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Hunter Kiss #2
Darkness Calls
View our feature on Marjorie Liu’s Darkness Calls.
Demon hunter Maxine Kiss, inked with living tattoos, is on a mission to rescue the man she loves from a bloodthirsty army. To save him, Maxine has only one to lose control—and release her own powers of darkness.
Demon hunter Maxine Kiss, inked with living tattoos, is on a mission to rescue the man she loves from a bloodthirsty army. To save him, Maxine has only one to lose control—and release her own powers of darkness.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2009
60 people are currently reading
1884 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie M. Liu
320 books4,302 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and she leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
October 19, 2025
This one was slightly better than the first but still really confusing. This story was about Maxine and her boyfriend Grant. Grant has some interesting powers and the two of them are being hunted by a religious group. There were some interesting parts again but honestly I still remain confused about so much. She honestly gets attacked a lot more than she saves anyone or goes after demons. I am committed to reading the third one so hopefully things get a little clearer.
January 24, 2011
Three and a half stars.
I found it even better than its predecessor, The Iron Hunt, however, it still suffers from some of the same narrative confusion. One of the less coherent parts of Lui's narrative is when she has Kiss, the lead character, unintentionally jumping through time and space. I think most of the confusion stems from Liu intentionally creating mysteries, in this case related to unknown abilities of a silver ring/sword she picked up in The Iron Hunt, but as a reader, it gets confusing as to where these abilities come from, why Kiss isn't more disturbed, are they under control, etc. There's a new challenge related to Grant's abilities, and why using them now is starting to cause extremely negative health effects. There's the mystery of Byron. And although the book is called Darkness Falls, there's only a little bit of mystery related to the "darkness" inside of Kiss.
It is a very action-oriented book, so there aren't many points where Kiss has an internal narrative that clues in the reader as to how she thinks about these things and what the implications may be. I do like the Kiss character, her strong sense of identity, her mission, and her awareness that falling in love with Grant changed a lot of the expectations she had for her life. Her relationship with "the boys" is unique and fun, and the characters around her are interesting, although all of them seem to have their own little "mysteries" surrounding them. Maybe that's a narrative device to keep us reading, wanting to learn more and to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but Lui's story could use a little more filling in, so that readers weren't so lost.
I found it even better than its predecessor, The Iron Hunt, however, it still suffers from some of the same narrative confusion. One of the less coherent parts of Lui's narrative is when she has Kiss, the lead character, unintentionally jumping through time and space. I think most of the confusion stems from Liu intentionally creating mysteries, in this case related to unknown abilities of a silver ring/sword she picked up in The Iron Hunt, but as a reader, it gets confusing as to where these abilities come from, why Kiss isn't more disturbed, are they under control, etc. There's a new challenge related to Grant's abilities, and why using them now is starting to cause extremely negative health effects. There's the mystery of Byron. And although the book is called Darkness Falls, there's only a little bit of mystery related to the "darkness" inside of Kiss.
It is a very action-oriented book, so there aren't many points where Kiss has an internal narrative that clues in the reader as to how she thinks about these things and what the implications may be. I do like the Kiss character, her strong sense of identity, her mission, and her awareness that falling in love with Grant changed a lot of the expectations she had for her life. Her relationship with "the boys" is unique and fun, and the characters around her are interesting, although all of them seem to have their own little "mysteries" surrounding them. Maybe that's a narrative device to keep us reading, wanting to learn more and to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but Lui's story could use a little more filling in, so that readers weren't so lost.
April 22, 2022
Better than the previous book
Something unique to this series: the love interest has existed before the books started. This means that the plot doesn't focus too much on the love interest, but on the actual action, which is really cool and new and I like that.
There was no feeling of boredom or of meh throughout the read, and I could barely put the book down.
I'm definitely curious about the next part.
Something unique to this series: the love interest has existed before the books started. This means that the plot doesn't focus too much on the love interest, but on the actual action, which is really cool and new and I like that.
There was no feeling of boredom or of meh throughout the read, and I could barely put the book down.
I'm definitely curious about the next part.
July 8, 2009
I loved The Iron Hunt, and was eagerly looking forward to the sequel. (Has it really only been a year?) I'm happy to report that Darkness Calls is a worthy successor. This time around, Maxine and her boyfriend Grant are being hounded by a mysterious group of religious fanatics and by a horrifically creepy being who introduces himself as "Mr. Erl King," a name that will probably be familiar to myth-geeks like me. Seriously, this is one icky villain. I'm feeling nauseous right now, just remembering some of his scenes.
*shudder*
Anyway, like The Iron Hunt, Darkness Calls features lots of action, some humor, quirky secondary characters, and plenty of nods to mythology and folklore. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Around the middle of the novel, I got briefly bogged down because I was a little confused about what was going on. Part of this was almost certainly my own fault. I didn't reread The Iron Hunt before starting Darkness Calls, and I'd forgotten some of the terminology and some of the world-building, which meant I couldn't always remember who belonged to what supernatural faction and who was trying to kill whom for what reason. Another aspect of the confusion was intentional. Maxine herself doesn't understand everything that's going on, especially not at first. The attempts on her and Grant's lives keep her running and fighting 24/7. When she does have the chance to take a breath and have a deep conversation, the "wise old sage" characters in her life are often more cryptic than helpful.
This feeling of confusion passed quickly, though. I was captivated by the events leading up to Maxine's showdown with the Erl King. The climactic scenes are harrowing and highly emotional. As an added bonus, there are a few more Labyrinth scenes and mystic-vision scenes. These are where Liu's prose and the epic scope of her imagination really shine.
Another thing that was done really, really well: the romance between Maxine and Grant. In The Iron Hunt, Grant was almost background. Maxine was dealing largely with her own personal demons (real and metaphorical). Here, Grant is an integral part of the plot, and so is the relationship between him and Maxine. Many urban fantasy series focus on the formation of new relationships, or on the dramatic turmoil of relationships in crisis. What Liu depicts is rarer in the genre: a long-term relationship that works. Maxine and Grant face tons of problems, but you get the sense that their love and commitment are a match for whatever comes their way.
Read this and my review of The Iron Hunt at fantasyliterature.net
*shudder*
Anyway, like The Iron Hunt, Darkness Calls features lots of action, some humor, quirky secondary characters, and plenty of nods to mythology and folklore. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Around the middle of the novel, I got briefly bogged down because I was a little confused about what was going on. Part of this was almost certainly my own fault. I didn't reread The Iron Hunt before starting Darkness Calls, and I'd forgotten some of the terminology and some of the world-building, which meant I couldn't always remember who belonged to what supernatural faction and who was trying to kill whom for what reason. Another aspect of the confusion was intentional. Maxine herself doesn't understand everything that's going on, especially not at first. The attempts on her and Grant's lives keep her running and fighting 24/7. When she does have the chance to take a breath and have a deep conversation, the "wise old sage" characters in her life are often more cryptic than helpful.
This feeling of confusion passed quickly, though. I was captivated by the events leading up to Maxine's showdown with the Erl King. The climactic scenes are harrowing and highly emotional. As an added bonus, there are a few more Labyrinth scenes and mystic-vision scenes. These are where Liu's prose and the epic scope of her imagination really shine.
Another thing that was done really, really well: the romance between Maxine and Grant. In The Iron Hunt, Grant was almost background. Maxine was dealing largely with her own personal demons (real and metaphorical). Here, Grant is an integral part of the plot, and so is the relationship between him and Maxine. Many urban fantasy series focus on the formation of new relationships, or on the dramatic turmoil of relationships in crisis. What Liu depicts is rarer in the genre: a long-term relationship that works. Maxine and Grant face tons of problems, but you get the sense that their love and commitment are a match for whatever comes their way.
Read this and my review of The Iron Hunt at fantasyliterature.net
July 20, 2009
Darkness Calls is the second full length novel in Marjorie M. Liu’s Hunter Kiss series. This is the first book I have ever read from Marjorie and it certainly won’t be my last. I didn’t read the short story in the Wild Thing anthology that started it all or the first full length book, The Iron Hunt. Because of this, I had some reservations before reading Darkness Calls because I thought I would be confused. Marjorie is a wonderful storyteller and catches the reader up to speed. This is one dark and raw urban fantasy that makes your squirm. Some will probably not be able to get past the first chapter because the action is so gritty and a bit disturbing. Darkness Calls reads more like a horror novel, where as you turn each page, you are not sure who will end up dead next. Bodies don’t just end up on the floor, but are ripped apart with their blood and guts all over the place. Tasty right? With that in mind, I have to say that Marjorie has delivered a very original tale that grabs you by your throat and won’t let go.
The character of Maxine Kiss is also very unique. Not only is she a hunter of zombies, demons and truly evil beings, but Maxine’s body is a wonderland of tattoos that come to life after dark. Her boys, as she calls them, are handed down to every female in her family from so many generations passed. These tattoos have their own names and personalities. Zee is her main bodyguard along with Raw and Aaz. There are also Dek and Mal who act like pelts on Maxine’s shoulders and in her hair. Dek and Mal enjoy humming Bon Jovi songs in Maxine’s ear. These five demons are playful but also very deadly. One minute they will play with teddy bear or baseballs, the next they will take down their victims and consume them whole. Maxine’s boys protect her at night and because of them, she is invincible. Not even bullets can harm her, until the daytime when they hibernate within her skin. Then she is vulnerable.
