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Jaz Parks #3
Biting the Bullet
I'm Lucille Robinson
(aka Jaz Parks).
This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take them out and run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We're joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist thorn in the military's side. We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um . . . nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.
To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power -- at any cost. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the army of demonic, soul-sucking parasites either. This is going to be a blast.
(aka Jaz Parks).
This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take them out and run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We're joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist thorn in the military's side. We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um . . . nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.
To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power -- at any cost. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the army of demonic, soul-sucking parasites either. This is going to be a blast.
314 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2008
37 people are currently reading
1821 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Rardin
19 books891 followersI’ve spent all my life in the Midwest, which has certainly shaped my perspective on all kinds of issues, from the question of whether or not we really have an accent, to the many and varied uses of corn.
I was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965. Mom tells me almost every year what crappy weather it was that day. However I like to think of my birthday as the first frost-free date for my planting area. See what happens when you grow up around farmers? Scary, huh?
After a youth spent up to my eyeballs in fairy tales, nordic myths and supernatural legends I made the solid and practical decision to go to college and major in English. After which I never really held a well paying job until this gig came along! Which is why my kids love to sing that song to me from the musical “Avenue Q.” The one that begins with the line, “What do you do with a B.A. in English?”
Once I figured out the answer to that question, I wrote Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Now my laptop is my constant companion. We reside in an old farmhouse along with my husband and our two teenagers. No pets since the cat died last winter, but the birds seem to appreciate his absence. They come to feast at the feeders while I write on the back porch in the cool of the morning. Lovely.
I was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965. Mom tells me almost every year what crappy weather it was that day. However I like to think of my birthday as the first frost-free date for my planting area. See what happens when you grow up around farmers? Scary, huh?
After a youth spent up to my eyeballs in fairy tales, nordic myths and supernatural legends I made the solid and practical decision to go to college and major in English. After which I never really held a well paying job until this gig came along! Which is why my kids love to sing that song to me from the musical “Avenue Q.” The one that begins with the line, “What do you do with a B.A. in English?”
Once I figured out the answer to that question, I wrote Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Now my laptop is my constant companion. We reside in an old farmhouse along with my husband and our two teenagers. No pets since the cat died last winter, but the birds seem to appreciate his absence. They come to feast at the feeders while I write on the back porch in the cool of the morning. Lovely.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
March 3, 2012
I took a look at my status updates before I sat down to write this review. I noticed that at times, I felt a little confused while reading this book and this confusion may have lessened my enjoyment. I decided to take a look at the author’s website and lo and behold there was a handy dandy glossary of terms and names. I read through it and suddenly, I was not so lost. The story now makes sense to me. For those of you who are interested, here is the link for that glossary. Be forewarned that the glossary may contain spoilers to later books – so consider yourselves warned. http://www.jenniferrardin.net/?page_i... *Update 3/4/12 - this link no longer works.
Even though I was confused, I did enjoy this installment of the Jaz Parks series. It kind of reminds me of the TV show Alias and I really liked that show. In Biting the Bullet, Jaz and her team are on special assignment in Tehran. They are joined by Jaz’s twin Dave and his special ops team. Jaz must find a character named the Wizard and dispose of him.
In the meantime, the combined team must also deal with a mole and some very difficult working situations in Iran.
I found the portrayal of Iran to be realistic. Ms. Rardin captures the war torn country well through some of Jaz’s impressions:
I do enjoy the originality of this series. Jaz is an assassin in a covert CIA team. She fights against reavers, a kind of creature that steals souls and transports them to hell. There are also the mahghul, a cat sized bat-like creature that appears when a death is imminent. Jaz meets Asha Vista who is also a paranormal creature, an Amanah Szeya who is like a supernatural justice system (thanks, glossary!). There are also all sorts of scary demons and other creatures of the paranormal world.
I liked how the teams worked together. It was really nice having Jaz and Dave working towards a common goal. Once again, I enjoyed all of Bergman’s gadgets. In this book, Bergman changes a little and I am so looking forward to his further development as a character. We also had a little love story happening between Cassandra and Dave, which was very cute. There was also more back story to both Cassandra and Vayl.
Speaking of Vayl…I was a little disappointed in his character in this book. Vayl has the potential to be a great vampire character, but he always seems to fall flat to me. Throughout most of the book he was just too preoccupied with preparing to change a woman that he was noticeably absent. Vayl was also preoccupied with finding his sons that he seemed to miss a lot of Jaz’s feelings.
Jaz’s character also disappointed me. Yes, she is kick-ass. Yes, she is snarky. Snarky and kick-ass do not make an entire character. Jaz kind of fell flat during this book.
The transitions between Jaz’s reality and dream state were a little rough for me. At times, I would find myself rereading passages just to figure out what was going on.
I will be continuing on to Bitten to Death now that I have the handy dandy decode glossary available online.
Even though I was confused, I did enjoy this installment of the Jaz Parks series. It kind of reminds me of the TV show Alias and I really liked that show. In Biting the Bullet, Jaz and her team are on special assignment in Tehran. They are joined by Jaz’s twin Dave and his special ops team. Jaz must find a character named the Wizard and dispose of him.
In the meantime, the combined team must also deal with a mole and some very difficult working situations in Iran.
I found the portrayal of Iran to be realistic. Ms. Rardin captures the war torn country well through some of Jaz’s impressions:
Most of the cars looked like they’d become classics a decade ago, and while the men who crowded past us wore typical Western clothes, the women—well, they reminded me of depressed ghosts.
I do enjoy the originality of this series. Jaz is an assassin in a covert CIA team. She fights against reavers, a kind of creature that steals souls and transports them to hell. There are also the mahghul, a cat sized bat-like creature that appears when a death is imminent. Jaz meets Asha Vista who is also a paranormal creature, an Amanah Szeya who is like a supernatural justice system (thanks, glossary!). There are also all sorts of scary demons and other creatures of the paranormal world.
I liked how the teams worked together. It was really nice having Jaz and Dave working towards a common goal. Once again, I enjoyed all of Bergman’s gadgets. In this book, Bergman changes a little and I am so looking forward to his further development as a character. We also had a little love story happening between Cassandra and Dave, which was very cute. There was also more back story to both Cassandra and Vayl.
Speaking of Vayl…I was a little disappointed in his character in this book. Vayl has the potential to be a great vampire character, but he always seems to fall flat to me. Throughout most of the book he was just too preoccupied with preparing to change a woman that he was noticeably absent. Vayl was also preoccupied with finding his sons that he seemed to miss a lot of Jaz’s feelings.
Jaz’s character also disappointed me. Yes, she is kick-ass. Yes, she is snarky. Snarky and kick-ass do not make an entire character. Jaz kind of fell flat during this book.
The transitions between Jaz’s reality and dream state were a little rough for me. At times, I would find myself rereading passages just to figure out what was going on.
I will be continuing on to Bitten to Death now that I have the handy dandy decode glossary available online.
June 8, 2009
Although there is something about this series that keeps me reading, I find it awkward. The constant flashbacks and tangents are extremely distracting, as is the vagueness of Jaz's powers which include some form of astral projection. The descriptions don't provide enough for me to properly visualize the action.
Also, the relationship between Jaz and Vayl seems based on tenuous circumstances. I don't quite understand the connection between them since Jaz seems so confused herself.
I didn't have as much of an issue with the last book, which tells me that I prefer these characters when they are battling tangible creatures on this plane of existence.
I still feel that Jaz and Vayl are somewhat flat characters, despite the first person voice and Vayl's obviously intense struggle with the loss of his boys. There's something about this series that just doesn't click for me, yet I keep holding out in the hope that answers are forthcoming.
Also, the relationship between Jaz and Vayl seems based on tenuous circumstances. I don't quite understand the connection between them since Jaz seems so confused herself.
I didn't have as much of an issue with the last book, which tells me that I prefer these characters when they are battling tangible creatures on this plane of existence.
I still feel that Jaz and Vayl are somewhat flat characters, despite the first person voice and Vayl's obviously intense struggle with the loss of his boys. There's something about this series that just doesn't click for me, yet I keep holding out in the hope that answers are forthcoming.
April 26, 2009
I think I've figured out what bothers me about this series, despite the fact that I enjoy it.
The shifts in time are awkward as hell, two thirds of the book is told in retrospect, Jaz saying 'here is where I am. This is how I got there. This is what happened before that'. That really takes away from any sense of danger or immediacy. I also have difficulty figuring out the world this takes place in, we don't find things out until some random fact it thrown in and we have to believe it has always been this way. Beginning Anita Blake or Rachel Morgan books always set out the world and the rules of the world before we played in it, and I loved that. Robin McKinley's Sunshine is another world with a different take on "others" but everything is laid out very particular. Here, some new scary beastie shows up and Jaz tells us "oh yeah everyone knows about this and is pretty much cool with it". My last complaint (whine?) is that the battle scenes are not to my taste. I tend to gloss over battle scenes to get to the more emotional parts that I care about. A really good sign for a book is if I have to force myself to read them carefully because I would actually miss something if I skipped it over. This isn't like that. The fight scenes could be easily removed with no problems to comprehension and plot. Ugh.
STILL, I'm enjoying myself with the series, perhaps because I'm not taking it too seriously and really just want to romantic payoff.
The shifts in time are awkward as hell, two thirds of the book is told in retrospect, Jaz saying 'here is where I am. This is how I got there. This is what happened before that'. That really takes away from any sense of danger or immediacy. I also have difficulty figuring out the world this takes place in, we don't find things out until some random fact it thrown in and we have to believe it has always been this way. Beginning Anita Blake or Rachel Morgan books always set out the world and the rules of the world before we played in it, and I loved that. Robin McKinley's Sunshine is another world with a different take on "others" but everything is laid out very particular. Here, some new scary beastie shows up and Jaz tells us "oh yeah everyone knows about this and is pretty much cool with it". My last complaint (whine?) is that the battle scenes are not to my taste. I tend to gloss over battle scenes to get to the more emotional parts that I care about. A really good sign for a book is if I have to force myself to read them carefully because I would actually miss something if I skipped it over. This isn't like that. The fight scenes could be easily removed with no problems to comprehension and plot. Ugh.
STILL, I'm enjoying myself with the series, perhaps because I'm not taking it too seriously and really just want to romantic payoff.
January 2, 2021
I’m still in a reading funk so thought I’d give this another go because it’s been sat in a cupboard for far too long. I have to say I like Jaz even though at times certain things jar . I never fully understand her relationship with her vampire mentor and partner but I think that adds to my fascination. I particularly enjoyed the change of scene as I wanted to see her challenged and boy was this the book for that . Having first read this back in 2012 I did find it a tad depressing how little certain things have changed in our world which obviously isn’t the author’s fault . As to the author I have bought other books in this series but was dismayed to learn she’s no longer with us . Her talent in writing interesting urban fantasy is a loss and I hope to one day read the rest of this series which sadly will always remain unfinished.
November 12, 2015
Jaz and her team are being sent to assist her brother David and his team, with the job of finding out who the mole in his operation is. He is tracking a terrorist called The Wizard. Jaz also has problems of her own, after a routine visit to hell with Raoul to gather information ends with her being demon marked. Add to that issues with the men on her team behaving like children and it will be a miracle if the joint team mission can go ahead.
After the heady heights of the first two books we seem to drop down to average with this third story. What I don't get is that the author had a really good group dynamic going with the team, and interesting relationships going especially the chemistry between Jaz and Vayl, and the snark between Cassandra and Bergman. It had action and humour and the group dynamic worked well. So why on earth did the author decide to ditch all of that, everything that made the books great, and change to this new and unappealing version? Frankly the first half or two thirds of this book were not that great and I was very let down by it.
Firstly, a few of the characters are venturing into asshat territory. Lets start with Cole, who is meant to be CIA and behaves worse than a toddler at a wedding. He suddenly decides that in spite of Jaz having feelings for Vayl, she is HIS soul mate and starts harrassing her like a stalker. Constant declarations of love, constantly badgering her to go out with him and then a refusal to do something important to the case unless she agrees to a date. THis is spiteful and childish behaviour and I started to really hate him in this book. I wanted to punch him every time he started moaning and whining like a sulky kid that doesn't get his way. And while the two of them are trying to follow someone, Cole stops to do a spot of camel tipping. This was totally stupid and nearly made me put the book down.
Vayl is supposed to be the top guy on this mission but he is behaving like an idiot as well. He doesn't seem to be bothering taking part in the mission, using the location as a chance instead to pursue an investigation into his dead sons, visiting local seers and following leads. He totally ignores that he is supposed to be on a mission to catch international terrorists plus he barely speaks to Jaz, ruining that nice relationship built up over the first two books. Then we have David who is shoved in as the main guy while Vayl wanders around aimlessly. He is such a bland character in comparison. I didn't dislike him as such but he wasn't made very interesting to start with, and his relationship with Cassandra had no chemistry and didn't really fill me with excitement. It was all a bit blah. And somebody just shoot Grace.
The plot is pretty confused. The visits to hell started to annoy me as I never really saw much point to it. WHY would Raoul take Jaz there and not look after her, letting her get marked by a demon? Why then would you keep taking her BACK? Great spirit guide you are mate. Getting put through that to find out Samos loves his dog? I'm sure there were easier ways to find that out. All this real Wizard fake Wizard stuff was confusing. The main bugbear for me was WHY this book was written! All it did was rip everyone apart, and the plot itself was not greatly exciting.
The reason this book has three stars and not lower is because it did pick up at the end and there was some good action along with finding out who the mole was. Bergman also started to find a bit of backbone which I enjoyed. However it was more of a grudging three stars and not a favourite book in the series.
After the heady heights of the first two books we seem to drop down to average with this third story. What I don't get is that the author had a really good group dynamic going with the team, and interesting relationships going especially the chemistry between Jaz and Vayl, and the snark between Cassandra and Bergman. It had action and humour and the group dynamic worked well. So why on earth did the author decide to ditch all of that, everything that made the books great, and change to this new and unappealing version? Frankly the first half or two thirds of this book were not that great and I was very let down by it.
