What do you think?
Rate this book
Sabina Kane #4
Silver-Tongued Devil
Now that the threat of war has passed, Sabina Kane is ready to focus on the future. Her relationship with Adam Lazarus is getting stronger and she's helping her sister, Maisie, overcome the trauma of her captivity in New Orleans. Even Giguhl is managing to stay out of trouble thanks to the arrival of Pussy Willow and his new roller derby team. But as much as Sabina wants to feel hopeful about the future, part of her doesn't trust that peace is possible.
Her suspicions are confirmed when a string of sadistic murders threaten to stall treaty negotiations between the mages and the vampires. Sabina pitches in to find the killer, but her investigation soon leads her down dark paths that have her questioning everyone she thought she could trust. And the closer she gets to the killer, the more Sabina begins to suspect this is one foe she may not be able to kill.
Her suspicions are confirmed when a string of sadistic murders threaten to stall treaty negotiations between the mages and the vampires. Sabina pitches in to find the killer, but her investigation soon leads her down dark paths that have her questioning everyone she thought she could trust. And the closer she gets to the killer, the more Sabina begins to suspect this is one foe she may not be able to kill.
405 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
86 people are currently reading
3394 people want to read
About the author
Jaye Wells
31 books2,159 followersJaye Wells is a former magazine editor whose award-winning speculative fiction novels have hit several bestseller lists. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, and is a sought-after speaker on the craft of writing. When she’s not writing or teaching, she loves to travel to exotic locales, experiment in her kitchen like a mad scientist, and try things that scare her so she can write about them in her books. She lives in Texas.
Want free fiction from Jaye? Check out www.jayewells.com for details!
Want free fiction from Jaye? Check out www.jayewells.com for details!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
June 11, 2020
💀 They Loved it but I Didn't so what Else is New Buddy Read (TLibIDswEiNBR™) with my MacHalos fellow retired assassins Choko and Maria 💀
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Because I'm in a good mood today.
That's it. I am done done done with thiscrap series. Because if there one thing I CANNOT STAND, it's Freaking Manufactured Bullshit Drama (FMBD™). And this thing here was almost as bad as the worst Decaf Vampire FMBD™ ever. So I quit and stuff. And off to greener pastures I am.
The worst thing is, this could have been a great book. Okay, okay, it could never be Nobel Prize material, but entertaining? Definitely. I mean, the story starts out with a dick in a dumpster, for shrimp's sake! If that doesn't scream awesomely entertaining and entertainingly awesome, I don't know what does. This was bound to be cool, my Little Barnacles! Only it wasn't. Because Wells ruined it all about halfway through with all the FMBD™ She also did a fantastic job of turning 90% of the characters in the book into selfish, hypocritical, judgemental, unsupportive assholes. Yay.
So I'm outta here. Please don't freak out, my Lovely Arthropods! This doesn't mean I am abandoning you, or the delightfully drama-free GR shores . It simply means I shall be letting this series rot in hell until the end of days. Yes, I've had it. Which is a shame, because Sabina Kane is one very cool kick-ass chick. She is complex, she is deliciously flawed, she is loyal to her undeserving friends and true to herself. She doesn't take crap from anyone, has a temper and can rarely keep her big mouth shut…Yeah, the girl is pretty hot and awesome and stuff. And she has the Mostest Excellentest Minion/Sex-Crazed Bald Cat-Demon/ Sex-Crazed Demon-Bald Cat/BFF (MEMSCBCDSCDBCB™) ever.
Of course you are, G. That's exactly why I want tokidnap adopt you!
The sad thing is, as much as I love Sabina and G., I just cannot do this anymore. I've had it with the Non-Stop Fabricated Relationship Tragedy (NSFRT™) , I've had it with Team Selfish Stupid Assholes (TSSA™) , and I don't give a damn about what may or may not happen next. So bye bye, rest of this series! It was nice not reading you!
» And the moral of this Shrimp this Shit I'm Outta Here Crappy Non Review (StSIOHCNR™) is: want to read a good series by Jaye Wells? Forget about this thing here, check out Propero's War instead. You're welcome.
· Book 1: Red-Headed Stepchild★★★
· Book 2: The Mage in Black ★★★★
· Book 3: Green-Eyed Demon ★★★
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Because I'm in a good mood today.
That's it. I am done done done with this
The worst thing is, this could have been a great book. Okay, okay, it could never be Nobel Prize material, but entertaining? Definitely. I mean, the story starts out with a dick in a dumpster, for shrimp's sake! If that doesn't scream awesomely entertaining and entertainingly awesome, I don't know what does. This was bound to be cool, my Little Barnacles! Only it wasn't. Because Wells ruined it all about halfway through with all the FM
So I'm outta here. Please don't freak out, my Lovely Arthropods! This doesn't mean I am abandoning you, or the delightfully drama-free GR shores . It simply means I shall be letting this series rot in hell until the end of days. Yes, I've had it. Which is a shame, because Sabina Kane is one very cool kick-ass chick. She is complex, she is deliciously flawed, she is loyal to her undeserving friends and true to herself. She doesn't take crap from anyone, has a temper and can rarely keep her big mouth shut…Yeah, the girl is pretty hot and awesome and stuff. And she has the Mostest Excellentest Minion/Sex-Crazed Bald Cat-Demon/ Sex-Crazed Demon-Bald Cat/BFF (MEMSCBCDSCDBCB™) ever.
Of course you are, G. That's exactly why I want to
The sad thing is, as much as I love Sabina and G., I just cannot do this anymore. I've had it with the Non-Stop Fabricated Relationship Tragedy (NSFRT™) , I've had it with Team Selfish Stupid Assholes (TSSA™) , and I don't give a damn about what may or may not happen next. So bye bye, rest of this series! It was nice not reading you!
» And the moral of this Shrimp this Shit I'm Outta Here Crappy Non Review (StSIOHCNR™) is: want to read a good series by Jaye Wells? Forget about this thing here, check out Propero's War instead. You're welcome.
· Book 1: Red-Headed Stepchild★★★
· Book 2: The Mage in Black ★★★★
· Book 3: Green-Eyed Demon ★★★
September 7, 2016
*** 4 ***
A buddy read with the MacHalo Freaks and my assassin friends!!! We need more assassinating...
So, this is the forth book in the series, the set up for the series finale, and it was very different then the other Sabina Kane books we have read up to now. How was it different? THE DRAMA!!!
Goodness gracies!!! Let us remind everyone of the set-up from the books previous. Our main girl, Sabina, discoverers she has a twin sister, both orphaned and separated at birth in order to appease the two very different races they come from - the father was a powerful, royal mage, and the mom was the daughter of the queen bee of the Vampire clans. Sabina got the short end of the stick - she was raised by her Vampire grandmother who never showed anything but hate and made her feel unwanted and unworthy. Sabina became an assassin for the Vampire triumvirate. Her twin, Maisie, was treated like the golden child of the Mage Hekate Council and eventually became the Oracle for them, gaining respect, love and gentile environment... In their 53 year old lives they had never heard of one another, but once they learn of each others' existence, they find a way to reunite. They also spend 3 books fighting the evil Vamp grandma, who seriously screws with Maisie's head and breaks her spirit in the cruelest way possible... Sabina saves her, but Maisie is broken...
Enter the beginning of this book. Sabina is happily cohabiting with Adam, the hottie Mage who has stolen her heart, and the Hairless Demon Cat Giguhl, who is, as always, the life and soul of the book and the party!!! They have a visiting guest in the form of PW, the trans-gendered Fae, and eventually offer their hospitality to Georgia, the lesbian Vamp, currently dating Mac the Werewolf... Sabina is learning to be a Mage and all around her expect her to turn her back on her Vampire heritage... Meanwhile, Maisie has stopped dreaming and having predictions as an Oracle, on top of acting like a scared, broken waif, terrified by her own shadow... This should be the perfect time for the twin sisters to get closer, but what is happening is exactly the opposite - they are growing farther and farther apart... And worst of all, everyone feels guilty and does not communicate their fears and issues with anyone else, thus the chasms between all growing bigger and deeper...
So, this is where the author got a bit stuck and decided she is going to spend the whole middle of the book on DRAMA. Drama between Sabina and Adam, Adam and Maisie, Maisie and everyone else, Giguhl and PW, Georgia and Mac, Mac and Sabina, Sabina and PW, and so on and on and on.... At one point I felt like I was watching Jerry Springer!!! However, things did happen in this part that broke my heart, specifically as related to the werewolf Mac and her lover... I hope this gets fixed somehow in the last book...
Sabina on the other hand, sucks at adjusting to her mage-hippie-pacifistic life and I think might be coming to the right conclusion, that neither side of her could exist without acknowledging the other...
We got last 20% of the book of twists, turns, murders, craziness, and a good lead into the final installment of the series, so I am not complaining. It was slower than the other 3 books, but the story is very interesting, compelling, and I am 100% invested in it, so I am looking foreword to reading the last book . I really hope it does not let us down!!!
I would like to finish with a quote from Sabina, challenging her tough enforcer vamp opponent:
"... You want a challenge, tough chick? Go read a book.!...
'nough said!!! Happy reading, y'all!
A buddy read with the MacHalo Freaks and my assassin friends!!! We need more assassinating...
So, this is the forth book in the series, the set up for the series finale, and it was very different then the other Sabina Kane books we have read up to now. How was it different? THE DRAMA!!!
Goodness gracies!!! Let us remind everyone of the set-up from the books previous. Our main girl, Sabina, discoverers she has a twin sister, both orphaned and separated at birth in order to appease the two very different races they come from - the father was a powerful, royal mage, and the mom was the daughter of the queen bee of the Vampire clans. Sabina got the short end of the stick - she was raised by her Vampire grandmother who never showed anything but hate and made her feel unwanted and unworthy. Sabina became an assassin for the Vampire triumvirate. Her twin, Maisie, was treated like the golden child of the Mage Hekate Council and eventually became the Oracle for them, gaining respect, love and gentile environment... In their 53 year old lives they had never heard of one another, but once they learn of each others' existence, they find a way to reunite. They also spend 3 books fighting the evil Vamp grandma, who seriously screws with Maisie's head and breaks her spirit in the cruelest way possible... Sabina saves her, but Maisie is broken...
Enter the beginning of this book. Sabina is happily cohabiting with Adam, the hottie Mage who has stolen her heart, and the Hairless Demon Cat Giguhl, who is, as always, the life and soul of the book and the party!!! They have a visiting guest in the form of PW, the trans-gendered Fae, and eventually offer their hospitality to Georgia, the lesbian Vamp, currently dating Mac the Werewolf... Sabina is learning to be a Mage and all around her expect her to turn her back on her Vampire heritage... Meanwhile, Maisie has stopped dreaming and having predictions as an Oracle, on top of acting like a scared, broken waif, terrified by her own shadow... This should be the perfect time for the twin sisters to get closer, but what is happening is exactly the opposite - they are growing farther and farther apart... And worst of all, everyone feels guilty and does not communicate their fears and issues with anyone else, thus the chasms between all growing bigger and deeper...
So, this is where the author got a bit stuck and decided she is going to spend the whole middle of the book on DRAMA. Drama between Sabina and Adam, Adam and Maisie, Maisie and everyone else, Giguhl and PW, Georgia and Mac, Mac and Sabina, Sabina and PW, and so on and on and on.... At one point I felt like I was watching Jerry Springer!!! However, things did happen in this part that broke my heart, specifically as related to the werewolf Mac and her lover... I hope this gets fixed somehow in the last book...
Sabina on the other hand, sucks at adjusting to her mage-hippie-pacifistic life and I think might be coming to the right conclusion, that neither side of her could exist without acknowledging the other...
We got last 20% of the book of twists, turns, murders, craziness, and a good lead into the final installment of the series, so I am not complaining. It was slower than the other 3 books, but the story is very interesting, compelling, and I am 100% invested in it, so I am looking foreword to reading the last book . I really hope it does not let us down!!!
I would like to finish with a quote from Sabina, challenging her tough enforcer vamp opponent:
"... You want a challenge, tough chick? Go read a book.!...
'nough said!!! Happy reading, y'all!
August 1, 2016
I really liked it!
Just like I've come to expect from this series, it was fast paced and the plot was damn interesting, so it was hard to put this one down!
Sabina is still a badass and I still really like her! And the twist at the end, well, I really really didn't expect that one. Ok, I thought about it, but only for about 5 seconds then I dismissed the idea. And boy, was I surprised!
What can I say, I really love the unexpected!
Ah, and that Ghigul/cat/demon/ whatever is damn funny! This series wouldn't be the same without him, glad to see he's still as great as ever.
So, if you've read the series it's not worth stopping now! Continue it, you won't be disappointed.
Just like I've come to expect from this series, it was fast paced and the plot was damn interesting, so it was hard to put this one down!
Sabina is still a badass and I still really like her! And the twist at the end, well, I really really didn't expect that one. Ok, I thought about it, but only for about 5 seconds then I dismissed the idea. And boy, was I surprised!
