Coyote's Kiss

Supernatural #8

by Christa Faust

A truck full of illegal Mexican immigrants slaughtered with supernatural force is found by the side of a road. Trying to find answers, Sam and Dean are plunged into the dangerous world that exists along the Mexican border. 

They encounter a tattooed, pistol-packing bandita on a motorcycle who seems be everywhere they go before they get there. Xochi Cazadora draws them into a whole new world of monsters...

A Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit TV series!

Genres: Supernatural, Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Media Tie In

348 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Christa Faust is an American author who writes original novels, as well as novelizations and media tie-ins.

Reviews

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean had never quite imagined his life might end like this. Naked in a Tijuana brothel with an eighty-year-old woman dressed like Janine from Spinal Tap sizing up his junk and looking distinctly unimpressed. He really wished the room wasn't so heavily air-conditioned.

Oh my god, what a fun ride! This was such unexpected, unadulterated pleasure. I cannot stress that enough. Finally a tie-in novel that doesn’t suck donkey ass! I’ve been so disappointed with previous efforts, but like any true addict I keep coming back for more. Christa Faust is an accomplished novelist in her own right and that’s in evidence here on almost every page. The story is multi-layered and infused with Aztec lore and mythology making it totally engrossing. It’s hard to tell where established mythology ends and Faust’s imagination begins. It’s a seamless marriage (unless you happen to hold a doctorate degree in Aztec monsters and legends).

Faust sets this story mid Season 6, taking full advantage of the show’s rich story line to this point, letting no opportunity pass her by to channel inside jokes and mine emotional terrain. Her voices for Sam and Dean are spot on; I especially appreciate the fact that she is writing for soulless!Sam. Dean’s response to his baby brother sans conscience is funny and heartbreaking. Sam used to be the emotional one, the brother with the impeccable moral compass, now Dean’s soul has to fly right enough for two to make up for Sam’s emptiness. One scene that had me laughing out loud is when Dean is in danger of becoming the Aztec equivalent of a zombie.

”Sammy, you’re not going to let that happen to me are you? If it comes to that, you’ll take care of it, right?”
“Of course,” Sam said. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You weren’t supposed to answer that so quickly,” Dean said.“So that’s it? We just sit here and wait for me to Romero out so Dexter here can pop a cap in my rotten brain and put me out of my misery?”

Another huge win for this installment is the introduction of Xochi Cazadora (a kick-ass hybrid of Salma Hayek and Rhona Mitra). We’ve had some high octane warrior women (demon, angel and human) grace the show over the years – Xochi could hold her own up against any of them. She is AWESOME. Faust already has at her disposal an entire canon of material to use when writing for Sam and Dean, but Xochi she creates out of thin air. I would be delirious if she actually showed up in a real episode. I totally bought how Dean reacts to her and that in many ways he has met his match. Faust doesn’t cheat on their chemistry; it’s earned with good writing and character development.

The target audience for this book is definitely fans of the show, and to all of you I say READ IT!

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 2.5 stars.

This book is based on the television series. It takes place during the sixth season of the show. In this one, Sam and Dean investigate a bunch of deaths that happen to immigrants from Mexico as they try to cross the border.

I was really hoping to enjoy this novel as I like the idea of exploring other culture's supernatural beliefs but unfortunately I didn't. The author nails the portrayal of the two brothers and where they are respectively with their characters in the show. Dean has just left Lisa and Ben because he didn't want to bring his world into theirs and Sam has no soul. The author does a terrific job with how they are dealing with their situations and this was easily the highlight of this novel. The part that didn't do for me was the actual adventure and I believe that has to do with the introduction of the accompanying character with it. This character is a fellow hunter and her name is Xochi. The problem is that she was perfect at everything. She was unbelievable beautiful, an amazing hunter, had telekinesis powers and on and on. With this hunter I never felt any real danger in the actual adventure. And she seemed like she was a figure for the author to use as a love letter for Dean. There was also another character that the author used in this manner and it did get tiresome.

I enjoy a good media tie-in novel and my biggest peeve when reading one is get the characters right. This one actually did get the characters right. It was everything else that was a little weak. It wasn't a bad offering but it could have been so much better.

[Shainna · Rating 1 out of 5]

So far this book is ridiculously bad in terms of characters. Practically every page I read that features Xochi, I find out some new power this chick has. Not only is she from an intense bloodline of hunters out to keep the balance, but she's got cat night vision, and is telekinetic and telepathic! She also breaks into the boys' motel room and then proceeds to beat up Dean for no apparent, logical reason. She wears the dumbest clothes (ie. most conspicuous) to hunt it, it reads more like Gloria from DMC4 or even just Trish from DMC1&4 than a regular person. To be frank, Xochi is scoring incredibly high on the Mary Sue test

[Mis_Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started in with an open mind. All of these books are love em or hate em books. It started out good and I was really intrigued. It takes place during Season 6 and while the majority of fans hated the season so much most of us can't even remember it, just our feelings toward it, that potential that S6 had, the good ideas that went wrong were utilized better in this book. Soulless!Sam is hilarious rather than as dickish as he first appears in the show. Dean is struggling with his pulled loyalties toward Lisa and the job, what he thought he wanted but wasn't happy with, and the job which he actually loves as much as he hates it.

The OC was interesting, but the author tried way too hard to give her a connection to Dean, first mild attraction, then just, like, they GOT each other. It felt a little forced in their mutual understanding of pain and loss.

I actually stopped reading after Cas made his appearance. Castiel was completely and utterly out of character. Dean is facing a fate worse than death, Sam and Dean have no hope of saving him, they pray to Cas for help, he shows up and actually tells them that it's not his department and he can't interfere or help, all the while seeming annoyed that they called him.

Cas. Cas said that. About Dean. Facing a fate worse than death, Dean? Sorry, not my department.

I mean, when Soulless!Sam calls you out as being a dick and a heartless, uncaring bastard? You better believe you messed up big.

[Crow NoYami · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sex. That's what this story is about. There was only one chapter in the book which didn't mention sex or rape in some way or form. Instead of focusing on the story-line, you know the plot? The whole book was about how Dean wanted to have sex with Xochi (which he ends up not doing). I found that at LEAST 75% of the book was about Dean trying to control his 'physical reaction' OR about how he felt 'wrong about moving on from Lisa'. If I wanted to read a book about sex I would have went to the romance section. The few pages (20 max) of actual plot? Those were alright, but seriously this was hard to read and I had to force myself hopeful it would get better. It didn't. I feel like the show was not represented well, nor were the character (except Sam actually, soulless Sam was written fine) For anyone who is a Castiel fan, he was portrayed as useless in this. It would have been far better for him to simply not have been in the story at all then the paragraph where he said he couldn't help because of 'Heavily Restrictions' Like the Angel just rebelled against Heaven, if Dean was in serious danger he would have said 'screw the rules' and helped not said that he couldn't because of regulations. Very VERY disappointed in this book, placed this author on my 'do not read' list.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general it was a fun romp! It's soulless Sam being soulless most of the time and being a little too soullful on occasion. That was a slight weakness to the characterization. Dean also had moments where he trusted his brother, and at this point in the tale, just before "Appointment in Samarra", Dean should be going out of his mind dealing with the shell that is his brother. After all, it's only a few weeks later that Dean has his haert stopped so he can meet up ith Death. You have to be in some state to go that extreme.

that said, let it all go and just enjoy the ride. And the ride is fun, and energetic, and there's a precious soulless moment when Dean's life is in peril but Sam takes the time to buy two prostitutes for the night! And in the end, being soulless works to Sammy's advantage and saves the day. Meantime Dean meets the female version of himself and doesn't get laid.

Seriously, you watch Supernatural? Read the book.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the better SN books in the series, and deeply covered a new mythos, based on Aztec gods. The narrative flowed and felt like a SN episode...mostly. There were two areas where the author felt out of touch with the SN universe. Sam, who for the most part was a background character, did not talk or act like Sam at all. Not even in the way he did during this period when he was "soulless." At least Dean mostly felt like Dean. And there was way too much innuendo and discussion of the hot female hunter's ass. There were actually pages dedicated to it.

It got to a point where it felt like this was written by a 16yo boy, not a 40yo woman. I'm no prude, but the constant sexual content just was out of place in a SN story.

[Kim Bergshoeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brotherly banter and a decent story. Liked it.

[Brian McCullar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m continuing my journey into Supernatural's extended lore with the eighth book in the tie-in series, Coyote’s Kiss, and I have to say — this book was excellent. Honestly, as a tie-in story, it was nearly perfect.