Firstly, a few of the characters are venturing into asshat territory. Lets start with Cole, who is meant to be CIA and behaves worse than a toddler at a wedding. He suddenly decides that in spite of Jaz having feelings for Vayl, she is HIS soul mate and starts harrassing her like a stalker. Constant declarations of love, constantly badgering her to go out with him and then a refusal to do something important to the case unless she agrees to a date. THis is spiteful and childish behaviour and I started to really hate him in this book. I wanted to punch him every time he started moaning and whining like a sulky kid that doesn't get his way. And while the two of them are trying to follow someone, Cole stops to do a spot of camel tipping. This was totally stupid and nearly made me put the book down.
Vayl is supposed to be the top guy on this mission but he is behaving like an idiot as well. He doesn't seem to be bothering taking part in the mission, using the location as a chance instead to pursue an investigation into his dead sons, visiting local seers and following leads. He totally ignores that he is supposed to be on a mission to catch international terrorists plus he barely speaks to Jaz, ruining that nice relationship built up over the first two books. Then we have David who is shoved in as the main guy while Vayl wanders around aimlessly. He is such a bland character in comparison. I didn't dislike him as such but he wasn't made very interesting to start with, and his relationship with Cassandra had no chemistry and didn't really fill me with excitement. It was all a bit blah. And somebody just shoot Grace.
The plot is pretty confused. The visits to hell started to annoy me as I never really saw much point to it. WHY would Raoul take Jaz there and not look after her, letting her get marked by a demon? Why then would you keep taking her BACK? Great spirit guide you are mate. Getting put through that to find out Samos loves his dog? I'm sure there were easier ways to find that out. All this real Wizard fake Wizard stuff was confusing. The main bugbear for me was WHY this book was written! All it did was rip everyone apart, and the plot itself was not greatly exciting.
The reason this book has three stars and not lower is because it did pick up at the end and there was some good action along with finding out who the mole was. Bergman also started to find a bit of backbone which I enjoyed. However it was more of a grudging three stars and not a favourite book in the series.
April 4, 2011
3rd book and still going strong! Jaz is my hero. Who wouldn't want to be an assassin for the CIA with a sexy boss.
Recommend: Great series about Vampires. Very original. If you like Cat and Bones series by Jeanine Frost then you will like the Jaz Parks Series.
Highlights:
*Vayl and Jaz still have a thing going on. There is a hot scene with a great kiss in it. Vayl does get distracted with finding his sons reincarnated. The Seer is using him and Jaz must stop him from making a big mistake.
*Cole confesses still loving Jaz. Very very awkward for Jaz.
*Dave,Jaz's twin,CIA brings Jaz and Vayl's team on to find a mole in his group. Tempers fly and everyone is looking over their shoulders.
*lots of *ss kicking by Jaz.
*Jaz lays down the law with Vayl. Either her or his search for his sons.
Stressful points:
*Vayl takes blood from the Seer who will help him find his sons. His mind hasn't been on the mission. Causes Jaz to go mad.
*Dave is unknowingly the mole. Jaz has to kill him to get the wizard to stop controlling him.
Quotes:
"So... you're an assassin?" Dave asked incredulously.
"Why do I feel like you'd have used the same tone if I'd just confessed to being a stripper?" I demanded.
"Sorry," he said quickly. "I'm just surprised, is all."
"communication is such a two-edged sword for guys. On the one hand, they almost always mean what they say. Refreshing, I know. On the other hand, getting them to actually say it can be like coaxing a corpse to tap-dance. Not that it can't be done. But it's so freaking exhausting. Not to mention the cost in heavyweight fishing line and Savion Glover videos."
"We went to the door and I let Asha in. I expected an uberawkward moment when he and Vayl met. But Asha took care of that problem right away. "So you belong to Jasmine," he said in his melancholy voice. It somehow delivered Vayl his deepest condolences without bearing a trace of malice toward me."
Recommend: Great series about Vampires. Very original. If you like Cat and Bones series by Jeanine Frost then you will like the Jaz Parks Series.
Highlights:
*Vayl and Jaz still have a thing going on. There is a hot scene with a great kiss in it. Vayl does get distracted with finding his sons reincarnated. The Seer is using him and Jaz must stop him from making a big mistake.
*Cole confesses still loving Jaz. Very very awkward for Jaz.
*Dave,Jaz's twin,CIA brings Jaz and Vayl's team on to find a mole in his group. Tempers fly and everyone is looking over their shoulders.
*lots of *ss kicking by Jaz.
*Jaz lays down the law with Vayl. Either her or his search for his sons.
Stressful points:
*Vayl takes blood from the Seer who will help him find his sons. His mind hasn't been on the mission. Causes Jaz to go mad.
*Dave is unknowingly the mole. Jaz has to kill him to get the wizard to stop controlling him.
Quotes:
"So... you're an assassin?" Dave asked incredulously.
"Why do I feel like you'd have used the same tone if I'd just confessed to being a stripper?" I demanded.
"Sorry," he said quickly. "I'm just surprised, is all."
"communication is such a two-edged sword for guys. On the one hand, they almost always mean what they say. Refreshing, I know. On the other hand, getting them to actually say it can be like coaxing a corpse to tap-dance. Not that it can't be done. But it's so freaking exhausting. Not to mention the cost in heavyweight fishing line and Savion Glover videos."
"We went to the door and I let Asha in. I expected an uberawkward moment when he and Vayl met. But Asha took care of that problem right away. "So you belong to Jasmine," he said in his melancholy voice. It somehow delivered Vayl his deepest condolences without bearing a trace of malice toward me."
September 12, 2016
This is a different sort of vampire story. It's mixed in with some special ops stuff and set in the Middle East. Although I enjoy this story and the characters are engaging, they may be just a little too badass to be entirely believable. This one had a lot of supernatural-astral plane- are we really in hell type sequences which were a bit hard to follow. I would have rated it higher, but it took me 6 months to finish because I kept putting it down to rest!
September 8, 2017
Jaz meets up with her twin to fight a more global threat by The Wizard. There's still some hints toward the overall bad guy for the series, but not much. More supernatural craziness added to Jaz parts of it are getting a bit ridiculous and weird, but will probably still try the next one, just taking a bit of a break.
December 25, 2016
Full of action, humor, & a budding romance.
July 31, 2020
Didn’t finish this one, it just couldn’t hold my interest.
March 27, 2019
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96 points, 5 STARS!
Jaz and Vayl and the gang are back, and this time they're going undercover. Jaz's brother, Dave, has a problem - there is a mole in his unit, and they have to kill the Wizard or the entire region is going to be thrown into chaos. However, this simple task gets complicated fast as a Seer is using Vayl for her own purposes, the mole isn't who they think it could be, and the region is populated by creatures who attack at the first sign of violence. Oh, and they're being hunted by the reavers for revenge.
I first read this series what must be about ten years ago now. I don't have anything more specific than that, because my reading logs aren't that old. However, ever since I read it, this book has stuck out to me. And it sticks out because of one specific scene. I can be going along my daily life and all of a sudden think about that scene. It could be years since my last reread of it. But, I think of that scene and I laugh. It is without a doubt one of the funniest things I have ever seen or read. Seriously.