What can I say, I really love the unexpected!
Ah, and that Ghigul/cat/demon/ whatever is damn funny! This series wouldn't be the same without him, glad to see he's still as great as ever.
So, if you've read the series it's not worth stopping now! Continue it, you won't be disappointed.
December 13, 2011
3.5 stars
*cue dramatic music*
Orphaned twin sisters, half vampires and half mages, were separated at birth. One was raised by the vampires, the other by the mages, one treated like a weapon and the other like a princess. They grew up unaware of each other’s existence, but they’ve recently been reunited and forced to fight their mortal enemy… and family. They came out as winners, but the cost is much greater than they ever imagined.
After spending their lives apart, Sabina and Maisie are finally trying to become the sisters they were always meant to be. The person who stood in their way is gone, and they are free to live their lives however they see fit. But Maisie is still suffering the consequences of her kidnapping, and Sabina is unable to adjust to her new, peaceful and infinitely boring life. When you’re a retired killer, it’s only natural to get bloodthirsty from time to time. Fortunately, Sabina has her boyfriend Adam and her fateful sidekick Giguhl to help her with her troubles. Maisie, however, is turning down everyone willing to help her.
The time has come for Maisie, the Hekate Council’s Oracle, to deliver her annual prophecy, but in order to do that, she must dream, and she’s refusing to sleep. At the same time, dead bodies start appearing everywhere, and there is no doubt that a vampire drained them. With the new vampire leadership in town, Sabina must work hard to save her fragile sister, her relationship with Adam, Slade’s job and her own reputation. It would seem that the enemy they’d killed isn’t their biggest enemy after all. War between the races is even closer than they thought.
I had a feeling this book might be a little slower than the previous ones and I was right. After the big showdown in Green-Eyed Demon, things needed to settle down a bit, especially since the next book is going to be the last. All this is true about the first 85%, though - it’s basically build-up for the final installment. The last 15%, however, gave us a taste of what we can expect in Blue-Blooded Vamp. I especially like that Wells did all this, but she didn’t end her book with a nasty cliffhanger. The last book of the series will be released in June 2012 and I’m already jumping up and down with excitement. (Also, I’m addicted to pre-ordering books.)
While we silently debated whether to tell him, Giguhl spotted the glove. He grabbed it from my hand. “Oh, shit, is this one of those S&M gloves?”
I shot the demon an incredulous look. “How in the hell did you know that?”
He raised a scraggly black brow. “Bitch, please. I have all sorts of knowledge I haven’t even begun to lay on your ass.”
I raised my eyebrow and waited.
He grimaced. “Okay, fine. Cinnamon overheard Slade and Adam talking at Vein and called me. But still, I can totally help you guys. Can I pleeaaase go with you to the sex shop?”
*cue dramatic music*
Orphaned twin sisters, half vampires and half mages, were separated at birth. One was raised by the vampires, the other by the mages, one treated like a weapon and the other like a princess. They grew up unaware of each other’s existence, but they’ve recently been reunited and forced to fight their mortal enemy… and family. They came out as winners, but the cost is much greater than they ever imagined.
After spending their lives apart, Sabina and Maisie are finally trying to become the sisters they were always meant to be. The person who stood in their way is gone, and they are free to live their lives however they see fit. But Maisie is still suffering the consequences of her kidnapping, and Sabina is unable to adjust to her new, peaceful and infinitely boring life. When you’re a retired killer, it’s only natural to get bloodthirsty from time to time. Fortunately, Sabina has her boyfriend Adam and her fateful sidekick Giguhl to help her with her troubles. Maisie, however, is turning down everyone willing to help her.
The time has come for Maisie, the Hekate Council’s Oracle, to deliver her annual prophecy, but in order to do that, she must dream, and she’s refusing to sleep. At the same time, dead bodies start appearing everywhere, and there is no doubt that a vampire drained them. With the new vampire leadership in town, Sabina must work hard to save her fragile sister, her relationship with Adam, Slade’s job and her own reputation. It would seem that the enemy they’d killed isn’t their biggest enemy after all. War between the races is even closer than they thought.
I had a feeling this book might be a little slower than the previous ones and I was right. After the big showdown in Green-Eyed Demon, things needed to settle down a bit, especially since the next book is going to be the last. All this is true about the first 85%, though - it’s basically build-up for the final installment. The last 15%, however, gave us a taste of what we can expect in Blue-Blooded Vamp. I especially like that Wells did all this, but she didn’t end her book with a nasty cliffhanger. The last book of the series will be released in June 2012 and I’m already jumping up and down with excitement. (Also, I’m addicted to pre-ordering books.)
While we silently debated whether to tell him, Giguhl spotted the glove. He grabbed it from my hand. “Oh, shit, is this one of those S&M gloves?”
I shot the demon an incredulous look. “How in the hell did you know that?”
He raised a scraggly black brow. “Bitch, please. I have all sorts of knowledge I haven’t even begun to lay on your ass.”
I raised my eyebrow and waited.
He grimaced. “Okay, fine. Cinnamon overheard Slade and Adam talking at Vein and called me. But still, I can totally help you guys. Can I pleeaaase go with you to the sex shop?”
March 11, 2016
another great sabina kane novel, bit slow starting, but what an climatic ending, not stopping got to read the next book straight away,
don't fail me now Ms Wells, hope the next book isn't disappointing xx
don't fail me now Ms Wells, hope the next book isn't disappointing xx
September 7, 2016
Buddy Read with the MacHalo Freaks
I gave this book 5 stars for the sole reason that I'm way too emotionally involved at this point to be able to give it the lesser rating it actually deserves. It happens a lot with series. After a certain point it takes a lot to lower my ratings and be objective.
This was the longest instalment so far and probably the weakest. While it was better when it comes to character complexity compared to the first one, it still was a low point for the series. Why you might ask? Because of drama. The worst kind of drama - drama for it's own sake.
The first part of the book was slow and boring most of the time. I appreciate the slice of life in paradise but it took too long to get to the main point of the plot. It should have been a short story set between the books. The middle was "drama, drama, drama" all the way. And the final part was rushed and a bit unfinished.
Sabina's struggles with her new life are understandable and she's become a lot more mature. But she has also lost her edge, the things that made her Sabina. At the beginning of the series she was "kill, kill, kill" and now she sounds like a pacifist. This is not character growth, this is bipolar. What she truly needs is to find the middle ground. But guess what? The mages, Adam in particular, are pushing her to be just like them. In other words a hippie-like pacifist. And that's not Sabina. She tries so hard and only makes her miserable. It was truly heartbreaking to read. What happened to understanding and acceptance? In a way the mages are just as close-minded as the vampires. I think at the end she might have realised that she needs both sides of herself to be whole but the jury is still out on that one.
Adam acted like a total a**hole most of this book and I really wanted to slap him.
I hated how everyone just blamed Sabina for all their problems even when she was the only one trying to help. Like the situation with Mac. However, this part did nothing to contribute to the plot of the book. I'm willing to think of it as a setting for the next book because If this is not the case I'll be really mad because it only served one purpose - to make the readers feel bad.
There were so good moments too. I liked how I couldn't guess the true identity of the killer to the very end. There were some really fun scenes and the banter with Giguhl was awesome as always. That demon saved the book. Again. This series would have been a total bust without the hairless demon cat. And since I now care way too much about these characters I'll finish the series. But before I start the next book and I need a break and some distance. Because all that drama tired me out.
I gave this book 5 stars for the sole reason that I'm way too emotionally involved at this point to be able to give it the lesser rating it actually deserves. It happens a lot with series. After a certain point it takes a lot to lower my ratings and be objective.
This was the longest instalment so far and probably the weakest. While it was better when it comes to character complexity compared to the first one, it still was a low point for the series. Why you might ask? Because of drama. The worst kind of drama - drama for it's own sake.
The first part of the book was slow and boring most of the time. I appreciate the slice of life in paradise but it took too long to get to the main point of the plot. It should have been a short story set between the books. The middle was "drama, drama, drama" all the way. And the final part was rushed and a bit unfinished.
Sabina's struggles with her new life are understandable and she's become a lot more mature. But she has also lost her edge, the things that made her Sabina. At the beginning of the series she was "kill, kill, kill" and now she sounds like a pacifist. This is not character growth, this is bipolar. What she truly needs is to find the middle ground. But guess what? The mages, Adam in particular, are pushing her to be just like them. In other words a hippie-like pacifist. And that's not Sabina. She tries so hard and only makes her miserable. It was truly heartbreaking to read. What happened to understanding and acceptance? In a way the mages are just as close-minded as the vampires. I think at the end she might have realised that she needs both sides of herself to be whole but the jury is still out on that one.
Adam acted like a total a**hole most of this book and I really wanted to slap him.
I hated how everyone just blamed Sabina for all their problems even when she was the only one trying to help. Like the situation with Mac. However, this part did nothing to contribute to the plot of the book. I'm willing to think of it as a setting for the next book because If this is not the case I'll be really mad because it only served one purpose - to make the readers feel bad.
There were so good moments too. I liked how I couldn't guess the true identity of the killer to the very end. There were some really fun scenes and the banter with Giguhl was awesome as always. That demon saved the book. Again. This series would have been a total bust without the hairless demon cat. And since I now care way too much about these characters I'll finish the series. But before I start the next book and I need a break and some distance. Because all that drama tired me out.
May 8, 2013
Ok, so in case this is the first review of mine that you have come across let me warn you about something. I am not the most polished writer, and I tend to write more on how I felt during a story versus being able to adequately break down devises and such. When I rate books as five stars it is because I have been affected somehow by the book, or series, and know that I will read it again and again, or even have a hard time moving onto the next on my TBR list.
This is one of those series for me. I love it! Normally I do a re-read of a series if I hadn't read it recently, but I didn't want to wait before jumping into to this, and I'm happy to say that it isn't really necessary because Wells does a great job of reminding you what had happened prior. The only thing I can't quite remember is what happened to the female demon, and in fairness, I have a horrific memory. Legitimate memory issues, but other than that I loved every second of this book.
I was bemoaning the fact that I have had a bit of a spell when it came to my reading choices lately. I have been very unsatisfied with the last five (I think) books I read, and wanted to lose myself in a known author who had made me happy....and how Jaye Wells makes me happy! I wanted a tough-as-nails heroine who was able to stand on her own two feet and not take shit from anyone, and in walks Sabina Kane once again. Love this chick! She is funny, and I actually do giggle out loud when I read this series, as well as honest and endearing. She makes mistakes, but...wait for it....learns from them!! I love that I have gotten to see her grow from the bad-ass assassin she was in book one, to the bad-ass magepire in book four.
Other facets to this series that I love are the secondary characters. Giguhl. Love this demon. Love him. His relationship with Sabina both cracks me up and makes me teary. He tells her how he feels about her in this one and I did....I cried a bit. I was pretty tired since I had stayed up well into the night to finish, so perhaps that had something to do with it.Or perhaps I just don't want to look like a cry baby.
I will totally cop to the fact that I was crying like a little baby when Sabina and Maisie were in the Liminal. Like a baby. The whole ending really just made me feel crushed.
I'm a bit sad to know that there will only be one other release in this series, but I am a big fan of Wells' style, so I plan on reading more from her. I don't think I will be disappointed considering how much I love this series.
Here are some quotes that made me smile:
Back when using humans like fast food was standard operating procedure and my motto was "kill first, avoid questions later."
I laughed. "Yeah, right. If anyone gives you trouble, he'll hump their leg like a berserker."
Giguhl shot me a bitch-please look.
"Don't give me that look, trampire," Giguhl said.
I cut him off. "Dude, it was a human. They die all the time--it's what they do."
"She makes a good point, Sabina," Adam said. I made a mental note to exclude him from interrogations with hot dominatrixes in the future.
The average werewolf would live only about two hundred years. Compared to mages who lived to be two thousand and some vampires who'd literally been around since before antiquity, they were little more than violent puppies.
But Sabina's Law stated that not sharing wild theories virtually guaranteed they'd become fact and bite you in the ass later.
Besides, I wasn't about to take fashion advise from a lady-man whose fashion motto was "the more rhinestones the better."
With its spires and turrets and mix of architectural styles, it looked like schizophrenia translated into architecture.
"You want a challenge, tough chick? Go read a book."
This is one of those series for me. I love it! Normally I do a re-read of a series if I hadn't read it recently, but I didn't want to wait before jumping into to this, and I'm happy to say that it isn't really necessary because Wells does a great job of reminding you what had happened prior. The only thing I can't quite remember is what happened to the female demon, and in fairness, I have a horrific memory. Legitimate memory issues, but other than that I loved every second of this book.
I was bemoaning the fact that I have had a bit of a spell when it came to my reading choices lately. I have been very unsatisfied with the last five (I think) books I read, and wanted to lose myself in a known author who had made me happy....and how Jaye Wells makes me happy! I wanted a tough-as-nails heroine who was able to stand on her own two feet and not take shit from anyone, and in walks Sabina Kane once again. Love this chick! She is funny, and I actually do giggle out loud when I read this series, as well as honest and endearing. She makes mistakes, but...wait for it....learns from them!! I love that I have gotten to see her grow from the bad-ass assassin she was in book one, to the bad-ass magepire in book four.
