Nightshifted

I love the writing, there are so many cogent passages and turns of phrase that my copy of Nightshifted is decorated with post-it flags, and the well constructed plot kept the book in my hand, but it’s the main character, vibrant, ironic, well meaning Edie Spence, that totally won me over for this series. She’s not a paranormal superstar with special powers, she’s the newest night shift nurse on the county hospital’s secret sub-basement wing for paranormal patients. She’s learning while she goes and makes mistakes, some big ones in fact, but she tries to make things right where she can.

“Save Anna” were the dying words of a vampire patient whose transformation to ash is Edie’s fault, setting her off on a mission to free a show more little undead girl who, yes, is part monster but surely doesn’t deserve the hand she’s been dealt. In the process Edie barges her way into a vampire torture chamber, partners with a zombie she starts having feeling for, tracks a gang of ruthless kidnappers with a friendly family of werewolves, acquires a haunted German-speaking CD player which becomes a sort of ally, saves two patients from a raging were-dragon, and almost loses her soul to a husker. Who knew a nurse’s life could be so exciting? Great stuff--can’t wait to start the next book in the series. show less

I may have had my expectations to high for this book, but there was so much good here and so much bad. A part of me thinks I should read the next book to see if the growing pains of a new series smooth out but I suspect the things I hate will only be compounded.

On the plus side the character idea is interesting. Edie has a real job as a nurse. How often do you see that? Basically never. The medicine isn't too bad, and the author must either be in the medical field or have done some serious research. My one medical issue was the tranq gun loaded with propofol. While I can't speak to the other drug used, propofol is in fact a fast acting sedative. When it's given IV. A tranq gun into the muscle full of propofol is not going to drop you, show more unless the human medical world has some formulation we don't in the veterinary world, which I sincerely doubt. So, fun, real job, vs. fake stuff pulled out of nowhere - like it. The world itself is pretty interesting, even if the vampire politics thing is getting very old. The author brings in shifters, werewolves, zombies (ew, necrophilia on that one), dragons and more, so there's room for things to grow, but nothing really new or interesting is done, which is fine, I'm over it.

Oh, the cons list - there will be spoilers, I will mark the biggies. The character is TSTL. It's been a while since I've pulled that one out, but my god! She gets bit by a patient, which I guess as a veterinarian I see the risk, but when you're working with scary creatures you get paranoid and you are much more likely to be bitten by the ones that look sweet one minute and are killers the next. Not 10 pages later she's wandering into the ghetto, alone, with basically no protection. TSTL. When another character tries to say she's under a compulsion she says nope, I just make mistakes. Those aren't mistakes. Those are stupid, stupid, stupid actions.

Edie also exhibits one of my least favorite UF character traits that I hate beyond words: she has NO friends. The excuse is made that she's not good at friends. Considering, besides the stupidity, she has no weird social hang ups, the only real excuse is laziness on the part of the writer. Giving your character no friends is not character development.

So, this chick with no friends then goes out to the club, alone, right after she gets out of the hospital. As a woman, can I just say, wtf? Your average woman would never consider this. Ever been to a club and seen a woman there alone? Because I have NEVER seen this, ever. She has no money, she's poor (how does a nursing job that has only a small pool of employees to pull from and requires specialized training and is funded by richy-rich vampires not pay well??), but she goes to a club. She doesn't drink, she just dances. She picks up a random dude of course. He will of course be a supernatural too! And we'll give him the name Asher because god knows there is no other series out there with a love triangle with a guy named Asher. Favorite line: "I walked back to him, making sure my hips rolled like a ship in a storm." *snort*

So then we come to the sex. Number one, the one detailed sex scene is not steamy, it's mostly annoying. She can't orgasm as he hits the back of her because she can't relax. I'll agree not being relaxed is a real pleasure killer, but what in the heck is "the back"? What is he hitting in there? It's certainly not her clitoris, so how she thinks hitting "the back" is going to stimulate an orgasm is beyond me. And let's not talk about the unprotected sex. WTF. You're a nurse.

Second to last: "I'm not like other girls." Kicks boy out: "other women don't do this to me!" - so this makes her special? "I don't excel at being a girl." - Um, yes you do. You have a uterus, 2 ovaries, get a period once a month and are accepting of your gender role, as assigned by the sex you were born with. You excel at being a girl. All of us "fake it" for a night out, with shoes and all that. Why do we require women to not be "uber feminine" in our UF in order for them to be "bad ass" enough to be lead characters? You know what, when somebody writes me a fucking UF series with a nurse who loves her pink scrubs, has a group of gal pals she shoe shops with when her budget allows it and who manages to further the plot without doing stupid things like wandering into the ghetto I will lose my mind with joy.

So last con I will mention (so many little stupid things to choose from!): The actual plot. It's okay, don't get me wrong. But it's just okay. It is soap opera-y, splashing back and forth and is mostly further by the character's ineptitude. That is not amusing. You work in a hospital ward for the paranormal - you could be a 100% normal, functioning individual and still have chaos and excitement. When you instead make you character TSTL it makes me want to weep huge crocodile tears.

