked how we, the reader, are able to get more back story on Vic...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, own

After saving the world from the clutches of the Destroyer Demon and its evil puppeteer, Victory Vaughn is finally falling back into the routine of professional demon hunting. Victory pays the bills by exterminating the myriad of demons that inhabit the DEADTOWN world. While on a routine case Victory is paid a visit in a dream by the Destroyer she thought she had banished. She might have been able to handle the fact that the Destroyer has returned, but that’s not quite all... Every time the demon...more After saving the world from the clutches of the Destroyer Demon and its evil puppeteer, Victory Vaughn is finally falling back into the routine of professional demon hunting. Victory pays the bills by exterminating the myriad of demons that inhabit the DEADTOWN world. While on a routine case Victory is paid a visit in a dream by the Destroyer she thought she had banished. She might have been able to handle the fact that the Destroyer has returned, but that’s not quite all... Every time the demon stops by to say hello and deliver an evil message, someone close to her bites the dust. Victory has to piece it all together. Her friends are dying and she’s running out of time.

The storyline for Hellforged takes Vicky out of Deadtown. Deadtown is a fun and crazy place, but it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the players. Hellforged simplifies the story a bit by pushing a lot of the first book’s characters out of focus so we can spend more time getting to know Victory Vaughn. It was refreshing to not have so many people to keep track of. Vicky is such a great character, and the more time we have with her, the better.

I also like how things start to get a little more serious. In the line of work that our typical urban fantasy heroes engage in, it’s amazing how often everyone ends up OK in the end. Hellforged doesn’t necessarily hold to that philosophy. Granted, Nancy Holzner’s stories are not like a George R.R. Martin novel in which you should give up getting attached to anyone. She does, however, give you reason to doubt that everyone will make it to the end of the book. That doubt hangs in the back your mind throughout the story, giving serious depth to the suspense.

Deadtown was good, but Hellforged is even better. A superficial glance would suggest that this series is typical leather-clad bad-girl urban fantasy, but that conclusion would be a mistake. Dr. Holzner surprised me in Deadtown with her writing ability, and her original twists on some classic urban fantasy tropes, and Hellforged surprised me by taking everything I liked about the first book a few steps further. The writing is airtight; her characters have been honed to an edge. There is comedy, drama, romance, and a whole lot of ass kicking. Hellforged is the total package, and a superb example of why I still love urban fantasy.

Like I said, Hellforged is great urban fantasy, but that might also be its limitation. Holzner doesn’t take many risks that might make her story appeal to those not already on the urban fantasy bandwagon. The DEADTOWN series is not going to convert anyone who already has a distaste for zombies, werewolves and vampires. I would, however, recommend the series to anyone who might be sitting on the fence. If you love urban fantasy, then buy Nancy Holzner’s books right this minute. If you are not sure whether you like urban fantasy, then pick these up the next time you’re in the mood for a change a pace. I think you’ll like them. —Justin for www.FantasyLiterature.com

You can also learn more about Nancy’s books at the Fantasyliterature Nancy Holzner page (less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Shandy Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy, zombie, review-2011

Another great book by Ms Holzner. This is the second installment in the Deadtown series. In this book Vicky goes to England to enlist the help of her Aunt Mab. While there Mab has her move to the next level of her demon fighter training. Vicky also meet her "cousin" Pyrce who is a demi-demon.
There is a lot going on once again in this book. Vicky is dealing with more than her share of problems. Pyrce is hell bent (pardon the pun) of fulfilling a prophecy, that he believes means one thing, but pro...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Paris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

After how excited I was with the first book in the new series, I was really disappointed with Hellforged. Deadtown was a refreshing, fun, exciting first book in a new UF series. It wasn’t bogged down with too much information or too much world building. No, that was saved for the second book in the series. While there were bits and pieces that were exciting and interesting, the majority of story was a giant info drop of Welsh mythology that was supposed to build up Victory’s Ceridwen heritage. I...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Katyana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ass-kicking-women, demons, fantasy, series, shapeshifters, uf, vampires

Well, I liked this one a lot more than Deadtown. I am trying to work out exactly why.

Part of it, I think, is that Vicky got out of her usual environment. This worked well for her as a character - getting to see more of where she came from, her childhood - and it was also nice to put some distance between Vicky/the story and secondary characters who bugged the crap out of me. We got very little Gwen (hooray!), not much Tina (though I would have been happier with even less Tina, who is still REALL...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Tamsen Conner rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought Deadtown was really great so I was excited to get my hands on Hellforged and I have to say it definitely lived up to my expectations. I think in fact that I liked Hellforged better than I liked Deadtown!

I really loved the way Holzner delved deeper into the Cerddorion and Welsh mythology by sending Vicky to Wales to further her training with the formidable Aunt Mab. I grew up reading Greek and Norse mythology but this series is my first exposure to Welsh mythology and I find it entirely...more

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Dec 07, 2010 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I was a big fan of DEADTOWN, both the book and the fantastic city that serves as the setting for Nancy Holzner’s urban fantasy series of the same name. It’s so important when dealing with any kind of fantasy fiction that there is an emotional connection that we make with the characters to bridge that gap that separates us. With the Deadtown series, it’s Deadtown itself.

