Red-Headed Stepchild

Half-vampire, half-mage Sabina Kane is an assain for the Dominae, the three women who rule over vampires. The result of a forbidden love affair, Sabina always tries to impress her grandmother Lavinia, the Alpha of the Dominae, who constantly reminds her of the circumstances of her birth. When the Dominae set Sabina the assignment of infiltrating into a cult trying to reunite all the dark races - vampires, mages, and fae - spy on the leader, and eventually kill them, Sabina gets a lot more than she bargained for. She's stalked by a mage, ends up with a demon for a room mate, and finds out some family secrets. The more involved she gets, the more dangerous things get, and she has to decide just who's side she's on.

This book is absolutely show more amazing! I loved every second of it. The inner struggle Sabina goes through to try and impress her grandmother, yet meeting disapproval at every turn for something she has no control over is difficult to read. It's awful that someone would be on the end of such prejudice from a member of their own family, and I kept willing Sabina to stand up to her grandmother, but as Alpha of the Dominae, she treats her with the respect that comes with her position.

The story has twists and turns you don't expect, and various love interests, unsure of who she should trust and go for. You're kept guessing about the "cult" right until the last minute, trying to work out whether it's legit or not. The characters are just fantastic. Sabina is strong and vulnerable all at the same time, and her interaction with the other characters are so entertaining. You've got to love Vinca, the nymph, with her overly friendly and enthusiastic little girl nature, and Adam, the mysterious mage who always turns up, challenging all Sabina knows. And then there's Giguhl, the demon sent to kill her, who ends up being an unwanted pet. He is just hilarious! Seriously, he might just be my favourite character throughout the whole book! And I just have to share some of the funny moments with you:

Page 42

"Is that all you bought?"
His eyes shot to the left. "Um."
I clenched my teeth. "What else?"
"A Super Mega Juicer, he said quickly. "But, Sabina, seriously that juicer is a miracle machine."
"I'm a vampire, Giguhl. The only liquids I drink are blood or alcohol. I don't do juice."
"You might want to consider a little roughage in your diet. According to the commercial, an increase in fiber will help you be more regular."

Red-Headed Stepchild is really an awesome book, and I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the next book, The Mage in Black. show less

Oh me, oh my I have found a new author that I will most definitely be following! Red-Headed Stepchild was an awesome debut and I'm happy to say the beginning of a trilogy (I believe). Sabina is half vampire and half mage which means she is an outcast amongst the vampires who are her family. She chooses the only occupation offered to her by her Grandmother, one of the head vampires, and becomes an assasin. Trouble begins brewing when Sabina is asked to infiltrate a rival group and assasinate the leader by her Grandmother. Because it seems as if her Grandmother hasn't told her everything including details that deal with Sabina's mage side of her heritage.

I'm going to gush about this book just so you have a heads up. I was completely show more captivated with this story and couldn't put it down. Sabina was a strong main character that wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. The reader was able to see her vulnerable side though as she began to question the truths that she had been told about her parents and her mage heritage which was a nice contrast to her tough side. The story itself was fresh and original and kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. This story just pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I just plain loved this book. The ending was tied up enough that I was satisfied while leaving it open for the next part in the trilogy. And I still wanted more! I would highly recommend this one to anyone that enjoys a good urban fantasy as the world Wells' creates is captivating and one that I want to read more of. Awesome read :) show less

I don't like vampires. That disgust goes back way before Twilight. I read a lot of good reviews of this book when it came out, but I never sought it out because of the vampire issue.

Reads like this are a good reason to set aside my biases every once and a while. Red Headed Stepchild is a solid book with just the right balance of action, moral quandaries, and humor. The heroine, Sabina, does actions right from the start that could make her a thoroughly repulsive character. As a credit to Well's writing, that never happens. Sabina is a half-mage, half-vampire assassin who comes across as complicated and quite human. She's the granddaughter of the leader of the Domina, but as a half-breed has never been accepted. However, as she comes show more across a sordid plot against the Domina, she questions her loyalties. The supporting cast, including a mage and a hilarious demon cat, create much strife and fun.

I definitely will seek out the rest of the series. show less

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 show more 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. show less

Originally on my blog.

Cover Talk: Badass woman? Check. Red hair? Check. Weapon? Check. Seriously. If a book cover has just one of those things, I am sold. This book cover has it all. I may or may not have developed a girl crush on her.

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

Why I Read It: As if that first line weren’t enough, I have been wanting to read a new UF series and I have had my eyes on this one for a while. When I found The Book Nympho’s Sabina Kane Read-a-long I signed up right away.

Characters: Sabina is tough, sarcastic, and quite funny. She is not one to let others get in her way and is always trying to overcompensate for her mixed heritage. Being show more half vampire and half mage is not only frowned upon, but the consequences of fraternizing with the enemy is deadly.

Giguhl, AKA, Mr. Giggles, is my favorite! Sent to test Sabina, his plan to kill her doesn’t work. So he’s stuck with her. And oh my word, I love this demon so much. Ordering on home shopping networks, shape shifting into a cat, then a hairless cat. Love this guy. Demon, rather.

Adam the “sexy hexy”. I feel like I don’t need to say anything else, but I’m not shallow and will not only talk about how attractive this guy is. He is also an incredibly powerful mage and is determined to help Sabina embrace her mage side.

Clovis is half-vampire, half-demon and is hellbent on taking over the magical/supernatural world. And I’ll be damned if he is not the most charming thing ever. Ugh. Why? Why are the bad guys so charming?

Plot/World-building: I cannot tell you how much I am digging this world. Vampire, mages, fairies, demons are just a few of my favorite things. Throw in a badass heroine and my life is complete. There are so many societies, rules, conspiracies, and secret organizations in this one book alone. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and find out more.

The best part of this book is how often I found myself laughing. When reading the synopsis, I didn’t really expect that to be the case. The humor and sarcasm reminds me very much of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid series that I’ve also been reading. I just love when the hero is an inch from death and they can still make a sarcastic remark, all while bleeding profusely. It’s wonderful.

The ending definitely has me wanting to read the next book very soon. I absolutely cannot wait to see where Sabina will go and what she and her friends will do next.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. Badassery, sarcasm, grit, humor, and sexy time. I really couldn’t ask for more. I am so ready to read the next book in the series. show less

The Red-Headed Stepchild is the first book in the Sabina Kane series and I’ve been dying to read it since I first heard about it last summer. Sabina is half vampire (her mother) and half mage (her father). This is a combo forbidden by vampire law. Her mother dies not long after giving birth and Sabina is raised by her vampire grandmother. Her grandmother is also leader of the Dominae who are the ruling force over most of the vampire community. Sabina’s father died before she was born and her grandmother is determined to isolate her from her mage family. Sabina continually seeks validation from her grandmother only to be repeatedly shunned. It almost seems that Sabina is forced to pay for her mother’s sins. As the story progresses show more Sabina discovers secrets about her past and is not sure who she can trust.

Sabina is an interesting character. She is cynical and bitter which isn’t surprising considering the loss of her parents and being raised by a woman who showed her no compassion. Oh, and being a trained killer probably doesn't help. I enjoyed watching Sabina’s character evolve and look forward to seeing more of her in future books. The plot progressed quickly and held my attention. The action wasn’t rushed and the author did an excellent job of giving us a play by play of what was happening without boring us with too many details. This was a solid start to a new Urban Fantasy series. I also felt the secondary characters were well written assets to the story. show less

Sabina Kane is an assassin for the vampire Dominae. Her grandmother is the alpha Domina, but Sabina doesn't get special treatment. No, she brings nothing but shame to her family name being half-vampire and half-mage. She is constantly trying to find her place in vampire society, forget her mage half, and finally gain acceptance from her grandmother. She is being sent on the ultimate mission and her hopes are that she will finally be accepted. This mission will have her questioning her beliefs, her lack of morals, and ultimately who and what she is.
Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres, but one so often hard to find the perfect book in. Jaye Wells has written an amazing beginning to a series that is sure to become one of my show more favorites. Sabina is one of those characters that I love to read about. She is smart, sexy, strong, deadly, and is somewhat lacking in the moral department. It's hard to find a heroine like that. One of the best things about her is that from the beginning to the end of the book Sabina displays a great deal of growth. Helping Sabina on her journey is Gighoul. Despite how much I love Sabina, Gighoul is definitely the star of the show for me. He had me constantly laughing and wishing I had a hairless demon cat! Last, but not least, is Lavenia the Domina and Sabina's grandmother. This woman is pure evil! Get ready to be introduced to a woman you will love to hate. She rules the vampires with a wicked iron fist and has hammered into Sabina's mind that she is a disgrace because of her mixed heritage. Add into that other evil deeds we learn about throughout the book and you have the makings of one heinous villainess.
When talking about Red-Headed Stepchild you can't skip over the world building that Jaye Wells has done. She has managed to bring a fresh new take on the vampire/mage/faerie story. One of the most interesting and intriguing aspects is how these creatures are tied into the Bible. I really enjoyed the lore behind this world. Another aspect of the book is that Ms. Wells stayed true to the story being an urban fantasy and didn't make it about romance. I'm not saying there isn't any, if fact there is the perfect amount, but I was pleasantly surprised that this book didn't turn into a romance novel like so many books do. There isn't that much I would change about Red-Headed Stepchild. The only thing is that at first I was a smidge lost, because I didn't know what some of the terms like Domina, Dominae, mansy/cy, and the religious aspect, but I was soon clued in. Lastly, this is an audiobook review and the narrator must be talked about. Cynthia Holloway is without a doubt my favorite narrator. She lends the perfect sarcasm and strength to the character of Sabina. As for the rest of the voices, which range from: a faerie, to demon, to mages are individual and develop their own personalities with the help of her voice. I give this book a 4 1/2 STAR rating. show less