So, for the TL:DR version - main character is stupid, plot is "meh", much promise, no delivery, for the love of god give your female characters kick ass girlfriends, or hell, just any girlfriends, and dear author I see that love triangle you are trying to slide in and I am cutting you off at the pass. That alone is going to stop me from picking up book 2.

Ooh, and almost forgot last LOL moment: Asher signs the card in purple ink with a little heart over the 'i'? WTF. It's fine when my men are a little feminine, I prefer that over the uber masculine dudes at this stage, but seriously? He writes like a 12 year old? That is really not romantic and it's certainly not even hot.

Very disappointed, but I'm considering this motivation to finally write my "veterinarian has werewolf patients" book. show less

Unusually well grounded for urban fantasy. Went a bit overboard with the medical jargon for my tastes, but not so much that I couldn't follow it. Interesting take on zombies, and Grandfather promises to be entertaining - especially if Edie ever learns German.
Kudos as well for making the vampires monsters instead of misunderstood lust objects with restricted diets. Finally, I appreciate this for being more Urban Fantasy or Light Horror than Paranormal Romance, with a heroine who has depressingly bad luck with men and isn't blessed with guaranteed orgasms to accompany every sexual encounter. The only swooning you should expect from Edie is due to clinical shock.
In short, Edie and her world feel real and gritty in a way that too few show more urban fantasies do these days. Well done, and I look forward to the next volume. show less

This debut urban fantasy, out next week, brings a fresh outlook to many of the stale tropes of the genre. A lot of books deal with the supernatural by making them regenerate quickly, which makes them easy to work into action, but takes away many consequences of damage, too. Alexander's world-building shines in this regard. Edie Spence works in a ward hidden beneath County Hospital where vampires can speed-up their rituals by using a ready supply of blood, or a zombie integrated with society can take a leave of absence from his day job as his flesh slowly regenerates.

Alexander also makes things real. She's a nurse. Therefore, she nails the hospital atmosphere and the peculiarities of the job. It makes that blend of the real and show more extraordinary all the more interesting--and educational. I may be a layman, but I love reading about the medical field, so I loved that aspect.

Edie Spence is a likeable heroine. She has a touch of snark, but the voice isn't overwhelming. Like most urban fantasy heroes, she has some darkness in her past: her older brother is a junkie, and Edie has continually scraped and sacrificed in her attempts to keep him clean. This creates some sad and frustrating moments for Edie, such as when she returns home to find her dear old brother has pawned her dining room set.

There were some elements I struggled with, or wanted to know more about; in particular, what's up with the character/entity of Grandfather, and more about the nature of the Shadows. Since there are already two more books set for release, I hope those answers will emerge in those volumes.

If you're looking for something new in urban fantasy and appreciate some medical realism, this is definitely a book you should read.

Disclaimer: I received a gratis copy of the book for reviewing purposes. show less

3.5 Stars
Review originally posted on Romancing the Dark Side:

A fantastic new addition to urban fantasy with an imperfect but exceptional heroine. Edie's job will make your work day feel like a breeze!

When Edie Spence became a nurse she never imagined working at County Hospital's Y4, a special secret wing that treats supernaturals and that she'd have to make a deal with beings called Shadows, in order to save her drug addicted brother's life. When she loses her recent patient Mr. November due to her own negligence, Edie is determined to carry out his last wish in finding a young girl named Anna. Her guilt and compassion will lead her into a dangerous world of non-sparkly vampires, shape-shifters and yes, even zombies! Think your job is show more tough? Try walking in Edie's scrubs for a day!

There are very few heroines in urban fantasy that lack supernatural abilities and work in the medical field, and that's why I was instantly drawn to Edie, she's just a regular young woman trying to survive. She's thrown into some pretty dangerous situations but tends to handle things with a pretty level headed personality...I don't think I'd be so excited to come close to being killed every night at work! Edie's decisions are sometimes questionable, from her one-night stands to her penchant for walking right into harms way (with no supernatural powers I might add), but her heart is always in the right place, it's her mortality that makes you fully connect with her character.

In the midst of all the chaos in Edie's world, there's a little time for romance in this busy nurse's life. I was hoping things with Asher the shapeshifter would work out, but then Ti came into the picture and my hopes were tossed out the window. Don't get me wrong, I like Ti's character, he's kind and protective, but I just didn't want Edie to get involved with him romantically, that and the fact that he's a zombie had a little to do with my stance. As much as I tried I couldn't connect with their romance, let alone read about them having sex...maybe I watch too much The Walking Dead and have trouble associating zombies with romance, I really don't know.