Maxine has never stayed put in one place, mainly because of her mother who was a nomadic zombie hunter. They moved from place to place until the things her mother hunted ended up killing her. Now Maxine has roots in Seattle, Washington. Maxine wants to build a home, but it will take a great deal of patience on her end because she always has the need to run. There is one man who won’t let her run. He is former priest and in charge of the Coop, the local homeless shelter. Grant Cooperon is the complete opposite of Maxine. Grant has a brain disorder where he can see sound. He is also a lightbringer who can see people’s auras. Maxine has found true love with Grant. She thinks of Grant as her man. Calling Grant, “her man” is a lovely endearment that Grant graciously accepts. Maxine also thinks Grant is beautiful even though Grants walks with a limp because of a bad leg and uses a cane. He wants to build a future with her and hopefully have children. But if Maxine has a daughter this bloodline curse will be passed down. And Maxine doesn’t think she has much longer to live. Maxine’s lifestyle is harsh and deadly. But as long as Maxine has her boys and Grant, she has hope that she can stay alive.
Things are never a dull moment and when a priest from Grant’s past finds him, he and Maxine will be taken on a very dangerous journey. This priest, Father Antony Cribari is a very sketchy character. He believes Grant is a monstrosity and was the reason Grant was kicked out of the priesthood and almost executed. Cribari wants Grant to come with him to China to save a dear friend of Grant’s who has been possessed by a demon and tortured and killed three nuns. Grant accepts even though Maxine has a bad feeling that he is being set up. Maxine can’t go with Grant to China because of her condition with her boys jumping out of her skin at night, so she remains behind.
While Grant is away Maxine is caught unaware and is taken captive. Father Cribari is the one responsible and wants her dead. Maxine is able to escape but needs to find Grant and save him. Cribari works for a man, or rather one of the most evil of all, a Mr. Erl King. Is Mr. King Satan? That's up to the reader to decide. Whoever this King is, he wants Maxine out of the way because she is the key, one who can enter too and from the Labyrinth, another dimension or a wasteland that King wants to enter and take over.
In this wasteland is Maxine’s grandfather Jack Meddle who is an avatar. He is her spirit guide and the one who can help her defeat King because at one point Jack was able to imprison him. But King was able to break free and is angry and wants revenge.
Along with Grant, Jack and a few friends such as Father Lawrence and mind reader Killy who are sympathetic to their plight, Mary, a semi-deranged homeless woman full of hidden powers and Byron, a misunderstood teenage who looks up to Maxine, this eclectic group will take on Erl King even though they may not survive. And death will be the least of their problems if Erl King comes out on top.
This is one book not for the faint of heart. The action is very intense and there are many scenes that deal with the psychological horrors that reside in all of us. Marjorie is able to make this all come to life with the supernatural and takes certain religion aspects, fairy tales and other myths and combines them where the reader will have quite the rush as they watch Maxine fight for her life and those she cares for. Maxine is another kick ass heroine that is so well known in the majority of urban fantasy I have read. What I really loved was that Maxine has a great network of individuals to be her back up. Where else have you ever read about someone’s tattoos coming alive and taking over almost every scene they are in? It seems so freakish because these helpful demons of Maxine are with her every second of the day. Makes for interesting times in the bathroom, doesn’t it?
Maxine and Grant are very much a couple, but the intimacies they share are very subtle. These two are very set with one another. They are each other halves of their souls and I think if one died, the other would go into the afterlife to follow the other. All Grant has to do is look at Maxine and you will feel the deep love her has for her. And it also doesn’t hurt when he kisses her so desperately because he is not sure if Maxine will be alive the next time he sees her. Maxine is more the type to stand back and watch Grant. She is not as affectionate as he is, but you can still feel the love and chemistry she has for him, and he for her.
Darkness Calls is one riveting book and Marjorie Liu is one hell of a writer. The desperation Maxine feels as she deals with her past and unknown future is one that will keep you reading and anxious for the next terror Maxine will have to endure.
The character of Maxine Kiss is also very unique. Not only is she a hunter of zombies, demons and truly evil beings, but Maxine’s body is a wonderland of tattoos that come to life after dark. Her boys, as she calls them, are handed down to every female in her family from so many generations passed. These tattoos have their own names and personalities. Zee is her main bodyguard along with Raw and Aaz. There are also Dek and Mal who act like pelts on Maxine’s shoulders and in her hair. Dek and Mal enjoy humming Bon Jovi songs in Maxine’s ear. These five demons are playful but also very deadly. One minute they will play with teddy bear or baseballs, the next they will take down their victims and consume them whole. Maxine’s boys protect her at night and because of them, she is invincible. Not even bullets can harm her, until the daytime when they hibernate within her skin. Then she is vulnerable.
Maxine has never stayed put in one place, mainly because of her mother who was a nomadic zombie hunter. They moved from place to place until the things her mother hunted ended up killing her. Now Maxine has roots in Seattle, Washington. Maxine wants to build a home, but it will take a great deal of patience on her end because she always has the need to run. There is one man who won’t let her run. He is former priest and in charge of the Coop, the local homeless shelter. Grant Cooperon is the complete opposite of Maxine. Grant has a brain disorder where he can see sound. He is also a lightbringer who can see people’s auras. Maxine has found true love with Grant. She thinks of Grant as her man. Calling Grant, “her man” is a lovely endearment that Grant graciously accepts. Maxine also thinks Grant is beautiful even though Grants walks with a limp because of a bad leg and uses a cane. He wants to build a future with her and hopefully have children. But if Maxine has a daughter this bloodline curse will be passed down. And Maxine doesn’t think she has much longer to live. Maxine’s lifestyle is harsh and deadly. But as long as Maxine has her boys and Grant, she has hope that she can stay alive.
Things are never a dull moment and when a priest from Grant’s past finds him, he and Maxine will be taken on a very dangerous journey. This priest, Father Antony Cribari is a very sketchy character. He believes Grant is a monstrosity and was the reason Grant was kicked out of the priesthood and almost executed. Cribari wants Grant to come with him to China to save a dear friend of Grant’s who has been possessed by a demon and tortured and killed three nuns. Grant accepts even though Maxine has a bad feeling that he is being set up. Maxine can’t go with Grant to China because of her condition with her boys jumping out of her skin at night, so she remains behind.
While Grant is away Maxine is caught unaware and is taken captive. Father Cribari is the one responsible and wants her dead. Maxine is able to escape but needs to find Grant and save him. Cribari works for a man, or rather one of the most evil of all, a Mr. Erl King. Is Mr. King Satan? That's up to the reader to decide. Whoever this King is, he wants Maxine out of the way because she is the key, one who can enter too and from the Labyrinth, another dimension or a wasteland that King wants to enter and take over.
In this wasteland is Maxine’s grandfather Jack Meddle who is an avatar. He is her spirit guide and the one who can help her defeat King because at one point Jack was able to imprison him. But King was able to break free and is angry and wants revenge.
Along with Grant, Jack and a few friends such as Father Lawrence and mind reader Killy who are sympathetic to their plight, Mary, a semi-deranged homeless woman full of hidden powers and Byron, a misunderstood teenage who looks up to Maxine, this eclectic group will take on Erl King even though they may not survive. And death will be the least of their problems if Erl King comes out on top.
This is one book not for the faint of heart. The action is very intense and there are many scenes that deal with the psychological horrors that reside in all of us. Marjorie is able to make this all come to life with the supernatural and takes certain religion aspects, fairy tales and other myths and combines them where the reader will have quite the rush as they watch Maxine fight for her life and those she cares for. Maxine is another kick ass heroine that is so well known in the majority of urban fantasy I have read. What I really loved was that Maxine has a great network of individuals to be her back up. Where else have you ever read about someone’s tattoos coming alive and taking over almost every scene they are in? It seems so freakish because these helpful demons of Maxine are with her every second of the day. Makes for interesting times in the bathroom, doesn’t it?
Maxine and Grant are very much a couple, but the intimacies they share are very subtle. These two are very set with one another. They are each other halves of their souls and I think if one died, the other would go into the afterlife to follow the other. All Grant has to do is look at Maxine and you will feel the deep love her has for her. And it also doesn’t hurt when he kisses her so desperately because he is not sure if Maxine will be alive the next time he sees her. Maxine is more the type to stand back and watch Grant. She is not as affectionate as he is, but you can still feel the love and chemistry she has for him, and he for her.
Darkness Calls is one riveting book and Marjorie Liu is one hell of a writer. The desperation Maxine feels as she deals with her past and unknown future is one that will keep you reading and anxious for the next terror Maxine will have to endure.
November 19, 2010
This book, and the one before was really hard for me to rate. While I liked the characters, the plot and the action, I had a lot of trouble following the story. Although the concept was very good, as was the writing, there was just too much confusion about what was going on for me to be able to fully enjoy it. I’m not sure if this is because of all the time travelling, teleportation, and jumping between planes (as in dimensions, not the flying aircraft!) that it was very difficult for me to figure out what was happening and where the characters actually were.
There’s also a lot of aspects of the background story that isn’t fully explained, rather it’s doled out in morsels here and there and you have to work at putting it all together yourself. I understand that it’s a good way for the author to keep her readers intrigued, but when it’s getting to the point where I don’t actually know what’s happening, then it’s going a bit far! It doesn’t help that for the majority of the book, (bearing in mind that it’s the second in the series), I still couldn’t fully comprehend what species Grant actually was, where he came from and what he does. The same goes for Maxine and her special powers.
It’s also incredibly frustrating that characters who are supposed to be Maxine’s allies are being deliberately vague on a lot of things. That’s part of the reason why this book is so hard to follow, because the characters who know what is going on won’t spill, and I don’t really understand why. It’s like they’d rather let Maxine stumble through everything and work it out for herself rather than help her with it…not really much of an ally if you ask me.
What redeemed this book for me is the fast-paced action and the potential for an amazing book if only the plot wasn’t so complex. Complexity is good, but keep it in moderation. Or maybe it’s just me and my lack of brain power and intellect that makes it so confusing, but that’s not really the point. I read the book and I was confused, so therefore I’m knocking off some points. Simple.
