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Kayla Steele #1
Dante's Girl
Kayla Steele is a woman with a problem .
First of all, she's trying to hold down her job at the perfume counter of a large department store, whilst staying on top of her pile of mounting bills. As if that wasn't enough, she's also on a mission to learn the Dark Arts so that she can avenge the death of her boyfriend and bring down the cabal of supernatural entities that is stalking the streets of LA. Then, of course, there's the dead boyfriend himself, Karrel Dante. She's really got no idea where that relationship is going at the moment...
First of all, she's trying to hold down her job at the perfume counter of a large department store, whilst staying on top of her pile of mounting bills. As if that wasn't enough, she's also on a mission to learn the Dark Arts so that she can avenge the death of her boyfriend and bring down the cabal of supernatural entities that is stalking the streets of LA. Then, of course, there's the dead boyfriend himself, Karrel Dante. She's really got no idea where that relationship is going at the moment...
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 27, 2007
12 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Rhodes
9 books56 followersNATASHA RHODES is the British-born author of a worrying number of popular novels about vampires and werewolves, including the smash-hit movie blockbusters 'Blade: Trinity,' 'Final Destination: The Movie 1 and 2,' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street: Perchance To Dream.' Her original Kayla Steele Vampire Hunter novels have been published internationally to occasional critical acclaim.
Natasha currently works on the Research & Threat Intelligence team of a major cybersecurity company. She'd write a book about her experiences if she thought anyone would believe her. She currently lives in in Orange County, California, with her husband (the bass player in a Motley Crue tribute band), and her two rescue cats.
Natasha currently works on the Research & Threat Intelligence team of a major cybersecurity company. She'd write a book about her experiences if she thought anyone would believe her. She currently lives in in Orange County, California, with her husband (the bass player in a Motley Crue tribute band), and her two rescue cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 1, 2009
Kayla Steele is your average girl; she works at a cosmetics counter in a big chain-store, has a small apartment and a boyfriend who doesn't always keep his appointements. Normal, right?
Wrong. When Karrel Dante misses the most important dinner (the "proposal dinner", of course) of his girlfriends life, Kayla's life changes completely. Suddenly there are people after her... people who grow fur, have sharp teeth and just won't stay dead. It seems her boyfriend Dante was more than he let on...
Well... the story was okay, I guess, but there were way too many characters and a lot of POVs. Not to mention the end was pretty confusing with all the backstabbing done by the assorted villains in the numerous cast.
The supposedly main character didn't have that much air time and I thought that she didn't really grow much in 400+ pages. Why? Because many of these pages were filled with scenes of other characters (sometimes pointless scenes). Bad guy A is doing this; Bad guy B is doing that; at the same time, Hero B is doing such stuff. Villain 123 is getting high in a corner and/or comitting random acts of violence.
With so many POV switches I couldn't really connect with any character in particular. I even question why this is a "Kayla Steele" novel instead of a "Ninette" novel or a "Harlem the werewolf" novel. It's great that we have input from other characters, but I think that if you have a main character you should stick to her. Mostly.
Still it had a good premise, if not entirely original. Also the writing style was okay.
Wrong. When Karrel Dante misses the most important dinner (the "proposal dinner", of course) of his girlfriends life, Kayla's life changes completely. Suddenly there are people after her... people who grow fur, have sharp teeth and just won't stay dead. It seems her boyfriend Dante was more than he let on...
Well... the story was okay, I guess, but there were way too many characters and a lot of POVs. Not to mention the end was pretty confusing with all the backstabbing done by the assorted villains in the numerous cast.
The supposedly main character didn't have that much air time and I thought that she didn't really grow much in 400+ pages. Why? Because many of these pages were filled with scenes of other characters (sometimes pointless scenes). Bad guy A is doing this; Bad guy B is doing that; at the same time, Hero B is doing such stuff. Villain 123 is getting high in a corner and/or comitting random acts of violence.