It takes place while Sam is still soulless, and while Season 6 is one of my least favorite seasons (because I hated soulless Sam), I think this book uses him in a way the show rarely did — which is saying something.

One of the first things I need to address is the characterization of our beloved characters, which tends to be inconsistent across the tie-in novels. Some authors truly understand the source material on a deep level, capturing Sam, Dean, and the rest of the cast with stunning accuracy. Others, however, struggle to make the characters feel even remotely like themselves, leaving me wondering if they ever watched the show. So, where does Christa Faust land on this front? She nails it — almost perfectly. Not only does she capture soulless Sam’s detached attitude and warped logic, but she also nails Dean’s lingo, personality, and mannerisms. Even Bobby and Castiel, despite their limited page time, feel true to their on-screen counterparts.

The plot is a wild ride, in the best possible way. The boys find themselves hunting a creature they’ve never encountered before: a Borderwalker, a monster created when a dying woman receives the coyote’s kiss from another Borderwalker to save her life. These creatures are unique within the Supernatural universe, as their origins tie to the Aztec trickster deity Huehuecoyotl, rather than Eve, the Mother of Monsters. They don’t primarily exist in the physical world or the Veil but in an alternate realm — presumably where the Aztec pantheon resides. Borderwalkers can shift between forms of desert animals like condors, scorpions, and coyotes. However, this particular Borderwalker is different: it’s abnormally strong and disturbingly murderous.

The hunt takes the Winchesters across Arizona and into Mexico, where they face off against creatures from Aztec folklore, like the Nagual (shapeshifting witches) and the Tzitzimimeh, or "Star Demons" — entities that don’t come from Hell but from the Aztec realm. The Star Demons' obsidian teeth allow them to drain human souls, which is just incredibly cool.

The new character Xochi is a lot of fun to read about, and unlike past novel-original love interests, she actually has believable chemistry with Dean. She’s also a fully fleshed-out character with her own reasons for hunting and for involving the boys in what would normally be out of their jurisdiction. Claudia is another well-written addition, with a solid character arc, and the villain’s motivations feel grounded in the show’s world and lore.

The book isn’t without flaws, though. One minor issue is Sam’s weird obsession with Dean getting some “alone time” with Xochi. He cracks jokes and makes comments about it constantly in the first half of the book, to the point that even Bobby, during his brief appearance, joins in. It felt out of place and overdone.

The bigger issue, though, comes from a continuity error involving Castiel. He tells Sam and Dean he can’t help with the Star Demons because the different pantheons have agreements not to interfere with one another’s affairs, even saying, “During the apocalypse, did you see the Aztec gods getting involved, even though they’d die too if you failed?” This directly contradicts the Season 5 episode Hammer of the Gods, where gods from multiple pantheons try to stop the Judeo-Christian apocalypse to save themselves. It’s clear the author needed a reason to keep Cas out of the fight to maintain the stakes, but it creates a frustrating lore inconsistency.

Despite these hiccups, this is still one of the best entries in the tie-in series so far. I’d give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars — an awesome read for any Supernatural fan!

Wanna check out my other Supernatural book reviews? Check em out below!

Nevermore: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Witch's Canyon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Bone Key: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Heart of the Dragon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Unholy Cause: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

War of the Sons: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

One Year Gone: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Men of Letters Bestiary: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Liz Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of the Supernatural books that I've read so far. Sam and Dean seemed closer to their tv versions and of course I loved all the classic rock songs and cars that were mentioned. And Xochi is a total badass! Best female character in the books so far. It definitely ended differently than I was expecting and I loved it!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is what I call a freaking good Supernatural tie-in novel. Absolutely great stuff. I was even shipping Dean and Xochi!

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books were great bc they explored concepts the show never would, like in this one they go into Aztec mythology?? The show could never 🙄

[Elvira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, what to say about this book? Well it started out good, then it got boring, then it got good again, and then by the end it got boring again.

Only some parts of this story kept my interest and once I was finished reading those interesting parts, I immediately lost interest. The person that the Winchester brothers is working with is kind of annoying. She's almost too perfect and there's always something convenient when it comes to her. Also, towards the end of the book she gets telekinesis powers that come out of complete nowhere.