Other facets to this series that I love are the secondary characters. Giguhl. Love this demon. Love him. His relationship with Sabina both cracks me up and makes me teary. He tells her how he feels about her in this one and I did....I cried a bit. I was pretty tired since I had stayed up well into the night to finish, so perhaps that had something to do with it.
I will totally cop to the fact that I was crying like a little baby when Sabina and Maisie were in the Liminal. Like a baby. The whole ending really just made me feel crushed.
I'm a bit sad to know that there will only be one other release in this series, but I am a big fan of Wells' style, so I plan on reading more from her. I don't think I will be disappointed considering how much I love this series.
Here are some quotes that made me smile:
Back when using humans like fast food was standard operating procedure and my motto was "kill first, avoid questions later."
I laughed. "Yeah, right. If anyone gives you trouble, he'll hump their leg like a berserker."
Giguhl shot me a bitch-please look.
"Don't give me that look, trampire," Giguhl said.
I cut him off. "Dude, it was a human. They die all the time--it's what they do."
"She makes a good point, Sabina," Adam said. I made a mental note to exclude him from interrogations with hot dominatrixes in the future.
The average werewolf would live only about two hundred years. Compared to mages who lived to be two thousand and some vampires who'd literally been around since before antiquity, they were little more than violent puppies.
But Sabina's Law stated that not sharing wild theories virtually guaranteed they'd become fact and bite you in the ass later.
Besides, I wasn't about to take fashion advise from a lady-man whose fashion motto was "the more rhinestones the better."
With its spires and turrets and mix of architectural styles, it looked like schizophrenia translated into architecture.
"You want a challenge, tough chick? Go read a book."
December 29, 2011
I just have one question, how does Jaye Wells manage to keep me totally engrossed, bewildered and entertained time after time? The woman is a genius. "Silver-Tongued Devil" finds Sabina questioning who she is. After non stop changes in her life including her first true love relationship, she is not sure she recognizes who she is anymore. What is so interesting for me is that Sabina has never been more of herself. Yes, she has changed and she is in love; however, that only makes her stronger not weaker. The core Sabina, the one who refuses to back down from a fight is still there and stronger than ever.
Of all of the Sabina Kane books, STD (ha!) is the most serious. You can feel the tension and stress building and building. Like most of the other books, I was on the edge of my seat and found it hard to breathe while I sped through the best reading ride of my life. One of my favorite aspects of this book is that many of my favorite characters from book 3 return in this installment. Sabina is not the only character that will be undergoing serious changes. Some of our favorite supporting characters will experience the changes of their lives.
The murder of a human is linked to the murder of a mage. Sabina is called in to investigate despite her desire to stay out of it. Additionally, the new Despina, Tanith is in town with her personal guard, a young brass vampire, Alexis. She wants to prove herself and let everyone know that Sabina is past her prime. Good luck with that Alexis!
There were so many moments in this book that left me almost in tears. So many characters I've learned to care about, lives are left in turmoil and so was I. I loved this book and hated so much that occurred as well. However, that is what a good writer does. Jaye Wells sends her readers on the ride of their lives, leaving us wanting more. In so many ways, I cannot wait for the final book "Blue-Blooded Vamp" but at the same time, I am dreading the end of one of the most exciting series I've read in a long time. Talk about addiction!
Of all of the Sabina Kane books, STD (ha!) is the most serious. You can feel the tension and stress building and building. Like most of the other books, I was on the edge of my seat and found it hard to breathe while I sped through the best reading ride of my life. One of my favorite aspects of this book is that many of my favorite characters from book 3 return in this installment. Sabina is not the only character that will be undergoing serious changes. Some of our favorite supporting characters will experience the changes of their lives.
The murder of a human is linked to the murder of a mage. Sabina is called in to investigate despite her desire to stay out of it. Additionally, the new Despina, Tanith is in town with her personal guard, a young brass vampire, Alexis. She wants to prove herself and let everyone know that Sabina is past her prime. Good luck with that Alexis!
There were so many moments in this book that left me almost in tears. So many characters I've learned to care about, lives are left in turmoil and so was I. I loved this book and hated so much that occurred as well. However, that is what a good writer does. Jaye Wells sends her readers on the ride of their lives, leaving us wanting more. In so many ways, I cannot wait for the final book "Blue-Blooded Vamp" but at the same time, I am dreading the end of one of the most exciting series I've read in a long time. Talk about addiction!
March 7, 2019
my fave book of the series plotwise, even though where the romance is concerned, Adam has become too much of a sanctimonious ass for me to appreciate. Still, I loved how Sabina came to grow up and accept all of who.she is and who she can become, even though Gighul steals the show once more. Looking forward to the final book to see how it's all going to end.
November 24, 2016
3.5 stars
Having finally got rid of her grandmother you'd think that Sabina's life would be a lot easier now and to some extent it has been. Things are going well with Adam but she's struggling to control her vampire side and fit in with the mages, she still isn't completely accepted no matter what she's done to prove that she's on their side. It doesn't help that she's still finding it hard to use her mage powers and the one person she should be able to relate to the most, her twin sister Maisie, is fighting off her own demons. Maisie was broken by their grandmother and is pushing everyone away, Sabina blames herself for what happened to her sister and is desperate to find a way to help her but it's very hard to help someone who doesn't want to admit that they're in trouble.
Silver-Tongued Devil was slower than the previous books in the series, there is still a mystery for Sabina to solve thanks to a string of brutal murders that are being committed but there is definitely less action and more drama and if I'm honest I was a little disappointed by that. I don't mind drama if it serves some kind of purpose to develop the storyline or to teach the characters something but in Sabina's case it just felt manufactured. I knew the moment she slept with Slade and kept it secret from Adam that it would come back to bite her and now is the time for her to pay the price. It's not that she cheated on Adam because they weren't even a couple when it happened but he's understandably hurt by the fact that she kept things hidden from him, I do think he took it a little too far though and that dragged things out more than necessary. It probably wouldn't have been so irritating if we didn't have two other couples also having their own dramas going on at the same time, I expect that kind of thing if I'm reading a contemporary romance but it's not what I'm hoping for when I read urban fantasy.
So the middle of the book was a bit bogged down with multiple relationship woes but the beginning and the last third of the book made up for it. I'm not going to talk about what actually happened but you can tell that Jaye Wells was really ramping things up ready for the final book and I'm hoping that Blue-Blooded Vamp is going to be action from start to finish. Everything is all starting to come together and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
Having finally got rid of her grandmother you'd think that Sabina's life would be a lot easier now and to some extent it has been. Things are going well with Adam but she's struggling to control her vampire side and fit in with the mages, she still isn't completely accepted no matter what she's done to prove that she's on their side. It doesn't help that she's still finding it hard to use her mage powers and the one person she should be able to relate to the most, her twin sister Maisie, is fighting off her own demons. Maisie was broken by their grandmother and is pushing everyone away, Sabina blames herself for what happened to her sister and is desperate to find a way to help her but it's very hard to help someone who doesn't want to admit that they're in trouble.
Silver-Tongued Devil was slower than the previous books in the series, there is still a mystery for Sabina to solve thanks to a string of brutal murders that are being committed but there is definitely less action and more drama and if I'm honest I was a little disappointed by that. I don't mind drama if it serves some kind of purpose to develop the storyline or to teach the characters something but in Sabina's case it just felt manufactured. I knew the moment she slept with Slade and kept it secret from Adam that it would come back to bite her and now is the time for her to pay the price. It's not that she cheated on Adam because they weren't even a couple when it happened but he's understandably hurt by the fact that she kept things hidden from him, I do think he took it a little too far though and that dragged things out more than necessary. It probably wouldn't have been so irritating if we didn't have two other couples also having their own dramas going on at the same time, I expect that kind of thing if I'm reading a contemporary romance but it's not what I'm hoping for when I read urban fantasy.
So the middle of the book was a bit bogged down with multiple relationship woes but the beginning and the last third of the book made up for it. I'm not going to talk about what actually happened but you can tell that Jaye Wells was really ramping things up ready for the final book and I'm hoping that Blue-Blooded Vamp is going to be action from start to finish. Everything is all starting to come together and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
January 2, 2012
3.5 stars
This story takes about three months after the event in Green-Eyed Demon. Sabina and Giguhl stay in New York now, along with Sabina's mage boyfriend, Adam. While Maisie (Sabina's twin) is yet fully recovered. Then a couple of brutal murders happen right before the peace treaty is signed between the mage, the vampire, and the fae community. Sabina and Adam, along with a vampire Enforcer, Alexis, are told to investigate. Only the aftermath of this is not what everybody ever expected.
If I have to be honest, Sabina is not on my 'favorite heroine' list. I always feel like she likes to antagonize people and a bit of a drama queen, always think that people don't understand her because she's a mixed blood. It's lucky that I love her demon best friend, Giguhl, so that their friendship softens my feeling for Sabina. I think Giguhl is the star of this books, he provides humor and sense of loyalty and friendship I need, whenever I get annoyed with either Sabina or Adam. Yes, Adam does annoyed me as well, for I also see him as never fully embraced Sabina's dark side as vampire -- no matter what he says. I admit that the 'drama' they are showing here, makes me feel disappointed a bit, considering how much I love book #3.
Anyway, there is no doubt who is behind the mayhem. I think all roads are going there, seeing book #5 is set as the final of the Sabina Kane saga. I do admit that I'm a bit surprised to see the outcome though. It's a major casualty on Sabina's camp.
It's still a fast-paced book (despite my being annoyed with Sabina); there are some drama going on (Sabina against Adam; Giguhl and Pussy-Willow; the vampire Georgia and her lesbian werewolf Mac) and only one is truly being 'solved'. So along with the important quest to beat the mastermind of the mayhem, I totally want to read more about what will happen to the other characters (for example ... will Georgia and Mac get back together, now that Mac is officially mated to another werewolf?)
So I'm definitely in for that last adventure ... and the good thing is? It will be released this year too!
This story takes about three months after the event in Green-Eyed Demon. Sabina and Giguhl stay in New York now, along with Sabina's mage boyfriend, Adam. While Maisie (Sabina's twin) is yet fully recovered. Then a couple of brutal murders happen right before the peace treaty is signed between the mage, the vampire, and the fae community. Sabina and Adam, along with a vampire Enforcer, Alexis, are told to investigate. Only the aftermath of this is not what everybody ever expected.
If I have to be honest, Sabina is not on my 'favorite heroine' list. I always feel like she likes to antagonize people and a bit of a drama queen, always think that people don't understand her because she's a mixed blood. It's lucky that I love her demon best friend, Giguhl, so that their friendship softens my feeling for Sabina. I think Giguhl is the star of this books, he provides humor and sense of loyalty and friendship I need, whenever I get annoyed with either Sabina or Adam. Yes, Adam does annoyed me as well, for I also see him as never fully embraced Sabina's dark side as vampire -- no matter what he says. I admit that the 'drama' they are showing here, makes me feel disappointed a bit, considering how much I love book #3.
Anyway, there is no doubt who is behind the mayhem. I think all roads are going there, seeing book #5 is set as the final of the Sabina Kane saga. I do admit that I'm a bit surprised to see the outcome though. It's a major casualty on Sabina's camp.
It's still a fast-paced book (despite my being annoyed with Sabina); there are some drama going on (Sabina against Adam; Giguhl and Pussy-Willow; the vampire Georgia and her lesbian werewolf Mac) and only one is truly being 'solved'. So along with the important quest to beat the mastermind of the mayhem, I totally want to read more about what will happen to the other characters (for example ... will Georgia and Mac get back together, now that Mac is officially mated to another werewolf?)
So I'm definitely in for that last adventure ... and the good thing is? It will be released this year too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2011
Silver Tongued Devil starts immediately after the events of Green Eyed Demon. Sabina, Adam, and Gighul are back in New York City. Sabina is still reeling from her previous adventures when some grisly murders are discovered.
There is so much to like about this series. The world created by the author is original: vampires have Biblical origins going back to Cain. There is constant strife in this world, with the different races, vampires, mages, and the fae at odds with each other. Set in New York City and the “Black Light District,” the book has a dark, gritty feel.
The characters make this book an enjoyable read. Sabina is a hard to like heroine, almost a loose cannon, shooting first and asking questions later. Yet, there is growth to her character and her magical abilities in this book. Gighul, her mischief demon minion who manifests as a hairless cat offers comedic relief throughout the book. I feel that Gighul’s character has grown exponentially throughout the series. Left to his own devices, Gighul has proven remarkably resourceful from prize fighting demon to coach of a ladies’ roller derby team. Other eccentric characters round out the cast including Pussy Willow a cross dressing fae, and Erron Zorn of the band Necrospank.
I was frustrated with the progress of Sabina and Adam’s relationship. Sabina has difficulty committing to Adam to the point of sabotaging her relationship. Adam is equally guilty, shutting down and failing to communicate.