Deadtown is the ‘reservation’ where the human part of Boston has quarantined it’s sup...more Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I was a big fan of DEADTOWN, both the book and the fantastic city that serves as the setting for Nancy Holzner’s urban fantasy series of the same name. It’s so important when dealing with any kind of fantasy fiction that there is an emotional connection that we make with the characters to bridge that gap that separates us. With the Deadtown series, it’s Deadtown itself.

Deadtown is the ‘reservation’ where the human part of Boston has quarantined it’s supernatural community, most notably zombies, or as they prefer to be called the Previously Dead. They may have gray/green flesh with blood red eyes and go a little cliché when faced with fresh blood, but in HELLFORGED, Nancy once again humanizes them so completely that it’s easy to sympathize with their treatment and become indignant at how unjust it is.

In HELLFORGED, we delve deeper in to the Welsh mythology that serves as the basis for Victory’s unique supernatural status: a Cerddorion (limited shapeshifter). While I did enjoy learning more about the Cerddorion race and the battle they have waged for millennia against demons, I really missed the connection to Deadtown. A good half of the story takes place in Wales as Vicky had to face some personal demons there while learning/training/preparing for another big showdown with The Destroyer demon that she fought in DEADTOWN.

The romance was also disappointing for me this time. Both Vicky’s werewolf sort of boyfriend Kane, and Homicide Detective Daniel that she’s kind of dating too were both pretty vanilla. Vicky has trouble choosing between them, but I couldn’t understand why: Apart from the occasional fur, they were exactly the same. Not that the romance is a big part of the story, it’s a very small part, but I still found it lacking.

HELLFORGED does expand on it’s mythology, which is always good, but it comes at the expense of the zombie social commentary that made the first book so good. The setting of Deadtown is still the big draw in this series, and the half of the book that we spend there is full of demon exorcising fun (including a Ghostbusters reminiscent opening), but I’m hoping Vicky sticks a little closer to home in her next book.

Sexual Content: Kissing, references to rape(less)

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Oct 25, 2011 Jennifer (a.k.a The Book Nympho) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nook

For most of Hellforged the cast is pretty small. We don’t get to see much of the secondary characters, since Vicky spends a large part of the book in Wales studying with her Aunt Mab.

The first part Hellforged is in Boston and there is something killing the zombies in Deadtown. And something even weirder is going on with Vicky’s roommate, Juliet. Vicky’s not sure if two things are connected and asks for info from Detective Daniel about the zombie cases.

Speaking of Daniel, things between him and V...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Deborah Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked the first book in this series, Deadtown, when it came out last year, so I'd been looking forward to the release of the second one, Hellforged. You never know which way a new author is going to go in a second book--sometimes it is a disappointment, and sometimes you are hooked for life.

Nancy Holzner is definitely in the second category. After reading Hellforged, I can safely say that I will eagerly read anything that has her name on the book jacket. Hellforged was a wild ride from...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

I find the world Nancy Holzner has built to be highly interesting, I love the people and places she describes and the new facts she throws in along the way. Victory has to go to Wales learn new things and expand on her training with her Aunt Mab and I loved learning more about her and the way she trains Vicky. I defiantly want to see more of Aunt Mab thrown in the next book. There isn't much romance in HELLFORGED (meaning like almost none) but...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hellforged is book two in the Deadtown series by Nancy Holzner. Since I didn’t review book one, I’ll give you a quick up summary to get you up to speed. Victory is a demon hunter & also a shape shifter (she can only change 3 times a month). In Deadtown, Vicky sends the demon that killed her father, back to hell but through the struggle to do so bounds herself to him in the process & ends up with a demon mark.

Right from the start of Hellforged we have action, Vicky is battling a Glitch (a...more Hellforged is book two in the Deadtown series by Nancy Holzner. Since I didn’t review book one, I’ll give you a quick up summary to get you up to speed. Victory is a demon hunter & also a shape shifter (she can only change 3 times a month). In Deadtown, Vicky sends the demon that killed her father, back to hell but through the struggle to do so bounds herself to him in the process & ends up with a demon mark.

Right from the start of Hellforged we have action, Vicky is battling a Glitch (a technology demon) with her sidekick Tina, a teenage zombie. This ends up being the last job Vicky does for awhile because when she goes to sleep that night, her dream-scape is invaded. This is a huge problem, because Vicky’s dream-scape is not supposed to be breached. When she finally contacts her Aunt Mab, Mab tells Vicky she must come to Wales to begin her final demon training…but Mab sounds scared.

I love the way Nancy Holzner tells a story, it makes the reader feel like they are apart of the world she has created. Her writing flows so well together, it’s only hours later you realize you haven’t moved from the couch!

In Hellforged, we move more into the mythology surrounding Vicky & away from Deadtown the area in which all paranormals have to live within Boston. That makes it a little on the slow side, as we are gathering more background then action but it makes sense towards the end of the book. We needed this information for the series to go ahead & start pacing again.

The romance was a bit disappointing, as we don’t have much of it. Vicky has an on-again, off-again with werewolf Kane & started seeing Homicide Detective Daniel, but both were pretty blah. Nothing big in romance because the story is focusing on the dream invading & the mythology.

I am a huge Tina fan, so I was a bit disappointed to see she wasn’t with Vicky through-out the story but rather appeared in bits & pieces. I really want a Tina spin-off, I love her that much!

All in all, I loved Deadtown but Helforged was a little to much mythology for me.(less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Review to be posted at alternative-read.com

This is Nancy Holzner's second book about Vicky, a shapeshifter and demon slayer. If you have a problem with demons then she will come in and fix it, even while you dream if that's where they are haunting you. She is the girl to call. No job is too small.

I was not in love with book 1, it was good, but for some reason I had issues with it. But I still wanted to know what happened and here something showed up that gave me that drive to really want to kno...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hellforged by Nancy Holzner is the wildly intense second installment in the Deadtown series. I must admit that I have not read the first in this series, but that in no way hindered my thoughts on Hellforged. Though I wouldn't recommend skipping the first book because I have heard such wonderful things about it, you can begin this series with book two and not skip a beat!

After saving the world in Deadtown, Victory Vaughn is finally back to her regular gig- hunting demons. And while on what seeme...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

My full review of the series will be up on Bite Club beginning 10/11/11. Here's what I had to say about book 2:

Hellforged begins with Vicky once again slaying a demon, only this time the demon she's battling is a Glitch, so of course I just kept picturing Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase. This kind of Glitch causes massive chaos and I will never look at flying quite the same way. What does that have to do with anything? Read the book. Anyhow...this book dealt more with Vicky's heritage, which mean...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Jennifer (Fictitious Musings) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I came across “Hellforged” last year at All Things Urban Fantasy. I was so intrigued by it that I added it to my must-read list right away. This was my first time to read Holzner’s work; sadly I haven’t read “Deadtown,” the first book of the Deadtown series. I try not to read books out of order if I can help it but this one was definitely worth breaking my rule.

If you’re looking for action then you will love the plot in Hellforged. A demon that Vicki knows all too well is entering her dreamscape...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mon avis en Français

My English review

I immediately read this second volume after finishing the first one. I must say that once we get into the world of Nancy Holzner we always want more. This new novel also begins really fast and like the first one we aren’t bored for a second.

Having regained an almost normal life, with the hope of having gotten rid of her Hellion demon, our young heroine comes back to work as if nothing had happened. But she is nevertheless very quickly overtaken by some new...more Mon avis en Français

My English review

I immediately read this second volume after finishing the first one. I must say that once we get into the world of Nancy Holzner we always want more. This new novel also begins really fast and like the first one we aren’t bored for a second.

Having regained an almost normal life, with the hope of having gotten rid of her Hellion demon, our young heroine comes back to work as if nothing had happened. But she is nevertheless very quickly overtaken by some new problems when, after forgetting her watch at the bar, she returns the next morning to find the new bartender, a zombie, dead in a fairly atrocious way. And it seems that death is following her when two others she knew, are found in the same way. I must say I was quite surprised by the death of a character I liked even though we didn’t see him a lot. It's pretty sad to say that we won’t see him anymore through the pages. But in addition to all this, the banished Hellion she thought gone, returns to her in the less pleasant way possible. Vicky is going to have to face many new challenges and new characters who do not necessarily want her something good.

I was really delighted to meet Mab after hearing so much about her. This is really a fascinating lady and we’re immediately intrigued by what she really is and what she can do. We realize that our heroine does not know her really well as the lady hides many things. In this trip, we will also meet Pryce, her half demon cousin who is convinced that destiny will unite them both. This is also far from the view of our hunter! Kane and Daniel are also here. It is quite difficult to make a choice between the two of them, they both really have a little something more. We would like to see our heroine trying something with both to see where it could lead her to, but it is actually quite complicated. There are a lot of things in this novel and there is no downtime. As soon as we are on an idea, something else occurs, complicating the whole story.

I really enjoyed this novel, it was a very pleasant surprise and I'm glad to have discovered this series. I also will launch in the third book as soon as I get it in hand. The world and the characters are always fascinating and I hope more now. (less)

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Nov 24, 2012 Talk Supe Blogspot rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first part was very good and moved in an upbeat then it slowed down mid part. The part where Vicky stayed with Aunt Mab, though important, and did her lessons and training was a little dull for me. Do you remember the wax-in-wax-out part of Karate Kid? There's a reason why that was done in montage & not a detailed rudimentary illustration of strength training and skill building. I was so tempted to DNF this but sheer determination kept me going on. Things started to pick up again in the...more

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Hellforged (Deadtown #2)

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Hellforged (Deadtown #2)

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