Wicked Game

It’s been a while since I read a straight vampire UF, and it was a nice palate cleanser – no bizarre ecosystem of wacky creatures, just a bunch of hungry bloodsuckers running a radio station.

The usual supernatural perks, like otherworldly allure and superstrength, are balanced out with a matching set of vulnerabilities. Sunlight, of course, but also a fundamental resistance to growth and change. These vampires are “stuck” in their Life Time – or death time, more like it, the world before they were turned – and have a hard time adapting to the ever-evolving present. Most vampires develop OCD compensatory techniques to slow their inevitable Fade towards death.

They’re also nicely vampirey vampires. They drink blood from show more living donors. The bites have a sexual charge but they’re more painful than sexy. Blood and prey-like behavior makes even the cuddliest vampires in this book behave unpredictably. I think part of the reason why vampires have lost their cachet is because so many authors neuter them, reducing their bite to an element of foreplay. Not Jeri Smith-Ready; I would not take a job working in the same building as these bloodsuckers, they’re scary despite their vulnerability.

The story is about our heroine, con-girl Ciara, getting a job as a marketing intern at WVMP and coming up with a campaign to save the station. Unfortunately the owner, who promises not to sell out if revenue increases, isn’t acting in good faith while local ancient Gideon objects to the marketing scheme that Ciara comes up with.

Ciara and the WVMP DJs often find themselves helpless, at a loss, forced to take unacceptable risks…all signs of good plotting, I know, but I often wanted to put the book down and stop reading so as not to find out what depressing thing would happen next. There was a looming inevitability about certain (unfortunate) events that made the book feel like a downer.

WICKED GAME is much better than the average UF. Better writing, excellent characterizations, a neat alternate reality, and I liked the heroine a lot. It’s a little short on escapism, but well worth a try. show less

In order to put her con artist days behind her, twenty-something-year-old Ciara Griffin takes a marketing internship at the local radio station. She soon discovers, however, that the DJs are all vampires! Vampires are trapped in the time at which they died and so need to be immersed in the culture of that particular era in order to stay sane. Unfortunately, the owner of the struggling radio station is considering selling it to the generically commercial Skywave megacorporation, which would mean the end of “life” for the vampires.

Ciara comes up with the bold and daring idea of “outing” the vampire DJs to increase the station’s revenue. After all, no one is going to truly believe that the DJs are vampires—it will just make a show more great marketing ploy. Ciara’s idea is a success, and she even begins to get close to one of the vampire DJs, the hot and sensitive Shane McAllister.

There are some vampires, however, who don’t like what Ciara has done to WVMP and the safe anonymity of the vampires…

Calling all fans of smoldering romance, sassy heroines, and badass vampires: this brilliant series by Jeri Smith-Ready is sure to make your year! Not since Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series have I read a vampire book that’s so hot, funny, intelligent, and well written.

If you like your protagonists bold and witty, look no further than Ciara Griffin. Her irreverent narration makes WICKED GAME a nonstop entertaining and mindblowing read. Ciara is a remarkably well-developed heroine: not only is she an original thinker who exudes appeal in the here and now, she also has a tender family history that is almost always subconsciously at odds with the woman she has turned herself into after her complicated childhood. This balance of present-day confidence and psychoanalytical complexities ensures that readers will never tire of learning about Ciara and following her around.

Fans of the HBO hit show True Blood will LOVE Jeri Smith-Ready’s vampires. No more are they impeccably perfect and sparkly. These vampires are dangerous: the risks that Ciara takes on with her job and romantic pursuits are almost deliciously tangible. At the same time, the vampires are also flawed, neurotic in their compulsions and need of staying connected with their era. It is this weakness, this humanity in these vampires that make them appealing and all the more “realistic” to paranormal fans. I don’t think I speak only for myself when I say that I’m bored by perfect paranormal creatures and naively “innocent” romances between humans and supernaturals. Toss in a hint of danger—that lethal combination of supernatural superstrength and human vulnerabilities—and you really crank the heat up in the romance and action departments.

I could say more about the sexy but not offensively purely erotic romance, or the complex vampire bad guys, or the phenomenally brilliant writing, or the number of times I cracked up reading the dialogue or evidence of Ciara’s con artist background—but I think I’ll leave off here. Suffice it to say that it is highly unlikely that a more well researched, smart, and supremely enjoyable paranormal read is currently out there. Jeri Smith-Ready has sated my demands for excellence in this genre, and has left me wanting much more from Ciara and her unforgettable vampires. show less

Ciara Griffin's parents raised her to be a con artist, but she wants to go straight. She pulled one big job to help her survive awhile, but she needs a job if she wants to keep paying her bills. Her best opportunity? Interning at local station WMMP. Of course, it seems prudent to quit once she learns the station believes the DJs are vampires. She learns her potential coworkers aren't insane when she takes the scruffy Shane home and he bites her.

Eventually, Ciara decides to continue working for the station and designs a brilliant marketing strategy. Reveal the DJs are vampires because no one will believe the gimmick is true. The station needs the money the increased popularity will bring because the owner is threatening to sell to the show more conglomerate Skywave. Luckily, WVMP, the Liveblood of Rock `n' Roll is a hit. Unluckily, other vampires are not pleased with the marketing strategy.

WICKED GAME moves quickly, combining business, cons, and more traditional fantasy action to create a truly satisfying urban fantasy. People complain about the glut of vampire novels, but Smith-Ready's showcases their best aspects. She's created an interesting mythology: vampires are stuck in the time they changed and must maintain ties both to their Life Time and the present. WVMP combines the music of the vampires' times with modern technology, a perfect solution. Especially since Smith-Ready has the musical chops to pull it off.

I also appreciate that Ciara doesn't instantly want Shane to bite her. In fact, she starts to fight him when he accidentally does it. It shows a level of sense that most urban fantasy heroines seem to lack. Ciara is not a traditional BA type - when the violence breaks out, she's not in the center breaking skulls, she's trying to get out of the fray. I respect that. She's a tough woman, but her strengths aren't physical. Refreshing. show less

Plot Summary: Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, 60s psychedelia, 80s Goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers how the DJs maintain their cred: they’re vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara’s first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WMMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station—and the link it provides to their original Life Times—the vampires would “fade,” becoming little more than mindless show more ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover becomes a matter of life and un-death.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara re-brands the station as “WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll.” In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs’ vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around—next to Ciara’s complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the “gimmick” enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren’t so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher—and the perils graver—than any con game Ciara’s ever played…

Review> My thoughts about a PNR series centered around a radio station was; how freaking cool! Since I spent the late part of the 1980's as a Traffic Manager, DJ, and Sales Person for a TV station and a combination radio station, how could I refuse? I remember several Saturday night with fellow DJ's sitting around playing cards, eating pizza and subs, and generally causing mischief. I'm very glad I decided to read this book. The primary character Ciara, is alot like me in that she was struggling to make it thru college. I, actually, worked several jobs while working. I love the fact that the writer uses actual songs in the storyline, and several of the chapters, if not all, are musical numbers which one way or the other, I've either listened to or owned myself. Having vampires as radio DJ's that are stuck in the period of time that they were turned, was pretty crazy, but it works! If you've never met a DJ in person, they are quikier than a 3 dollar bill.

There are several plot lines:
1 - Ciara goes to work for WMMP, what the radio station was called before she started working there, as a marketing/sales intern. They have a huge conglomerate called Skywave (Think Clear Channel Communications) that wants to gobble up the station. Ciara's job, simple really, change the course and revenue of the station. Why should anyone care about a station full of vampire DJ's? Because they have absolutely no where else to go, and if they leave, they will lose focus and die. Ciara is stunned to learn from David that the DJ's are all vampires. The only humans are David, Lawrence and Ciara herself.

2 - After finally accepting, she also has to stop a very old vampire named Gideon, from interferring in the stations business. When the station changes it's call letters to WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock and Roll, and does an on spot meet and greet with the DJ, Gideon vows to stop Ciara and friends from embarrasing the vampires. She in turn, is kidnapped, and nearly killed while the owner of the station Elizabeth, who is also a vampire, is killed because Gideon thought she was responsible for his son's death. She wasn't. In fact, she was actually turned into a vamp by him. I was actually surprised that she was offed, as it were, and not given more opportunities as a member of Control.

3 - She has to deal with her feelings, as they are, for the mysterious Shane McAllister. Shane and Ciara's relationship goes from 0 to OMG, in 30 seconds. Of course, Shane biting her in the Owzers zone, didn't do anything to help Shane's reputation. This is definite material for anyone who loves PNR novels. Then there is the whole issue with her blood and what exactly it contains that healed Shane so quickly after being dosed with holy water.

Ciara is actually a very likeable character. She's smart but not perfect. Yes, she was a former con-artist, but that came from being around her mother and father, who make an appearance and then disappear. Shane has a very serious issue with OCD, as do other vampires, most notably Regina, Shane's mentor. What's funny is, a serious amount of book these days, stall at the start, and then get better. The writer tries to put too much information into one story instead of saving it for another novel. Not the case here. This one kept me occupied the entire time. I am seriously ready for the sequel to this book, and have already put it on hold at my local library. show less

Read this review at Smash Attack Reads! http://www.smashattackreads.com/2011/06/review-wicked-game-by-jeri-smith-ready.h...

The thing that sold me on this book was the vampires. Yes, we’ve got a bazillion vampire books out there with all sorts of lore and history, but what other books can you name where the vampires remain mentally stuck in their era? (if there are other books, I’d like to know about them) These are some of the most original vampires I’ve come across, a far cry from Dracula and his kin. No, they can’t do daylight, but they also can’t do music from another decade.

Yes, these vamps are DJs at WVMP and they each host a unique show catering to their era of expertise. They all have very unique personality styles and show more while you want to slap around a few of them, you really love them all by the end of the book.

Ciara (pronounced Keer-ah) is the human hired to be WVMP’s new marketing manager, as the station is in dire straits. Her idea to save the radio station is comical and while the vampires are not opposed to the idea, they think Ciara is off her rocker. You see, Ciara is a former con-artist, and while she doesn’t practice that lifestyle anymore, she still possesses the skills, and she uses them to perfection.

LOVE the author’s writing. Love, love, love it. She certainly knows how to engage the reader, her humor is perfect, and she creates some pretty likeable characters, as well. And her knowledge of music is ridiculous. I mean, ridiculous. show less

A con women get a job working at a very unusual radio station and finds herself in the con for her life. All the Dj's are Vj's (vamps) and need her to help save the station where they work. There are many problems, her past, being human, a dangerous neighbor vamp, a CIA like group that controls everything, her family, and her heart. The vamps are all very interesting and very different from the norm This was and Uf with a great mystery twisted with a con. A very enjoyable read.

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

I let WICKED GAME sit on my shelf for ages because I thought the whole paranormal radio station market had been thoroughly corned by Carrie Vaughn's werewolf DJ Kitty Norville series. I couldn't see vampire DJs as opposed to werewolf DJs making that much of a difference, but after reading (and loving) Jeri’s YA debut Shade, I was willing to see what her adult series could do. The reality is that these two paranormal radio series couldn't be more dissimilar...except for the whole being good thing.

Smith-Ready's conception of vampires is bloody fantastic. And it suits her plot premise perfectly. Vampires, at the time of their turning, get stuck in that time period forever. Anything show more that happens after their turning (new slang, technology, and of course music) confuses and disorients them. They also develop obsessive compulsive disorders as coping mechanisms. Most vampires begin to go insane and fade the older they get as the world advances around them, but working at WVMP provides the vampires in WICKED GAME a vital connection to their time.

As you can imagine, romance with vampires like this has its challenges. When Ciara meets Shane for the first time, it’s not instant magic. Shane, like all of the vamps in this book, is slightly off. Made in the 90’s, he’s stuck in the grunge era. He has a soulful boyish quality to him that I found extremely endearing, but he is bound by his nature and can’t always control himself.

The character Ciara, though human, isn’t exactly a picnic herself. She is an interesting mix of regret and recklessness. She had a troubled childhood that left her seriously flighty and provided her with a unique skill set that she both fears and revels in. I liked her ingenuity and at times poor judgment. I also appreciated her gleeful revenge mentality.

WICKED GAME promises right on its cover to deliver sex, blood, and rock ‘n' roll. And it pretty much delivers on all three points. I’m not completely blown away by this book, but I see a lot of promise in the series overall. If your looking for a less glamorous, but still provocative portrayal of vampires, WICKED GAME is the book for you. The sequel, Bad to the Bone, is supposed to be a significant step up, and I can only hope the third book, Bring on the Night, is even better. Stay tuned for my reviews.

Sexual Content: References to sex. A few scenes of semi graphic sensuality. A semi graphic sex scene. An oral sex scene. show less