Another disappointing thing with this story is the climax. The chapters are extremely short but there are a lot of them, and for so many chapters, I thought the climax would be longer than it really was. It only ended up being two to three chapters long (which isn't long at all since the chapters are so short) and then how the climax was solved was disappointing as well due to the shortness, dullness, and not much had to happen to solve it. It was too easy for such a build up. Throughout the entire story you're lead onto thinking that once they fight the big bad of the story, it's going to be tough but it ends up being really easy. It was kind of a let down.

Also, the tiny part in which Castiel shows up just irked me. Cas was totally out of character and since Cas is my favorite character, it annoyed me greatly.

Anyways, this gets three stars only for the few parts that kept my interest.

[Guera25 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Xochi Cazadora is a blatant self-insert, but the plot was engaging, and I enjoyed the glimpse into the broader hunter culture beyond the myopic, claustrophobic scope of the Winchesters. The Judeo-Christian mythos and canon has been bludgeoned into paste at this point, so seeing gods and demons from the Aztec pantheon was refreshing.

The tone descended into the smug on occasion, with the author clearly impressed with her l33t multicultural skills, and an editor should have caught a number of lexical errors. For example, people aren't "phased" unless they're on an episode of Star Trek, and Dean really shouldn't be stomping on the breaks if he's trying to stop the car. Brakes would be a better option. Maybe then he wouldn't be so fazed by a turn of events. I can excuse such errors in free fanfiction, but my standards are higher when the author is getting paid. Pro authors should have more care with their work than enthusiastic hobbyists and amateurs.

[Emily G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much because for me Sam and Dean were very in character.

Set between the season 6 episodes 'Caged Heat' and 'Appointment in Samara', Sam is still missing his soul (which is cleverly pivotal to the plot), when the brothers get embroiled in the stopping of another potential apocalypse, this time brought about by ancient Aztec gods. They are ably assisted by another hunter called Xochi, a female version of Dean, who I liked immensely and the attraction between her and Dean is handled very well by the author. So well in fact, that I even found myself hoping they would get together O.O!

I would recommend this book to any fan of Supernatural.

[Summer Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Supernatural book. Dean was very close to the way his character was portrayed at this time, and we also got to see some more of his emotions over Lisa. Sam is soulless at this point in the story, and the author seemed to have a bit of trouble making him "Sam" but without his soul, trying to mix the two sides of sam together. The show seemed to have a little issue with that also, but I think the actor who plays Sam helped a lot with that, so without him some parts are a bit off. The female lea din this book is very "Buffy" in the sense that she is just as strong or stronger than the men, but she also has lots of connections. All in all I enjoyed this book.

[Devi R. Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story has its moments, I have to say that the mexican culture described there made my skin crawl (and I'm Mexican).
Said that, the author had a real good control of the story and it's written quite wonderful that I couldn't stop reading.
It's a good book with the cheesy ending that makes you feel like it doesn't deserve the five stars, on top of other things. But I have to point that it wasn't dissapointing at all.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I seriously did. A lot of Dean and Sam (of the soulless variety!) in this one, and the female lead was as badass as they come. The more I read of it, the better I liked her. A two and a half day read that was enjoyable from front to back.

[Nicole(thereadingrebel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

real rating: 3.5

[Heidi Steen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a really strong and heartfelt story that really engages the reader with the characters. However, there are some equally strong flaws which prevent this book from getting a top rating.

The use of ancient Aztec gods and mythology mixing with a heavy Mexican location is done well. Despite most of the action taking place in the seeder side of the Mexican/American border, there is no sense of casual cultural bias simply that this is how the more familiar supernatural world translates into another culture.

References to the gods and demons are informative and respectful of both the culture and religion they originate from with the brief appearance of Castiel who simply states that there are other forces at work in the universe who take no interest in "traditional" supernatural affairs therefore, he must do the same and is unable to help heal Dean.

This places a great deal of emphasis on Xochi as a necessary protagonist to show the Winchester's not only what they are up against but also provide the means to help them.

One of the main problems with this is that as a female character she must instantly be smoking hot. It feels as though any significant woman must be attractive and perform as a total badass to achieve Dean's attention and respect as a hunter.

Despite the reveal later on that she is destined to be a part of this hunt and that the boys have simply stumbled into it, there is a constant reminder of the serial chemistry between them at every lull in the story.