It is rivaled a scene later in the series.
Biting the Bullet isn't all funny, though. This is actually a very serious book. Jaz and Vayl are having some relationship troubles as Vayl is being a selfish jerk and not thinking which is putting all the pressure of the mission on Jaz's shoulders to deal with. Which isn't very nice because the entire book is about trying to save Jaz's brother and his team from some unknown spy. He is supposed to be supporting her, and he is just running off and doing all this shit because he cannot come to terms with the fact that his sons are dead, and even if they get reincarnated they aren't going to be his sons anymore.
Plus there is all this shit going on with the demons. The two of them made the reavers in the previous book really mad. So Jaz ends up in actual hell to figure out what their plan of attack is. And they keep getting attacked while on the mission. Vayl doesn't care because he is wrapped up in his own internal problems, and her brother doesn't seem to care about all of that because his crew is in danger. Jaz is all alone, and she really is not stable enough for that! It is a hell of a book!
I love the introduction of the..well, I suppose they are a species. They wipe your ability to feel when you do violence on another person. Either the mahghul are entirely made up, or I've just never, ever seen them before. And that is the case with a lot of things in this series. Everything is so unique and well put together. They are not at all overdone. Even after many rereads I really enjoy reading about them and want to know more. It is nice to read something in urban fantasy not of the same ilk as everything else sometimes, even if this isn't exactly new because it is a reread.
The overall story for the series is interesting, too. They're finding out bits and pieces here and there. Hints are teased out after a lot of time and effort. That is so much better than the normal, where they say they're going to be investigating things but then they go off and do other things and have sex, and then everything they need to know gets dropped in their lap by the end by pure coincidence. No, that isn't what happens here. They're actively working on the investigation, trying to find out what they have to know. The information has to be teased out of everything.
I love it.
I love this series.
I wish I could have more.
96 points, 5 STARS!
Jaz and Vayl and the gang are back, and this time they're going undercover. Jaz's brother, Dave, has a problem - there is a mole in his unit, and they have to kill the Wizard or the entire region is going to be thrown into chaos. However, this simple task gets complicated fast as a Seer is using Vayl for her own purposes, the mole isn't who they think it could be, and the region is populated by creatures who attack at the first sign of violence. Oh, and they're being hunted by the reavers for revenge.
I first read this series what must be about ten years ago now. I don't have anything more specific than that, because my reading logs aren't that old. However, ever since I read it, this book has stuck out to me. And it sticks out because of one specific scene. I can be going along my daily life and all of a sudden think about that scene. It could be years since my last reread of it. But, I think of that scene and I laugh. It is without a doubt one of the funniest things I have ever seen or read. Seriously.
It is rivaled a scene later in the series.
Biting the Bullet isn't all funny, though. This is actually a very serious book. Jaz and Vayl are having some relationship troubles as Vayl is being a selfish jerk and not thinking which is putting all the pressure of the mission on Jaz's shoulders to deal with. Which isn't very nice because the entire book is about trying to save Jaz's brother and his team from some unknown spy. He is supposed to be supporting her, and he is just running off and doing all this shit because he cannot come to terms with the fact that his sons are dead, and even if they get reincarnated they aren't going to be his sons anymore.
Plus there is all this shit going on with the demons. The two of them made the reavers in the previous book really mad. So Jaz ends up in actual hell to figure out what their plan of attack is. And they keep getting attacked while on the mission. Vayl doesn't care because he is wrapped up in his own internal problems, and her brother doesn't seem to care about all of that because his crew is in danger. Jaz is all alone, and she really is not stable enough for that! It is a hell of a book!
I love the introduction of the..well, I suppose they are a species. They wipe your ability to feel when you do violence on another person. Either the mahghul are entirely made up, or I've just never, ever seen them before. And that is the case with a lot of things in this series. Everything is so unique and well put together. They are not at all overdone. Even after many rereads I really enjoy reading about them and want to know more. It is nice to read something in urban fantasy not of the same ilk as everything else sometimes, even if this isn't exactly new because it is a reread.
The overall story for the series is interesting, too. They're finding out bits and pieces here and there. Hints are teased out after a lot of time and effort. That is so much better than the normal, where they say they're going to be investigating things but then they go off and do other things and have sex, and then everything they need to know gets dropped in their lap by the end by pure coincidence. No, that isn't what happens here. They're actively working on the investigation, trying to find out what they have to know. The information has to be teased out of everything.
I love it.
I love this series.
I wish I could have more.
February 28, 2016
1. 29.01.09-30.01.09
This series... It's just so much love! I adore where the author is taking things, and with my love of traveling the fact that every book is set at a new destination just adds to the pleasure reading these books are! In this one Jaz and company set out for Tehran, Iran, in order to take down one of the worst terrorists in modern times, the Wizard. There's just one catch... The Special Ops team they're working with? It's led by Jaz's twin and only brother, Dave, whom she has hardly spoken to since the tragedy with both their significant others and the rest of the Helsinger's. I liked the way that all played out though, and the epic tale of Jaz and Dave's ice-front crumbled down to nothing in the best way possible. I have to say though, Cassandra and Dave? My shock-o-meter flew off the scale! I was definitely not expecting that. I had my sights set on Cassandra and Bergman, but I suppose that might've been too obvious. Props to the author for leading me so astray! As for Cole's shocking revelation to Jaz. OMG! I thought something like that would've shown up in the previous book if it was gonna go any farther, so when it didn't I was sure Cole had settled down as being just friends. And then he proclaims that he thinks he's falling in love with Jaz? Oh Cole. I love you so much, but this will not end good for you. Turn around and walk the other direction, hon, please. I like you too much to be able to read you getting your heart back in shattered pieces. Vayl and Jaz are moving forward, though like always it's a couple of steps forward and then a dozen steps back. I have no clue how those two are gonna work things out, they are both so completely screwed up I have no words.
Some things that intrigued me in this book was for one thing Jaz's trip to Hell. I must say that was rather interesting, with the Magistrate appearing and also with running into Jaz's mother down there. I wonder if she ended up there because she was cruel to her kids, or if the reavers had anything to do with it. Then there was the Amanha Szeya, or Asha if you will. Now he was an intriguing character! I like Rardin's universe so freaking much, what with her introducing us to new others here and there all the time. And not just boring, mundane others, but one's I've never ever read of before. The way she makes up new ones makes everything extra exciting! The new powers Asha's tears helped Jaz unveil were so cool -- a neutral territory between the realms? A way to get to Raoul's Mirage-penthouse without leaving her body? Hell yeah! Vayl and his obsession with finding his boys nearly made irreparable damage though. I was so worried he'd finally do what would piss Jaz of so badly she'd cut him off completely. She handled it perfectly, and I can't wait to see what happens next with those two now.
This series... It's just so much love! I adore where the author is taking things, and with my love of traveling the fact that every book is set at a new destination just adds to the pleasure reading these books are! In this one Jaz and company set out for Tehran, Iran, in order to take down one of the worst terrorists in modern times, the Wizard. There's just one catch... The Special Ops team they're working with? It's led by Jaz's twin and only brother, Dave, whom she has hardly spoken to since the tragedy with both their significant others and the rest of the Helsinger's. I liked the way that all played out though, and the epic tale of Jaz and Dave's ice-front crumbled down to nothing in the best way possible. I have to say though, Cassandra and Dave? My shock-o-meter flew off the scale! I was definitely not expecting that. I had my sights set on Cassandra and Bergman, but I suppose that might've been too obvious. Props to the author for leading me so astray! As for Cole's shocking revelation to Jaz. OMG! I thought something like that would've shown up in the previous book if it was gonna go any farther, so when it didn't I was sure Cole had settled down as being just friends. And then he proclaims that he thinks he's falling in love with Jaz? Oh Cole. I love you so much, but this will not end good for you. Turn around and walk the other direction, hon, please. I like you too much to be able to read you getting your heart back in shattered pieces. Vayl and Jaz are moving forward, though like always it's a couple of steps forward and then a dozen steps back. I have no clue how those two are gonna work things out, they are both so completely screwed up I have no words.
Some things that intrigued me in this book was for one thing Jaz's trip to Hell. I must say that was rather interesting, with the Magistrate appearing and also with running into Jaz's mother down there. I wonder if she ended up there because she was cruel to her kids, or if the reavers had anything to do with it. Then there was the Amanha Szeya, or Asha if you will. Now he was an intriguing character! I like Rardin's universe so freaking much, what with her introducing us to new others here and there all the time. And not just boring, mundane others, but one's I've never ever read of before. The way she makes up new ones makes everything extra exciting! The new powers Asha's tears helped Jaz unveil were so cool -- a neutral territory between the realms? A way to get to Raoul's Mirage-penthouse without leaving her body? Hell yeah! Vayl and his obsession with finding his boys nearly made irreparable damage though. I was so worried he'd finally do what would piss Jaz of so badly she'd cut him off completely. She handled it perfectly, and I can't wait to see what happens next with those two now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2011
Jaz and Vayl have a new mission, this time they are going to be working alongside Jaz's brother Dave's special ops team to bring down the Wizard, a terrorist who has been causing trouble for years. Alongside their primary goal they also have to find out who is the mole in Dave's team, someone has been feeding information to the Wizard and they have to find a way to stop them. It isn't going to be easy for Jaz to work alongside Dave given their history but can they put aside their differences long enough to track down the Wizard?
Biting the Bullet is the third book in the Jaz Parks series and I would recommend reading the series in order starting with Once Bitten, Twice Shy. This is a great urban fantasy series that is action packed and has some great characters so I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. This installment sees Jaz, Vayl, Cassandra, Cole & Bergman head to Iran to join with Dave's special ops team as they try to take down the Wizard and is a great addition to the series.
I really enjoyed getting to see more of Dave and his team. Although he has made brief appearances in the earlier books this has mainly been in the form of flashbacks so it was nice to get to "meet" him properly. If you've read the earlier books you'll fully understand how complicated the relationship between him and Jaz is and it was interesting to see them forced into working together. I'm hoping that we'll get to see more of him in the future books because Jaz really needs his help if she is ever going to deal with her very messy past and be able to move forwards with her life.
I also love watching the developing relationship between Jaz and Vayl. Although at times I'm almost screaming at them both to just get together already I actually really like the will they / won't they aspect of their relationship (although I'm definitely hoping that they'll get together sooner rather than later!). Things get quite complicated between them this time around when Vayl's attention is caught by someone else but this helps Jaz finally start to realise just how much he means to her. She has to face her past before she can be ready to move on but will she be able to do it before Vayl gets fed up of waiting for her?
As with the other books the action scenes are well written and make it easy to picture what is happening. There was a great twist when it came to who the mole was but I have to admit I had my suspicions before they were revealed - I hadn't worked it out long before Jaz did though. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series and have already ordered my copy.
Biting the Bullet is the third book in the Jaz Parks series and I would recommend reading the series in order starting with Once Bitten, Twice Shy. This is a great urban fantasy series that is action packed and has some great characters so I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. This installment sees Jaz, Vayl, Cassandra, Cole & Bergman head to Iran to join with Dave's special ops team as they try to take down the Wizard and is a great addition to the series.
I really enjoyed getting to see more of Dave and his team. Although he has made brief appearances in the earlier books this has mainly been in the form of flashbacks so it was nice to get to "meet" him properly. If you've read the earlier books you'll fully understand how complicated the relationship between him and Jaz is and it was interesting to see them forced into working together. I'm hoping that we'll get to see more of him in the future books because Jaz really needs his help if she is ever going to deal with her very messy past and be able to move forwards with her life.
I also love watching the developing relationship between Jaz and Vayl. Although at times I'm almost screaming at them both to just get together already I actually really like the will they / won't they aspect of their relationship (although I'm definitely hoping that they'll get together sooner rather than later!). Things get quite complicated between them this time around when Vayl's attention is caught by someone else but this helps Jaz finally start to realise just how much he means to her. She has to face her past before she can be ready to move on but will she be able to do it before Vayl gets fed up of waiting for her?
As with the other books the action scenes are well written and make it easy to picture what is happening. There was a great twist when it came to who the mole was but I have to admit I had my suspicions before they were revealed - I hadn't worked it out long before Jaz did though. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series and have already ordered my copy.
November 11, 2009
"Biting the Bullet" is the third installment of the Jaz Parks series- and it does not disappoint! Jennifer Rardin really brought an enthralling, thrilling adventure into this book. (Read reviews of the first two books here.) Jasmine (Jaz) and her new crew are sent to Iran to assist Dave's special ops troop assassinate the Wizard and weed out a mole. Oh- and the Wizard just happens to be one of the most badass terrorists and has eluded entrapment for over 20 years.
Jaz has finally come to terms with her past- but is it too soon to face her twin brother, Dave? Jaz really discovers if she has dealt with her past when it slaps her back in the face. What happens when one of the people that you care about the most becomes an enemy? This book literally makes Jaz focus on some of her personal issues, which is a great addition to the CIA mission. When Vayl sneaks off on his own personal mission with a new Seer, Jaz is also slapped in the face with her own emotions. She may finally realize how much she cares about Vayl, and how much (or how little) he cares about her.
This book was hard for me to put down, I read it in two days. (I probably would have read it in one if I wasn't visiting relatives that weekend!) Rardin delivers a plot twist around every corner with more than enough obstacles to keep Jaz on her toes. I love that each of these books has a single mission that is completed accompanied by sub plots that are stretched over the course of all three. My favorite subplot is the relationship between Vayl and Jaz. They seem to know there is something going on and that they should have taken this relationship to the next step- but there is always something that holds them back.
I was banking on Cassandra and Bergman, but it seems it isn't so in this book... I really don't know who I want with who anymore! Cole and Jaz? Jaz and Vayl? Cassandra and Dave? Bergman and Cassandra? I just can't figure myself out- no wonder the characters have such a hard time making a decision ;o)
This book was really funny. I laughed a lot- the situations, the dialogue between characters... This series is really maturing and becoming addictive. I can't wait to read books 4 - 6.