So while I rated this book four stars, it was mostly for the action rather than the way the story is told. The book itself, I would probably only rate three and a half, but I am looking forward to reading the next in the series, if only for the action and for the boys, who I think is adorable. And to clear up any confusion, (just to show the author how its done) by boys I mean Maxine’s tattoos that peel of her body and come to life at night. They’re very fierce but very cute at the same time, I want some for myself.
This book is more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance. It does have small aspects of romance in it, obviously Maxine and Grants relationship, but the story focuses largely on the paranormal rather than the loving. So definitely not something to read if you’re just looking for some fluffy romance, but a pretty good book with a good concept if you like strong heroine’s and a lot of butt-kicking.
*Just to make it clear, this is the second book. I didn’t bother writing a review for the first one, but make sure you read that first or you’ll be even more confused than I am!
There’s also a lot of aspects of the background story that isn’t fully explained, rather it’s doled out in morsels here and there and you have to work at putting it all together yourself. I understand that it’s a good way for the author to keep her readers intrigued, but when it’s getting to the point where I don’t actually know what’s happening, then it’s going a bit far! It doesn’t help that for the majority of the book, (bearing in mind that it’s the second in the series), I still couldn’t fully comprehend what species Grant actually was, where he came from and what he does. The same goes for Maxine and her special powers.
It’s also incredibly frustrating that characters who are supposed to be Maxine’s allies are being deliberately vague on a lot of things. That’s part of the reason why this book is so hard to follow, because the characters who know what is going on won’t spill, and I don’t really understand why. It’s like they’d rather let Maxine stumble through everything and work it out for herself rather than help her with it…not really much of an ally if you ask me.
What redeemed this book for me is the fast-paced action and the potential for an amazing book if only the plot wasn’t so complex. Complexity is good, but keep it in moderation. Or maybe it’s just me and my lack of brain power and intellect that makes it so confusing, but that’s not really the point. I read the book and I was confused, so therefore I’m knocking off some points. Simple.
So while I rated this book four stars, it was mostly for the action rather than the way the story is told. The book itself, I would probably only rate three and a half, but I am looking forward to reading the next in the series, if only for the action and for the boys, who I think is adorable. And to clear up any confusion, (just to show the author how its done) by boys I mean Maxine’s tattoos that peel of her body and come to life at night. They’re very fierce but very cute at the same time, I want some for myself.
This book is more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance. It does have small aspects of romance in it, obviously Maxine and Grants relationship, but the story focuses largely on the paranormal rather than the loving. So definitely not something to read if you’re just looking for some fluffy romance, but a pretty good book with a good concept if you like strong heroine’s and a lot of butt-kicking.
*Just to make it clear, this is the second book. I didn’t bother writing a review for the first one, but make sure you read that first or you’ll be even more confused than I am!
October 7, 2010
When creepy Mr. King shows up, Maxine knows right away he is trouble, but she doesn't grasp just how much. Things get complicated when Grant flies overseas to help an old Priest friend. Since Maxine cannot fly on account of the boys, she has to find another way to go and protect Grant. However before she can even leave trouble finds her hard and fast. It becomes a deadly fight for her life and everyone she cares about, with much more at stake then she realizes.
It makes absolutely no sense that Grant insisted on going overseas when he knew it was a trap. Actually a lot of the trouble the characters get into in this book could have been easily prevented if they had of just thought things through just a little bit. I found this really frustrating, as well as the fact that things are still pretty confusing. Maxine nor Grant still don't know much about what they really are, yet everyone else does. You would think their "allies" would want to tell them as much as possible considering their enemies keep trying to kill them for the "threat" the two of them supposedly are. The excessive mystery is annoying.
I did enjoy the developing relationships in this book. Maxine was able to spend a lot more time with her grandfather and they seem to be getting quite close. Even though the boys have always been important to Maxine, in this book the motley crew becomes even more affectionate towards her. I'm not sure of the reason for the increased attention but it makes for really enjoyable parts to read. The bond between them is so thick. Maxine comments more than once that she always thought she would be alone except for the boys. However, now she is completely surrounded by love and support and I think that will really help her as she faces what is sure to come.
I'm really hoping things will become more clear in the next book. The series has such a great potential but is quickly losing a lot of its appeal due to frustration and confusion. I really do love Maxine's character and the boys are absolutely adorable so I'm going to hang in there to see where her story goes, and hope for the best.
It makes absolutely no sense that Grant insisted on going overseas when he knew it was a trap. Actually a lot of the trouble the characters get into in this book could have been easily prevented if they had of just thought things through just a little bit. I found this really frustrating, as well as the fact that things are still pretty confusing. Maxine nor Grant still don't know much about what they really are, yet everyone else does. You would think their "allies" would want to tell them as much as possible considering their enemies keep trying to kill them for the "threat" the two of them supposedly are. The excessive mystery is annoying.
I did enjoy the developing relationships in this book. Maxine was able to spend a lot more time with her grandfather and they seem to be getting quite close. Even though the boys have always been important to Maxine, in this book the motley crew becomes even more affectionate towards her. I'm not sure of the reason for the increased attention but it makes for really enjoyable parts to read. The bond between them is so thick. Maxine comments more than once that she always thought she would be alone except for the boys. However, now she is completely surrounded by love and support and I think that will really help her as she faces what is sure to come.
I'm really hoping things will become more clear in the next book. The series has such a great potential but is quickly losing a lot of its appeal due to frustration and confusion. I really do love Maxine's character and the boys are absolutely adorable so I'm going to hang in there to see where her story goes, and hope for the best.
November 11, 2010
POSSIBLE SPOILERS BUT YOU ARE NOT MISSING THAT MUCH
Ok, I find that there are a few key elements in a good UF series that keeps me hooked.
--Action. Pleas give me realistic blood. I do not want to experience sprays of blood with every back hand, but lets not pretend that most UF characters dont have dummy strength, so blood is expected.
--Romance. I love it when the main characters are caught up in a love triangle that is at least realistic, not the princess is betrothed to the handsome prince who only wants her womb and dowry but she is in love with the daringly handsome and socially unacceptable stable hand. I want two equally matched men that would make it hard for ME to choose between. (Rachel Vincent had it perfect in the Faythe Saunders series)And lets not avoid the sex please!!! I know it happens in everyday life for a majority of the population but is every eye connection going to be orgasmic, absolutley not.
--Plot. Do I need to emphasize that its important to have a believable plot. Even if it is UF. My imagination is humongous, but if there isnt even a steady paranormal explanation for something then off with its head!!!
--Dialogue. I love witty humor and strong heroines that are not afraid to say what they think. Speak your minds, but do not expect to beable to call everyone out with a little backlash
Now with that said, and if you're still reading then thanks for putting up with my rant, i will say that this book, and possible the entire series, is scoring so freaking low in all of these categories that its depressing. The action is flippant and hard to imagine that it doesnt stick. The characters are hard to connect to, sorry but they are. The story line is like trying to untangle necklaces after they have been jumbled around in your jewelry box and the main character is so hard to be emotionally bonded to that the book was a complete waste of my time.
Big E for effort.
Ok, I find that there are a few key elements in a good UF series that keeps me hooked.
--Action. Pleas give me realistic blood. I do not want to experience sprays of blood with every back hand, but lets not pretend that most UF characters dont have dummy strength, so blood is expected.
--Romance. I love it when the main characters are caught up in a love triangle that is at least realistic, not the princess is betrothed to the handsome prince who only wants her womb and dowry but she is in love with the daringly handsome and socially unacceptable stable hand. I want two equally matched men that would make it hard for ME to choose between. (Rachel Vincent had it perfect in the Faythe Saunders series)And lets not avoid the sex please!!! I know it happens in everyday life for a majority of the population but is every eye connection going to be orgasmic, absolutley not.
--Plot. Do I need to emphasize that its important to have a believable plot. Even if it is UF. My imagination is humongous, but if there isnt even a steady paranormal explanation for something then off with its head!!!
--Dialogue. I love witty humor and strong heroines that are not afraid to say what they think. Speak your minds, but do not expect to beable to call everyone out with a little backlash
Now with that said, and if you're still reading then thanks for putting up with my rant, i will say that this book, and possible the entire series, is scoring so freaking low in all of these categories that its depressing. The action is flippant and hard to imagine that it doesnt stick. The characters are hard to connect to, sorry but they are. The story line is like trying to untangle necklaces after they have been jumbled around in your jewelry box and the main character is so hard to be emotionally bonded to that the book was a complete waste of my time.
Big E for effort.
March 8, 2011
Darkness Calls is the second book in the Hunter’s Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu, and I would like to tell you about the plot, but I honestly can’t! I don’t mean that to sound mean, and I’m conscious that it comes across as extremely negative – but I found Darkness Calls a tough read in terms of comprehending what went on. From what I can tell, a new Avatar is on the scene and wants to take control of the power wielded by Grant, Maxine’s partner – who happens to be some kind of immortal Lightbringer (something that is never quite explained). It ties into the story started in the first book as the veil between Earth and the demon prison begins to fail, but this novel takes you through time and space, and introduces many supernatural elements.
I didn’t like it. And yet I did. Marjorie M. Liu writes a sharp story, with absolutely beautiful prose, but I’m not quite comfortable on the journey. I don’t know where she’s going. I don’t know what she’s doing. I’m not even sure about the characters!
As an example of my confusion, take the relationship between Maxine and Grant. When we first met them in The Iron Hunt, they had already been together for a number of months, but we never actually saw the start of their relationship (I believe it is detailed in a novella by Liu). On one hand, I enjoy that, because it is fairly unique in paranormal fantasy. On the other hand, I seriously dislike it because I have no investment in their love – I didn’t see why Maxine chose Grant. I didn’t see why she decided to reveal her big secret. For me, this makes the relationship feel empty and therefore I don’t understand why Maxine is willing to risk life and soul for this man.