With so many POV switches I couldn't really connect with any character in particular. I even question why this is a "Kayla Steele" novel instead of a "Ninette" novel or a "Harlem the werewolf" novel. It's great that we have input from other characters, but I think that if you have a main character you should stick to her. Mostly.
Still it had a good premise, if not entirely original. Also the writing style was okay.
March 4, 2013
In her debut novel Natasha Rhodes brings us a story where love is supposed to conquer all, but what happens when the person you love is murdered and asked you to get revenge on those who killed them. Would you be able to pull the trigger?
Kayla was preparing for one of the best nights of her life, she knew her boyfriend was going to propose to her, but he never showed up. No phone call, text anything to tell her that he was not coming. Completely depressed she sets out on the town to drink her sorrow away, only to be attacked, almost raped and possible eaten, though Kayla is not too sure what she saw. As if her days could not get any worse, she discovers that Karrel had not stood her up, her had been murdered. Kayla now seeking answers to what she saw the night before and into Karrel's death. It will take her to places that only nightmares should be, but she will put everything on the line, as Karrel's once last request of her is to seek revenge on those who had him murdered. However, Kayla knows nothing of the dark world Karrel was working in (he was part of a group called Hunters) and has no idea who she can trust. All she wants to do is go home and cry but that is no longer safe as the enemy and the Hunters has discovered Kayla's existence and one or both will stop at nothing to make sure that she does not see her next day.
In all honesty I bought this book well over year ago and it has sat on my shelf all that time. In a effort to read the books that have been sitting on my shelf the longest, I have started "making" myself read these books. I think this book has sat on my shelf as long as it has because I have shifted in my reading to not include as much as paranormal romance which is what I thought this book would be. However, I could not have been more wrong. Yes, the entire premise is based around a woman's love for her boyfriend and essentially the influence everything that she does, but this does not mean that the book is about romance. Nonetheless, there are sex scenes in this book, but not that many, I think 3 tops, so nothing that would over power the story. This book really surprised me, I think for reasons stated above I thought that I was going to hate it and have to force myself through it, but I really enjoyed the book. There was a lot more action than I expected and the book turned out to be a fairly dark book (which made me even more happy). I have actually already looked into getting the second book as I want to see what happens next which I think tells you how much I liked it.
I liked the twist on human experimenting and the use of people's vanity as their ultimately downfall (I mean the book is based in LA, I don't know a place where more pressure is placed on looks). The human experimenting was something new to me in paranormal genre, I think I may have read a book or two that touch on the subject but it was often the different paranormal creatures that were being tested on rather than humans. The experiments that go on are down right freaky (don't worry Rhodes does not go into detail, you just find out the afterwards what the side affects were) especially what was done to the Vampire Cyan, I could not even imagine (I could compare it to a wolverine type but much worse). The cosmetic testing side affects that were going one made me never want to have any form of beauty treatment.
I liked Kayla as a character, though I do question her morals at times with her interactions with Mutt (Yes a werewolf named Mutt). I mean Karrel has just been murdered and all of a sudden you're in Mutt's arms a guy who is suppose to be your boyfriend's friend I guess grief does things to different people. I think that Kayla is a fairly believable character. After everything that she has been through all she really wants to do is run home and hide and I do not think that the reader could blame her for not being the kickass heroine in this book. There are other individuals who can fulfill that role. Kayla's role, I think, is to remind people of the human aspect of compassion when interacting with creatures that are not human. Not to say that Kayla does not through down, I guess better terms would be stumbling through it and running, lots of running. I like that Rhodes did not have Kayla all of a sudden become the kickass heroine, she needs to learn train ect before she is able to reach that point. I also like the Hunter Phil, he was nice comic relief within the book. I especially liked the scene with the guitar and the vampire near the end of the book (I had a nice laugh at that part).
The cover may throw you off and you will think that this is mainly a vampire book (I know it did for me), this book is more based about werewolves and werewolf hunters. Yes there are a few vampires within the book and while one might be one of the main enemies, they are still secondary to the werewolves.