The ARC of this book suffered from a lot of grammar and spelling errors as well as a continuity error. I hope that these will be rectified before the book is released.
Silver Tongued Devil was action packed and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I’m now anxious to read the next and final book in the series Blue Blooded Vamp in June 2012.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Books for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews
There is so much to like about this series. The world created by the author is original: vampires have Biblical origins going back to Cain. There is constant strife in this world, with the different races, vampires, mages, and the fae at odds with each other. Set in New York City and the “Black Light District,” the book has a dark, gritty feel.
The characters make this book an enjoyable read. Sabina is a hard to like heroine, almost a loose cannon, shooting first and asking questions later. Yet, there is growth to her character and her magical abilities in this book. Gighul, her mischief demon minion who manifests as a hairless cat offers comedic relief throughout the book. I feel that Gighul’s character has grown exponentially throughout the series. Left to his own devices, Gighul has proven remarkably resourceful from prize fighting demon to coach of a ladies’ roller derby team. Other eccentric characters round out the cast including Pussy Willow a cross dressing fae, and Erron Zorn of the band Necrospank.
I was frustrated with the progress of Sabina and Adam’s relationship. Sabina has difficulty committing to Adam to the point of sabotaging her relationship. Adam is equally guilty, shutting down and failing to communicate.
The ARC of this book suffered from a lot of grammar and spelling errors as well as a continuity error. I hope that these will be rectified before the book is released.
Silver Tongued Devil was action packed and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I’m now anxious to read the next and final book in the series Blue Blooded Vamp in June 2012.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Books for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews
February 28, 2012
3.5 of 5 Stars
I am a fan of the Sabina Kane series by Jaye Wells. Sabina is a former vampire assassin who has come to learn that there is more to the world than killing. As a half-vampire, half-mage Sabina struggles with the 2 sides of herself, feeling like a misfit, while at the same time trying to embrace her new life, her new sister, and her new friends. In the 3rd book, Green-Eyed Demon, Sabina and her crew travel to New Orleans to rescue Sabina’s twin sister and stop Sabina’s evil grandmother. While technically their mission was a success, in this installment in the series Sabina and her friends are now paying the price of the violence and changes that came about. The Vampires, Mages, and Fairies are trying to come to a peace agreement, and Sabina’s sister is severely damaged (mentally) because of the ordeal. There is still an ultimate enemy to be defeated, and the costs of war add up.
Silver-Tongued Devil has a bit of a different feel from previous books in the series. There is not as much humor or light-heartedness. All of the characters have changed in various ways, but there is an underlying tension that runs through all the relationships. Giguhl, Sabina’s Demon minion, can usually be counted on for a good laugh, but his humor was half-hearted throughout the book. Pussy Willow, who was hilarious in Green Eyed Demon, was harder, tougher and undermined Sabina to Giguhl. Adam keeps trying to make Sabina forget her vampire side and become all mage, and his actions and comments made me sad quite a bit. I missed Team Awesome and the adventure and fun nature of the series.
With that being said, Silver-Tongued Devil was still a good read. Sabina is tasked with uncovering a murderer and miraculously curing Maisie of deep depression. In the meantime, Giguhl has started a roller derby league, and Sabina tries to play matchmaker to a vampire and a werewolf couple (which doesn’t go so well). This book is never boring, it is fast paced and attention grabbing and the outcome is wholly unexpected. Ms. Jaye Wells is taking this series to places I could never have even imagined. Sabina is becoming a much more well-rounded character, she is learning to balance her vampire nature with her mage nature. There are definite bumps on that road, but on the whole I am very happy with how Sabina’s character is growing and maturing. I just wish I could say the same about Adam.
Successfully weaving humor, conflict, and a bit of romance into action packed books, Jaye Wells has created a must-read urban fantasy series.
There are ups and downs throughout Silver-Tongued Devil but the bottom line is that this series continues to grab my attention and keep me reading. While this book has a different tone from previous books, the change was needed to balance the story and set up the next and final installment in this series. At the end of the book, I was both sad by the outcome and also excited about what will come next. Because of all this, I rate Silver-Tongued Devil 3.5 out of 5 Stars. I am eagerly awaiting the 5th and final book, Blue-Blooded Vamp. Readers who like zany humor, clashing paranormal beings, and a strong, kick-butt heroine, you can’t miss the Sabina Kane series.
I received the egalley for review from net galley*
I am a fan of the Sabina Kane series by Jaye Wells. Sabina is a former vampire assassin who has come to learn that there is more to the world than killing. As a half-vampire, half-mage Sabina struggles with the 2 sides of herself, feeling like a misfit, while at the same time trying to embrace her new life, her new sister, and her new friends. In the 3rd book, Green-Eyed Demon, Sabina and her crew travel to New Orleans to rescue Sabina’s twin sister and stop Sabina’s evil grandmother. While technically their mission was a success, in this installment in the series Sabina and her friends are now paying the price of the violence and changes that came about. The Vampires, Mages, and Fairies are trying to come to a peace agreement, and Sabina’s sister is severely damaged (mentally) because of the ordeal. There is still an ultimate enemy to be defeated, and the costs of war add up.
Silver-Tongued Devil has a bit of a different feel from previous books in the series. There is not as much humor or light-heartedness. All of the characters have changed in various ways, but there is an underlying tension that runs through all the relationships. Giguhl, Sabina’s Demon minion, can usually be counted on for a good laugh, but his humor was half-hearted throughout the book. Pussy Willow, who was hilarious in Green Eyed Demon, was harder, tougher and undermined Sabina to Giguhl. Adam keeps trying to make Sabina forget her vampire side and become all mage, and his actions and comments made me sad quite a bit. I missed Team Awesome and the adventure and fun nature of the series.
With that being said, Silver-Tongued Devil was still a good read. Sabina is tasked with uncovering a murderer and miraculously curing Maisie of deep depression. In the meantime, Giguhl has started a roller derby league, and Sabina tries to play matchmaker to a vampire and a werewolf couple (which doesn’t go so well). This book is never boring, it is fast paced and attention grabbing and the outcome is wholly unexpected. Ms. Jaye Wells is taking this series to places I could never have even imagined. Sabina is becoming a much more well-rounded character, she is learning to balance her vampire nature with her mage nature. There are definite bumps on that road, but on the whole I am very happy with how Sabina’s character is growing and maturing. I just wish I could say the same about Adam.
Successfully weaving humor, conflict, and a bit of romance into action packed books, Jaye Wells has created a must-read urban fantasy series.
There are ups and downs throughout Silver-Tongued Devil but the bottom line is that this series continues to grab my attention and keep me reading. While this book has a different tone from previous books, the change was needed to balance the story and set up the next and final installment in this series. At the end of the book, I was both sad by the outcome and also excited about what will come next. Because of all this, I rate Silver-Tongued Devil 3.5 out of 5 Stars. I am eagerly awaiting the 5th and final book, Blue-Blooded Vamp. Readers who like zany humor, clashing paranormal beings, and a strong, kick-butt heroine, you can’t miss the Sabina Kane series.
I received the egalley for review from net galley*
December 23, 2011
Posted on Under the Covers
Reading a Sabine Kane novel feels just like seeing old friends again. I absolutely adore the cast in this series and each instalment brings back good memories.
Silver-Tongued Devil is the fourth book in the Sabina Kane series and it picks up after the events of New Orleans in GREEN-EYED DEMON. Maisie, Sabina’s twin sister is still recovering and Adam and Sabina are now a couple in love. Giguhl and Pussy Willow are now BFFs who do everything together and there are even more familiar faces in this book! Wells does a great job with characterization so it is always nice to read about past characters popping up in times of need.
Sabina Kane isn’t the usual “Kill first, avoid questions later” type of person anymore. She has....dare I say it? She has matured a bit. I think part of this growth in character is her new relationship with hottie mancy Adam Lazarus. The Pythrian Guard is honor and duty rolled into one and I think some of him has rubbed off on Sabina. She has been abstaining from killing and drinking from people and it has been affecting her vampire heritage a bit. While on the flipside, Sabina has been meeting with Rhea to learn more tricks with magic. I love witnessing the continuing growth in Sabina. I loved her in the first book and I still love her now.
Just as Adam and Sabina finally decide to be together, their relationship reaches some rocky ground. Their conflict of interests pulls them apart from each other and their love is tested in a way that doesn’t take away from the main murder storyline. It enhances it, adding tension and suspicion.
While I think the first half of the book was okay, it was really the last 100 pages of the book that really changed the book for me. Initially, I thought the first half was slow, but I soon realized that Wells was actually building up to a much larger event towards the end. And it is damn worth the wait! I was blown away by the ending! Wells really pulls you in - the pacing is spot on, jumpstarting the engine and not stopping until the very end. You’ll be dying for the next book after reading this.
Already I am itching for my next Sabina Kane fix. With a whole new avenue to explore, Wells has really made an effort to make the next books in her series all must-reads.
Favourite Quote:
“Giguhl loomed over a bubbling pot on the stove. He wore an apron that read ANGEL IN THE KITCHEN, DEMON IN THE SACK.”
*ARC provided by publisher
Reading a Sabine Kane novel feels just like seeing old friends again. I absolutely adore the cast in this series and each instalment brings back good memories.
Silver-Tongued Devil is the fourth book in the Sabina Kane series and it picks up after the events of New Orleans in GREEN-EYED DEMON. Maisie, Sabina’s twin sister is still recovering and Adam and Sabina are now a couple in love. Giguhl and Pussy Willow are now BFFs who do everything together and there are even more familiar faces in this book! Wells does a great job with characterization so it is always nice to read about past characters popping up in times of need.
Sabina Kane isn’t the usual “Kill first, avoid questions later” type of person anymore. She has....dare I say it? She has matured a bit. I think part of this growth in character is her new relationship with hottie mancy Adam Lazarus. The Pythrian Guard is honor and duty rolled into one and I think some of him has rubbed off on Sabina. She has been abstaining from killing and drinking from people and it has been affecting her vampire heritage a bit. While on the flipside, Sabina has been meeting with Rhea to learn more tricks with magic. I love witnessing the continuing growth in Sabina. I loved her in the first book and I still love her now.
Just as Adam and Sabina finally decide to be together, their relationship reaches some rocky ground. Their conflict of interests pulls them apart from each other and their love is tested in a way that doesn’t take away from the main murder storyline. It enhances it, adding tension and suspicion.
While I think the first half of the book was okay, it was really the last 100 pages of the book that really changed the book for me. Initially, I thought the first half was slow, but I soon realized that Wells was actually building up to a much larger event towards the end. And it is damn worth the wait! I was blown away by the ending! Wells really pulls you in - the pacing is spot on, jumpstarting the engine and not stopping until the very end. You’ll be dying for the next book after reading this.
Already I am itching for my next Sabina Kane fix. With a whole new avenue to explore, Wells has really made an effort to make the next books in her series all must-reads.
Favourite Quote:
“Giguhl loomed over a bubbling pot on the stove. He wore an apron that read ANGEL IN THE KITCHEN, DEMON IN THE SACK.”
*ARC provided by publisher
December 29, 2011
*Rating* 4.0
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Silver-Tongued Devil, the 4th book in the Sabina Kane series, has alot of important issues for Sabina to resolve. Sabina is really forced to dig down deep and find out who she really is. Is she the so-called Chosen one, or another version of Lilith? Or, is she the dark vampire assassin she was before she realized that her own race betrayed her and why is Cain so obsessed with her?
Her relationship with Adam is severely tested at times because of an earlier relationship she hid away from him, as well as her struggling attempt to help Maisie get over her issues with killing their grandmother and the fact that Maisie seems to have almost given up on life altogether.
Giguhl goes from a wise cracking side-kick, to a serious weapon to have at her side when thing come unglued and an important character falls by the wayside. At times, however, his antics are annoying and had me rolling my eyes in a negative way.
New characters are introduced to the series, while series regulars fight for their very lives to remain alive with what could be the final battle between good and evil. There is even an entire scene with Roller Derby girls involving vampires, weres, and fae women with Giguhl as the coach! I am not kidding.
Eventually Sabina gets involved and her ugly side rears its head. I guess you could say that her life has been thrown for a loop with everything that is happening with her sister and with her relationship with Adam.
One of my favorite characters by far is Rhea who is Sabina’s mentor as well as Adam’s aunt. She is spunky, intelligent, and loyal not only to Maisie, but Sabina and Adam as well. For those who have followed this series from the onset, you will love the way she comes to life after a tragedy hits and she ends up going toe to toe with one of the dark races leaders in order to protect and support Sabina. Priceless.
I do have a negative to relate, and I sincerely hope that Orbit's editors catch it before the book releases. There are more than a few editing errors that are more than glaring to an avid reader.
It appears that Blue-Blooded Vamp (Sabina Kane #5) which releases June 7th, 2012, will be the last book in the series.