The problem then becomes that every other female character that appears is instantly made to be physically unattractive. Case in point the two women in the bakery are described as being wider than she is tall or having a very large nose. Everyone else is made to have the fashion sense of a toddler at a jumble sale with hair styles to match.

It becomes so eye-rollingly cringey to see Dean portrayed as some kind of sex-obsessed macho male who wants to bed and protect a woman who is clearly more than capable of taking care of herself. It just gets worse when she is able to acquire assistance with the flick of her eyelashes, from bribing the museum guard to getting lifts from strangers.

Aside from this, the parallels to Sam and Dean being the architects and saviours of the recent Apocalypse is well played out through Xochi and her sister Teo with the revelation that Teo is trying to bring on the end of the world with an Aztec demon and must battle her sister to win.

Showing how these two siblings have become so disparate and bitter firmly squared on opposite sides of the battle with a fight to the death the only option, is a masterful means of showing how strong the bond between the brothers actually is. That despite the lack of a soul, Sam still maintains Dean's welfare whilst being emotionally detached from everything else.

Overall, this a heartbreaking and beautiful story showcasing how far family can be pushed together or away and how making the ultimate sacrifice as Claudia did can bring resolution and healing.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in literally 1 day and I have to agree with most of the reviews, one of the better SPN books that has come out so far. The Sam and Dean characterizations seem pretty spot on and the plot was refreshing (no Judeo-Christian mythology for a change). And so it begins....

Pros
-Sam and Dean seemed spot on, Faust really captured Dean's regret and heartache over leaving Lisa and Ben while not making him seem too mopey. Plus I think my favorite part had to be where he was wounded and trying to pretend he was drunk at the border crossing while yelling "DONKEY SHOW! WHOO HOO!" wtf is my life.
-Xochi was actually a very cool character for me, I liked that she reminded me so much of Buffy and I'm a huge fan of the Dean/Buffy crossover so this was fun to read. She was just badass enough without over doing it.
-I love the mythology in this one, Faust really went out on a limb and didn't stick to what is considered safe ground covered in the SPN fandom so I give her props for making it work well.

Cons
-GOD DAMMIT WHO LET HER NEAR MY PRECIOUS BABY ANGEL IN A TRENCH COAT?! Cas' scene was so off it hurt to read that tiny 2 page pop in of his character. Cas leaving Dean to die would NEVER have happened. This is an angel who had literally flipped his own brothers and sisters the bird while saving Dean Winchester by ANY MEANS. So the idea that he would just leave Dean to potentially die had me thinking, "Nope, nope, nope". This was my biggest pet peeve.
-Xochi was cool, but sometimes it got annoying how much in common she had with Dean. The same favorite Led Zepplin song? Really? The Zep has come out with hundreds of songs and yet they like the exact same song?
-I really wanted to see more sisterly interaction between the two sisters, I think it would've been an interesting play on what happens when you have a normal relationship with your sibling rather than the seriously co-dependent relationship Sam and Dean have.
-This book was literally like running through a forest being chased by a serial killer like Jason only to find a get away car in the last 10 seconds of the movie that just happens to have a full tank of gas and the keys in the ignition (too easily wrapped up).
-After all the tension we don't get any Dean and Xochi action? No freakin' bueno.

Otherwise I loved Faust's version of the boys and had to laugh at several of the weird things they did. I'd give her writing one of the higher star counts for this series.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

シーズン6 エピソード 10 "Caged Heat"とエピソード11"Appointment in Samarra "の間の物語。

　メキシコから密入国をしようとしたグループと取り締まりに向かった警官を含め15人が惨殺された事件に尋常ならぬものを感じたサムはディーンにハンティングに向かうことを提案する。魂のないサムと戦えるか一抹の不安を覚えつつも、いい気晴らしになると考えディーンも同意する。目的地に到着し、事件が起こった現場を調べている最中、ディーンは自分たちを見張る何者かの気配を感じる。彼らを見ていたのはアステカ人を祖先とするメキシコ人のゾチという女ハンターで、ゾチはディーンとサムに今回の事件が”ボーダーウォーカー”と呼ばれるモンスターによって起こったものだと説明し、退治するのにお互いが必要であるともちかけてくる。突然現れたゾチに警戒するディーンだったが、サムから自分たちに馴染みのない文化の中の魔物であり、調べるにもスペイン語に精通している者が必要と説得され、渋々ながらしばらく行動を共にすることに同意する。



　Soullessサミーが「魂なんかいらないもん」と言ったあとのお話ということで、ギスギスした話になるのかと思ったのだけど、これが思いのほか、面白い展開だった。

アステカ由来のモンスターということで、キャスたちの管轄外。助けを期待できない中、二人は対処しないといけない。そんな中でアステカの神やモンスターに精通している女ハンター、ゾチと二人は出会うのだけれど、彼女はディーンと共通点がいっぱいあって、次第にディーンのいい相棒になっていく感じがよかった。

サムと行動するようになってもリサとベンのことが心にあるディーンは恋愛ゲーム的なことには一切関心を無くしていた感じだったのだけれど、そこが実はボビーとサムが心配していた点で、ディーンとゾチがいい感じになっていくのを二人して大喜びするというのがmディーンの食欲と色欲が健在な限り世界は安泰って感じでおかしかった。

　Soullessサミーなため、普段のサムとは違ってデリケートな気遣いがまったくできないため、代わりにディーンが被害者たちのメンタル面を気遣ったりしないといけないというのも面白く。今回の事件の鍵となる十代の女の子クロウディアの面倒もディーンが見ないといけなくなり、十代に迫られて困りつつ、しっかりお父さんしているディーンが見られたのも楽しかった。

　アステカのモンスターや神様にも懐かれまくりのディーンで、トリックスターの痴話喧嘩を仲裁する羽目になったり、そのあたりの駆け引きもディーンっぽくて面白い。

意外なことにSoullessサミーとディーンというのがいい組み合わせで、ディーンはサミーが非情に暴走しないように気をつかうやりとりもいい具合のバンターになって楽しかった。

　今回の敵が魂を操るモンスターなので、この戦いにおいてサミーは最強なのだけれど、わかっていても心配せずにはいられないのがディーンで、ハラハラしらり、サムの魂なしっぷりに落ち込んだり。でもふとしたはずみに本来のサムっぽい感じというか、ディーンのことはやっぱり気にかけてる風なところが時折ほのかにあって、そこに希望をつなごうとするディーンがいい具合に描かれていたかなと。吸血鬼事件のあとサムのことが信用できなくなって、もう無理だとやさぐれモードになっていたディーンが前向きな力を取り戻す感じがよかった。

　 でもこの小説を読んでいて、ディーンの適応力ならSoullessサミーともずっといいコンビでハンターやっていけそうな感じもあったのが面白かった。

　もっともディーンにとってサムは小さい頃のままの”サミー”なので、違ってしまった姿を見ているのは耐えられない感じでいるのでやっぱり切なくもあり。 なかなか今回は最後まで読み応えのある一品で満足。

[Papercuts1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better ones of the series. The Aztec/Mexican theme was a fun change from the usual, US-centric Supernatural universe. The plot had good forward momentum, and I could easily imagine this as an episode of the tv show. Christa Faust had a good grasp of (soulless!) Sam and Dean.

My three complaints: Dean’s macho man attitude paired with a permanent boner was a bit too much. We know he’s into “chics” in the show, but it’s too exaggerated here.

Xochi was a badass female hunter, and Dean truly found his match in her. But she was too perfect, too strong, too badass and too sexy to be real. And what’s with the blatant over-sexified outfit? Reminded me of video game characters. While I liked her, Faust laid it on too thick with her. Felt fan-fiction-y.

And then there’s Cas in the one scene he’s getting in this book, acting completely out of character. He would never behave this way in the show. NEVER.
Faust may have gotten Sam and Dean right, but she got Cas completely wrong.

Still, I had fun reading this adventure and never felt bored or like throwing my eReader out the window, the way I did with earlier installments.

Good enough for three stars. Less horniness and a more realistic Xochi, and it could’ve been 3 1/2.

[Horror DNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the day, if I really loved a movie or TV show, I would buy any available novelization of it. Mostly it was film novels I picked up (as, many times, they were books first), but I did read my fair share of books based on a TV series. The last I probably read was Ground Zero, an original X-Files novel written by Kevin Anderson, and I haven't read an original book based on a TV series since. I can't say with 100% certainty exactly why I stopped reading this particular genre, but I do know a big reason is, well, most of it kind of sucks. Let's face it, the majority of these books are written for a fast buck first, for the fans second and there are thousands of other books I'd rather read than waste my time on than a money grab.