This was a great novel debut, I was hard pressed to put the book down. It was well written with some great action scenes and plot line. I guess my one fault is knowing who the enemy is beforehand, but that does not mean that the backstabbing and twists and turns do not stop. I think fans of paranormal books should jump at the chance to read this book and hopefully series (i'll let you know once I read the second book). This book has a good blend of realism and paranormal aspects that I found refreshing. It was also scary to think about what cosmetic testing could be and really one of the most evil individuals within the book is a Human (I know it made me stop and think). The other nice thing about starting this series is there are 3 books already out, no need to wait a year before you are able to the next one. :)
Enjoy!!!!
Kayla was preparing for one of the best nights of her life, she knew her boyfriend was going to propose to her, but he never showed up. No phone call, text anything to tell her that he was not coming. Completely depressed she sets out on the town to drink her sorrow away, only to be attacked, almost raped and possible eaten, though Kayla is not too sure what she saw. As if her days could not get any worse, she discovers that Karrel had not stood her up, her had been murdered. Kayla now seeking answers to what she saw the night before and into Karrel's death. It will take her to places that only nightmares should be, but she will put everything on the line, as Karrel's once last request of her is to seek revenge on those who had him murdered. However, Kayla knows nothing of the dark world Karrel was working in (he was part of a group called Hunters) and has no idea who she can trust. All she wants to do is go home and cry but that is no longer safe as the enemy and the Hunters has discovered Kayla's existence and one or both will stop at nothing to make sure that she does not see her next day.
In all honesty I bought this book well over year ago and it has sat on my shelf all that time. In a effort to read the books that have been sitting on my shelf the longest, I have started "making" myself read these books. I think this book has sat on my shelf as long as it has because I have shifted in my reading to not include as much as paranormal romance which is what I thought this book would be. However, I could not have been more wrong. Yes, the entire premise is based around a woman's love for her boyfriend and essentially the influence everything that she does, but this does not mean that the book is about romance. Nonetheless, there are sex scenes in this book, but not that many, I think 3 tops, so nothing that would over power the story. This book really surprised me, I think for reasons stated above I thought that I was going to hate it and have to force myself through it, but I really enjoyed the book. There was a lot more action than I expected and the book turned out to be a fairly dark book (which made me even more happy). I have actually already looked into getting the second book as I want to see what happens next which I think tells you how much I liked it.
I liked the twist on human experimenting and the use of people's vanity as their ultimately downfall (I mean the book is based in LA, I don't know a place where more pressure is placed on looks). The human experimenting was something new to me in paranormal genre, I think I may have read a book or two that touch on the subject but it was often the different paranormal creatures that were being tested on rather than humans. The experiments that go on are down right freaky (don't worry Rhodes does not go into detail, you just find out the afterwards what the side affects were) especially what was done to the Vampire Cyan, I could not even imagine (I could compare it to a wolverine type but much worse). The cosmetic testing side affects that were going one made me never want to have any form of beauty treatment.
I liked Kayla as a character, though I do question her morals at times with her interactions with Mutt (Yes a werewolf named Mutt). I mean Karrel has just been murdered and all of a sudden you're in Mutt's arms a guy who is suppose to be your boyfriend's friend I guess grief does things to different people. I think that Kayla is a fairly believable character. After everything that she has been through all she really wants to do is run home and hide and I do not think that the reader could blame her for not being the kickass heroine in this book. There are other individuals who can fulfill that role. Kayla's role, I think, is to remind people of the human aspect of compassion when interacting with creatures that are not human. Not to say that Kayla does not through down, I guess better terms would be stumbling through it and running, lots of running. I like that Rhodes did not have Kayla all of a sudden become the kickass heroine, she needs to learn train ect before she is able to reach that point. I also like the Hunter Phil, he was nice comic relief within the book. I especially liked the scene with the guitar and the vampire near the end of the book (I had a nice laugh at that part).
The cover may throw you off and you will think that this is mainly a vampire book (I know it did for me), this book is more based about werewolves and werewolf hunters. Yes there are a few vampires within the book and while one might be one of the main enemies, they are still secondary to the werewolves.
This was a great novel debut, I was hard pressed to put the book down. It was well written with some great action scenes and plot line. I guess my one fault is knowing who the enemy is beforehand, but that does not mean that the backstabbing and twists and turns do not stop. I think fans of paranormal books should jump at the chance to read this book and hopefully series (i'll let you know once I read the second book). This book has a good blend of realism and paranormal aspects that I found refreshing. It was also scary to think about what cosmetic testing could be and really one of the most evil individuals within the book is a Human (I know it made me stop and think). The other nice thing about starting this series is there are 3 books already out, no need to wait a year before you are able to the next one. :)
Enjoy!!!!
July 9, 2018
Una historia rara, densa y difícil de leer. Está bueno tener giros inesperados pero la historia parecía como un GPS perdido, todo el tiempo recalculando...
Además es difícil engancharte con la historia si la autora sigue matando/desapareciendo a los intereses amorosos de la protagonista.
No creo que siga leyendo la saga pese al gancho del final
Además es difícil engancharte con la historia si la autora sigue matando/desapareciendo a los intereses amorosos de la protagonista.
No creo que siga leyendo la saga pese al gancho del final
January 12, 2013
This book was a gift from a friend that knows that urban-fantasy is one of my favourite literary genres. I have to say that until the day I got this book I had never heard of Natasha Rhodes so I was pretty admired to find out that she wrote the film novelization Blade Trinity. Wow.
But about Dante's Girl, I was very curious when I started reading this. The plot line is very simple, Kayla has to avenge the death of her boyfriend Karell. Okay, is not that simple but the story revolves around Dante's death.
Although I have enjoyed Natasha's writing I have to say that I found the plot very confusing. There are many things happening at the same time and there are times that becomes a little difficult to understand everything that's taking part in this universe. The number of characters is very long and diverse as well and it took me some time to sort through all the names, specially when the author started to talk about this mysterious vampires' boss. *I was like: what the hell? Where did this guy came from? Who are you? Why did the author decided to throw your name in the mix?*
I understand the intention of the author but it got me confused a bit.
Kayla is an interesting character although she has these moments of dumbness that annoy the hell out of me.
Nevertheless this was a good read. The characters are funny, witty though they lack more development/depth.
I honestly don't know if I should read the second book. I am curious to know more about Mutt and Kayla/ Phill and Ninnete (that's the main reason why I'm pondering reading the second book). What should I do? A little help, pretty please?
But about Dante's Girl, I was very curious when I started reading this. The plot line is very simple, Kayla has to avenge the death of her boyfriend Karell. Okay, is not that simple but the story revolves around Dante's death.
Although I have enjoyed Natasha's writing I have to say that I found the plot very confusing. There are many things happening at the same time and there are times that becomes a little difficult to understand everything that's taking part in this universe. The number of characters is very long and diverse as well and it took me some time to sort through all the names, specially when the author started to talk about this mysterious vampires' boss. *I was like: what the hell? Where did this guy came from? Who are you? Why did the author decided to throw your name in the mix?*
I understand the intention of the author but it got me confused a bit.
Kayla is an interesting character although she has these moments of dumbness that annoy the hell out of me.
Nevertheless this was a good read. The characters are funny, witty though they lack more development/depth.
I honestly don't know if I should read the second book. I am curious to know more about Mutt and Kayla/ Phill and Ninnete (that's the main reason why I'm pondering reading the second book). What should I do? A little help, pretty please?
September 5, 2015
I was mildly entertained by this book, Dante's Girl. There was plenty of action, gore and a some steamy romance/sex scenes. There were a couple of memorable characters, unfortunately the main character was not one of them. Kayla Steele is not a good character. She's whiny, stupid and a bit slutty. By slutty I mean that she thinks about sleeping with some random guy only a day after her boyfriend dies. I guess she gets points for not actually sleeping with him, but still. I felt no connection to her and I thought she was a pretty flat and boring main character. The supporting characters were much better, mainly Phil and Ninette. I really enjoyed reading their rapport with each other and others, it was funny and snarky.