Another aspect of the characterisation I find tough is that everyone seems to have some kind of secret power. We haven’t met anyone who is normal – for me, this makes it hard to care about them. We see Avatars, Wardens, zombies, demons, Lightbringers – where are the everyday people who usually inhabit a tale such as this. It just adds to the clinical feel of the novel.
The emotional heart to the book was Maxine, and I genuinely enjoyed her confusion about her role and her conflicting desires to follow her mother’s path and to stay in Seattle with Grant. I mean, I didn’t enjoy the fact she was so torn, but Liu wrote it wonderfully and I would have liked to see much more of this, rather than the supernatural elements that imbued Darkness Calls.
In The Iron Hunt we veered a number of occasions into odd, dreamlike segments that seemed to come out of nowhere – in Darkness Calls this happens more often and hence my enjoyment in reading Liu’s wonderful prose lessened.
So, overall, I firmly did not like Darkness Calls, but I am desperate to see what Marjorie M. Liu could do with a decent story.
I didn’t like it. And yet I did. Marjorie M. Liu writes a sharp story, with absolutely beautiful prose, but I’m not quite comfortable on the journey. I don’t know where she’s going. I don’t know what she’s doing. I’m not even sure about the characters!
As an example of my confusion, take the relationship between Maxine and Grant. When we first met them in The Iron Hunt, they had already been together for a number of months, but we never actually saw the start of their relationship (I believe it is detailed in a novella by Liu). On one hand, I enjoy that, because it is fairly unique in paranormal fantasy. On the other hand, I seriously dislike it because I have no investment in their love – I didn’t see why Maxine chose Grant. I didn’t see why she decided to reveal her big secret. For me, this makes the relationship feel empty and therefore I don’t understand why Maxine is willing to risk life and soul for this man.
Another aspect of the characterisation I find tough is that everyone seems to have some kind of secret power. We haven’t met anyone who is normal – for me, this makes it hard to care about them. We see Avatars, Wardens, zombies, demons, Lightbringers – where are the everyday people who usually inhabit a tale such as this. It just adds to the clinical feel of the novel.
The emotional heart to the book was Maxine, and I genuinely enjoyed her confusion about her role and her conflicting desires to follow her mother’s path and to stay in Seattle with Grant. I mean, I didn’t enjoy the fact she was so torn, but Liu wrote it wonderfully and I would have liked to see much more of this, rather than the supernatural elements that imbued Darkness Calls.
In The Iron Hunt we veered a number of occasions into odd, dreamlike segments that seemed to come out of nowhere – in Darkness Calls this happens more often and hence my enjoyment in reading Liu’s wonderful prose lessened.
So, overall, I firmly did not like Darkness Calls, but I am desperate to see what Marjorie M. Liu could do with a decent story.
August 14, 2014
Angsty hand-wringing, rambling storyline, and increasingly arbitrary and wildly overpowered magic system suck the color right out of this work. Plus a werewolf shows up! Ironic in light of my comments on the previous book. I managed to make it to 95% on the progress meter and that's when I realized I simply didn't give a crap any more. This is one of those books that I was kind of OK with until I started this review and discovered I am furiously angry with all the wasted opportunities.
I found Grant and Maxine's romance to be increasingly unconvincing. Sure they're both badass and complement each other nicely, but I have real trouble with Grant's assertion that Maxine, yer bog standard socially isolated ultraviolent vagabond demon hunter, has the most beautiful soul he's ever seen. This is such classic Mary Sue. (I think it's telling that Maxine doesn't buy it either.)
Additionally, the wangsting was a little overdone. I did like how Maxine occasionally pined for the simpler life of the itinerant exorcist, but
As for the ending, I guess I should sit down and write some stories so I can finally understand why so many people have trouble managing decent ones.
I found Grant and Maxine's romance to be increasingly unconvincing. Sure they're both badass and complement each other nicely, but I have real trouble with Grant's assertion that Maxine, yer bog standard socially isolated ultraviolent vagabond demon hunter, has the most beautiful soul he's ever seen. This is such classic Mary Sue. (I think it's telling that Maxine doesn't buy it either.)
Additionally, the wangsting was a little overdone. I did like how Maxine occasionally pined for the simpler life of the itinerant exorcist, but
As for the ending, I guess I should sit down and write some stories so I can finally understand why so many people have trouble managing decent ones.
July 6, 2009
Darkness Calls begins shortly after the ending of The Iron Hunt, the first book in the Hunter Kiss Series. You will find the same exquisite story telling style that was displayed in The Iron Hunt, and the action is pretty much non-stop from start to finish, gritty and dark in nature as before, moving at a faster clip than the first book. A couple of new characters are introduced, helping spice up the storyline and some answers are given to the questions left dangling from the first book.
I want to say, I adore the boys! The boys, Maxine's living, demon tattoos, are indestructible, sharp as obsidian, yet soft and adorable at the same time. It depends on if they consider you friend or foe, which side of them you get to see. I loved how the boys would hum a Bon Jovi song that would fit the situation at hand throughout the book. It helped heighten the drama and give you a feel for that scene.
"Their tiny claws pricked my skin like kneading cats, and their soft, high-pitched hum of Bon Jovi's "Social Disease" filled the air."
Maxine's and Grant's roles are almost a reversal from the usual boy/girl relationship. Usually, you see the guy as the dark, brooding, kick your ass personality in the relationship but not here. That's Maxine's role. Don't interpret that as Grant is a pansy because he's not. Grant can definitely take care of his own and then some. Grant is Maxine's lighthouse when the waters are dark and rough.
This series should be read in order, especially since The Iron Hunt sets the back story for the Hunter Kiss Series. As you can probably tell, I'm hooked on the Hunter Kiss Series, I'll be looking for the next novel when it comes out.
I want to say, I adore the boys! The boys, Maxine's living, demon tattoos, are indestructible, sharp as obsidian, yet soft and adorable at the same time. It depends on if they consider you friend or foe, which side of them you get to see. I loved how the boys would hum a Bon Jovi song that would fit the situation at hand throughout the book. It helped heighten the drama and give you a feel for that scene.
"Their tiny claws pricked my skin like kneading cats, and their soft, high-pitched hum of Bon Jovi's "Social Disease" filled the air."
Maxine's and Grant's roles are almost a reversal from the usual boy/girl relationship. Usually, you see the guy as the dark, brooding, kick your ass personality in the relationship but not here. That's Maxine's role. Don't interpret that as Grant is a pansy because he's not. Grant can definitely take care of his own and then some. Grant is Maxine's lighthouse when the waters are dark and rough.
This series should be read in order, especially since The Iron Hunt sets the back story for the Hunter Kiss Series. As you can probably tell, I'm hooked on the Hunter Kiss Series, I'll be looking for the next novel when it comes out.
May 26, 2010
Darkness Calls is the second book in the Hunters Kiss series by Marjorie M. Liu and I was looking forward to spending more time with Maxine and her "boys". I really enjoyed the first book The Iron Hunt but in my opinion Darkness Calls was even better. I like the fact that Maxine doesn't know the full extent of her powers and that we are discovering things alongside her. Although I enjoyed The Iron Hunt I did find myself getting confused by some of the plot twists but Darkness Calls was a much smoother journey and I didn't want to put the book down.
Maxine is a unique heroine and I love her "boys" - the demons who are there to protect her. During the day they magically attach themselves to her body in the form of tattoos and protect her from any harm - they can stop a bullet or any other weapon which comes in very handy if you're a demon hunter. At night the 5 boys Zee, Aaz, Raw, Dek and Mal peel from her skin and come to life - at times like children they are affectionate to Maxine and love to chew on teddy bears but they are also deadly fighters who will protect her no matter what.
We get to learn a lot more about Grant and his musical abilities in this book which is something I was hoping for after reading The Iron Hunt. Maxine obviously loves him deeply but she worries about putting down roots and the fact that the demons could use the people she cares about to get to her. It was nice to see Maxine's friends rally around her in this book though and I can't wait to read the next book in the series A Wild Light.
Maxine is a unique heroine and I love her "boys" - the demons who are there to protect her. During the day they magically attach themselves to her body in the form of tattoos and protect her from any harm - they can stop a bullet or any other weapon which comes in very handy if you're a demon hunter. At night the 5 boys Zee, Aaz, Raw, Dek and Mal peel from her skin and come to life - at times like children they are affectionate to Maxine and love to chew on teddy bears but they are also deadly fighters who will protect her no matter what.
We get to learn a lot more about Grant and his musical abilities in this book which is something I was hoping for after reading The Iron Hunt. Maxine obviously loves him deeply but she worries about putting down roots and the fact that the demons could use the people she cares about to get to her. It was nice to see Maxine's friends rally around her in this book though and I can't wait to read the next book in the series A Wild Light.
September 17, 2009
Being raised to work alone, then finding a man to love and to keep as her own, Maxine Kiss never thought she would grow to trust and need others. Finding out that her man (Grant Cooperon) was also the last of his kind with special powers made the connection between the two even more difficult to understand. Now they have to try to get information from her grandfather Jack, a man that has not proved himself to be reliable in the past, and then find a way to stop the newest, or is it the oldest threat to humanity and this powerful couple.