The world building in Nightshifted breaks most of the stereotypes of the paranormal myths that we're accustomed to, which I love. Vampires are not made by just a simple blood exchange and have human servants called Daytimers. Ms. Alexander does a phenomenal job of vividly painting a scene with her writing, transporting the reader into her dark, supernatural world. There are a few unanswered questions that I'm hoping will get hashed out in the next installment, but nothing that leaves you baffled or throwing your book across the room. I'm sure Edie has some more adventures ahead of her and I plan on sticking by her side as they unfold! show less

Who takes care of the paranormal when they get sick? Edie Spence is a nurse on Y4, the unit that takes care of them. It is a secret floor in County Hospital that not too many people know about. Edie is just trying to survive and learn the ropes, when “Mr. November” turns to dust before her eyes. His last words were “save Anna.” Now, it is up to Edie to figure out (1) who Anna is, (2) what she needs saving from and (3) how to save her.

Feeling guilty over the death of Mr. November, Edie sets out to figure out who he was (Mr. November was his alias because they couldn’t identify him) and his connection to Anna. This is more challenging that Edie has first anticipated. Meanwhile, she has her brother calling her for money. Her show more brother, who is the reason she is working on Y4 for less pay than she was making before. What Edie doesn’t realize is that while she is digging into the identity of both Mr. November and Anna, this will involve her in the paranormal world like she has never known, or wanted.

What will happen to Edie Spence? Will she rescue Anna? Will she get into trouble for her involvement in her release?

When I first heard that this was centered on a nurse who took care of paranormal patients, I was excited to read this. Being a nurse, I had hoped that it wouldn’t be like the TV shows that depict nursing as something that it is clearly not. I wasn’t disappointed in this book. There were moments of hilarity in it with quotes that I showed to my co-workers. Edie Spence is a well-written character. I like the way that Alexander has written her. I don’t like medical dramas or stories very often because they sugarcoat what the profession is about. In Nightshifted, you don’t get that. That is what made it appealing to me.

Now that I spoke on the nursing aspect, the paranormal stuff in the book was just as good. There were dragons, vampires, ghosts, and more. I liked that things were different in this book. You don’t often hear about paranormal beings getting sick or having diseases, so this was a refreshing take on a genre that is popular and sometimes repetitive. I’m anxious to read Moonshifted, which is centered around werewolves, when it comes out in November.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Nurses are natural kleptos. You don’t want to be in a room without enough supplies, so every time you walk past the med-cart you pocket another saline flush. By the end of the shift you can look like a chipmunk if you’re not careful. Some days it’s hard to remember that the gum at the end of the grocery checkout aisle isn’t there just for you.”

“I didn’t have to stick around to give the report to day shift. There’s no report to give when your patient’s become dead.”

“…anything that fell on the floor anywhere in the hospital was always suspect. Somedays there wasn’t enough hand sanitizer in the world to chase after a dropped pen.” show less

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/05/early-review-nightshifted-edie-spence-1-by-...

Nurse Edie Spence is having a bad day. She’s assigned to unit Y4 at county hospital, and manages to obliterate a vampire servant (daytimer) by accident, getting bit in the hand in the process. He whispers the name Anna before he expires, and with the name, and his watch in hand, she’s off to find the mysterious Anna. What Edie finds is horrifying, evidence of a slavery ring involving vampires, torture, and worse. When she does finally manage to find and free Anna, she realizes she may be in over her head. Anna is not only a vampire, she’s much more. Just how much more Edie doesn’t know, but she’ll lead her down show more a dangerous path, and there’s no turning back. Edie needs Anna to testify on her behalf at a vampire tribunal for any chance of survival, but keeping track of the little vampire is a monumental task all its own.

I loved this book. What a breath of fresh air! You may think from the cover that it might be a semi-light urban romance. Not so. In fact, in many ways it’s darker then a lot of UF out there right now. Edie isn’t a happy go lucky girl. In fact, she’s got a brother who’s a junkie, and the Shadows (the denizens that keep Y4 in check) have her over a barrel. She works on Y4 and in return, they keep her brother clean. She’s afraid of making any real connections with anyone and unwinds by going to clubs to dance and bring home one-night stands. And Edie is very, very lonely. I think the diminutive Anna (she appears to be a nine year old girl), brings out a protective side in Edie, and her determination to protect her was endearing, especially since Anna isn’t exactly what you’d call “cuddly”. She’s very much “other”, as are all vampires in Cassie Alexander’s world. Nightshifted is a unique, fascinating trip into Edie’s world. Not only is the worldbuilding different, but I really enjoyed the nursing aspects as well (Cassie Alexander is a nurse, so she knows her stuff.) The book is filled with fascinating characters, including an enigmatic zombie firefighter (no rotting shambler here), which Edie finds herself increasingly drawn to, weres, shapeshifters, and of course, vampires. A memorable scene with a STD afflicted dragon (yup) had me on the edge of my seat, the budding romance with Ti (zombie firefighter!) is sweet and tender, and I just plain loved hanging out with Edie. Nightshifted is a very strong start to what promises to be a wonderful new series! show less