Overall, this book reads very much like a movie, there's not too many parts were there wasn' anything happening. There was plenty of action and plenty of vampires and werewolves to keep my attention. The only thing that cost this book any stars was the tepid main character. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.
Overall, this book reads very much like a movie, there's not too many parts were there wasn' anything happening. There was plenty of action and plenty of vampires and werewolves to keep my attention. The only thing that cost this book any stars was the tepid main character. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.
June 15, 2017
I feel like I might be being a bit harsh with the rating here, but this book was a DNF for me a few years ago because it was just too... Hollywood. And I really, really tried to get through it. I HATE putting down unfinished books.
If I remember correctly, it went something like this: frumpy girl constantly undermined by her pretty, blond, ditzy coworker; vampires with machine guns; some kind of dogs or werewolves; explosive, overdone fight scenes, etc. My attempt at this book was pre-Twilight, when I was absolutely in love with the idea of vampires and was instantly drawn in by the cover and promises of badass bloodsuckers. I was pretty disappointed.
Like I said, it's been a while, and the details of the book didn't make much of an impression on me. So I could have gotten some wrong (was it the vampires or the good guys with the machine guns? Weren't some of the vampires THE good guys? I don't remember). But if that tells me anything, it's that the book was only memorable as far as its negatives.
If I remember correctly, it went something like this: frumpy girl constantly undermined by her pretty, blond, ditzy coworker; vampires with machine guns; some kind of dogs or werewolves; explosive, overdone fight scenes, etc. My attempt at this book was pre-Twilight, when I was absolutely in love with the idea of vampires and was instantly drawn in by the cover and promises of badass bloodsuckers. I was pretty disappointed.
Like I said, it's been a while, and the details of the book didn't make much of an impression on me. So I could have gotten some wrong (was it the vampires or the good guys with the machine guns? Weren't some of the vampires THE good guys? I don't remember). But if that tells me anything, it's that the book was only memorable as far as its negatives.
June 17, 2008
Granted, the cover and the synopsis seemed like it would be really interesting, which is a lot of the basis for me to buy a book from an author I'm not familiar with.
I couldn't get past the first couple of pages, let alone the first chapter. The protagonist seems like a Mary-Sue'ish person where she's so sexy that everyone (men and women) must have her and she could wear a paper sack and still ooze sex appeal. She had a perfect body and perfect hair, etc. etc.
Ugh. Granted, she might have had some flaws show up in the book but I'm not sure if I wanted to spend my time reading it when it might just be a complete waste of time looking for something that she can't do or look good in. :/ My room mate read just the back and didn't seem interested in reading it.
It is a good idea, I just couldn't get past the beginning to really enjoy it.
I couldn't get past the first couple of pages, let alone the first chapter. The protagonist seems like a Mary-Sue'ish person where she's so sexy that everyone (men and women) must have her and she could wear a paper sack and still ooze sex appeal. She had a perfect body and perfect hair, etc. etc.
Ugh. Granted, she might have had some flaws show up in the book but I'm not sure if I wanted to spend my time reading it when it might just be a complete waste of time looking for something that she can't do or look good in. :/ My room mate read just the back and didn't seem interested in reading it.
It is a good idea, I just couldn't get past the beginning to really enjoy it.
March 1, 2009
Really good story line, and I liked Kayla quite a lot. However, there are too many factions to keep straight. Hunters. Vampires. Werewolves. Humans working for/with weres. Humans working for/with vampires. Members of every category who appear to be working for/with one faction, but are actually working for/with someone else. Or say they are. The book blurb talks about Kayla's dead boyfriend Karrel, and how she's not sure where their relationship is going and wanting to spend time with him (because, of course, this is a paranormal urban fantasy) but he's almost never involved in the story, and by the end I still don't know his status. Sounds like there's to be a sequel, so maybe I'll figure it out if I read it.
June 4, 2011
“Dante’s Girl” by Natasha Rhodes is a good book. Fast paced and full of action, the book had my attention from the first page to the last.
