Thursday, November 18, 2010

Mercy Blade-Faith Hunter

Mercy Blade
Faith Hunter
Roc, Jan 4 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451463722

Her name is Jane Yellowrock and she is a skinwalker; the last of her kind. To survive she is a rogue vampire slayer. She shares her soul with Beast and they communicate with each other. When Jane shapeshifts she usually turns to Beast, but she can change into any animal she chooses. Now the Weres have gone public and Jane works exclusively for the Blood Master of New Orleans, Leo Pellissier. Leo hates werewolves and when a clan of weres arrives to stake a claim in Leo’s territory, he orders Jane to come to his house.

He wants his security systems and peoples to be at full alert which is Jane’s department. Leo also wants her to meet someone near a pub to tell home to get out of town. When she arrives at the spot she notices the werewolves are there. She meets Girrard who once worked for Leo as his Mercy Blade, but Leos almost killed him when he tried to kill Leo’s insane daughter. Not interested in a chat, Jane prepares for the gala where the African werewolves try to make peace with Leo and his vampires. The American werewolves get past the sentries and attack. By the end of the confrontation, the hall is flowing with blood. Making matters worse, Rick, Jane’s lover is undercover and she realizes that he is having sex with a werewolf as part of his job as a police officer. The Weres plans another assault on Leo’s complex and Jane is pleased when the carnage ends and peace is restored. Now if she can only find Rick who still remains missing.

The third Yellowrock urban fantasy (see Blood Cross and Skinwalker) is great thriller starring a flawed heroine whose childhood memories are nightmares and gets upset with the slaughters but does her job while dealing with various supernatural species. Girrard adds an enigmatic element as Jane wonders what his tie to her boss is. Readers will appreciate Mercy Blade as paranormal blood flows in the Big Easy.

Harriet Klausner

No comments: