Succubus Heat

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this series. I love how Mead is able to humanize these immortal "monsters" and make them completely relate-able. And I love how hell is characterized as a bureaucracy that functions through contracts and paperwork (if anything is hell -- it's bureaucracy!). I have enjoyed all three previous books, but there seemed to be more to Succubus Heat, which I really liked.

Now that the world is established and the reader knows most of the rules governing Hell, the demons, the lesser immortals, and the angels, Mead is able to delve into stronger character and plot development. That's not to say that it hasn't been good previously, but in Succubus Heat, the characters really start to grow and change. show more The internal conflicts are becoming tenser with Georgina and Seth broken up. Georgina never seemed much of an immortal to me before; she cared too much about the world and the people around her. In this book, we get to see a bit of her darker immortal side. She starts acting more like a succubus and less like a human. And, surprisingly, we get to see a darker side to Seth, which was a refreshing change. I'm all for a guy with strong morals, but hanging around all those vampires and demons had to do something to him, right?

The plot, while fast-paced and interesting, was a little predictable. I was able to guess one major player in Jerome's disappearance right away, so the resolution to that conflict wasn't as surprising as it could have been. Despite that, I couldn't put this book down. Mead is so good at sucking the reader in and making us care about her characters that the plot is kind of secondary at this point. I do feel something larger building up, though, and I can't wait to see what all of it is leading to. (Yes, that's vague, but I don't want to give spoilers!)

The writing, as always with Richelle Mead, is fantastic. Amid all damned souls, horrible situations, and working for hell, Georgina is still able to crack witty jokes and have hope for the future. She also makes some amazing insights in life that are at once funny and depressing.

This is one urban fantasy/paranormal romance that you need to be reading! I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

Also posted on Purple People Readers. show less

If I could make a graph rather than a review, I'd show the quality of this series declining over time, while the quality of Mead's YA work is slowly increasing. Bloodlines, her Vampire Academy spin off, is legitimately good, with a Veronica Mars girl-detective style sass to it that gave it an extra appeal. The thing that KILLS me about the Georgina Kincaid series is that the background characters are still so fantastic - witty, interesting, well constructed, full of zingy one-liners and awesomely nerdy historical references. It's just the main storyline that drags on like a bloated carcass, all overwrought hysterics and implausible melodrama, punctuated by lots of steamy yet strangely repetitive sex. The fact that it clearly could NOT show more suck makes it more sad than bad. show less

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I can't empathize enough on how outstanding this entire series is and it's also an absolute must read in my books but this particular installment really wowed me. It quite possibly might be my favourite one yet. However, I seem to say that every time I review one of the Georgina Kincaid novels so it's hard to say for sure. What is clear is the fact that if you haven't given this series a try yet then you're missing out! Plus, narrator Elisabeth Rodgers really gives these stories an extra boost. For me, she's become the official voice of Georgie.

I have to start off by saying that I absolutely adored the plot line of this book! Georgina has been a bad succubus and, as a result, has been shipped off to Vancouver to show more deal with the "evil satanist Canadians". It's so rare to find a Canadian local in paranormal fiction that when it does happen I can't help but get a little giddy. I disagree with my fellow canucks being portrayed as wicked but then again that's what makes this story so hilarious. However, this is only a small part of what this book is really all about. Conspiracies, betrayal and second chances are just a few of the things that you can expect to find in this installment. Richelle Mead has outdone herself with this one!

Georgina and her crew of supernatural misfits find themselves temporarily stripped of their powers. This opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for the characters in this series. The vampires loved it because they're finally able to work on their tan but Kincaid... not so much. At least at first. This is the most vulnerable that I've ever seen her. She's normally a balls-to-the-wall type of girl but in this installment she's afraid of everything. Before the reasons and limitations of her succubus mojo is explained she has no idea what's going on. Is she mortal? Can she get pregnant? Is she free of her contract with Hell? Georgie has been invincible for millenia and then all of a sudden she's afraid to go outside, to cross the road, to smoke a cigarette, etc. It was interesting to watch a powerful succubus become scared of her own shadow.

After Succubus Dreams I thought that Seth was a thing of the past. Even though I was sad with how their relationship played out I was also excited about seeing Georgina move on with her life. This book doesn't make everything better but it does provide some temporary relief where Mortensen is concerned. I don't want to give too much of their story away because it's a good one but Mead does a great job of finding a temporary solution to their problems. Although, the ending was like a slap in the face; adding insult to injury so to speak. I'm so frustrated with Richelle right now! But then again, I guess that's what keeps me coming back for more.

I can't wait to see what's in store for Georgina Kincaid in Succubus Shadows. In case I wasn't clear in my review: I love this book, I love this series and you NEED to read all things Georgie! show less

This is the fourth book in the Georgina Kincaid series and I thought it was also the best. I was so excited to read this book after how the third book ended with Georgina and Seth on the rocks. I recently found out that there are going to be six books in this series. After this book I am eagerly awaiting the fifth book.

In this book Georgina is in a bit of a rut after breaking up with Seth. She has spiraled down and spends most of her time smoking, drunk, sucking the life energy out of moral men, and shacking up with the truly evil Dante. Jerome (her demon boss) is pissed at her bad attitude and loans her to another demon in Canada; he wants her to help with a problem that they are having there with some demonic cult that is just being show more plain annoying and getting Hell bad press. Shortly after her trip to Canada she gets sick and Jerome goes missing. With Jerome gone all of his underlings have their immortal powers taken away. Georgina needs to figure out what happened to Jerome and figure out how this cult is involved; but what does having her powers taken away mean for her and Seth?

This was a great book. The plot was wonderful, focused, and fast-paced. Georgina is a great character and I loved that Seth remained in the story. Dante is also an interesting character, but the angel Carter remains my favorite character of this series. It was fun to see how Georgina dealt with not having her powers. Overall the main mystery/puzzle of this book is concluded nicely and the broader story-arc regarding Georgina's contract with Hell and herrelationship with Seth is filled out and made even more mysterious.

The strongest point of this book is characterization; Mead develops wonderful multi-dimensional characters that you can really care about. She also writes good sex scenes, which is something you don't get to see in her Vampire Academy series. The plot sucks you along and I had a ton of trouble putting this book down. I also love that the books in this series have good, well-organized plots that make sense and don't seem frantic. I run into so many of these paranormal books where the heroine ends up running around like crazy and seems lost; but these books are not like that. This book also has a healthy dose of humor to keep you chuckling :-)

If I had to come up with something to complain about it would be that we didn't get as many glances into Georgina's extensive past in this book and I really enjoy those little stories. Oh and the book cover and book name is still pretty corny...

Still this book didn't disappoint I loved it. I zipped through it and couldn't believe that it was over. I love her Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1) series too and am eagerly awaiting the next book in that series. I think I will give her other series: Storm Born (Dark Swan, Book 1) a look too. Loved this book; this series just keep getting better! show less

What is it about the way Richelle Mead writes, that she is able to perfectly capture the pain of a romantic break-up? She somehow is able to make me relive the pain of feeling cut-off from a loved one, abandoned and dejected – it ain’t good! Thank goodness there is an interesting story woven in through this pain. Fans of Mead and Georgina, if you have stuck through this series for the first three books, you will want to read Succubus Heat. There is a payoff to the series and it is done quite well – readers have to pay for the little reward dishes out, but it is worth it. Readers are also additionally rewarded -- without spoiling too much, I will say that characters from previous books return.

I don’t remember Vampire Academy show more being this funny, maybe I didn’t get the humor in that series but the Georgina Kincaid series is damn funny. I started marking quotes, but there were just too many of them. I think one of the appeals of this series is that because of Georgina’s role as a succubus, readers are able to suspend their judgment of her sexual activity – after all, Georgina has to fulfill certain requirements or she will suffer in Hell. Rarely in mainstream urban fantasy books are female characters having so much sex with so many different men in such an unabashed way –this suspension of judgment is appealing. But of course it only exists within the confines of this series. And I guess there is judgment in the end, Georgina judges herself.

Questions continue to be not answered. Who is the guy in the dream? Will the dream come true? Does Georgina deserve better? Why the heck does Carter care so much? How can someone who is working for demons and hell be so good? How can she be good if in the end she is shortening thousands of mens lives? Why is Georgina reliving the same romance over and over again throughout the ages? Why is she attracted to the good ones? And what I am dying to know – when will she reveal her true form to Seth and what will he think?

At the close of Heat, Georgina makes several changes in her life. This book is a worthwhile read. The narration continues to be fabulous, I highly recommend listening to this series. show less

This is the fourth in Richelle Mead's Succubus series, and I really enjoy it. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it to the teens who read her Vampire Academy books, but I imagine it's on the radar of the more enterprising teen fans of hers anyway.
Racy they are, as the titles would imply, but that's really just one aspect of the hidden supernatural world of Seattle that Mead has created. The books have a lot of imagination, humor and characters to get hooked on.
I do think I'm done with the Seth angst, but I'm worried that Mead isn't.
I also think Maddie's the least believable of the characters, a little too good to be true, and while I believe there are feminists out there who, like many women, have confidence issues, Maddie not show more only has those but seems to rely way too heavily on what Georgina advises. You'd think a freelance feminist writer would think for herself a bit more than Maddie does.
That aside, I will keep reading and hope the mysterious comments of Carter and the prophetic dreams of Nyx will come to light in the next installment or two. show less

I know, I said this about the last book in this series, but now I mean it - this is the best book in the series so far!

Was the conclusion much of a surprise, no, not really... were the guilty parties a surprise? No, not really...

Though, what happened with the relationship between her and Seth was a bit of a surprise, and very well-handled.

I can't wait to start the next in the series to find out: what happens with Seth, the new cat, Maddie, Roman, Georgina's "reward" from Jerome, her contract, Dante... and so on. Really, the story within this book was wrapped up, but the story of Georgina's life was not.