Jaz has finally come to terms with her past- but is it too soon to face her twin brother, Dave? Jaz really discovers if she has dealt with her past when it slaps her back in the face. What happens when one of the people that you care about the most becomes an enemy? This book literally makes Jaz focus on some of her personal issues, which is a great addition to the CIA mission. When Vayl sneaks off on his own personal mission with a new Seer, Jaz is also slapped in the face with her own emotions. She may finally realize how much she cares about Vayl, and how much (or how little) he cares about her.
This book was hard for me to put down, I read it in two days. (I probably would have read it in one if I wasn't visiting relatives that weekend!) Rardin delivers a plot twist around every corner with more than enough obstacles to keep Jaz on her toes. I love that each of these books has a single mission that is completed accompanied by sub plots that are stretched over the course of all three. My favorite subplot is the relationship between Vayl and Jaz. They seem to know there is something going on and that they should have taken this relationship to the next step- but there is always something that holds them back.
I was banking on Cassandra and Bergman, but it seems it isn't so in this book... I really don't know who I want with who anymore! Cole and Jaz? Jaz and Vayl? Cassandra and Dave? Bergman and Cassandra? I just can't figure myself out- no wonder the characters have such a hard time making a decision ;o)
This book was really funny. I laughed a lot- the situations, the dialogue between characters... This series is really maturing and becoming addictive. I can't wait to read books 4 - 6.
May 19, 2008
Finally, Jaz Parks goes where those in the CIA usually go: overseas. From Florida and Texas respectively in the first and second novels, the spotlight is now on Iran...as well as hell.
Jaz's twin Dave is part of a CIA special ops squad, whose big target is the Wizard, whereas Jaz's team's enemy is the Raptor. Here's where I don't quite follow – why the two squads come together, and how the Wizard and the Raptor are linked. The Raptor is part of the series arc, but the Wizard may only be in this episode.
Continuing the theme of screwed-up families, Jaz and Dave haven't talked for years before they're forced into this situation. Neither of them completely trusts the other, whilst back home patriarch Albert is having another crisis. Meanwhile, we finally meet Jaz and Dave’s mother, who's in hell.
Romantic complications arise when former private investigator Cole makes clear his intentions for Jaz, but she's still mooning over their boss, Vayl. I'm usually first to stick my hand up for a hot foreigner (Vayl's Romanian), but I'm just not connecting with him. Brooding Vamp with a Troubled Past is a common character type in urban fantasy, thus making it difficult for one to particular stand out from the crowd. However, I do fancy Jaz's Spanish spirit guide, Raoul, though I have the feeling Jaz and Vayl will shag before the series is over.
Jaz's out-of-body experiences are often confusing, and though I don't quite follow them I have much respect for the author featuring some creatures not usually found in current fiction. Top marks for originality, but perhaps this series is too intelligent for my tiny brain.
Jaz's twin Dave is part of a CIA special ops squad, whose big target is the Wizard, whereas Jaz's team's enemy is the Raptor. Here's where I don't quite follow – why the two squads come together, and how the Wizard and the Raptor are linked. The Raptor is part of the series arc, but the Wizard may only be in this episode.
Continuing the theme of screwed-up families, Jaz and Dave haven't talked for years before they're forced into this situation. Neither of them completely trusts the other, whilst back home patriarch Albert is having another crisis. Meanwhile, we finally meet Jaz and Dave’s mother, who's in hell.
Romantic complications arise when former private investigator Cole makes clear his intentions for Jaz, but she's still mooning over their boss, Vayl. I'm usually first to stick my hand up for a hot foreigner (Vayl's Romanian), but I'm just not connecting with him. Brooding Vamp with a Troubled Past is a common character type in urban fantasy, thus making it difficult for one to particular stand out from the crowd. However, I do fancy Jaz's Spanish spirit guide, Raoul, though I have the feeling Jaz and Vayl will shag before the series is over.
Jaz's out-of-body experiences are often confusing, and though I don't quite follow them I have much respect for the author featuring some creatures not usually found in current fiction. Top marks for originality, but perhaps this series is too intelligent for my tiny brain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2010
Plot Summary: Edward "The Raptor" Samos, one of the CIA's most formidable opponents, has resurfaced, prompting a major collaborative effort between Jaz, Vayl, and a Special Ops unit led by Jaz's brother David. Vayl and Jaz face respective personal distractions, while at the same time, other paranormal factions and individuals with agendas of their own begin to emerge.
But when her spirit guide Rauol tells her that she's being lead to the wrong man, and she starts asking the wrong questions, her life -- and her job-- are threatened. And the one person who can help her--her boss-- is off on a wild goose chase.
Add to the mix a pack of reavers bent on revenge along with a small army of desert monsters, as well as another villian named the Wizard and you have a roller coaster ride of a novel.
Review: Continuing in the general theme of screwed-up families, Jaz and Dave haven’t talked for years because of Dave's hatred toward Jaz for killing his fiancee. OF course, she was a vamp at the time! Dave also finds comfort with Cassandra in this novel, much to the chagrin of Jaz. Neither of them completely trusts the other, whilst back home patriarch Albert is having another crisis. Meanwhile, we finally meet Jaz and Dave’s mother, who’s in hell, and deserves to be. Romantic complications arise when former private investigator Cole makes clear his intentions for Jaz. Jaz’s out-of-body experiences are often confusing as well.
But when her spirit guide Rauol tells her that she's being lead to the wrong man, and she starts asking the wrong questions, her life -- and her job-- are threatened. And the one person who can help her--her boss-- is off on a wild goose chase.
Add to the mix a pack of reavers bent on revenge along with a small army of desert monsters, as well as another villian named the Wizard and you have a roller coaster ride of a novel.
Review: Continuing in the general theme of screwed-up families, Jaz and Dave haven’t talked for years because of Dave's hatred toward Jaz for killing his fiancee. OF course, she was a vamp at the time! Dave also finds comfort with Cassandra in this novel, much to the chagrin of Jaz. Neither of them completely trusts the other, whilst back home patriarch Albert is having another crisis. Meanwhile, we finally meet Jaz and Dave’s mother, who’s in hell, and deserves to be. Romantic complications arise when former private investigator Cole makes clear his intentions for Jaz. Jaz’s out-of-body experiences are often confusing as well.
December 12, 2010
Summary (from the book jacket)
I'm Lucille Robinson (aka Jaz Parks).This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take-them-out-and-run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist.
We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um… nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.
To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. This is going to be a blast.
The Review:
Biting the Bullet is the third book in the Jaz Parks series, and the best description I can give it is, Non Stop Action. From the first page to the last it didn't stop.
There was so much action to me that it seemed to take away from the story of the people involved. I am really hoping to see something more develop between Jaz and Vayl. But alas for every step forward that they take, something always drives them backwards.
It was nice to get a little more knowledge of what happened with her twin brother and his wife, yet again with as much action that was in this story again it took a back seat..
I'm hoping for more character development from the rest of the books.
