I may just have a new author to add to my list, Jaye Wells. This book is about a half-breed vampire mage assassin who has been raised by her grandmother who puts family honor and loyalty above all else, or does she? This is a surprisingly good book I can’t wait to read the next one. ( )

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
: My criteria for liking a book often comes down to liking the main character. After reading the first chapter of Red-headed Stepchild, I was ready to streak my hair red just so I could look like Sabina Kane.

“Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal.”

When we first meet Sabina, she's in a graveyard digging a six foot hole for her latest meal (a kiddy drug pusher--Sabina gets a bite and cleans up the neighborhood in the process: everybody wins). An orphan raised by her mother's family, Sabina Kane is a vampire. Well half vampire, half mage. The product of a forbidden love affair, Sabina is forced to wear the stigma of her illegitimate birth literally on her head (the aforementioned red streaks).

In the world created by Jaye Wells, vampires (or Lilim, as they are called) are the offspring of Lilith and Cain and therefore they all have red hair (their inherited ‘biblical mark of Cain’). In fact all the dark races are in someway the descendents of Lilith: Demons, Fey etc. The world-building was definitely a strong point in this book: The politics of the various races are believably nuanced and have a real feeling of history behind them. There is the Dominae, a trio of female vampires (headed by Sabina’s grandmother) who govern over the vampiric race, and the Hecate Council that rules the Mages (or Mancies), and the Sellie Court of the Fey. The genesis of Vampires are also fully explained in a new and unique way. Along with a sense of mystery regarding Sabina’s mixed heritage which promises to be more fully explored in future books.

There is a lot to like about this book, but sadly with each increasing chapter, my affinity for Sabina,--and by extension this book--decreased. Chip nothing, Sabina had a boulder on her shoulder. I almost cheered when different characters called her out as a bitch. This is more of a personal pet peeve (but, hey, this is my blog): barely a hundred pages into the book Sabina had already commented twice that some guy made her panties/crotch get wet. I hate that phrasing; I just find it crass and vulgar. Big turn off. But the biggest obstacle I had with Sabina how she really skirted the TSTL [to stupid to live] line throughout this book (especially the first half).

It is abundantly clear almost from page one the the Dominae have been using and lying to Sabina practically from birth, yet whenever someone tries to point this out to her, we get half a page of inner monologue where Sabina can't believe someone would expect her to believe such lies, because, of course, she's way too smart for anyone to deceive her. And even when she finally sees proof for herself of the Dominae’s duplicity, she still won’t believe that their lies extend to other extremely obvious areas. I understand that Sabina would be reluctant to cast her grandmother, the woman who raised her, in the role of villain, but there comes a point when reluctance must give way to reality. Sabina consistent refusal to acknowledge what was right in front of her was extremely frustrating.

The tone of the book was also problematic for me. Some chapters indicated that the author was going for a lighter, more humorous tone: like the scene with Gilguhl (Sabina's demon sidekick) dressed in a pink kimono and indulging in his infomercial addiction. But then basically on the next page, a darker more gritty tone has Sabina in a nightclub walking in on a guy giving oral sex to another guy. Back to the demon who can now turn into fuzzy kitty, then off to a creepy sexual cult. Light or dark; funny or gritty. Both have there place. I would have preferred consistency one way or the other. The author was clearly going for a hilarious meets horror blend, it just wasn’t entirely successful for me.

Sabina’s first outing, like her hair and nature, is a bit uneven to say the least. But I’m not giving up on this series. The premise and world Jaye has created is too intriguing for that. Ultimately, I think there is enough promise here to warrant checking out The Mage in Black when it comes out in March of 2010.

Sexual Content:
Some crude language, a man performing a sex act on another man. ( )

Review: My criteria for liking a book often comes down to liking the main character. After reading the first chapter of Red-headed Stepchild, I was ready to streak my hair red just so I could look like Sabina Kane.

“Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal.”

When we first meet Sabina, she's in a graveyard digging a six foot hole for her latest meal (a kiddy drug pusher--Sabina gets a bite and cleans up the neighborhood in the process: everybody wins). An orphan raised by her mother's family, Sabina Kane is a vampire. Well half vampire, half mage. The product of a forbidden love affair, Sabina is forced to wear the stigma of her illegitimate birth literally on her head (the aforementioned red streaks).

In the world created by Jaye Wells, vampires (or Lilim, as they are called) are the offspring of Lilith and Cain and therefore they all have red hair (their inherited ‘biblical mark of Cain’). In fact all the dark races are in someway the descendents of Lilith: Demons, Fey etc. The world-building was definitely a strong point in this book: The politics of the various races are believably nuanced and have a real feeling of history behind them. There is the Dominae, a trio of female vampires (headed by Sabina’s grandmother) who govern over the vampiric race, and the Hecate Council that rules the Mages (or Mancies), and the Sellie Court of the Fey. The genesis of Vampires are also fully explained in a new and unique way. Along with a sense of mystery regarding Sabina’s mixed heritage which promises to be more fully explored in future books.