You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Sara Kreps · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really close to giving this one 5 stars (and might still change my mind). Not that it is that great, but probably the best SPN book so far. It took a little bit for the story to find its legs but by half-way through, it was quite riveting. This is definitely Dean's story, mainly because Sam is still soulless. If you're wondering, it takes place after the season 6 episode Caged Heat.) Sam gets his moments in the spotlight but not as many. Xochi gets more attention than she would in an episode but not as much as some of the other books which relegated Sam and Dean to peripheral roles. Cas makes a cameo and Bobby has a role to play as well. Some of the plot elements seemed awkward in that they didn't contribute to the end, other than demonstrating Dean's devotion to Sammy. But those were also brief and intriguing so they weren't total wastes. If you aren't into the SPN universe, this might take some extra effort to follow but I highly recommend it to fans of the show.

[Julie Provost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Étant fan de la série Supernatural, j'ai beaucoup aimée ce livre. En effet, les personnages de Dean et de Sam sont bien développés et sont particulièrement exact à Sam et Dean de la saison 6. En effet, il faut se rappeler que Sam n'a plus d'âme et que Dean vient de passé un an en compagnie de Lisa et Ben. Donc, connaissant ces faits, il est facile de se situer dans l'histoire, malgré les nombreux détails et les noms espagnol des créatures. De plus, l'arrivée de Xochi, une chasseuse, tout comme les deux frères, est un bel ajout à l'histoire. La chasseuse fait équipe avec les Winchester. Au début, Dean n'est pas content de cette association, mais finira, bien malgré lui, à apprécier grandement la présence de Xochi, qui est étrangement semblable à l'aîné des 2 frères. Bref, je recommande ce livre à tous les fans de la série. Par contre, les livres ne sont écrits qu'en anglais, donc une bonne connaissance de la langue de Shakespeare est nécessaire.

[Alison Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my website here

I am a sucker for a good tie-in novel, especially one that involves a TV show that I have been following for 7 years now. What makes me even happier is when one of the novels captures the characters perfectly and you can’t tell that it’s in a book and not on the screen.

Also, I should point out that I’m not the only one who enjoyed this book, since it’s up for a 2012 Scribe Award. Those are the awards given to Tie-In novels every year, if you didn’t know.

Coyote’s Kiss, by Christa Faust, is an insert adventure during the sixth season of the hit CW series SUPERNATURAL. In the novel, the Winchester boys are on the hunt of a Borderwalker who is killing anything between her and the men from the border patrol who were involved with a murder 15 years before the book starts. Sam Winchester is still without a soul, and Dean Winchester is coming just from when he and Lisa Braeden have parted ways on not so good terms. This adventure takes then down into Arizona, and then across the border into Mexico city into a world they have never been before with Xochi Cazadora, a female from Mexico who knows all about this “family business” of being a hunter.

What really sticks out in this book to me is the character relationships. Any fan of the show will tell you that is the core of the series – the relationships between the boys and the people in their world. Those are the stories that keep people coming back for more, because you are invested in them, and is what kept the show on the air as their “different monster a week” episode style keeps the storyline fresh.

In Coyote’s Kiss, we get to see how Dean being in Soulless!Sam’s life is starting to stable him out from how he was traveling with their grandfather earlier in the season. Dean is trying his best to find his brother in the shell that is next to him, hoping for signs that he can save his little brother once again. When they get to Choulic, AZ, however, they find out this hunt is a bit over their heads as what was once stopping a monster from killing turns into a mission to keep Aztec gods from returning to the world with their zombie hoards are taking over.

The relationship aspect comes into play beyond Dean and Sam. Xochi forms her own relationships with both Sam and Dean, and both she and the Alpha Borderwalker test his ties to Lisa and how dedicated he still is even after she has pushed him away. Then there is 15 year old Claudia who the boys rescue and is discovered to being the key that the gods have been looking for to control the damaged Borderwalker. Dean has a streak of being protective of any children they ever come across in the series, and it’s no different now, even if Claudia has a crush forming on her handsome protector. On top of that, you have Xochi’s sister, Teo, who is on the wrong side of this war between humans and gods, and Claudia has a very paranormal relationship with the Borderwalker the boys came down to the desert to hunt for.

The myth side of the book is not only very good, but explained in enough detail that you don’t need to look it up to understand what is going on. Now, I can’t find any myths online about the Borderwalker, but the lead up to the goddess Itzpapalotl that is very deep in the Aztec mythology and can be found in numerous sources. You are also exposed to: Huehuecoyotl who is considered the grandfather of the Borderwalkers in this novel; the Tzitzimimeh, the deities/demons that Itzpapalotl rules over; and the Nagual, or the Aztecan version of shapeshifters. Studying mythology is a hobby of mine, and while I haven’t reached the Aztecs just yet, this was a great way to be introduced to some of the gods in the folklore. It shows that Christa not only did her research on these characters, but has a fondness for these myths with the personalization she gave to each of the gods that you meet. These gods aren’t cookie-cutter monsters, but have their own faces, stories, intentions and voices that make you see the depth in their characterizations.

And of course, there’s the storyline. Like any SUPERNATURAL episode, there are twists and turns every few chapters that keep you guessing as to where this whole storyline is going. What I really like is that the book touches on the same underlying arc that the season 6 arc had, and talks about the power of a soul. It plays out with both Dean, who gets cut with a knife that cuts and kills the soul, and Sam, who is needed to be in his soulless state to save the world “this week” because it gives him an advantage over the Tzitzimimeh. It’s very tight story that doesn’t stray off into too many side adventures, and brings a colorful set of characters from below the border that has yet to be shown on any episode of the tv series, including a souped up June bug green version of the Impala – complete with hydraulics and fake-fur interior – that would have brought Dean to tears if he wasn’t dying at the time.

If you are a fan of the series, this is definitely worth picking up. The voices for the boys are spot on, and it really does feel as if this was a story plucked out of the season and put into book form. There is no problems with being able to visualize the story as Christa is very detailed with her descriptions, and the dialogue is imperfect and bleeds to realistic as opposed to the “proper” dialogue regular books tend to lean towards. The relationships are built naturally and don’t feel forced, and even Bobby has a guest appearance via cellphone to give the boys that little bit of advice or information that helps them along.

The book is available at bookstores and on Amazon.com, and please check out Christa’s website/blog and get to know her better and support this great Scribe Award nominee.

[Cherrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

After not enjoying the last few books in the Supernatural series this one was better but that's it really. The author got the characters profile a little bit better in this book too - Sam and Dean did sound like they do in the show however there were still times when they said or done things and you know that they would never say or do those things. I think I felt this mostly with Sam's character. I know he has no soul in this book but even so some of the things he says makes you cringe in this book! I think the one thing that the authors of these books are getting wrong is that they seems to focus on various hunts almost. For example they can't just hunt vampires in a story in the books - they have to hunt vampires, ghouls and a shapeshifter in one hunt in the books whereas in the episodes it's focused around one hunt mainly and so the books get really confusing at times.

[notaghostipromise (emma) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed, very horny, very good soulless Sam writing, as well as a very close-to-the-real-thing Dean and great characterisation of Xochi - I blew through this book with the pace of a chinchilla on speed and then some. Definitely in my top 3 spn tie-in books so far. Is it filled with a lot of horniness and descriptions of Xochi's ass? yes, but it was pretty funny to read, if you accept that this is just that kind of fiction. Basically, once you accept these tie-in novels each have their own specific vibe (a bit cheesy, sometimes inaccurate character writing, a wonky pace from time to time, questionable moments) I recommend just embracing that vibe and you'll have fun along the ride. Don't take it too seriously.

[Jade Can't Read · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really enjoying the book until Dean made a transphobic joke. . . that took me out of it entirely and from there that's when I started to notice all the things I didn't care for in this book. The first being I didn't feel like the beloved characters were properly represented. The author latched on to only a FEW characters traits and ran with them. (it felt so overplayed) Dean is much more than just a alcoholic with a high libido, and Sam may be soulless but he is not a jerk. The author randomly throw in other main character (besides the brothers) just to put them in there. . . they didn't add or play into the story well. It just all felt forced. The sexual tension between Dean and the OC was 70% of the book. . .