I'm Lucille Robinson (aka Jaz Parks).This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take-them-out-and-run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist.
We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um… nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.
To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. This is going to be a blast.
The Review:
Biting the Bullet is the third book in the Jaz Parks series, and the best description I can give it is, Non Stop Action. From the first page to the last it didn't stop.
There was so much action to me that it seemed to take away from the story of the people involved. I am really hoping to see something more develop between Jaz and Vayl. But alas for every step forward that they take, something always drives them backwards.
It was nice to get a little more knowledge of what happened with her twin brother and his wife, yet again with as much action that was in this story again it took a back seat..
I'm hoping for more character development from the rest of the books.
June 9, 2010
First thing 
, this book is really good. A lot of action, new characters that will make you want to keep reading, great revelations (up to the end, with the new revelation about Jaz father), astonishing bad guys (Jannifer Rardin imagination is incredible)...
...almost everything was perfect...
I'm still reluctant to give 5 stars for one motive: the main characters, Jaz and Vayl, don't convinced me... they are or not a couple?
Maybe I start a serie searching for a paranormal romance, and that was my mistake... it's a great book, but in my view really faraway from a paranormal romance (like others I read, such as Nikki and Michael serie - Dancing with the Devil).
Don't read it searching for great loving scenes and stuff that all paranormal romance has. It's a sci-fi book, full of action and interesting plot, so deserve 3 stars.
.
Maybe will read the #4 of Jaz Parks serie... but not so enthusiast...
, this book is really good. A lot of action, new characters that will make you want to keep reading, great revelations (up to the end, with the new revelation about Jaz father), astonishing bad guys (Jannifer Rardin imagination is incredible)... ...almost everything was perfect...
I'm still reluctant to give 5 stars for one motive: the main characters, Jaz and Vayl, don't convinced me... they are or not a couple?
Maybe I start a serie searching for a paranormal romance, and that was my mistake... it's a great book, but in my view really faraway from a paranormal romance (like others I read, such as Nikki and Michael serie - Dancing with the Devil). Don't read it searching for great loving scenes and stuff that all paranormal romance has. It's a sci-fi book, full of action and interesting plot, so deserve 3 stars.
. Maybe will read the #4 of Jaz Parks serie... but not so enthusiast...
March 27, 2015
Originally posted at The Book Nympho
So far this series is written with more internal monologue (in Jaz's head) than actual dialogue and it gets a little much. I want more interaction between the characters.
Don't get me wrong the characters are great but I'm ready for something to happen romantically between Jaz and Vayl or Jaz and Cole. The whole will they, won't they is driving me nuts.
I enjoyed the Once Bitten, Twice Shy (1st) & Another One Bites the Dust (2nd) more than this one but I will continue the series to see where it leads.
The thing with reading series, there is usually one that stands out as the "stinker" and I'm hoping this is it for Jaz Parks and that the next one, Bitten to Death, will be better.
I'm on the fence about this series. I like it but do not love it. I keep reading to see what happens but I found myself skimming this installment just to get to the end of it.
So far this series is written with more internal monologue (in Jaz's head) than actual dialogue and it gets a little much. I want more interaction between the characters.
Don't get me wrong the characters are great but I'm ready for something to happen romantically between Jaz and Vayl or Jaz and Cole. The whole will they, won't they is driving me nuts.
I enjoyed the Once Bitten, Twice Shy (1st) & Another One Bites the Dust (2nd) more than this one but I will continue the series to see where it leads.
The thing with reading series, there is usually one that stands out as the "stinker" and I'm hoping this is it for Jaz Parks and that the next one, Bitten to Death, will be better.
July 21, 2011
This series continues to be one I struggle with, why, I'm not sure. I enjoy some more than others, but don't love them like many of my GR friends do. I continue reading them in hopes that at some point one of them will knock my socks off, so far that just hasn't happened. I do enjoy bits in each of them and find that I am getting more used to Jaz' flashbacks. I love Bergman, he continues to be my favorite character.
I think if I hadn't signed up for a Jaz series read, I would not be reading this series. I still feel this series would make a more interesting TV show vs. book series.
I think if I hadn't signed up for a Jaz series read, I would not be reading this series. I still feel this series would make a more interesting TV show vs. book series.
November 9, 2015
This one started off with a bit of a rocky start (), but ended up still being a pretty fantastic book in the end. I really enjoyed the plot line; even if it frustrated me at some points, it definitely kept me on my toes. I can't wait to dive into the next book... I'm already lamenting the time I run into the, well so far, end of this series!
July 18, 2022
Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin is the third book in the "Jaz Parks" urban fantasy series. The main character is Lucille Richardson, code name Jaz Parks.
Jaz and her team, including the vampire Vayl, the Seer Cassandra, and weapons tech Bergman, are in the mideast to meet up with a Special Ops team in order to take down a terrorist known as the Wizard. As if the mission won't be difficult enough, Jaz and Vayl know they have a mole whom they'll need to deal with as well. Compounding problems is that Vayl has met another Seer that he believes can finally lead him to his sons--sons who died over 200 years ago and may have been reborn. His obsession means he's not present for Jaz when she needs his help, thus compromising the mission further. The worst, though, is when Jaz finds out the Spec Ops team is one headed up by her brother, her twin, who has never forgiven her for killing his wife in an act of mercy. It's up to Jaz to get Vayl to focus, get David's team onboard, and sift through subterfuge and double-crosses to hone in on their real target.
I've read the first two books in this series, but it's been so long ago that I was floundering through the first half of this one. Things came back slowly, and the author did do a good job of providing back story so that if someone read this one first, it would make sense. The story was exciting, but I'm not sure I'd bother to read more in the series. There was too much going on, and far too many characters, creatures, bad guys, etc to keep up with. I liked how tough and determined Jaz was, and there was some humor to lighten the mood, but there are other urban fantasy series out there I like far more than this one. And you know what bugged me the most? Jaz was reminiscing about how her boyfriend broke up with her when she was 14. She was crushed, as she'd been busily writing "Jasmine Elaine Smith" (or whatever his last name had been) on her school notebooks. BUT, at 14, she wouldn't have been going by the name 'Jasmine', would she? Back then, she was Lucille. WTF, author?
This was a good book, don't get me wrong, but it didn't grip me like other urban fantasies have. Giving it a score of four and letting the series slide off my radar.
Jaz and her team, including the vampire Vayl, the Seer Cassandra, and weapons tech Bergman, are in the mideast to meet up with a Special Ops team in order to take down a terrorist known as the Wizard. As if the mission won't be difficult enough, Jaz and Vayl know they have a mole whom they'll need to deal with as well. Compounding problems is that Vayl has met another Seer that he believes can finally lead him to his sons--sons who died over 200 years ago and may have been reborn. His obsession means he's not present for Jaz when she needs his help, thus compromising the mission further. The worst, though, is when Jaz finds out the Spec Ops team is one headed up by her brother, her twin, who has never forgiven her for killing his wife in an act of mercy. It's up to Jaz to get Vayl to focus, get David's team onboard, and sift through subterfuge and double-crosses to hone in on their real target.