There is a lot to like about this book, but sadly with each increasing chapter, my affinity for Sabina,--and by extension this book--decreased. Chip nothing, Sabina had a boulder on her shoulder. I almost cheered when different characters called her out as a bitch. This is more of a personal pet peeve (but, hey, this is my blog): barely a hundred pages into the book Sabina had already commented twice that some guy made her panties/crotch get wet. I hate that phrasing; I just find it crass and vulgar. Big turn off. But the biggest obstacle I had with Sabina how she really skirted the TSTL [to stupid to live] line throughout this book (especially the first half).

It is abundantly clear almost from page one the the Dominae have been using and lying to Sabina practically from birth, yet whenever someone tries to point this out to her, we get half a page of inner monologue where Sabina can't believe someone would expect her to believe such lies, because, of course, she's way too smart for anyone to deceive her. And even when she finally sees proof for herself of the Dominae’s duplicity, she still won’t believe that their lies extend to other extremely obvious areas. I understand that Sabina would be reluctant to cast her grandmother, the woman who raised her, in the role of villain, but there comes a point when reluctance must give way to reality. Sabina consistent refusal to acknowledge what was right in front of her was extremely frustrating.

The tone of the book was also problematic for me. Some chapters indicated that the author was going for a lighter, more humorous tone: like the scene with Gilguhl (Sabina's demon sidekick) dressed in a pink kimono and indulging in his infomercial addiction. But then basically on the next page, a darker more gritty tone has Sabina in a nightclub walking in on a guy giving oral sex to another guy. Back to the demon who can now turn into fuzzy kitty, then off to a creepy sexual cult. Light or dark; funny or gritty. Both have there place. I would have preferred consistency one way or the other. The author was clearly going for a hilarious meets horror blend, it just wasn’t entirely successful for me.

Sabina’s first outing, like her hair and nature, is a bit uneven to say the least. But I’m not giving up on this series. The premise and world Jaye has created is too intriguing for that. Ultimately, I think there is enough promise here to warrant checking out The Mage in Black when it comes out in March of 2010.

Sexual Content:
Some crude language, a man performing a sex act on another man. ( )

Before I get into details I need to quote a moment in the book that made me laugh to loud :

" Why haven't you exploded yet?" The demon was closer now, only a few feet away. i opened one eye to look at the arrow. Blood bloomed from the site of impact, just over my left breast.
"I -- I don't know". Holding myself up became difficult as the seconds passed.
"Hmm. I wonder if I should stake you just to be sure"
"I'd really prefer it if you didn't," I said. "I'm sure I'll ignite any second."

Sabrina lives in a world where all dark races are on an edgy peaceful state. Spawn of a forbidden union between a mage and a vampire, she is destined to be an outcast. Raised by her grandmother, head of the vampire clan, Sabrina has been raised in a web of half-truth and lies. Brained-washed to the bones Sabrina dives deep down in a life-changing mission, and only realize it when she's waist deep in it.

I bought the book back at it's release day but for some reason I hadn't read it yet. Let me tell you I've been missing on something! The story was great and believable, full of very interesting plot twist. You grow fond of the characters as you get deeper in the story and starved for more. I started reading the book this morning and I'm already done. It was action packed, with emotional involvement. I totally enjoyed it! ( )

Waste. Of. Money

Debut novel, book 1 of a series.
The main character is an assassin with family issues. She’s fairly whiny and unlikeable, with urban fantasy clichés abounding for magic and vampires, and of course obligatory sex scene (not well written and seemed to be mechanically inserted into the story because it 'had' to have one). Best part is a demon who is changed into a cat and becomes her humorous sidekick. He also gets the best lines.

I think the writer had some reasonable ideas, writes some occasional smart and funny lines, but is too overly influenced by other fantasy books she's liked. To me, the world and character she'd created came across as a thin facsimile of Rachel Morgan and The Hollows series. That is a series that (in the early books) did challenge some genre boundaries and mixed the macabre and humour quite well. Turns out the author Q&A at the back of this book says she really liked Kim Harrison's series and it was her introduction to this genre. I think she should have read more before picking up her own pen.

Urban fantasy is one of my favourite genres, and maybe that's why I'm fairly hard on this book. The other reason is that I bought this book due to some glowing reviews here on LT. So perhaps this review will add a leavening opinion to others contemplating a purchase, who happen to share my taste in reading.

I hope the author gets better with her future writing. I think there's talent there that should improve with more practice and tougher editing. ( )