ARC Accepted 12/01/2011, releases on January 1st 2012
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Silver-Tongued Devil, the 4th book in the Sabina Kane series, has alot of important issues for Sabina to resolve. Sabina is really forced to dig down deep and find out who she really is. Is she the so-called Chosen one, or another version of Lilith? Or, is she the dark vampire assassin she was before she realized that her own race betrayed her and why is Cain so obsessed with her?
Her relationship with Adam is severely tested at times because of an earlier relationship she hid away from him, as well as her struggling attempt to help Maisie get over her issues with killing their grandmother and the fact that Maisie seems to have almost given up on life altogether.
Giguhl goes from a wise cracking side-kick, to a serious weapon to have at her side when thing come unglued and an important character falls by the wayside. At times, however, his antics are annoying and had me rolling my eyes in a negative way.
New characters are introduced to the series, while series regulars fight for their very lives to remain alive with what could be the final battle between good and evil. There is even an entire scene with Roller Derby girls involving vampires, weres, and fae women with Giguhl as the coach! I am not kidding.
Eventually Sabina gets involved and her ugly side rears its head. I guess you could say that her life has been thrown for a loop with everything that is happening with her sister and with her relationship with Adam.
One of my favorite characters by far is Rhea who is Sabina’s mentor as well as Adam’s aunt. She is spunky, intelligent, and loyal not only to Maisie, but Sabina and Adam as well. For those who have followed this series from the onset, you will love the way she comes to life after a tragedy hits and she ends up going toe to toe with one of the dark races leaders in order to protect and support Sabina. Priceless.
I do have a negative to relate, and I sincerely hope that Orbit's editors catch it before the book releases. There are more than a few editing errors that are more than glaring to an avid reader.
It appears that Blue-Blooded Vamp (Sabina Kane #5) which releases June 7th, 2012, will be the last book in the series.
ARC Accepted 12/01/2011, releases on January 1st 2012
February 16, 2012
Sabrina has sister issues. Her sister tried to kill her boyfriend, which makes family time uncomfortable to say the least. She wants to fix her broken sister, to have the love she has always dreamed of, and it shows. Her desperation in this book seems endless. Her sister is not dreaming, being the oracle it is required on more than one level. The Dark Races are on the verge of signing a peace treaty and her vision could make or break it. But, can anyone bring her back to who she was?
The relationship between Sabrina and Adam has some rough ugly spots. It stems from lies and hidden truths. There is a touch of a triangle going on and I was voting for the other team. Adam disappointed me with his harsh views.
Giguhl was a hero and a friend. He stood by Pussy Willow and Sabrina throughout all the troubles, and their were many, He also found a new hobby roller derby, supernatural style. This didn't really work well in the story for me. It slowed the story down and was not very interesting. Ah, but Mr. Giggles is the hero of this story in my humble opinion. Just wait for the ending.
I enjoyed the story, but struggled through the first half. It just meandered through her daily life and did not hold my attention well. The next book is the end of the series and might be the reason for the slow down, it's ending. It does finish with a bit of a cliffhanger. I am excited to read the next book and finish this series .
The relationship between Sabrina and Adam has some rough ugly spots. It stems from lies and hidden truths. There is a touch of a triangle going on and I was voting for the other team. Adam disappointed me with his harsh views.
Giguhl was a hero and a friend. He stood by Pussy Willow and Sabrina throughout all the troubles, and their were many, He also found a new hobby roller derby, supernatural style. This didn't really work well in the story for me. It slowed the story down and was not very interesting. Ah, but Mr. Giggles is the hero of this story in my humble opinion. Just wait for the ending.
I enjoyed the story, but struggled through the first half. It just meandered through her daily life and did not hold my attention well. The next book is the end of the series and might be the reason for the slow down, it's ending. It does finish with a bit of a cliffhanger. I am excited to read the next book and finish this series .
October 12, 2014
I have to relive how much I hated Alexis.....and how much I wanted Slade for Sabina.
JANUARY 2012 REVIEW:
slow and uneventful start but towards the middle and the end....love it! gotta sleep first review to follow....=)
OK AFTER SLEEPING.....AND WORKING.....=)
Now now don't get me wrong, I love this series. Sabina Kane is one of my favorite kick-ass chic out there. But why only four stars? Well, as I said earlier it started out slow not much was happening and even Giguhl (my favorite demon minion) just lost his spark on being funny as always. Mainly that was it but all in all I still enjoyed reading it especially towards the end....however, I felt bad for what happened to Maisie. Good thing the next and final book will come out this year as well since I hate waiting...=)
JANUARY 2012 REVIEW:
slow and uneventful start but towards the middle and the end....love it! gotta sleep first review to follow....=)
OK AFTER SLEEPING.....AND WORKING.....=)
Now now don't get me wrong, I love this series. Sabina Kane is one of my favorite kick-ass chic out there. But why only four stars? Well, as I said earlier it started out slow not much was happening and even Giguhl (my favorite demon minion) just lost his spark on being funny as always. Mainly that was it but all in all I still enjoyed reading it especially towards the end....however, I felt bad for what happened to Maisie. Good thing the next and final book will come out this year as well since I hate waiting...=)
March 30, 2016
I stopped reading this book w/25 minutes left in the narration. I spent the last 35-40% of it on 1.5-2.5x speed for the narration.
I'm done with "Sabina Everything's-All-My-Fault Kane." I might have finished those last 25 minutes if it was the last book, but there's one more book to go, and I'm not reading it.
I'm not doing a real or full review. I'd likely bash my work computer in, and that would be very bad. I'm just done.
The End.
I'm done with "Sabina Everything's-All-My-Fault Kane." I might have finished those last 25 minutes if it was the last book, but there's one more book to go, and I'm not reading it.
I'm not doing a real or full review. I'd likely bash my work computer in, and that would be very bad. I'm just done.
The End.
January 4, 2012
The only bad thing about this book is that I have to wait until June for the conclusion. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I raged.....but still it ended at page 303. Sigh....
January 1, 2012
http://www.rantingdragon.com/silver-t...
This review contains spoilers for Red-Headed Stepchild, Mage in Black and Green-Eyed Demon.
Sabina and company have returned from the city of New Orleans after the final showdown with her grandmother. Maisie hasn’t fared well after the nightmarish ordeal and Sabina is having problems dealing with her place in mage society. Various other characters are all having their own little emotional problems. While this in itself might make for a somewhat decent drama, it is in no way conducive to the general style of the series.
In a series predominated by a half-vampire, half-mage ex-assassin, action is the key point. Sabina is a warrior: vicious and funny in her own cynical way. In previous books, she has reveled in that, suppressed it and so on, with each story bringing something unique to her character. Silver-Tongued Devil, however, provides no addition to her character or the plot or setting for the majority of the book.
Not a new city
The first three books each showed a new locale, but this book repeats the setting of Mage in Black, New York City. It removes that interesting experience in which we get to experience how the magical element of the world affects the mundane layers of a new city. Even New York doesn’t seem as detailed as it was written before.
Characters gone sour
The characters that traded back humorous insults and quips in the earlier books spend the majority of Silver-Tongued Devil in a state of constant complaining, fighting, getting emotional and lying to each other that feels like a cheesy soap opera.
Almost non-existent plot with no danger
What is worst about this book, however, is the plot. It focuses on a simple element of a couple of murders right before a peace treaty. That pretty much sums the first three-quarters of the novel. With prior books, Sabina was in danger, whether on the run from vicious vampire assassins or trying to immerse herself in mage society or so on. But in Silver-Tongued Devil, there is almost no sense of urgency, alarm or pathos for the characters when their biggest problem is external and when they focus more on their own petty squabbles and romantic turmoil than on the treaty signing.
The first three-quarters of the novel could probably have been compressed into half its size and left the actual meat of the novel intact. Nonetheless, the last quarter of the book was enjoyable. It had danger, progression, character growth, humor and all the other signature features that made the first three books so much fun to read.
Why should you read this book?
Overall, Silver-Tongued Devil read more like some contractual drama that avoided the series’ major arc for the most part and barely progressed the characters until the last stretch. While I would recommend the first three novels, which fill out a nice trilogy in themselves, I cannot say with certainty that fans of the first three would enjoy this book. However, I have high hopes for the next installment, based on the end of Silver-Tongued Devil.
This review contains spoilers for Red-Headed Stepchild, Mage in Black and Green-Eyed Demon.
Sabina and company have returned from the city of New Orleans after the final showdown with her grandmother. Maisie hasn’t fared well after the nightmarish ordeal and Sabina is having problems dealing with her place in mage society. Various other characters are all having their own little emotional problems. While this in itself might make for a somewhat decent drama, it is in no way conducive to the general style of the series.
In a series predominated by a half-vampire, half-mage ex-assassin, action is the key point. Sabina is a warrior: vicious and funny in her own cynical way. In previous books, she has reveled in that, suppressed it and so on, with each story bringing something unique to her character. Silver-Tongued Devil, however, provides no addition to her character or the plot or setting for the majority of the book.
Not a new city
The first three books each showed a new locale, but this book repeats the setting of Mage in Black, New York City. It removes that interesting experience in which we get to experience how the magical element of the world affects the mundane layers of a new city. Even New York doesn’t seem as detailed as it was written before.
Characters gone sour
The characters that traded back humorous insults and quips in the earlier books spend the majority of Silver-Tongued Devil in a state of constant complaining, fighting, getting emotional and lying to each other that feels like a cheesy soap opera.
Almost non-existent plot with no danger
What is worst about this book, however, is the plot. It focuses on a simple element of a couple of murders right before a peace treaty. That pretty much sums the first three-quarters of the novel. With prior books, Sabina was in danger, whether on the run from vicious vampire assassins or trying to immerse herself in mage society or so on. But in Silver-Tongued Devil, there is almost no sense of urgency, alarm or pathos for the characters when their biggest problem is external and when they focus more on their own petty squabbles and romantic turmoil than on the treaty signing.
The first three-quarters of the novel could probably have been compressed into half its size and left the actual meat of the novel intact. Nonetheless, the last quarter of the book was enjoyable. It had danger, progression, character growth, humor and all the other signature features that made the first three books so much fun to read.
Why should you read this book?
Overall, Silver-Tongued Devil read more like some contractual drama that avoided the series’ major arc for the most part and barely progressed the characters until the last stretch. While I would recommend the first three novels, which fill out a nice trilogy in themselves, I cannot say with certainty that fans of the first three would enjoy this book. However, I have high hopes for the next installment, based on the end of Silver-Tongued Devil.
July 31, 2014
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was quite anxious to get into this book, wondering what would happen again. Indeed, the previous volume was concluding a great story that we had been following since the beginning. But how wrong I was, I was totally blown away by the new Jaye Wells ideas as she allowed us to be taken in a whole new story .
Sabina has now forged a pretty normal life, or what it can be for a former assassin. She moved with Giguhl and Adam while continuing to practice her talents as a mage. Powers that will also become really surprising. But while everything goes quite well for our heroine, this is really not the case for Maisie who seems to have some trouble getting out of her turmoil since the end of the third volume. It is always heartbreaking to see what she has become and the consequences that these events had on her. But if it was only that … Added to this problem, murders are committed and Sabina accompanied by Adam are on the case. We will also have Slade, determined to keep a job he likes and to find the culprits for punishment. And what about that new character we meet? I think it is impossible to like Alexis, she perfectly embodies the role of the total bitch. But I must say that I loved all her meetings with Sabina, there were always plenty of sparks.
We have a lot of things in this book, I was really surprised by all the events we attend in so little time. The survey is the most interesting and arises many questions throughout the story about the potential culprit. I must say that a lot of things went through my head, but then I’d never really thought about this one. It was a real surprise, the author has managed to lose ourselves in our assumptions to give us an incredible revelation. But I must say that this is not the only thing that surprised me… Oh no! I did not expect at all to have an end as this one. It was completely unbelievable and I must say that I remained bewildered by this series of events. But so many great ideas!
It was nice to follow Sabina in this book, as well as many characters we met earlier (even all of them?) await you in this one, even if it is sometimes only for a few moments. And I need to mention Giguhl because I just love this character! He is always there to help our heroine whatever happens, but to upset her, no one can do that better than him. A new mystery moves in this volume and we hope that Sabina will manage to survive again… I must say that once again she has braved more than terrible events.
We’re dragged down in the story as always to finish wanting more. I hope to soon have the opportunity to read the next book that can only be a nice conclusion to this story.
My English review
I was quite anxious to get into this book, wondering what would happen again. Indeed, the previous volume was concluding a great story that we had been following since the beginning. But how wrong I was, I was totally blown away by the new Jaye Wells ideas as she allowed us to be taken in a whole new story .
Sabina has now forged a pretty normal life, or what it can be for a former assassin. She moved with Giguhl and Adam while continuing to practice her talents as a mage. Powers that will also become really surprising. But while everything goes quite well for our heroine, this is really not the case for Maisie who seems to have some trouble getting out of her turmoil since the end of the third volume. It is always heartbreaking to see what she has become and the consequences that these events had on her. But if it was only that … Added to this problem, murders are committed and Sabina accompanied by Adam are on the case. We will also have Slade, determined to keep a job he likes and to find the culprits for punishment. And what about that new character we meet? I think it is impossible to like Alexis, she perfectly embodies the role of the total bitch. But I must say that I loved all her meetings with Sabina, there were always plenty of sparks.