I've read the first two books in this series, but it's been so long ago that I was floundering through the first half of this one. Things came back slowly, and the author did do a good job of providing back story so that if someone read this one first, it would make sense. The story was exciting, but I'm not sure I'd bother to read more in the series. There was too much going on, and far too many characters, creatures, bad guys, etc to keep up with. I liked how tough and determined Jaz was, and there was some humor to lighten the mood, but there are other urban fantasy series out there I like far more than this one. And you know what bugged me the most? Jaz was reminiscing about how her boyfriend broke up with her when she was 14. She was crushed, as she'd been busily writing "Jasmine Elaine Smith" (or whatever his last name had been) on her school notebooks. BUT, at 14, she wouldn't have been going by the name 'Jasmine', would she? Back then, she was Lucille. WTF, author?
This was a good book, don't get me wrong, but it didn't grip me like other urban fantasies have. Giving it a score of four and letting the series slide off my radar.
August 19, 2020
Biting the Bullet is the third book in the Jaz Parks series written by Jennifer Rardin. It centers on CIA operative Jasmine "Jaz" Parks, who is regularly partnered with her boss, the enigmatic vampire Vayl. They are tasked with stopping paranormal or mythological beings who've taken criminal roles in human society, or humans engaged in related activities.
Jaz Parks takes on reavers, zombies and Angra Mainyu religious terrorists in Iran. Given the delicate political situation in the Middle East and her ability to find trouble where ever she goes – it’s a miracle that she didn’t start another World War, but with the aid of her trusty team she manages to avert disaster.
Jaz is left isolated by Vayl's obsession with a Seer who promises to reunite him with his reincarnated sons. Her price is that Vayl must turn her into a vampire and unfortunately the only person who can't see that this is a terrible idea is Vayl himself. As Vayl's obsession to convert the Seer and find his sons deepens, Jaz is left to deal with her troubling suspicions about the identity of the group's mole by herself.
Biting the Bullet is written rather well. The plotting of this novel is fast and furious, going from shoot-outs to hide-outs and hostage situations and back to shoot-outs seemingly within the blink of an eye. Rardin melds a superspy action thriller with supernatural enemies rather well creating a fun, exciting, and faced paced narrative.
All in all, Biting the Bullet is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Jaz Parks takes on reavers, zombies and Angra Mainyu religious terrorists in Iran. Given the delicate political situation in the Middle East and her ability to find trouble where ever she goes – it’s a miracle that she didn’t start another World War, but with the aid of her trusty team she manages to avert disaster.
Jaz is left isolated by Vayl's obsession with a Seer who promises to reunite him with his reincarnated sons. Her price is that Vayl must turn her into a vampire and unfortunately the only person who can't see that this is a terrible idea is Vayl himself. As Vayl's obsession to convert the Seer and find his sons deepens, Jaz is left to deal with her troubling suspicions about the identity of the group's mole by herself.
Biting the Bullet is written rather well. The plotting of this novel is fast and furious, going from shoot-outs to hide-outs and hostage situations and back to shoot-outs seemingly within the blink of an eye. Rardin melds a superspy action thriller with supernatural enemies rather well creating a fun, exciting, and faced paced narrative.
All in all, Biting the Bullet is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
October 20, 2019
Good read, but the cultural research was lacking
The portrayal of Iran was laughably inaccurate. From the women all wearing chadors rather than hijabs often pulled back to show hair, to the hanging that took place from a gallows rather than a crane, to the Zoroastrian temples on every corner rather than mosques, to the weird capital letters in the middle of names, it felt like the author had failed to do even the most perfunctory research on the country. I can only speculate that the author was trying to avoid the pitfall of demonizing the Muslim religion by making everything Zoroastrian instead, but the parallels to Islamic terrorists were still striking, and the depictions of Iranian culture were frankly insulting. Moreover, in a world where Islam was not the predominant religion in Iran, there would have been no reason for women to wear chadors at all, and the Islamic Revolution never would have happened, so there would be no reason for Iran to be at odds with the West. I can set aside my disbelief of the James Bond-esque weaponry and gadgets, but such cultural discrepancies made it difficult to remain immersed in the book.
Still giving it four stars because I found it enjoyable enough to buy the next book, but I would not recommend it to anyone who is of Persian descent or values historical and cultural accuracy.
The portrayal of Iran was laughably inaccurate. From the women all wearing chadors rather than hijabs often pulled back to show hair, to the hanging that took place from a gallows rather than a crane, to the Zoroastrian temples on every corner rather than mosques, to the weird capital letters in the middle of names, it felt like the author had failed to do even the most perfunctory research on the country. I can only speculate that the author was trying to avoid the pitfall of demonizing the Muslim religion by making everything Zoroastrian instead, but the parallels to Islamic terrorists were still striking, and the depictions of Iranian culture were frankly insulting. Moreover, in a world where Islam was not the predominant religion in Iran, there would have been no reason for women to wear chadors at all, and the Islamic Revolution never would have happened, so there would be no reason for Iran to be at odds with the West. I can set aside my disbelief of the James Bond-esque weaponry and gadgets, but such cultural discrepancies made it difficult to remain immersed in the book.
Still giving it four stars because I found it enjoyable enough to buy the next book, but I would not recommend it to anyone who is of Persian descent or values historical and cultural accuracy.
August 12, 2020
I enjoyed the storyline, the plot is moving along nicely. However, it fell a bit flat for me. The change in POV/time/flashbacks/Jaz talking to Raoul and Granny in her head all in italics throughout the entire novel is poor form. It makes everything disjointed and confusing, making the narration grate on my nerves in this instalment. I hope that gets cleared up. I also hope a bit more description about Jaz's emotions is employed, she's a great character and has serious potential as the 'shoot now, ask questions later' heroine but without that description she can be one dimensional at times when she should be so much more.
Anyway, lots of giggle worthy moments and I will continue on!
Anyway, lots of giggle worthy moments and I will continue on!
June 22, 2020
book 3 in the series and I am still in love with them all! This time they have a new mission and it involves taking down a wizard with Jaz's brother. The mission takes them across to the middle east, jammed packed full of action and full of bullets flying everywhere!
Rardin is extremely clever in her writing she draws you into this world she has created and builds up her characters. What I like most is that although there is romance in the story its not the main focus. The focus remains on the world she's created and the characters in it.
Rardin is extremely clever in her writing she draws you into this world she has created and builds up her characters. What I like most is that although there is romance in the story its not the main focus. The focus remains on the world she's created and the characters in it.
October 24, 2020
It's good enough series about an assassin getting into all kinds of supernatural problem. That being said I really prefer the Elemental Assassin series.
The way things are written in this entry makes it difficult to follow the action at times.
The way things are written in this entry makes it difficult to follow the action at times.
July 6, 2021
I read the entire series back to back so one review for all. Great characters, lots of action and a decent overall storyline. I suspect Rardin had more planned but she passed away in 2010. Fortunately, the last book gave a solid ending.
February 4, 2018
Liking this series more with each book.
October 30, 2018
This was #3 in a series. I would like to have read the first two books but wasn’t aware of them. I may have to read them and then the 4th one.
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