The main character is Kayla, a normal girl with normal problems, until one day that her soon to be fiancé, dies. Then all things are going bad. She learns about werewolves, vampires and all those supernatural things. And, of course, all Hell breaks loose…
I like this book because it’s dark and with a lot of main characters and with very interesting plot. The only thing I didn’t like is that I would prefer more scenes with Karrel Dante and Mutt.
I’m looking forward for the next of the series..:)
The main character is Kayla, a normal girl with normal problems, until one day that her soon to be fiancé, dies. Then all things are going bad. She learns about werewolves, vampires and all those supernatural things. And, of course, all Hell breaks loose…
I like this book because it’s dark and with a lot of main characters and with very interesting plot. The only thing I didn’t like is that I would prefer more scenes with Karrel Dante and Mutt.
I’m looking forward for the next of the series..:)
July 16, 2017
I found this one in a used bookstore and was intrigued by the cover. It's a supernatural fantasy, which is a genre that I tend to enjoy, so that helped in the decision-making process as well.
Kayla Steele is a cosmetics counter employee who dreams of paying off her bills and getting a big rock from her boyfriend, Karrell.
What she doesn't know is that Karrell is not the man he claims to be. He's actually part of an elite group of Hunters that battle werewolves and vampires. Oh...and he's also a ghost now because one of the missions went wrong.
Kayla finds herself yanked into this new world and things get pretty intense when the supernatural world starts to bleed into reality. Karrell asks that she avenge his death, but for the most part, Kayla's main goal is to just stay alive. There are A LOT of people who want her dead.
The book has a good pace, good atmosphere; but it also got really confusing. There were a lot of similarities between character names so it was hard to keep a few people straight. There was also a lot of betrayals that went on near the end as well as a lot of "that person's dead...or...no...guess they aren't dead after all."
I know there are still story lines that have not been tied up, but I'm not sure I'm going to read the rest of them right now. Unless they're available at my library.
Kayla Steele is a cosmetics counter employee who dreams of paying off her bills and getting a big rock from her boyfriend, Karrell.
What she doesn't know is that Karrell is not the man he claims to be. He's actually part of an elite group of Hunters that battle werewolves and vampires. Oh...and he's also a ghost now because one of the missions went wrong.
Kayla finds herself yanked into this new world and things get pretty intense when the supernatural world starts to bleed into reality. Karrell asks that she avenge his death, but for the most part, Kayla's main goal is to just stay alive. There are A LOT of people who want her dead.
The book has a good pace, good atmosphere; but it also got really confusing. There were a lot of similarities between character names so it was hard to keep a few people straight. There was also a lot of betrayals that went on near the end as well as a lot of "that person's dead...or...no...guess they aren't dead after all."
I know there are still story lines that have not been tied up, but I'm not sure I'm going to read the rest of them right now. Unless they're available at my library.
May 3, 2022
For someone who likes vampire and werewolf blended novels, this was pretty much down my alley. It does change to a general monster story, which I am not too keen on, but still a solid read. It has so many good components. I enjoyed the humour, romance and action found in the book. Can't wait to pick up the rest of series. Kayla is your typical damsel in distress type character, who develops into a more capable 'hunter'-student while unintentionally stumbling upon a revenge mission, seeking reckoning for her boyfriend's death.
July 21, 2017
this was a pretty decent book full of action and characters with spunk, but I struggled with it. There was so much going on that I had trouble following the plot and got lost occasionally.
October 14, 2023
Just a FUN book. Very enjoyable to read. Its definitely a popcorn book so don't expect it to be more than that, but if you go in looking for a popcorn adventure, you won't be disappointed!
July 10, 2008
I have to say, as an earlier reviewer commented, that the synopsis isn't the most accurate.
The main character, Kayla Steele, is asked by her recently deceased boyfriend (would-have-been betrothed) Karrel Dante to avenge his death at the hands of several conspirators. Though this is explained on the back cover, you don't actually get to this part of the story till at least a third of the way through the book.
Anyhow, the story wasn't to bad overall, if a little slow (definitely book 1 of an intended series). There were some interesting twists in the second half as Kayla is left wondering who to trust and who not to. I will likely pick up the second book in this series to give it a second shot at wowing me and drawing me into the characters' world.
The main character, Kayla Steele, is asked by her recently deceased boyfriend (would-have-been betrothed) Karrel Dante to avenge his death at the hands of several conspirators. Though this is explained on the back cover, you don't actually get to this part of the story till at least a third of the way through the book.
Anyhow, the story wasn't to bad overall, if a little slow (definitely book 1 of an intended series). There were some interesting twists in the second half as Kayla is left wondering who to trust and who not to. I will likely pick up the second book in this series to give it a second shot at wowing me and drawing me into the characters' world.
November 3, 2007
I agree with anyone who said that there is something "off" about this book. I think it has to do with how it starts off that prevents you from getting comfortable with the story and just going with it -- not to mention it's a vampire/werewolf book instead of witches and demons(teaser indicated "Dark Arts" and "supernatural entities" so I was leaning towards the latter pairing). I actually find myself enjoying the "normal" life moments and interactions more than the supernatural ones, which makes me wonder if the story would have been better off without it. I've certainly read better in this category.
March 18, 2012
Dante's Girl is a B-grade urban fantasy which is so bad it's kind of good, sort of like a cheap superhero comic where every woman has a perfect figure and every guy has huge muscles. Nothing is believable - i.e. nameless grunts will empty their high tech guns on werewolves without being able to faze them while the inexperienced shopkeeper will kill one with a swipe of a sword. The cast of characters is so huge several get lost in the shuffle and the book ends with absolutely nothing being resolved. And yet, provided it's read as the parody it's clearly intented to be (given the amount of silly humor), Dante's Girl can be quite entertaining.
January 16, 2009
This book is very Hollywood. Lots of shooting, explosions, death and violence. It's a quick and easy read, had an okay plot but there are much better dark fantasy books out there. The main character/heroine of the book just bugged me to death, coming across as the stereotypical woman and at times, the stereotypical blonde, even if she wasn't one. I'm not sure if I'll bother to read the book that follows it, but if I do I sincerely hope that she's improved the character to have more depth and less of a doormat.
September 19, 2010
have just finished reading this & it kept me hooked, it has a huge amount of characters but Natasha Rhodes keeps it all tied together nicely, while still keeping you on tenderhooks.
I found I cared about the characters good evil, & theres lots of action, dark humour, greed & personal sacrifice. I can' wait for the next book, the characters Phill & Ninnette are just the best & I hope we hear more of Karrels story in the next book. Wonderful dark storytelling...
The next book in this series is The Last Angel: A Kayla Steel Novel (Kayla Steele)
I found I cared about the characters good evil, & theres lots of action, dark humour, greed & personal sacrifice. I can' wait for the next book, the characters Phill & Ninnette are just the best & I hope we hear more of Karrels story in the next book. Wonderful dark storytelling...
The next book in this series is The Last Angel: A Kayla Steel Novel (Kayla Steele)
September 15, 2012
This is the first book I have ever read by Natasha Rhodes, and I must say it was wrote pretty well. It was a little predictable, but still has enough action and excitement to venture foward through the pages.
I would have hoped that Kayla, the main character would have gotten a tad bit more adventurous and head more towards Heroine. She did not quite get there, but maybe in her future books with this character, she will reach that point of "badass".
Either way I look forward to completing the series.
I would have hoped that Kayla, the main character would have gotten a tad bit more adventurous and head more towards Heroine. She did not quite get there, but maybe in her future books with this character, she will reach that point of "badass".
Either way I look forward to completing the series.