We have a lot of things in this book, I was really surprised by all the events we attend in so little time. The survey is the most interesting and arises many questions throughout the story about the potential culprit. I must say that a lot of things went through my head, but then I’d never really thought about this one. It was a real surprise, the author has managed to lose ourselves in our assumptions to give us an incredible revelation. But I must say that this is not the only thing that surprised me… Oh no! I did not expect at all to have an end as this one. It was completely unbelievable and I must say that I remained bewildered by this series of events. But so many great ideas!
It was nice to follow Sabina in this book, as well as many characters we met earlier (even all of them?) await you in this one, even if it is sometimes only for a few moments. And I need to mention Giguhl because I just love this character! He is always there to help our heroine whatever happens, but to upset her, no one can do that better than him. A new mystery moves in this volume and we hope that Sabina will manage to survive again… I must say that once again she has braved more than terrible events.
We’re dragged down in the story as always to finish wanting more. I hope to soon have the opportunity to read the next book that can only be a nice conclusion to this story.
January 16, 2012
I just finished this book last night...holy CRAP. :-S
**SPOILERS**
I DID NOT see that coming... I'm very, very sad Maisie died...and the way she died even more horrible. :-( Orpheus and Tanith though...that even more of a shocker!! I was also not expecting Cain to escape. I can only hope that Sabina has no mercy on him whatsoever when she catches up with him, especially for her sister. I'm looking forward to her kicking his A$$!!
Her and Adam...wow. Talk about some deep stuff they had to get through. I'm glad she's finally embraced her dark side though and looks like he's finally going to accept that part of her as well. Man I was so angry when she bit him (like during some amazing sex for crying out loud...who wouldn't loose their mind, LOL) and he freaked out on her then LEFT!
I'm just glad they sorted things out and will work together again to find and kill Cain. Love Gighul in the book once again...he is hilarious. :-) I'm dying to find out what will happen with Mac and Georgia though...I can't see Mac staying with that guy...maybe she's going to end up killing her new mate? Hmmmmmmm I wonder what kind of repercussions that would have? Oh the speculation... LOL
LOVED this book...looking forward to the next one. The last book in the series... :-( *sigh*
**SPOILERS**
I DID NOT see that coming... I'm very, very sad Maisie died...and the way she died even more horrible. :-( Orpheus and Tanith though...that even more of a shocker!! I was also not expecting Cain to escape. I can only hope that Sabina has no mercy on him whatsoever when she catches up with him, especially for her sister. I'm looking forward to her kicking his A$$!!
Her and Adam...wow. Talk about some deep stuff they had to get through. I'm glad she's finally embraced her dark side though and looks like he's finally going to accept that part of her as well. Man I was so angry when she bit him (like during some amazing sex for crying out loud...who wouldn't loose their mind, LOL) and he freaked out on her then LEFT!
I'm just glad they sorted things out and will work together again to find and kill Cain. Love Gighul in the book once again...he is hilarious. :-) I'm dying to find out what will happen with Mac and Georgia though...I can't see Mac staying with that guy...maybe she's going to end up killing her new mate? Hmmmmmmm I wonder what kind of repercussions that would have? Oh the speculation... LOL
LOVED this book...looking forward to the next one. The last book in the series... :-( *sigh*
February 3, 2012
What can I say.. I've gobbled up the last three books in this series over the last couple of days and have thoroughly the enjoyed the adventure the Author has taken me on!
Sabina's character has 'evolved' from a 'broken, insecure, selfish, childlike being' into a force to be reckoned with.
She now has family and friends she cares for and trusts, and is willing to do anything to protect what she considers 'hers'.
Giguhl is probably my 'all time' favorite Minion/Familiar/Sidekick/Best-friend/Demon....EVER!
It would be so easy for his character to Dominate over Sabina's, but the author has done an AMAZING job of writing him 'perfectly' that their characters flow smoothly throughout the story.
..last but not least to mention...Adam...WOW!! Love his character, honesty, integrity, strength, and loyalty...and the fact that he's a 'special-forces/secret-service powerful Mage doesn't hurt either!
Can't wait to read what the Author has in store for Sabina & Adam in the next book, but I hope it's good because they've become one of my favorite 'literary' couples.
Sabina's character has 'evolved' from a 'broken, insecure, selfish, childlike being' into a force to be reckoned with.
She now has family and friends she cares for and trusts, and is willing to do anything to protect what she considers 'hers'.
Giguhl is probably my 'all time' favorite Minion/Familiar/Sidekick/Best-friend/Demon....EVER!
It would be so easy for his character to Dominate over Sabina's, but the author has done an AMAZING job of writing him 'perfectly' that their characters flow smoothly throughout the story.
..last but not least to mention...Adam...WOW!! Love his character, honesty, integrity, strength, and loyalty...and the fact that he's a 'special-forces/secret-service powerful Mage doesn't hurt either!
Can't wait to read what the Author has in store for Sabina & Adam in the next book, but I hope it's good because they've become one of my favorite 'literary' couples.
Read
July 3, 2020DNF... I think I just got bored with the storyline.
March 29, 2013
Fourth in the Sabina Kane urban fantasy series revolving around a half-vampire, half-mage who suddenly finds herself very wanted. This story is based in New York City.
My Take
There is no lack of melodramatic action in this story, and with a turnover in leadership amongst the vamps, it just gets better?...worse?...I mean, WTF? There's a murder at Slade's club, therefore all the years he's done a great job in NYC suddenly mean nothing? I don't get this logic. Besides, I thought NYC was supposed to be independent of the official group of vampires? When did that change? And why would Slade agree to it?! Then putting Alexis in charge? Oh, no. I can't believe anyone would be that stupid!
Then there's Sabina's lame reasons not to tell Adam about her and Slade's one-night hook-up. The whiny drama about Gighul not wanting Sabina on his roller derby team. The whole routine with Michael mating Mac off. The big breakup. The assassinations. The convenient, sudden change of heart by Maeve. I dunno, I just get the feeling that Wells didn't really know what to do with this and just wanted to get this installment out or the way so she could start the last book in the series, Blue-Blooded Vamp , 5. That she simply did whatever to get it checked off her list. And the lame list just keeps growing with Gighul's letting the truth about Slade slip out. Talk about manufactured…
Oooh, fun, one of the bits of evidence is an S&M glove. Darn, all those sex shops Sabina, Adam, and Mr. Giggles will have to visit...
The Story
Everyone is recovering from events in Mage in Black , 2, but a fresh set of ritual murders sets them all back. It doesn't help that Tanith has her own ideas of who should be running things in New York. Maisie hasn't had a vision since her rescue. Sabina's magic lessons have suddenly propelled her into a whole new landscape---the Liminal, the borderlands between Earth and Irkalla. A terrifying one. And Michael is demanding that Mac marry the werewolf of his choice.
After the disastrous events in New Orleans in Mage in Black when Cain tried to start a war, the leaders of the dark races are determined to sign a treaty ensuring peace for all...best laid plans and all that.
The Characters
Sabina Kane is the High Priestess of the Blood Moon with the noble bloodlines of mages and vampires running through her, giving her Chthonic mage powers. She and Adam Lazarus, a mage with the Pythian Guard (think secret service plus special forces), have finally hooked up. Giguhl/Gigi, a.k.a., Mr. Giggles when he shifts into a cat, Sabina's Mischief demon, is anxious about his new relationship with a cross-dressing fairy, Brooks/Pussy Willow, who has moved to New York City in an attempt to escape his memories. Rhea Lazarus is Adam's aunt and in charge of the priestesses. Maisie Graecus is Sabina's identical twin sister, the Order's Oracle, High Priestess of the Chaste Moon, and struggling to overcome her horrific experiences in New Orleans in Mage in Black .
Tanith Severinus is the new Despina of the vampires; Persephone is still part of the council, but with a lot less power. Alexis Vega is one bitch of a vampire and a former Enforcer before being promoted to Tanith's personal guard.
Orpheus is the leader of the Hekate Council and commander-in-chief of the guards. He's also a father figure and mentor to Adam. Maeve is a nasty Queen of the Fairies. Master Mahan, the leader of the now-deceased Caste of Nod, is actually Cain, the father of vampires. Abel is a mage determined to imprison Cain. Tristan is a mage and Sabina's father; he died before she and Maisie were born. Phoebe is the vampire mother who died giving birth to the girls.
Slade "The Shade" Corbin is a vampire "mob boss" and runs all the vampires in New York City from his bar, Vein. He once did Sabina wrong, but she was still attracted to him. Michael Romulus is the alpha of the Central Park pack, the Lone Wolves, and Mac's uncle. Mackenzie "Mac" Romulus runs a bar, Lagniappe, in New Orleans with her vampire lover, Georgia Rousseau. Logan Remus is the werewolf Michael insists Mac mate.
Erron Zorn, the lead singer, and Ziggy, the deaf mage drummer, are both Recreants (banished mages) and members of the shock rock band, Necrospank. They're playing in New York City as the last stop on their tour. Goldie Schwartz is their full-time hairdresser, a "fun-sized midget", and she's one horny gimp equestrienne. Erron's got some important info on Cain for Sabina.
Madam Zenobia "Zen" is a voodoo practitioner in New Orleans and a friend of Rhea's. Brook worked for her before he split for NYC.
Crack me up, Mistress Bianca, a vampinatrix, has some great information for the team. Tiny Malone runs a strip club and is definitely not a friend of Slade's or Sabina's. Alexis kills him before he can confess; makes ya wonder what she's trying to conceal. Aesclepius is the god of medicine and healing.
On the Jersey Devils roller derby team, Merry Machete is a vampire and Ima Cutchoo is a mage and their jammer. Gighul is coaching the Manhattan Marauders roller derby team, which enjoys Stankerbell as their nymph jammer and, finally, Sabina who is known as Betty Bloodshed.
Lilith is the goddess of the dark races while Hekate is the goddess of mages.
The Cover
The cover is black-and-white highlighted by the streaky red of Sabina's hair. Sabina herself is crouched on the edge of a skyscraper, holding a gun, and ready for action with New York and the Empire State Building in the background.
I'm guessing the title is simply supposed to be cute as I can't figure out who the Silver-Tongued Devil is. I suppose it could apply to Cain as easily as he seems to force his will on everyone...
My Take
There is no lack of melodramatic action in this story, and with a turnover in leadership amongst the vamps, it just gets better?...worse?...I mean, WTF? There's a murder at Slade's club, therefore all the years he's done a great job in NYC suddenly mean nothing? I don't get this logic. Besides, I thought NYC was supposed to be independent of the official group of vampires? When did that change? And why would Slade agree to it?! Then putting Alexis in charge? Oh, no. I can't believe anyone would be that stupid!
Then there's Sabina's lame reasons not to tell Adam about her and Slade's one-night hook-up. The whiny drama about Gighul not wanting Sabina on his roller derby team. The whole routine with Michael mating Mac off. The big breakup. The assassinations. The convenient, sudden change of heart by Maeve. I dunno, I just get the feeling that Wells didn't really know what to do with this and just wanted to get this installment out or the way so she could start the last book in the series, Blue-Blooded Vamp , 5. That she simply did whatever to get it checked off her list. And the lame list just keeps growing with Gighul's letting the truth about Slade slip out. Talk about manufactured…
Oooh, fun, one of the bits of evidence is an S&M glove. Darn, all those sex shops Sabina, Adam, and Mr. Giggles will have to visit...
The Story
Everyone is recovering from events in Mage in Black , 2, but a fresh set of ritual murders sets them all back. It doesn't help that Tanith has her own ideas of who should be running things in New York. Maisie hasn't had a vision since her rescue. Sabina's magic lessons have suddenly propelled her into a whole new landscape---the Liminal, the borderlands between Earth and Irkalla. A terrifying one. And Michael is demanding that Mac marry the werewolf of his choice.
After the disastrous events in New Orleans in Mage in Black when Cain tried to start a war, the leaders of the dark races are determined to sign a treaty ensuring peace for all...best laid plans and all that.
The Characters
Sabina Kane is the High Priestess of the Blood Moon with the noble bloodlines of mages and vampires running through her, giving her Chthonic mage powers. She and Adam Lazarus, a mage with the Pythian Guard (think secret service plus special forces), have finally hooked up. Giguhl/Gigi, a.k.a., Mr. Giggles when he shifts into a cat, Sabina's Mischief demon, is anxious about his new relationship with a cross-dressing fairy, Brooks/Pussy Willow, who has moved to New York City in an attempt to escape his memories. Rhea Lazarus is Adam's aunt and in charge of the priestesses. Maisie Graecus is Sabina's identical twin sister, the Order's Oracle, High Priestess of the Chaste Moon, and struggling to overcome her horrific experiences in New Orleans in Mage in Black .
Tanith Severinus is the new Despina of the vampires; Persephone is still part of the council, but with a lot less power. Alexis Vega is one bitch of a vampire and a former Enforcer before being promoted to Tanith's personal guard.
Orpheus is the leader of the Hekate Council and commander-in-chief of the guards. He's also a father figure and mentor to Adam. Maeve is a nasty Queen of the Fairies. Master Mahan, the leader of the now-deceased Caste of Nod, is actually Cain, the father of vampires. Abel is a mage determined to imprison Cain. Tristan is a mage and Sabina's father; he died before she and Maisie were born. Phoebe is the vampire mother who died giving birth to the girls.
Slade "The Shade" Corbin is a vampire "mob boss" and runs all the vampires in New York City from his bar, Vein. He once did Sabina wrong, but she was still attracted to him. Michael Romulus is the alpha of the Central Park pack, the Lone Wolves, and Mac's uncle. Mackenzie "Mac" Romulus runs a bar, Lagniappe, in New Orleans with her vampire lover, Georgia Rousseau. Logan Remus is the werewolf Michael insists Mac mate.
Erron Zorn, the lead singer, and Ziggy, the deaf mage drummer, are both Recreants (banished mages) and members of the shock rock band, Necrospank. They're playing in New York City as the last stop on their tour. Goldie Schwartz is their full-time hairdresser, a "fun-sized midget", and she's one horny gimp equestrienne. Erron's got some important info on Cain for Sabina.
Madam Zenobia "Zen" is a voodoo practitioner in New Orleans and a friend of Rhea's. Brook worked for her before he split for NYC.
Crack me up, Mistress Bianca, a vampinatrix, has some great information for the team. Tiny Malone runs a strip club and is definitely not a friend of Slade's or Sabina's. Alexis kills him before he can confess; makes ya wonder what she's trying to conceal. Aesclepius is the god of medicine and healing.
On the Jersey Devils roller derby team, Merry Machete is a vampire and Ima Cutchoo is a mage and their jammer. Gighul is coaching the Manhattan Marauders roller derby team, which enjoys Stankerbell as their nymph jammer and, finally, Sabina who is known as Betty Bloodshed.
Lilith is the goddess of the dark races while Hekate is the goddess of mages.
The Cover
The cover is black-and-white highlighted by the streaky red of Sabina's hair. Sabina herself is crouched on the edge of a skyscraper, holding a gun, and ready for action with New York and the Empire State Building in the background.
I'm guessing the title is simply supposed to be cute as I can't figure out who the Silver-Tongued Devil is. I suppose it could apply to Cain as easily as he seems to force his will on everyone...
February 9, 2012
* This is the 4th book in the series. Please avoid this review if you are not current with the series as it contains spoilers for previous books. Yes, I could've chosen to block the entire review or piecemeal my spoiler blocks, but I chose not to. >;)
**If you'd like to read the first chapter of this book before buying, you can find it here at Orbitbooks.net.
Silver-Tongued Devil picks up with Sabina, Giguhl, and gang where the previous book, Green-Eyed Demon left off. Things are quite different for Sabina these days, she's in a relationship with Adam, hasn't killed anyone in many months, and she's focusing on her mage half as opposed to her vamp half. But, early on in the story when she comes across a murder scene, which appears to have been vamp-related, we find her trying to convince herself that she is happy with her new life. She tells herself, "That old life was over. I was happy now. Settled. Safe. I'd left the cold, blood-soaked world behind in favor of one filled with warmth and magic." At this point in the story I don't know whether to believe her or not, but I know, as a reader, I'm really missing the badass vamp half. She finds her thoughts about the stranger's gruesome death funny because "...I never used to think of vampires as monsters. Back when I lived as one, human life was no more valuable than a Big Mac. ...[she's just returning from the blood bank with a cooler full of bagged blood]... It [the bagged blood] represented my new life among the mages, one where I'd learned to control my baser instincts." It's those "basic instincts" that I'm missing. I enjoy learning more about her magic and the way that her mixed blood and Chthonic powers affect it as much as she enjoys exploring it. But, this is only HALF of who she is and I'm missing the other half.
Sabina and Adam walk on eggshells around her twin, Maisie, as she tries to recover from her abduction in Green-Eyed Demon. Their maternal grandmother and former Vamp Alpha, Lavinia Kane, kidnapped her in an effort to start a war between the dark races. Since then, Maisie hasn't had any visions and the Mage council is concerned. Mainly because the treaty signing is coming up and she's expected to deliver an optimistic prophecy for the future of these two dark races. Adam, who was once Maisie's BFF, is understandably a little leery of her since she just about sucked him dry when they found her almost completely dessicated and bloodlust crazed. Since Lavinia's death, Tanith has taken over as leader of the Vampire race.
Slade is one of my favorite characters in the series and sadly, we didn't get to see much of him in this edition. When we did see him, he tells Sabina that when he tried to give up the life (of an assassin) the boredom almost killed him. She still insists she happy with the way things are now.
Sabina and Adam are told to investigate several murders, including the one from the alley Sabina spotted earlier in the day. Together with Giguhl, they try to find out who the murderer is and why they are killing. What they discover, in the end, will shock them.
Several side stories run throughout the book, including Giguhl's attempts to form a kickass roller derby team and Mac (were) and Georgia's (vamp) forbidden love. Mac's uncle and Alpha, Michael Romulus has chosen a mate for her to be consummated at the upcoming full moon ceremony. Of course, Mac is not interested, but she hasn't yet told Michael about her girlfriend. So, they come to Sabina asking for her help. Mac thinks Sabina's friendship with Michael will help when delivering the news. Also, I was happy to see the return of several other friends from N'Orleans, members of the band Necrospank 500, Erron Zorn and Ziggy.
Giguhl, the mischief demon, continues to be one of my absolute favorite characters (from any series). He is an absolute riot! In this book, however, it's clear from the brief comments made by his friend Pussy Willow that we may learn more about his true feelings regarding his "relationship" with Sabina in the next book. Should be interesting.
While I like Adam, a lot, I do not like how he doesn't seem to accept Sabina's vamp half. So, I was happy to see this specifically addressed in the book. Because of that, I rated this book 4★ even if I didn't particularly like mainly-magey Sabina as much as mainly-vampy Sabina. The latter 1/4th of the book is where all the action begins, IMO, but the running stories throughout were still entertaining.
I'm very excited to read the next book in the series, Blue-Blooded Vamp, which is due in June 2012. But, I'm very sorry to learn that it will be the final one. Per author's website: How many books are going to feature Sabina Kane? Five total. BLUE-BLOODED VAMP, which comes out in June 2012, is the final installment in Sabina Kane’s story.
Some of my favorite scenes/quotes:
Giguhl switches from his hairless cat form to his demon form in a men's restroom and frightens a man in there who screams, "What the fuck! Keep that thing away from me." To which Giguhl tells him, "Don't flatter yourself, you couldn't handle The Pitchfork."
While investigating the murders, Sabina, Adam, and Giguhl visit the local sex shops. When they encounter a female Dom in one, Giguhl nicknames her "the vampinatrix." She thinks Giguhl, in hairless kitty form, is Sabina's familiar. When she's surprised to learn he's her minion, Giguhl winked at her. What she means is, I might look like a pussy but I'm really a badass demon."
Sabina asks Giguhl to escort Georgia, Mac's girlfriend, to the club Vein and orders him to change into his cat form. Mac gasps when she sees him change and says, "That's not right." "Oh, please," Giguhl hissed. "Like anyone's gonna believe you're disgusted by a little pussy."
When Sabina goes backstage to talk to Erron she suggests the midget sitting by him leave before they start. He tells her that Goldie knows everything and can stay put. When Sabina questions her name, Goldie tells her, "That's right, bitch. Goldie Schwartz. And I'm not a fucking midget. I prefer the term 'fun sized'."
Lastly, when Sabina joins Giguhl's roller derby team, her nickname is "Betty Bloodshed."
**If you'd like to read the first chapter of this book before buying, you can find it here at Orbitbooks.net.
Silver-Tongued Devil picks up with Sabina, Giguhl, and gang where the previous book, Green-Eyed Demon left off. Things are quite different for Sabina these days, she's in a relationship with Adam, hasn't killed anyone in many months, and she's focusing on her mage half as opposed to her vamp half. But, early on in the story when she comes across a murder scene, which appears to have been vamp-related, we find her trying to convince herself that she is happy with her new life. She tells herself, "That old life was over. I was happy now. Settled. Safe. I'd left the cold, blood-soaked world behind in favor of one filled with warmth and magic." At this point in the story I don't know whether to believe her or not, but I know, as a reader, I'm really missing the badass vamp half. She finds her thoughts about the stranger's gruesome death funny because "...I never used to think of vampires as monsters. Back when I lived as one, human life was no more valuable than a Big Mac. ...[she's just returning from the blood bank with a cooler full of bagged blood]... It [the bagged blood] represented my new life among the mages, one where I'd learned to control my baser instincts." It's those "basic instincts" that I'm missing. I enjoy learning more about her magic and the way that her mixed blood and Chthonic powers affect it as much as she enjoys exploring it. But, this is only HALF of who she is and I'm missing the other half.
Sabina and Adam walk on eggshells around her twin, Maisie, as she tries to recover from her abduction in Green-Eyed Demon. Their maternal grandmother and former Vamp Alpha, Lavinia Kane, kidnapped her in an effort to start a war between the dark races. Since then, Maisie hasn't had any visions and the Mage council is concerned. Mainly because the treaty signing is coming up and she's expected to deliver an optimistic prophecy for the future of these two dark races. Adam, who was once Maisie's BFF, is understandably a little leery of her since she just about sucked him dry when they found her almost completely dessicated and bloodlust crazed. Since Lavinia's death, Tanith has taken over as leader of the Vampire race.
Slade is one of my favorite characters in the series and sadly, we didn't get to see much of him in this edition. When we did see him, he tells Sabina that when he tried to give up the life (of an assassin) the boredom almost killed him. She still insists she happy with the way things are now.
Sabina and Adam are told to investigate several murders, including the one from the alley Sabina spotted earlier in the day. Together with Giguhl, they try to find out who the murderer is and why they are killing. What they discover, in the end, will shock them.
Several side stories run throughout the book, including Giguhl's attempts to form a kickass roller derby team and Mac (were) and Georgia's (vamp) forbidden love. Mac's uncle and Alpha, Michael Romulus has chosen a mate for her to be consummated at the upcoming full moon ceremony. Of course, Mac is not interested, but she hasn't yet told Michael about her girlfriend. So, they come to Sabina asking for her help. Mac thinks Sabina's friendship with Michael will help when delivering the news. Also, I was happy to see the return of several other friends from N'Orleans, members of the band Necrospank 500, Erron Zorn and Ziggy.
Giguhl, the mischief demon, continues to be one of my absolute favorite characters (from any series). He is an absolute riot! In this book, however, it's clear from the brief comments made by his friend Pussy Willow that we may learn more about his true feelings regarding his "relationship" with Sabina in the next book. Should be interesting.
While I like Adam, a lot, I do not like how he doesn't seem to accept Sabina's vamp half. So, I was happy to see this specifically addressed in the book. Because of that, I rated this book 4★ even if I didn't particularly like mainly-magey Sabina as much as mainly-vampy Sabina. The latter 1/4th of the book is where all the action begins, IMO, but the running stories throughout were still entertaining.
I'm very excited to read the next book in the series, Blue-Blooded Vamp, which is due in June 2012. But, I'm very sorry to learn that it will be the final one. Per author's website: How many books are going to feature Sabina Kane? Five total. BLUE-BLOODED VAMP, which comes out in June 2012, is the final installment in Sabina Kane’s story.
Some of my favorite scenes/quotes:
Giguhl switches from his hairless cat form to his demon form in a men's restroom and frightens a man in there who screams, "What the fuck! Keep that thing away from me." To which Giguhl tells him, "Don't flatter yourself, you couldn't handle The Pitchfork."
While investigating the murders, Sabina, Adam, and Giguhl visit the local sex shops. When they encounter a female Dom in one, Giguhl nicknames her "the vampinatrix." She thinks Giguhl, in hairless kitty form, is Sabina's familiar. When she's surprised to learn he's her minion, Giguhl winked at her. What she means is, I might look like a pussy but I'm really a badass demon."
Sabina asks Giguhl to escort Georgia, Mac's girlfriend, to the club Vein and orders him to change into his cat form. Mac gasps when she sees him change and says, "That's not right." "Oh, please," Giguhl hissed. "Like anyone's gonna believe you're disgusted by a little pussy."
When Sabina goes backstage to talk to Erron she suggests the midget sitting by him leave before they start. He tells her that Goldie knows everything and can stay put. When Sabina questions her name, Goldie tells her, "That's right, bitch. Goldie Schwartz. And I'm not a fucking midget. I prefer the term 'fun sized'."
Lastly, when Sabina joins Giguhl's roller derby team, her nickname is "Betty Bloodshed."