Book 2 ….. So much information, past and present are thrown together to relate more of the story of how and why the prison vail was created and why it is failing. The information and action are almost non-stop. This book was hard to put down (felt like you might miss something), at times it was so packed with info that I had to re-read sections to make sure I understood, but that was just because it was all happening so fast. Blood and gore action with several characters changing before your eyes, their growth was heartfelt and strong. There is a few new characters that I would like to see again (if Marjorie M. Liu does a third book of the Hunter Kiss series - I hope so). I want to point out that in this book, even with the blood and guts, it has a sweet sensitive side to it, but it is mostly about the action.
Book 2 ….. So much information, past and present are thrown together to relate more of the story of how and why the prison vail was created and why it is failing. The information and action are almost non-stop. This book was hard to put down (felt like you might miss something), at times it was so packed with info that I had to re-read sections to make sure I understood, but that was just because it was all happening so fast. Blood and gore action with several characters changing before your eyes, their growth was heartfelt and strong. There is a few new characters that I would like to see again (if Marjorie M. Liu does a third book of the Hunter Kiss series - I hope so). I want to point out that in this book, even with the blood and guts, it has a sweet sensitive side to it, but it is mostly about the action.
June 11, 2018
I scored a copy of this book at my library's book sale. I immediately started reading and am reminded why I loved this series so much!
Maxine Kiss, the Hunter, is figuring out who she is and where she fits in the big picture. She has always known she's a Hunter, her mother taught her that she will kill demons until the ones that inhabit her skin move on to protect her daughter, at which point Maxine will die. But whoa, in Darkness Calls she goes up against a powerful Avatar, the Earl King.
The secondary characters are pulled into Maxine's story more in book two. Mary, the crazy old lady living at Grant's shelter, has a great history. She'll fight till the end. And Maxine's grandfather, Jack, the Old Wolf, reveals more about what he is and what he did to her bloodline. Maxine and Grant pick up Killy, a young lady who can read minds, and to keep her alive from the demons and the Catholic church, she is now stuck with them.
There is really a lot going on but the plot maintains focus on Maxine and everything flows. I adore Liu's writing and her ability to fill a moment with heavy emotions. Now I NEED to re-read the rest of this series! I want more Maxine and Grant!
Maxine Kiss, the Hunter, is figuring out who she is and where she fits in the big picture. She has always known she's a Hunter, her mother taught her that she will kill demons until the ones that inhabit her skin move on to protect her daughter, at which point Maxine will die. But whoa, in Darkness Calls she goes up against a powerful Avatar, the Earl King.
The secondary characters are pulled into Maxine's story more in book two. Mary, the crazy old lady living at Grant's shelter, has a great history. She'll fight till the end. And Maxine's grandfather, Jack, the Old Wolf, reveals more about what he is and what he did to her bloodline. Maxine and Grant pick up Killy, a young lady who can read minds, and to keep her alive from the demons and the Catholic church, she is now stuck with them.
There is really a lot going on but the plot maintains focus on Maxine and everything flows. I adore Liu's writing and her ability to fill a moment with heavy emotions. Now I NEED to re-read the rest of this series! I want more Maxine and Grant!
November 7, 2015
Darkness Calls was a more difficult book for me than the first one, Iron Hunt. Like a lot of second books this one bridges to those following with a LOT of details & new characters in addition to the plot of this book itself. In this series it is important to read in order, if you haven't read the first book this one is going to be a very tough read.
Darkness has some of the absolute creepiest scenes I've read in a long, long time. If these are Liu's nightmares I'm glad I don't live in an apartment near her because I felt like screaming a time or two at some of her descriptions; fortunately this didn't go on long. Erl King is by far the scariest character I've encountered in years.
Liu continues to world-build in a big way with this book and I found it both difficult and effective: instead of just telling us a+b=q, she makes us live through the process along with Max and it's confusing as hell, just like real life is sometimes. I'm very glad my real life is nice and boring and doesn't feature any labyrinths or demons, but it's great fun in the end to read about it.
Darkness has some of the absolute creepiest scenes I've read in a long, long time. If these are Liu's nightmares I'm glad I don't live in an apartment near her because I felt like screaming a time or two at some of her descriptions; fortunately this didn't go on long. Erl King is by far the scariest character I've encountered in years.
Liu continues to world-build in a big way with this book and I found it both difficult and effective: instead of just telling us a+b=q, she makes us live through the process along with Max and it's confusing as hell, just like real life is sometimes. I'm very glad my real life is nice and boring and doesn't feature any labyrinths or demons, but it's great fun in the end to read about it.
June 2, 2010
my personal rating would be 1.5. i like the originality of the story, but plot-wise nothing really happens, the heroine doesn't have a clue and noone ever tells her anything so you never really have a clue. and the climax of the story doesn't really change that much. so i basically skim these books. but the dark imagery is well written, the books leave you with an impression of shadows "noir?".
October 17, 2015
Good read. Part 2 of this story. In this one, Maxine confronts the Erlking and an order of the Catholic Church that wants to kill Grant and Maxine. Confusing and hard to follow, IMO, but worth reading. I liked it.
September 14, 2015
Took me a while to get into this and it's definitely a novel that takes some ideas from the past and moves things on but also adds things that will resolve later. Interesting.
April 9, 2020
I can't take the demons, the "boys." They're Bon Jovi fans and were singing and humming his songs. They tucked themselves into unmentionable places on her body. Like wth is this? That is so freaking weird I still can't believe someone thought of this.
She was at the homeless shelter and was looking around at the people and the serving line and said this is why she did it. I don't think a homeless shelter with an old woman addict with track lines all over her arms, growing weed to bake into brownies, is selling a good world, "this is why I do this" message. I hated that shelter with all the demons and lowlifes, like the loser who came stuffing his face with food and talking with his mouth open. The setting sucks.
She cut off another sex scene. 2nd novel in and she will not write sex or any part of it. She was sitting in his lap on his deck and had just went to unbutton his jeans and CUT. Stop right there. Adult material, and I guess we all can't handle that...
It was a nice moment when Grant told her he had a bad feeling about leaving her and Maxine told him she was coming on his trip to China. It was touching when he told her he loved her but it was hard to be around her because the world hurt her bad he couldn't do anything about it. He knew they wouldn't have 50 years together, maybe not even one. She would leave him by choice or death, and she might leave someone behind, someone they made together. But he wants to help her so they have time. He told her he wasn't going to give her up and she wasn't going to be like the other women in her family. He wants her to grow to be old. This needed more moments like that, more emotion, connection, and romance between them.
"All of those disparate pieces belonged together--I could feel it in my gut--but it was like having a box full of fingers, and not knowing which part of the hand I should attach them to." You know, puzzle analogies are oft used but they fit. This is just weird.
It was interesting when she was abducted and got out of the duct tape, figured out that Cribari had been behind the attack and Grant would be alone with him. Something dark inside her and took over and she reveled in their screams, came to after she had viciously attacked them without even realizing it.
It was so weird when Maxine said she doesn't believe in the supernatural; she believe in reality. You have these insane, weird-ass demons living on your body, and you kill demons, and you don't believe in the supernatural? Okay, that makes no sense.
And then Jack told her that there are beings who messed with genetics and made creatures. Vampires, werewolves, banshees, Gorgon, and harpies etc. exist. And that tired, stupid, overused concept occurred as the character's brain hurt and she said she things the myths weren't real, and she could barely contemplate the idea of vampires running around. Can we please be done with that? Those creatures do not belong in this novel. We had enough to deal with with whatever Maxine and Grant are, and Tracker, and her grandpa and all the other players.
I had no idea what the Labyrinth was, nor Avatars, Wardens, the Divine Organic, or anything about her grandpa and Ahsen. I needed a whole refresher at the beginning because I was lost, and she only writes in bits and pieces, fragmented sentences that don't say a whole lot.
Jack said he was a god once. "Deities, discovering beautiful maids and filling their bellies with children gifted with power. Or men blessed by gods with only a single touch, granted abilities that make them legends." He said humans are like dolls to the gods, and they experimented on them. They used to go in human bodies.
I was so sick of her coming up with Bon Jovi songs for them to sing that fit whatever moment she was in. And handing the boys trash and other items to dispose of. Guns. Plastic food containers. And touching them and them touching her all the time. It's just so weird and I can't take it.
Grant told Father Lawrence that the priest didn't used to have a potty mouth. Lawrence pointed out that Grant is the only grown man who says potty.
Jack had come and teleported Maxine away after she attacked all the men, and they went to a place with this dangerous being. He couldn't transport both of them so he pushed her through by herself and he stayed behind with a creature. Maxine ended up in China, where Grant almost killed Cribari with his music. Father Ross, Grant's friend, had willingly been turned into a monstrous creature and Lawrence killed him because that was the only way to get Grant to leave. And then men were coming and Lawrence led them to a secret exit while he stayed behind. So for the second time someone had sacrifice themselves so Maxine could live. Way to repeat a plot device...
Mr. King dipped pretzels in the blood of people he killed and ate them. That is so disgusting.
It was a nice moment when Grant saw her kill for the first time and said she can't make him run.
Maxine was in the car with Grant and Killy and all of a sudden was transported to another place. She saw what she thought was one of her ancestors being buried by the boys. They took the baby left behind, Maxine knowing they wouldn't have let the mom die with a baby so young. Mr. King came to steal the baby but they left, and brought her to feed, who looked sad. The Avatar had tried to control her line by killing her ancestor early and raising a baby, but the boys had raised her with Tracker's help.
I was resentful that Killy chose to stay with them because I didn't like her. I was sick of all these paranormal beings. She knew things about people, and Mary all of a sudden revealed that she had been in charge of the Lightbringer babies and had failed Grant's mom. Maxine knows that Byron isn't human. Jack and the other gods had killed all the other Lightbringer children because they could change and kill the gods.
Grant asked Jack what if he gave himself up to save the world, and Maxine told him no. Maxine realized she could end this and she asked Jack where Mr. King was and Grant said no. She asked the armor to bring her to him and she ended up going to the past and seeing her mom. I had a problem with Maxine getting to meet her grandma and young mom in the first novel, and I was just as derisive of her getting the opportunity again. It makes it way too easy for the character to get to travel time and get advice and info from people who are dead who they're mourning. It's too easy and it's too perfect that she can do that.
I liked when Grant appeared at the club and asked if she really thought he'd let her walk away like that, looking like she was going to the firing squad.
I was so pissed off with all of them when they decided to let everyone in the club live, all of the abominations who had been changed into creatures. These are the same people who bit her neck, clawed her body, and tried to stab her in the vagina as she walked. She knew they would put people at risk with their violence, but for some reason they decide to let them to. How the hell do you let killers loose, just because they had thought their lives would be better? F that.
She wears cowboy boots and I could not connect them with her character at all.
The writing was confusing for confusing's sake. I wondered if she knew what she was talking about, where she was going with it, or if she was just making it up as she went along. I get really irritated when I read weird, random sentences and phrases and words that don't actually say anything and just create more questions. This is definitely an author who likes to drag things out using the device of secretive side characters who never answer direct questions and give evasive, non-answers and speak in riddles.
I was so sick of Maxine endlessly noting how bad or tired Grant and Jack looked. Rest, rest for Pete's sake. Make it a point to recover from your trials while you can before doing something else. It felt like a million times that Maxine catalogued the many physical traits and facial characteristics that showed how bad off the men were. I was thoroughly sick of it.
After Grant had almost killed Cribari, he kept coughing up blood. So when Lawrence was changed into a werewolf at the club, Grant used his flute again to change him back. Except Grant died. Boy was I getting pissed off then. Jack brought him back to life but Grant was still coughing up blood. A power you can't use unless you'll hurt yourself or die. Splendid. And I was so mad at Maxine for going to the club to kill Mr. King but failing because she couldn't command the inner being, and Lawrence was dragged into it because of her.
I kept waiting for the epilogue. Things had been bad enough, but then Cribari came and took Grant with him. Maxine and Mary pursued him, and found that he was okay. In a terrible sequence in which I felt bad for Cribari--and that shouldn't happen--because Grant sang him into a rock, more bad things happened! Cribari had been crying so the rock and the ground were wet. Everyone was happy and laughing about it, except Maxine who wanted the boys to make his death quick. It was bad all around.
Everyone was standing together afterward and I'm like where is that epilogue? And then they're attacked and Grant gets hurt and she goes through time again. It was like déjà vu, except she really had done this before. over and over she kept having the same things happen and it got really old.
Grant was the only man she had slept with. He's 10 years older than her. I wondered what kind of experience he’s had and bet my ass that she isn’t the only one. Never let it be said an author wasn’t sexist towards her own gender. If a heroine sleeps with more than one man she’s a whore.
They finally killed Mr. King. Maxine did something that caused her to be joined with Grant, because Lightbringers don't stand alone and they have to tie themselves to a human to use their energy.
Jack told her he loved her and she couldn't say it back.
I wanted Grant and Maxine to be alone and for her to have that talk with him that she couldn't a while back, after they had come through another scrape and she wanted to say things but needed time and privacy to do so. Except everyone was there. Jack. Killy. Byron. Mary.
She was at the homeless shelter and was looking around at the people and the serving line and said this is why she did it. I don't think a homeless shelter with an old woman addict with track lines all over her arms, growing weed to bake into brownies, is selling a good world, "this is why I do this" message. I hated that shelter with all the demons and lowlifes, like the loser who came stuffing his face with food and talking with his mouth open. The setting sucks.
She cut off another sex scene. 2nd novel in and she will not write sex or any part of it. She was sitting in his lap on his deck and had just went to unbutton his jeans and CUT. Stop right there. Adult material, and I guess we all can't handle that...
It was a nice moment when Grant told her he had a bad feeling about leaving her and Maxine told him she was coming on his trip to China. It was touching when he told her he loved her but it was hard to be around her because the world hurt her bad he couldn't do anything about it. He knew they wouldn't have 50 years together, maybe not even one. She would leave him by choice or death, and she might leave someone behind, someone they made together. But he wants to help her so they have time. He told her he wasn't going to give her up and she wasn't going to be like the other women in her family. He wants her to grow to be old. This needed more moments like that, more emotion, connection, and romance between them.
"All of those disparate pieces belonged together--I could feel it in my gut--but it was like having a box full of fingers, and not knowing which part of the hand I should attach them to." You know, puzzle analogies are oft used but they fit. This is just weird.
It was interesting when she was abducted and got out of the duct tape, figured out that Cribari had been behind the attack and Grant would be alone with him. Something dark inside her and took over and she reveled in their screams, came to after she had viciously attacked them without even realizing it.
It was so weird when Maxine said she doesn't believe in the supernatural; she believe in reality. You have these insane, weird-ass demons living on your body, and you kill demons, and you don't believe in the supernatural? Okay, that makes no sense.
And then Jack told her that there are beings who messed with genetics and made creatures. Vampires, werewolves, banshees, Gorgon, and harpies etc. exist. And that tired, stupid, overused concept occurred as the character's brain hurt and she said she things the myths weren't real, and she could barely contemplate the idea of vampires running around. Can we please be done with that? Those creatures do not belong in this novel. We had enough to deal with with whatever Maxine and Grant are, and Tracker, and her grandpa and all the other players.
I had no idea what the Labyrinth was, nor Avatars, Wardens, the Divine Organic, or anything about her grandpa and Ahsen. I needed a whole refresher at the beginning because I was lost, and she only writes in bits and pieces, fragmented sentences that don't say a whole lot.
Jack said he was a god once. "Deities, discovering beautiful maids and filling their bellies with children gifted with power. Or men blessed by gods with only a single touch, granted abilities that make them legends." He said humans are like dolls to the gods, and they experimented on them. They used to go in human bodies.
I was so sick of her coming up with Bon Jovi songs for them to sing that fit whatever moment she was in. And handing the boys trash and other items to dispose of. Guns. Plastic food containers. And touching them and them touching her all the time. It's just so weird and I can't take it.
Grant told Father Lawrence that the priest didn't used to have a potty mouth. Lawrence pointed out that Grant is the only grown man who says potty.
Jack had come and teleported Maxine away after she attacked all the men, and they went to a place with this dangerous being. He couldn't transport both of them so he pushed her through by herself and he stayed behind with a creature. Maxine ended up in China, where Grant almost killed Cribari with his music. Father Ross, Grant's friend, had willingly been turned into a monstrous creature and Lawrence killed him because that was the only way to get Grant to leave. And then men were coming and Lawrence led them to a secret exit while he stayed behind. So for the second time someone had sacrifice themselves so Maxine could live. Way to repeat a plot device...
Mr. King dipped pretzels in the blood of people he killed and ate them. That is so disgusting.
It was a nice moment when Grant saw her kill for the first time and said she can't make him run.
Maxine was in the car with Grant and Killy and all of a sudden was transported to another place. She saw what she thought was one of her ancestors being buried by the boys. They took the baby left behind, Maxine knowing they wouldn't have let the mom die with a baby so young. Mr. King came to steal the baby but they left, and brought her to feed, who looked sad. The Avatar had tried to control her line by killing her ancestor early and raising a baby, but the boys had raised her with Tracker's help.
I was resentful that Killy chose to stay with them because I didn't like her. I was sick of all these paranormal beings. She knew things about people, and Mary all of a sudden revealed that she had been in charge of the Lightbringer babies and had failed Grant's mom. Maxine knows that Byron isn't human. Jack and the other gods had killed all the other Lightbringer children because they could change and kill the gods.
Grant asked Jack what if he gave himself up to save the world, and Maxine told him no. Maxine realized she could end this and she asked Jack where Mr. King was and Grant said no. She asked the armor to bring her to him and she ended up going to the past and seeing her mom. I had a problem with Maxine getting to meet her grandma and young mom in the first novel, and I was just as derisive of her getting the opportunity again. It makes it way too easy for the character to get to travel time and get advice and info from people who are dead who they're mourning. It's too easy and it's too perfect that she can do that.
I liked when Grant appeared at the club and asked if she really thought he'd let her walk away like that, looking like she was going to the firing squad.
I was so pissed off with all of them when they decided to let everyone in the club live, all of the abominations who had been changed into creatures. These are the same people who bit her neck, clawed her body, and tried to stab her in the vagina as she walked. She knew they would put people at risk with their violence, but for some reason they decide to let them to. How the hell do you let killers loose, just because they had thought their lives would be better? F that.
She wears cowboy boots and I could not connect them with her character at all.
The writing was confusing for confusing's sake. I wondered if she knew what she was talking about, where she was going with it, or if she was just making it up as she went along. I get really irritated when I read weird, random sentences and phrases and words that don't actually say anything and just create more questions. This is definitely an author who likes to drag things out using the device of secretive side characters who never answer direct questions and give evasive, non-answers and speak in riddles.
I was so sick of Maxine endlessly noting how bad or tired Grant and Jack looked. Rest, rest for Pete's sake. Make it a point to recover from your trials while you can before doing something else. It felt like a million times that Maxine catalogued the many physical traits and facial characteristics that showed how bad off the men were. I was thoroughly sick of it.
After Grant had almost killed Cribari, he kept coughing up blood. So when Lawrence was changed into a werewolf at the club, Grant used his flute again to change him back. Except Grant died. Boy was I getting pissed off then. Jack brought him back to life but Grant was still coughing up blood. A power you can't use unless you'll hurt yourself or die. Splendid. And I was so mad at Maxine for going to the club to kill Mr. King but failing because she couldn't command the inner being, and Lawrence was dragged into it because of her.
I kept waiting for the epilogue. Things had been bad enough, but then Cribari came and took Grant with him. Maxine and Mary pursued him, and found that he was okay. In a terrible sequence in which I felt bad for Cribari--and that shouldn't happen--because Grant sang him into a rock, more bad things happened! Cribari had been crying so the rock and the ground were wet. Everyone was happy and laughing about it, except Maxine who wanted the boys to make his death quick. It was bad all around.
Everyone was standing together afterward and I'm like where is that epilogue? And then they're attacked and Grant gets hurt and she goes through time again. It was like déjà vu, except she really had done this before. over and over she kept having the same things happen and it got really old.
Grant was the only man she had slept with. He's 10 years older than her. I wondered what kind of experience he’s had and bet my ass that she isn’t the only one. Never let it be said an author wasn’t sexist towards her own gender. If a heroine sleeps with more than one man she’s a whore.
They finally killed Mr. King. Maxine did something that caused her to be joined with Grant, because Lightbringers don't stand alone and they have to tie themselves to a human to use their energy.
Jack told her he loved her and she couldn't say it back.
I wanted Grant and Maxine to be alone and for her to have that talk with him that she couldn't a while back, after they had come through another scrape and she wanted to say things but needed time and privacy to do so. Except everyone was there. Jack. Killy. Byron. Mary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2023
Ocena 4.5/10
“Jeśli coś można sobie wyobrazić, to znaczy, że istnieje prawdopodobieństwo, że to coś się urzeczywistni. Jesteśmy ulepieni z prawdopodobieństw.”
Ciało Maxine pokrywają tatuaże obdarzone niezwykłą siłą, umysłem, sercem, a także duszą. Za dnia chronią dziewczynę, tworząc na jej skórze nieprzenikalny pancerz, zaś po zmroku przybierają postać śmiercionośnych demonów, gotowych poświęcić własne życie za Maxine. Odkąd coraz więcej mrocznych istot przedostaje się przez barierę oddzielającą światy, dziewczyna jako ostatnia tropicielka demonów ma ręce pełne roboty. Gdy w jej samotnym dotąd życiu pojawia się mężczyzna z niesamowitymi umiejętnościami i mrocznymi tajemnicami, tropicielka zaczyna wpadać w coraz większe kłopoty. Aby odnaleźć prawdziwą siebie i ocalić życie ukochanego mężczyzny, musi uwolnić drzemiącą w niej moc, która wydaje się żądna krwi.
“Wołanie z mroku” to drugi tom cyklu “Pocałunek łowcy” autorstwa Marjorie M. Liu. W porównaniu z pierwszym tomem, czytało mi się ją odrobinę lepiej, choć nadal pojawiały się tam krótkie i irytujące zdania typu “Mój mężczyzna.”, “To jest droga”, w moim odczuciu dość mocno psujące odbiór lektury. Uściślając, nie miałabym problemu, gdyby takimi zdaniami posługiwały się demony żyjące na skórze bohaterki, które przybyły z innego świata. Sprawa ma się inaczej, gdy chodzi o samą Maxine, nie potrafiącą złożyć bardziej rozbudowanego zdania. Niestety, wszyscy bohaterowie mieli ten sam problem. Dostajemy tutaj dużo więcej ciekawej akcji, jednak i ona jest momentami dość mocno zagmatwana. Czytelnik został zasypany całą masą nowych informacji i musi je sobie przyswoić w krótkim czasie, a akcja nie zatrzymuje się nawet na chwilę. W skutek tego dowiadujemy się stosunkowo dużo, a i tak wiemy coraz mniej. Bohaterowie bardzo często zmieniają swoją lokalizację, podróżując nie tylko po świecie, ale także po innych wymiarach i odbywają podróże w głąb siebie, przez co łatwo było się pogubić w całej akcji i miejscach. Tajemnice i intrygi niekiedy wydawały się robione na siłę, z małych rzeczy pojawiał się ogromny problem, praktycznie nie do rozwiązania, który ostatecznie udawało się zażegnać w chwilę jak za sprawą magicznej różdżki. Ciężko czytało się również dialogi - niektóre z nich były wręcz nienaturalne, mające niewiele do czynienia z prawdziwymi kontaktami międzyludzkimi. Żeby nie było zbyt negatywnie, muszę pochwalić ciekawy pomysł na fabułę, mający naprawdę duży potencjał oraz ożywające tatuaże, będące czymś zdecydowanie niespotykanym w literaturze. W “Wołaniu z mroku” wraz z bohaterami staramy się odkryć ich prawdziwą tożsamość oraz stopniowo poznajemy ich sposób myślenia, zachowania i motywacje, napędzające ich do działania. Pojawia się również wątek romantyczny, ale nie jest on mocno wyeksponowany i nie przysłania głównej fabuły. Niestety, bardzo mało dowiadujemy się o samych emocjach bohaterów i ich odczuciach względem siebie. Czytelnik dowiaduje się jedynie, że Maxine i Grand planują wspólne spędzenie życia już po kilku miesiącach swojej znajomości.
“Wołanie z mroku” skradło moje serce, gdy jeszcze byłam nastolatką, jednak po latach całkiem inaczej patrzę na tę lekturę. Strasznie wymęczyłam się podczas jej czytania i cieszę się, że nie trzeba znać treści pierwszego tomu, by coś rozumieć, bo absolutnie nic nie pamiętam z “Pocałunku łowcy”. Książka ta zdecydowanie miała spory potencjał, ale coś nie do końca tu zagrało. Po przeczytaniu książki będziecie pamiętać jedynie o ożywających tatuażach, szalonej Mare hodującej pewne “magiczne” rośliny w piwnicy i o mężczyźnie, który gra na flecie. Raczej szybko nie sięgnę po zakończenie tej serii.
“Jeśli coś można sobie wyobrazić, to znaczy, że istnieje prawdopodobieństwo, że to coś się urzeczywistni. Jesteśmy ulepieni z prawdopodobieństw.”
Ciało Maxine pokrywają tatuaże obdarzone niezwykłą siłą, umysłem, sercem, a także duszą. Za dnia chronią dziewczynę, tworząc na jej skórze nieprzenikalny pancerz, zaś po zmroku przybierają postać śmiercionośnych demonów, gotowych poświęcić własne życie za Maxine. Odkąd coraz więcej mrocznych istot przedostaje się przez barierę oddzielającą światy, dziewczyna jako ostatnia tropicielka demonów ma ręce pełne roboty. Gdy w jej samotnym dotąd życiu pojawia się mężczyzna z niesamowitymi umiejętnościami i mrocznymi tajemnicami, tropicielka zaczyna wpadać w coraz większe kłopoty. Aby odnaleźć prawdziwą siebie i ocalić życie ukochanego mężczyzny, musi uwolnić drzemiącą w niej moc, która wydaje się żądna krwi.
“Wołanie z mroku” to drugi tom cyklu “Pocałunek łowcy” autorstwa Marjorie M. Liu. W porównaniu z pierwszym tomem, czytało mi się ją odrobinę lepiej, choć nadal pojawiały się tam krótkie i irytujące zdania typu “Mój mężczyzna.”, “To jest droga”, w moim odczuciu dość mocno psujące odbiór lektury. Uściślając, nie miałabym problemu, gdyby takimi zdaniami posługiwały się demony żyjące na skórze bohaterki, które przybyły z innego świata. Sprawa ma się inaczej, gdy chodzi o samą Maxine, nie potrafiącą złożyć bardziej rozbudowanego zdania. Niestety, wszyscy bohaterowie mieli ten sam problem. Dostajemy tutaj dużo więcej ciekawej akcji, jednak i ona jest momentami dość mocno zagmatwana. Czytelnik został zasypany całą masą nowych informacji i musi je sobie przyswoić w krótkim czasie, a akcja nie zatrzymuje się nawet na chwilę. W skutek tego dowiadujemy się stosunkowo dużo, a i tak wiemy coraz mniej. Bohaterowie bardzo często zmieniają swoją lokalizację, podróżując nie tylko po świecie, ale także po innych wymiarach i odbywają podróże w głąb siebie, przez co łatwo było się pogubić w całej akcji i miejscach. Tajemnice i intrygi niekiedy wydawały się robione na siłę, z małych rzeczy pojawiał się ogromny problem, praktycznie nie do rozwiązania, który ostatecznie udawało się zażegnać w chwilę jak za sprawą magicznej różdżki. Ciężko czytało się również dialogi - niektóre z nich były wręcz nienaturalne, mające niewiele do czynienia z prawdziwymi kontaktami międzyludzkimi. Żeby nie było zbyt negatywnie, muszę pochwalić ciekawy pomysł na fabułę, mający naprawdę duży potencjał oraz ożywające tatuaże, będące czymś zdecydowanie niespotykanym w literaturze. W “Wołaniu z mroku” wraz z bohaterami staramy się odkryć ich prawdziwą tożsamość oraz stopniowo poznajemy ich sposób myślenia, zachowania i motywacje, napędzające ich do działania. Pojawia się również wątek romantyczny, ale nie jest on mocno wyeksponowany i nie przysłania głównej fabuły. Niestety, bardzo mało dowiadujemy się o samych emocjach bohaterów i ich odczuciach względem siebie. Czytelnik dowiaduje się jedynie, że Maxine i Grand planują wspólne spędzenie życia już po kilku miesiącach swojej znajomości.
“Wołanie z mroku” skradło moje serce, gdy jeszcze byłam nastolatką, jednak po latach całkiem inaczej patrzę na tę lekturę. Strasznie wymęczyłam się podczas jej czytania i cieszę się, że nie trzeba znać treści pierwszego tomu, by coś rozumieć, bo absolutnie nic nie pamiętam z “Pocałunku łowcy”. Książka ta zdecydowanie miała spory potencjał, ale coś nie do końca tu zagrało. Po przeczytaniu książki będziecie pamiętać jedynie o ożywających tatuażach, szalonej Mare hodującej pewne “magiczne” rośliny w piwnicy i o mężczyźnie, który gra na flecie. Raczej szybko nie sięgnę po zakończenie tej serii.
December 14, 2020
3.5 stars
I really love Marjorie Liu's writing: I've highlighted many passages where the writing was just so atmospheric and beautiful. The tone of the writing, too, is rather grim - there's this haunted quality to it that perfectly fits the subject matter of the book. Speaking of which, this series is so creative: demons peeling off your body at night and protecting you from malevolent spirits, gunshots, and flying fists? Yes, please.
Unfortunately, while the concept remains unique, I just didn't quite enjoy this second installment as much as I wanted to. A lot happens, yes, and there's a ton of action, which I greatly enjoyed. However, the main problem of this book for me was how Maxine just reacted to all the shit that happens to her. She isn't really proactive; instead, she has a lot of questions, and whenever she comes out alive of one scene, another one takes its place, and the girl never gets a break. So yes, 98% of the book all she does is react and be confused. And I know she has qualms about her heritage, yada yada, but I just got confused. Thankfully, however, she kicks butt regardless.
Also, while Liu answers many of the questions from the first installment, she introduces new ones in this one - and the people who have the answers (ahem, Jack) is really playing hard to get. What makes this confusion worse is that there is a lot of time traveling, and the book is quite abstract when it's not taking place in the city. I know Liu will clear things up in the later installments, but for now, I don't get much of the Lightbringers, Avatars, Wardens, even Maxine's own destiny...even Mary, Byron, and the rest of the cohort are not that interesting. Well, maybe Father Lawrence.
Overall, Darkness Calls was fast paced and entertaining. I was able to escape the real world for a little while in this book, which is always a great thing. However, I just wish Maxine was more proactive because that would have amplified the action and maybe - maybe - cleared up some of the knots.
I really love Marjorie Liu's writing: I've highlighted many passages where the writing was just so atmospheric and beautiful. The tone of the writing, too, is rather grim - there's this haunted quality to it that perfectly fits the subject matter of the book. Speaking of which, this series is so creative: demons peeling off your body at night and protecting you from malevolent spirits, gunshots, and flying fists? Yes, please.
Unfortunately, while the concept remains unique, I just didn't quite enjoy this second installment as much as I wanted to. A lot happens, yes, and there's a ton of action, which I greatly enjoyed. However, the main problem of this book for me was how Maxine just reacted to all the shit that happens to her. She isn't really proactive; instead, she has a lot of questions, and whenever she comes out alive of one scene, another one takes its place, and the girl never gets a break. So yes, 98% of the book all she does is react and be confused. And I know she has qualms about her heritage, yada yada, but I just got confused. Thankfully, however, she kicks butt regardless.
Also, while Liu answers many of the questions from the first installment, she introduces new ones in this one - and the people who have the answers (ahem, Jack) is really playing hard to get. What makes this confusion worse is that there is a lot of time traveling, and the book is quite abstract when it's not taking place in the city. I know Liu will clear things up in the later installments, but for now, I don't get much of the Lightbringers, Avatars, Wardens, even Maxine's own destiny...even Mary, Byron, and the rest of the cohort are not that interesting. Well, maybe Father Lawrence.
Overall, Darkness Calls was fast paced and entertaining. I was able to escape the real world for a little while in this book, which is always a great thing. However, I just wish Maxine was more proactive because that would have amplified the action and maybe - maybe - cleared up some of the knots.
February 3, 2016
This review is a work in progress. I am having trouble focusing, and so am writing it in pieces. I am, however, completely focused on not starting the next book in the series until I get this review written! I may need to reread part of this book again before I can finish it, but hopefully it will be done today. :)
(Please note that in addition to not having it finished yet, I also have not yet proofread it. Please forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I'll catch them before I finalize the review, promise!)
The following spoiler includes some of the questions (in italics) I was left with after finishing book one, The Iron Hunt. These are the questions that were answered in this second book, as well as some other spoilers I feel the need to make about what I read. :)
This next spoiler contains questions left over from The Iron Hunt that I'm still hoping to find answers for in future books. :)
And here are some entirely new questions I now have after finishing Darkness Calls:
(Please note that in addition to not having it finished yet, I also have not yet proofread it. Please forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I'll catch them before I finalize the review, promise!)
The following spoiler includes some of the questions (in italics) I was left with after finishing book one, The Iron Hunt. These are the questions that were answered in this second book, as well as some other spoilers I feel the need to make about what I read. :)
This next spoiler contains questions left over from The Iron Hunt that I'm still hoping to find answers for in future books. :)
And here are some entirely new questions I now have after finishing Darkness Calls:
April 15, 2019
Filled with more action scenes and magic, this was even better than the previous book. For the most part, I found the story more engaging and understood certain character motivations better. That said, it was a little hard to follow at times, especially near the end. There was one particular fate a villain faced that made no sense to me, even when I re-read it.
But I still had a lot of fun reading it, and came back mostly because I love the characters so much, and the lore is way more unique and fleshed out for both Maxine and Grant. It was even more intense and emotional when we learned about Jack's involvement. All is not what it seems!
I still loved the characters, and it was awesome to watch Maxine slip into her dark power, just as it was awesome to see Grant struggle with his own abilities and identity. The villains were super creepy and I loved how Maxine's boys reacted to keep her safe.
I'm still having a great time with this series, its characters and magic, and the writing style. I accidentally read the back blurb for the third book, and now I NEED to know what will happen next!
But I still had a lot of fun reading it, and came back mostly because I love the characters so much, and the lore is way more unique and fleshed out for both Maxine and Grant. It was even more intense and emotional when we learned about Jack's involvement. All is not what it seems!
I still loved the characters, and it was awesome to watch Maxine slip into her dark power, just as it was awesome to see Grant struggle with his own abilities and identity. The villains were super creepy and I loved how Maxine's boys reacted to keep her safe.
I'm still having a great time with this series, its characters and magic, and the writing style. I accidentally read the back blurb for the third book, and now I NEED to know what will happen next!
November 19, 2024
I read Darkness Calls right after I finished Iron Hunt, with both installments fresh in my head, I have to say that I enjoyed this entry into the Hunter Kiss canon a bit more than the previous one.
Like most first novels in a series, Iron Hunt was burdened with the task of laying all of the groundwork. Combined with all of the riddles, this made the first novel more talk than action. This is remedied the second time around. The characters encounter new struggles, both external and internal. In the face of said dangers, Maxine and her boyfriend, Grant, both discover new strengths and knowledge about themselves that leads to great character development...
...To continue reading this review, click here to visit my blog, Undercover Book Lover.
Like most first novels in a series, Iron Hunt was burdened with the task of laying all of the groundwork. Combined with all of the riddles, this made the first novel more talk than action. This is remedied the second time around. The characters encounter new struggles, both external and internal. In the face of said dangers, Maxine and her boyfriend, Grant, both discover new strengths and knowledge about themselves that leads to great character development...
...To continue reading this review, click here to visit my blog, Undercover Book Lover.
July 3, 2020
"you are afraid of the darkness that sleeps so lightly in your heart. more afraid of yourself than the end of the world."
"fascinating," i replied, but i would have said the same if he told me he liked to dress up as a chipmunk and juggle acorns.
"the most powerful person in a room isnt the wealthiest or the one with the most connections. it's the person who believes the strongest, the one who has the most confidence. and, sometimes, it's the person who can make everyone else feel like less of themselves."
"everything we are, everything we become, is born of what we believe ourselves to be."
"she thought it would make her special. special enough that people would love her."
"fascinating," i replied, but i would have said the same if he told me he liked to dress up as a chipmunk and juggle acorns.
"the most powerful person in a room isnt the wealthiest or the one with the most connections. it's the person who believes the strongest, the one who has the most confidence. and, sometimes, it's the person who can make everyone else feel like less of themselves."
"everything we are, everything we become, is born of what we believe ourselves to be."
"she thought it would make her special. special enough that people would love her."
December 2, 2017
I'm just guessing the year I read this - I just decided to add it b/c I'm considering reading the first book in the series at some point - and I want this one to register this one as read just in case I do :P
Overall I remember it being a good book - I enjoyed it quite a lot - I thought the power was interesting the plot was fast paced and interesting
Overall I remember it being a good book - I enjoyed it quite a lot - I thought the power was interesting the plot was fast paced and interesting
May 2, 2020
The Hunters tale continues
Maxine is on the trail her mother has left for her but is only finding more questions than answers. The way that this series is written tou are drawn into the character not as Maxine herself so much as an invisible passenger. Vivid details and powerful perspectives make these books such a joy to read
Maxine is on the trail her mother has left for her but is only finding more questions than answers. The way that this series is written tou are drawn into the character not as Maxine herself so much as an invisible passenger. Vivid details and powerful perspectives make these books such a joy to read
December 13, 2025
I feel like I'm being mean, because I do like Maxine, the main character, as a concept, but I find her actions mystifying and the plot that happens around her unbelievable and a bit rubbish.
I don't think I'll manage another of these, my tolerance for Bon Jovi references, random venues and characters suddenly appearing and unexplained magic systems kicking in mid battle are not high enough.
I don't think I'll manage another of these, my tolerance for Bon Jovi references, random venues and characters suddenly appearing and unexplained magic systems kicking in mid battle are not high enough.
October 27, 2020
I gave this series another go but it's just not what I like in fantasy. Abandoning.
October 1, 2021
🔸 4 stars🔸
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