June 21, 2016
I can't. I. Just. Can't. Anymore. Over half the book and I can't bring myself to care or to even try. Kayla, the main character, makes me want to drive a hot poker through my eyes. There are werewolves, we all like those, these are low IQ wannabe's that have the vocabulary of 5th graders. The vampires are macho idiots. The "others" are unidentifiable and because I don't care, I just skim. Who cares who killed her boyfriend? She's a bit of a tramp who's very impressed with her own "long lean legs" (puke). I tried, I really, really tried.
November 25, 2016
I don't know how long I've had this book. I found it in a pile of book collapsed by my cats.
I guess, technically speaking, it could be classified as a romance but.... well... it just isn't. It's full of backstabbing and deceit and murder and just ick. Everyone is beautiful and monstrous. It was full of witticisms which weren't that witty and totally cool people who are totally hip. It was totally not my scene.
I didn't find anyone to admire. It was too fast-paced and shallow. It was read this or watch football. I'm not sure I made the right choice.
I guess, technically speaking, it could be classified as a romance but.... well... it just isn't. It's full of backstabbing and deceit and murder and just ick. Everyone is beautiful and monstrous. It was full of witticisms which weren't that witty and totally cool people who are totally hip. It was totally not my scene.
I didn't find anyone to admire. It was too fast-paced and shallow. It was read this or watch football. I'm not sure I made the right choice.
April 23, 2008
I thought I'd love this book because it's about vampires and werewolves, like the Keri Arthur series I just finished reading and LOVED. Unfortunately, something about this series is just off. Granted, I'm not done with it yet, but it's just not as gripping as the other books like it, and I'm not dying to finish it like I was the others.
I'm going to finish it, and see if maybe it'll catch me somewhere along the way-- but I haven't got high hopes.
I'm going to finish it, and see if maybe it'll catch me somewhere along the way-- but I haven't got high hopes.
November 29, 2010
I couldn't finish it! I got up to 200 pages and just stopped. I couldn't deal with being in everybody's head. Some of the people only lasted for a few minutes. I counted at least 10 different point of views. Many of them inor characters. Just too much for me. She writes wonderfully but I didn't fall in love with any of the characters. Maybe if I was in somebody's head for longer than a minute I would have liked the person.
July 1, 2013
The Story was good but in the end i was left with a lot of questions... then i remembered the "kayla steele #1" and i guess i need to read the other two books to find out the answers.
there were a lot of characters but the storyline is a bit different from the typical human-werewolf-vampire thing, i also liked her best friend Wylie.
I got confused with the description of the other characters though..
cant wait to read the other books in this series.
there were a lot of characters but the storyline is a bit different from the typical human-werewolf-vampire thing, i also liked her best friend Wylie.
I got confused with the description of the other characters though..
cant wait to read the other books in this series.
July 20, 2009
Although I enjoyed this book, there were many times when I felt as though I was reading the novelization of a cheesy action movie. By the end of the book, there were many loose ends which left me unbelievably frustrated. Also, the summary on the back of the book had me thinking I was going to read something entirely different. Other than that, it was a quick mostly enjoyable read.
March 28, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. The story had me from the first page and the action just kept coming. It was fast paced and thrilling. I liked Kayla she was just this side of sassy and not too tough but also not a wimp. The attraction to Mutt was believable and I like that it was not acted on, it was close a couple of times but that made it seem believable. I am looking forward to book 2.
January 24, 2011
Too much going on in this, and not really what I was expecting. Some funny bits, some likable characters, Phil is my favorite, but all in all, I probably won't be continuing the series, even though there is a cliffhanger ending.
February 28, 2012
This book really failed to hold my attention. Granted, I did have a lot going on at the time I was trying to read it. I found it somewhat confusing. The last 100 pages were probably the best part of the book for me.
June 22, 2012
This book is a case where the cover lured me in. I made it about 50 pages before giving it up. I didn’t care for Kayla, thought she was a spoiled brat and wasn’t sure what was going on with Karrel and the werewolves. In the end this one just wasn’t for me.
July 21, 2010
Book started out well. I had a hard time remembering all the characters, as some names were similar to others, and at the end there were many twists. Too sophomore-ish for me. I regret that I will not read the others, unless I am very bored.
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