August 12, 2019
Sabina, Adam and Giguhl have returned to the Mage compound in New York where the mages try to nurse Maisie back into health after her ordeal but she is scared and struggling to deal with things. As the new Alpha Tanith is taking charge of the vampires and getting ready for the treaty signing with the mages and fae which will usher in a new age of peace between the races. However a series of murders by a vampire could threaten the fragile peace unless Sabina and her allies can find who is doing it and stops them. It means working with the ambitious Alexis who wants power and has a typical hatred of Sabina's half blood status and mastering more of Sabina's hidden powers to try to help Maisie before her health is destroyed.
There is emotional trauma for several characters in this book. Maisie has suffered months of nightmares since her kidnap and is now refusing to sleep. Sabina is torn between respecting Maisie's confidence or telling the mages about her health issues and betraying her trust. The pressure is on Maisie to produce a good prophecy at the treaty signing but she has been unable to have any, worrying Orpheus. Brooks is also suffering from the trauma of his attack and has decided to become Pussy Willow full time and sing at Slade's club, and the bitchy personna is starting to grate on the nerves of her friends. Even Giguhl is losing patience with his friend. Slade has his own problems with a vampire killing mages and humans in the city, and he is in danger of losing his ruling status over the creatures of New York to Alexis.
Mac and Georgia continue their forbidden relationship but trouble is brewing when Michael gets tired of Mac not choosing a werewolf mate and decides on one for her. Georgia wants Mac to declare their relationship but Mac is scared of Michael's wrath and Georgia's reaction to her wedding, and they ask Sabina to help them. Unknown to them, Michael is about to discover the truth on his own. Slade has been forced to shut down Demon Fight Club but agrees to Giguhl's suggestion of a Roller Derby League for paranormals and Giguhl is determined to get his team into fighting shape for the upcoming bouts. Sabina is sulking about her exclusion from the team, especially when Mac, Georgia and Pussy Willow are invited to join. Sabina is soon going to have problems when it seems like her secret night with Slade is going to be leaked.
The series really does keep up the standard as it continues. There is plenty of action going on with the investigation into the murders and the various spells that the mages are trying to restore Maisie. Sabina soon finds that a simple transportation spell that all mages can do goes wrong with her mixed blood and keeps sending her elsewhere. Her own dreams and Maisie's nightmares have her starting to wonder of Cain is somehow influencing them both while they sleep and that is the last thing that Sabina needs to be dealing with. Rhea is determined to do everything in her power to save Maisie even if it means that Sabina needs to owe favours to powerful people which will come back to bite her.
I loved the humour as always. Giguhl is fresh from his Demon Fight Club triumph and is manager of his own female paranormal Roller Derby team. He is determined to get them ready and upsets Sabina by excluding her and asking Alexis who says no. Instead he is looking to gather vampires, werewolves and nymphs ready to kick some ass! I loved his fretting over the team and how they were going to perform! I also enjoyed his strained relationship with Pussy Willow who was in full superbitch mode. How I longed to see her revert back to Brooks! I think everyone else wanted that too!
This was another really solid Sabina Kane outing and I'm sad that it left me with only one book in the series to read. There was so much to like about it with the action and humour, and also the tension as the countdown begins to the signing of the peace treaty that almost everyone wants...with the exception of Cain...
There is emotional trauma for several characters in this book. Maisie has suffered months of nightmares since her kidnap and is now refusing to sleep. Sabina is torn between respecting Maisie's confidence or telling the mages about her health issues and betraying her trust. The pressure is on Maisie to produce a good prophecy at the treaty signing but she has been unable to have any, worrying Orpheus. Brooks is also suffering from the trauma of his attack and has decided to become Pussy Willow full time and sing at Slade's club, and the bitchy personna is starting to grate on the nerves of her friends. Even Giguhl is losing patience with his friend. Slade has his own problems with a vampire killing mages and humans in the city, and he is in danger of losing his ruling status over the creatures of New York to Alexis.
Mac and Georgia continue their forbidden relationship but trouble is brewing when Michael gets tired of Mac not choosing a werewolf mate and decides on one for her. Georgia wants Mac to declare their relationship but Mac is scared of Michael's wrath and Georgia's reaction to her wedding, and they ask Sabina to help them. Unknown to them, Michael is about to discover the truth on his own. Slade has been forced to shut down Demon Fight Club but agrees to Giguhl's suggestion of a Roller Derby League for paranormals and Giguhl is determined to get his team into fighting shape for the upcoming bouts. Sabina is sulking about her exclusion from the team, especially when Mac, Georgia and Pussy Willow are invited to join. Sabina is soon going to have problems when it seems like her secret night with Slade is going to be leaked.
The series really does keep up the standard as it continues. There is plenty of action going on with the investigation into the murders and the various spells that the mages are trying to restore Maisie. Sabina soon finds that a simple transportation spell that all mages can do goes wrong with her mixed blood and keeps sending her elsewhere. Her own dreams and Maisie's nightmares have her starting to wonder of Cain is somehow influencing them both while they sleep and that is the last thing that Sabina needs to be dealing with. Rhea is determined to do everything in her power to save Maisie even if it means that Sabina needs to owe favours to powerful people which will come back to bite her.
I loved the humour as always. Giguhl is fresh from his Demon Fight Club triumph and is manager of his own female paranormal Roller Derby team. He is determined to get them ready and upsets Sabina by excluding her and asking Alexis who says no. Instead he is looking to gather vampires, werewolves and nymphs ready to kick some ass! I loved his fretting over the team and how they were going to perform! I also enjoyed his strained relationship with Pussy Willow who was in full superbitch mode. How I longed to see her revert back to Brooks! I think everyone else wanted that too!
This was another really solid Sabina Kane outing and I'm sad that it left me with only one book in the series to read. There was so much to like about it with the action and humour, and also the tension as the countdown begins to the signing of the peace treaty that almost everyone wants...with the exception of Cain...
October 8, 2019
I think I waited too long between book 3 and this one as I felt a bit lost or maybe I was just mirroring Sabina's feelings as she doesn't seem to know what to do with herself.
What I enjoyed:
* Giguhl was fun as always - gotta love a mischief demon
* The politics as they are working for peace between vampires and mages was interesting
* The ending setup for the final book sounds like quite a battle
What could have been better:
* Sabina was kind of boring for 3/4s of the story. She was moping a lot.
* Adam was annoying and I'm glad Sabina called him out
*
What I enjoyed:
* Giguhl was fun as always - gotta love a mischief demon
* The politics as they are working for peace between vampires and mages was interesting
* The ending setup for the final book sounds like quite a battle
What could have been better:
* Sabina was kind of boring for 3/4s of the story. She was moping a lot.
* Adam was annoying and I'm glad Sabina called him out
*
October 3, 2019
wow wow wow things that you didn't see coming in this installment. I think the twist on Biblical fairytales is a thread that's woven through each book exceptionally well. I'm keen to see where it goes in Book 5 (I'll just say Cain and Abel). I thought it was pretty sad and awful but well....I can see how it's galvanising the story forwards. I'm quite keen to read the 5th and I think last in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2012
If I had only one word to describe this book, I would have to EPIC. Okay fair warning folks, I am a huge Jaye Wells fanpoodle.
For the first time in her life things seem to be okay for Sabina. Her relationship with Adam is going great and she is happy. The treaty to unite the dark races is only days away from being signed, when on her way to Slade's vampire club, Sabina comes across a dead human body completely drained of blood. Sabina sees this as vampire business and since she now sees herself largely as a mage, having killed her grandmother Lavina in the last book, Sabina keeps moving. Things escalate when she gets to the club and a mage dies, as Pussy Willow is having her debut.
Sabina does not want to get involved but she is ordered to investigate. She quickly learns that there is a connection between the mage death and the human death and believes that this is an attempt to destabilize Slade's leadership of the vampires in New York. If that were not enough, Maisie has yet to recover from the horror that Lavina has subjected her to and her PTSD is stopping her from having a vision about the future. No matter how she reaches out to her twin, Sabina keeps being rejected.
The peace that she has worked so hard to achieve is crumbling around and Sabina realises that perhaps the reason is because they are up against the evil of all evils - Cain. Can Sabina somehow unite the dark races and keep the people she loves safe from harm?
Silver Tounged Devil starts agonizingly slow and the bickering between the characters is distracting but when it all comes together, one realizes how necessary this is for the conclusion of the book. The climax of the story is so shocking and unexpected that it is impossible to put the book down until the last page is read.
Okay, I suppose I should add some critique, even though my mind is screaming don't attack the precious, must protect the precious. Unfortunately, there is a deal of ableism in this story. A side character in the story is Goldie and she is a little person. On page 136, she is referred to as a "midget", though the preferred term is little person, or person of short stature. To her credit, Goldie Schwartz does call out the usage of the term midget but says, "And I'm not a fucking midget. I prefer the term fun-sized." As in Green Eyed Demon, she is also called the gimp. Obviously, this is far from the ideal and is completely unnecessary to the story. The only thing we learn about Goldie is that she is disabled and that she is into water sports.
There's also the issue of Pussy Willow, who was formerly Brooks. After being attacked, Brooks assumed a female persona as a way of dealing with the tragedy. Pussy Willow completely identifies as female and lives her life as a woman on a full-time basis and this is why the usage of the terms transvestite and cross dresser are not fitting. Part of my issue is that it took a trauma for this to happen, which suggests that anyone who transgresses the gender binary is damaged in someway. When Pussy Willow is banned from participating in the roller derby, Giguhl says:
"It's the whole penis thing." He shrugged. "Somehow the league found out she was smuggling extra equipment in her skirt. They're refusing to bend about the whole 'only biological females are allowed on to be on the teams' thing. So I had to tell her she can't play." [pg 164]
Okay, what Pussy Willow is dealing with is cissexism or transphobia. It is certainly not "phallocentric tyranny." If you are going to include an ism, it needs to be called exactly what it is. To make matters worse, though we're told that Pussy Willow is upset by the exclusion, the very next scene in which she appears, she is happy to be an announcer, rather than a participant. This makes it appear as though the cisgender characters are more concerned about the bigotry aimed at her than she is.
Read More
For the first time in her life things seem to be okay for Sabina. Her relationship with Adam is going great and she is happy. The treaty to unite the dark races is only days away from being signed, when on her way to Slade's vampire club, Sabina comes across a dead human body completely drained of blood. Sabina sees this as vampire business and since she now sees herself largely as a mage, having killed her grandmother Lavina in the last book, Sabina keeps moving. Things escalate when she gets to the club and a mage dies, as Pussy Willow is having her debut.
Sabina does not want to get involved but she is ordered to investigate. She quickly learns that there is a connection between the mage death and the human death and believes that this is an attempt to destabilize Slade's leadership of the vampires in New York. If that were not enough, Maisie has yet to recover from the horror that Lavina has subjected her to and her PTSD is stopping her from having a vision about the future. No matter how she reaches out to her twin, Sabina keeps being rejected.
The peace that she has worked so hard to achieve is crumbling around and Sabina realises that perhaps the reason is because they are up against the evil of all evils - Cain. Can Sabina somehow unite the dark races and keep the people she loves safe from harm?
Silver Tounged Devil starts agonizingly slow and the bickering between the characters is distracting but when it all comes together, one realizes how necessary this is for the conclusion of the book. The climax of the story is so shocking and unexpected that it is impossible to put the book down until the last page is read.
Okay, I suppose I should add some critique, even though my mind is screaming don't attack the precious, must protect the precious. Unfortunately, there is a deal of ableism in this story. A side character in the story is Goldie and she is a little person. On page 136, she is referred to as a "midget", though the preferred term is little person, or person of short stature. To her credit, Goldie Schwartz does call out the usage of the term midget but says, "And I'm not a fucking midget. I prefer the term fun-sized." As in Green Eyed Demon, she is also called the gimp. Obviously, this is far from the ideal and is completely unnecessary to the story. The only thing we learn about Goldie is that she is disabled and that she is into water sports.
There's also the issue of Pussy Willow, who was formerly Brooks. After being attacked, Brooks assumed a female persona as a way of dealing with the tragedy. Pussy Willow completely identifies as female and lives her life as a woman on a full-time basis and this is why the usage of the terms transvestite and cross dresser are not fitting. Part of my issue is that it took a trauma for this to happen, which suggests that anyone who transgresses the gender binary is damaged in someway. When Pussy Willow is banned from participating in the roller derby, Giguhl says:
"It's the whole penis thing." He shrugged. "Somehow the league found out she was smuggling extra equipment in her skirt. They're refusing to bend about the whole 'only biological females are allowed on to be on the teams' thing. So I had to tell her she can't play." [pg 164]
Okay, what Pussy Willow is dealing with is cissexism or transphobia. It is certainly not "phallocentric tyranny." If you are going to include an ism, it needs to be called exactly what it is. To make matters worse, though we're told that Pussy Willow is upset by the exclusion, the very next scene in which she appears, she is happy to be an announcer, rather than a participant. This makes it appear as though the cisgender characters are more concerned about the bigotry aimed at her than she is.
Read More
Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews