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Spellcrackers.com #2
The Cold Kiss of Death
View our feature on Suzanne McLeod's "The Cold Kiss of Death."
When sidhe-blooded Genny Taylor's friend is murdered and all evidence points to her, she goes on the run. But she's being pursued by some of the most powerful supernaturals in town-and one of them is most certainly the killer.
When sidhe-blooded Genny Taylor's friend is murdered and all evidence points to her, she goes on the run. But she's being pursued by some of the most powerful supernaturals in town-and one of them is most certainly the killer.
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
959 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne McLeod
14 books375 followersWelcome to my Goodreads page! I write the Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series about magic, mayhem and murder – liberally spiced with hot guys, kick-ass chicks and super-cool supes! I live on the sunny (sometimes) South Coast of England with my wonderful husband and our two much loved boisterous HellHounds!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 28, 2022
2022 Re-Read
Wow, have I ever forgotten a lot during the five years since I read it the first time. I’m glad to own a copy now and can revisit it whenever I want to. It amazes me that my memory latched on to Genny's fertility predicament, but I lost the whole demon situation. I recognized the antagonistic policewoman, but I had no memory of the necromancer.
What an interesting alternative London that Ms. McLeod has created. It's fun to explore it again and see which parts ring a bell and where the memory holes are.
Original Review
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
I’m enjoying this urban fantasy set in London, and McLeod’s mix of fae-vampires-witches. I’ll be very interested to see how this series intersects with Ben Aaronovitch’s magical London when the time comes. I’m guessing that it’ll be their river goddesses/river fae that interact and it should be most entertaining. Or perhaps via the ghosts. I’m intrigued and must continue both series!
Genny ends up fleeing everyone in this book—the ghosts, the vampires, other Fae, the police, the witches—a pretty standard set up in urban fiction. Every heroine seems to do it in one book or another, particularly before she gets settled in with a romantic partner. We live in suspicious times and being wary of everyone has become a fairly believable set-up. Getting away from everyone is next to impossible and it builds a certain amount of tension into the plot by default.
This installment cleared up some things and muddied others as a good series book should do. Genny has been given a year and a day to make some decisions about her life, so she has a bit of breathing room. Or so she thinks, for it seems to me that breathing room doesn’t make for compelling narrative. If I were her, I wouldn’t dilly-dally, I would get investigating immediately. And all of the Fae who are angling for her could be in for a surprise if she chooses the enticing Malik al Khan, her vampiric shadow instead of them!
Wow, have I ever forgotten a lot during the five years since I read it the first time. I’m glad to own a copy now and can revisit it whenever I want to. It amazes me that my memory latched on to Genny's fertility predicament, but I lost the whole demon situation. I recognized the antagonistic policewoman, but I had no memory of the necromancer.
What an interesting alternative London that Ms. McLeod has created. It's fun to explore it again and see which parts ring a bell and where the memory holes are.
Original Review
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
I’m enjoying this urban fantasy set in London, and McLeod’s mix of fae-vampires-witches. I’ll be very interested to see how this series intersects with Ben Aaronovitch’s magical London when the time comes. I’m guessing that it’ll be their river goddesses/river fae that interact and it should be most entertaining. Or perhaps via the ghosts. I’m intrigued and must continue both series!
Genny ends up fleeing everyone in this book—the ghosts, the vampires, other Fae, the police, the witches—a pretty standard set up in urban fiction. Every heroine seems to do it in one book or another, particularly before she gets settled in with a romantic partner. We live in suspicious times and being wary of everyone has become a fairly believable set-up. Getting away from everyone is next to impossible and it builds a certain amount of tension into the plot by default.
This installment cleared up some things and muddied others as a good series book should do. Genny has been given a year and a day to make some decisions about her life, so she has a bit of breathing room. Or so she thinks, for it seems to me that breathing room doesn’t make for compelling narrative. If I were her, I wouldn’t dilly-dally, I would get investigating immediately. And all of the Fae who are angling for her could be in for a surprise if she chooses the enticing Malik al Khan, her vampiric shadow instead of them!
March 6, 2011
My thoughts:
The series continues being good, and in this I finally have answers. Anyway Genny still has a lot of problems, witches, a cop who doesn't like her, all the vampires in London that wants to suck her yummy fairy blood, Finn, her boss who wants to be more than friends and then something is going on with the Fae cos they want her now too. As you can see, problems! Not to mention being hunted for murder. What a juicy tale it is.
I like Genny, she is a bit messed up cos of her past where she was meant to be married to an evil vampire at 14 and then fled, but first after being infected by the vampire virus. Then there is the fact that she is actually half vampire/half sidhe. I do wonder when the vampire that was meant to have her will show up. Exciting stuff ahead.
Her love life is kind of non-existent. There is Finn, yes I like him horns and hairy legs and all. But then there is the vampire Malik, he is just so so, oh I am weak and I like him the best. But in this one Tavish, a kelpie got introduced, and I hope to see more of him too. What is going to happen is anyone's guess.
There is action and drama. Finding the real killer, staying out of everyone's way, evil witches, ghosts, her borrowed self Rosa, oh you never have a dull moment reading this book. It kept me guessing until the end. Who is really after her?
Conclusion:
Great urban fantasy that I do recommend. Great world building, lots of Fae, trolls and more. A bit of sexual tension, and questions to be answered. Nice London setting and when I finished I wanted book 3..which I will read later this week ;)
Reason for reading:
I needed more!
Rating:
Refreshing UF
The series continues being good, and in this I finally have answers. Anyway Genny still has a lot of problems, witches, a cop who doesn't like her, all the vampires in London that wants to suck her yummy fairy blood, Finn, her boss who wants to be more than friends and then something is going on with the Fae cos they want her now too. As you can see, problems! Not to mention being hunted for murder. What a juicy tale it is.
I like Genny, she is a bit messed up cos of her past where she was meant to be married to an evil vampire at 14 and then fled, but first after being infected by the vampire virus. Then there is the fact that she is actually half vampire/half sidhe. I do wonder when the vampire that was meant to have her will show up. Exciting stuff ahead.
Her love life is kind of non-existent. There is Finn, yes I like him horns and hairy legs and all. But then there is the vampire Malik, he is just so so, oh I am weak and I like him the best. But in this one Tavish, a kelpie got introduced, and I hope to see more of him too. What is going to happen is anyone's guess.
There is action and drama. Finding the real killer, staying out of everyone's way, evil witches, ghosts, her borrowed self Rosa, oh you never have a dull moment reading this book. It kept me guessing until the end. Who is really after her?
Conclusion:
Great urban fantasy that I do recommend. Great world building, lots of Fae, trolls and more. A bit of sexual tension, and questions to be answered. Nice London setting and when I finished I wanted book 3..which I will read later this week ;)
Reason for reading:
I needed more!
Rating:
Refreshing UF
August 7, 2009
Every once in a while you read a debut novel, get all excited about it, want to read the sequel, but the sequel doesn't compare with the original. I'm happy to say that this sequel to The Sweet Scent of Blood was just as fun to read as the first book in the Spellcrackers.com series. Suzanne McLeod's characters are an interesting mix of good and evil. Not one of her characters are completely good, though a few of her characters are simply evil. It makes for a great read. You are not sticking your finger down your throat thinking, "Ugh!, how corny". The mix of vampire lore and fae is good one.
The main character, Genny (Genevieve Taylor) is suspected of murder, only the murder is not as simple as you would think. No, there are many twists and turns in this book, and once again I was surprised at the actions of a few of the characters. Malik, her vampire ....not yet boyfriend, interest... remains mysterious, though we learn { no, not the royal we, we as in readers } a little bit more about the relationship between Malik and Genny, even something that Genny wasn't aware of herself. I am usually able to read vampire books without feeling all gooey about the vampires {come on...they're dead! and usually cold, and the diet-kind of icky!} but I kind of like Malik, and Darius, as well as the fae- Finn, and Tavish....and few others. Besides being in hiding while trying to find out the true killer, Genny has the added complications of the vampires all trying to own her, and the fae of the city deciding that they must all claim her also. Ghosts make appearances, and are interesting minor characters that play an important part in this story.
Wonderfully done. I'm hoping Ms McLeod feels like writing more about Genny and her crew. I'm hoping Ms Mcleod feels like writing anything in the urban fantasy genre. She writes well, and most important of all- THE DIALOGUE IS NEVER LAME, NEVER DUMB. There is no stupid dialogue between characters, and the main character only asks herself a few questions. She doesn't go on and on and on with the questions ad nauseum. This book just flows, from beginning to end. I look forward to more books by Suzanne McLeod, who has now joined my mental list of auto-buy writers.
By the way, if you go to her website, she has chapters up of BOTH her published books. I appreciate when writers put up excerpts. I wish more writers would do that. That's why I became interested in this series. Stumbled onto her website, saw the book covers, clicked on the excerpt, and WOW! Instant fan. Good excerpt -first chapter. You can't go by the first page anymore for some books; the first page can be great, but then it might go downhill from then. Ms McLeod's books are interesting from the first page to the last.
The main character, Genny (Genevieve Taylor) is suspected of murder, only the murder is not as simple as you would think. No, there are many twists and turns in this book, and once again I was surprised at the actions of a few of the characters. Malik, her vampire ....not yet boyfriend, interest... remains mysterious, though we learn { no, not the royal we, we as in readers } a little bit more about the relationship between Malik and Genny, even something that Genny wasn't aware of herself. I am usually able to read vampire books without feeling all gooey about the vampires {come on...they're dead! and usually cold, and the diet-kind of icky!} but I kind of like Malik, and Darius, as well as the fae- Finn, and Tavish....and few others. Besides being in hiding while trying to find out the true killer, Genny has the added complications of the vampires all trying to own her, and the fae of the city deciding that they must all claim her also. Ghosts make appearances, and are interesting minor characters that play an important part in this story.
Wonderfully done. I'm hoping Ms McLeod feels like writing more about Genny and her crew. I'm hoping Ms Mcleod feels like writing anything in the urban fantasy genre. She writes well, and most important of all- THE DIALOGUE IS NEVER LAME, NEVER DUMB. There is no stupid dialogue between characters, and the main character only asks herself a few questions. She doesn't go on and on and on with the questions ad nauseum. This book just flows, from beginning to end. I look forward to more books by Suzanne McLeod, who has now joined my mental list of auto-buy writers.
By the way, if you go to her website, she has chapters up of BOTH her published books. I appreciate when writers put up excerpts. I wish more writers would do that. That's why I became interested in this series. Stumbled onto her website, saw the book covers, clicked on the excerpt, and WOW! Instant fan. Good excerpt -first chapter. You can't go by the first page anymore for some books; the first page can be great, but then it might go downhill from then. Ms McLeod's books are interesting from the first page to the last.
April 25, 2015
A very complicated story, full of action and twists.
Genny is in a lot of trouble and running for her life from many different sides, as almost everybody seems to want a piece of her. Human police, fae curses, vampire politics, magical repercussions, ambitious witches and ghosts are some of the items in Genny's list of problems to be solved, and she doesn't know who to trust, as everyone has their own agenda.
Interesting story that continues in the next book in the series, The Bitter Seed of Magic.
Genny is in a lot of trouble and running for her life from many different sides, as almost everybody seems to want a piece of her. Human police, fae curses, vampire politics, magical repercussions, ambitious witches and ghosts are some of the items in Genny's list of problems to be solved, and she doesn't know who to trust, as everyone has their own agenda.
Interesting story that continues in the next book in the series, The Bitter Seed of Magic.
August 10, 2011
I really wanted to love this book, I thought the first one had a lot of potential so I was looking forward to this one. The book started out good but then around halfway I got confused I just could not recall a lot of the references or they didn't make sense to me. Also around this point the plot started getting overly complicated, with a lot of unnecessary conflicts. Then the very end felt very rushed. In the end I guess spellcrackers is not a series for me.
June 17, 2012
This is the second book in Suzanne McLeod’s ‘spellcrackers.com’ series.
There is a lot going on in this book. One of Genny’s friends is murdered, and she is set-up to take the fall. Malik Al-Khan steps back into Genny’s life, and with him, problems regarding ‘Rosa’ (a vampire ‘disguise’ Genny borrows for her feedings) resurface. Finn is complicating her love life (or lack of). We are introduced to an ex-flame of Genny’s, a kelpie called Tavish. A ghost girl is following Gennry around. The London fae have the crazy idea that Genny has been single for so long because she is ready to start procreating. Her future child is thought to be the key to an ancient fae curse. Certain parties are interested in a mysterious Faberge egg gifted to her by the Earl. And the witch’s in her building want her evicted. Phew. It feels like there’s plots for at least 3 different books all crammed into one novel, and it is a little bit hard to follow and remain invested in all the different happenings.
Furthermore, because there are so many and varied plots, quite a few fall by the wayside to be hastily and unsatisfactorily wrapped up in the final few chapters. And some of the more interesting plots are unfortunately the ones not given enough exploration by McLeod. Finn’s character is off to a good start in this second book, especially after he came across as a vapid love interest for Genny in the first book. In ‘Cold Kiss of Death’ Finn and Genny’s relationship is more complicated, because he knows her familial secrets. But after appearing in the beginning, Finn disappears for the better half of the book, only to reappear toward the end. BUT the set-up for the third book looks to centre quite a bit on Finn and his place in Genny’s life.
The thickened plot also lead to an increase in characters, which was also a little confusing. Even more so when the characters you actually want to read about (Finn, D.I. Helen Crane) don’t get as much screen-time as new secondary characters.
One complaint I had was the many editing errors. I am no grammar genius, so the fact that I noticed the many mistakes is saying quite a lot. They ranged from missing quotation marks, to no spaces between words and glaringly obvious spelling errors. It’s such a shame because so much effort has been put into the cover artwork. Both ‘The Sweet Scent of Blood’ and ‘Cold Kiss of Death’ have stunning covers, and you’d expect the same sort of care to be taken with the text itself. I wonder if the somewhat sloppy editing job is also to blame for the abundance of plot – perhaps the original manuscript was in need of culling?
One thing I love about the ‘spellcrackers’ books is the setting. McLeod has made London a character in itself – from the ghosts haunting the London Bridge to the kelpie’s fae gate at Whitehall. McLeod has really immersed her novels in London and made the city as intricate to the story as Genny herself. Furthermore, McLeod writes beautifully about the London landscape – even Genny’s morning runs around St. Pauls evoke precise city imagery, making it pretty clear that McLeod knows London like the back of her hand.
I really like Genny. She has a lot going against her; she’s been accused of murder, she gets bruised up in an explosion and is constantly fighting her junkie blood craving. But, she never gets knocked down. She has a few ‘woe is me’ moments, but she soldiers on. She is a very cool female protagonist and it’s interesting to read about her rolling with the punches.
This probably isn’t the best follow-up to McLeod’s debut. The plot is a tangled web and because of the messiness it’s hard to sink your teeth into the book as a whole. But McLeod is a beautiful writer, Genny is a fabulous female protagonist and it’s refreshing to read an Urban Fantasy that’s set in London and takes advantage of the city’s history and icons. I am a big advocate of spellcrackers – McLeod definitely has fresh take on the Urban Fantasy genre and the series has a lot of potential to be long-running.
I may not have been overly thrilled with this second spellcrackers installment, but McLeod definitely whet my appetite for the third book (to be released next year) by beautifully setting up the potential plot (or one of them at least).
There is a lot going on in this book. One of Genny’s friends is murdered, and she is set-up to take the fall. Malik Al-Khan steps back into Genny’s life, and with him, problems regarding ‘Rosa’ (a vampire ‘disguise’ Genny borrows for her feedings) resurface. Finn is complicating her love life (or lack of). We are introduced to an ex-flame of Genny’s, a kelpie called Tavish. A ghost girl is following Gennry around. The London fae have the crazy idea that Genny has been single for so long because she is ready to start procreating. Her future child is thought to be the key to an ancient fae curse. Certain parties are interested in a mysterious Faberge egg gifted to her by the Earl. And the witch’s in her building want her evicted. Phew. It feels like there’s plots for at least 3 different books all crammed into one novel, and it is a little bit hard to follow and remain invested in all the different happenings.
Furthermore, because there are so many and varied plots, quite a few fall by the wayside to be hastily and unsatisfactorily wrapped up in the final few chapters. And some of the more interesting plots are unfortunately the ones not given enough exploration by McLeod. Finn’s character is off to a good start in this second book, especially after he came across as a vapid love interest for Genny in the first book. In ‘Cold Kiss of Death’ Finn and Genny’s relationship is more complicated, because he knows her familial secrets. But after appearing in the beginning, Finn disappears for the better half of the book, only to reappear toward the end. BUT the set-up for the third book looks to centre quite a bit on Finn and his place in Genny’s life.
The thickened plot also lead to an increase in characters, which was also a little confusing. Even more so when the characters you actually want to read about (Finn, D.I. Helen Crane) don’t get as much screen-time as new secondary characters.
One complaint I had was the many editing errors. I am no grammar genius, so the fact that I noticed the many mistakes is saying quite a lot. They ranged from missing quotation marks, to no spaces between words and glaringly obvious spelling errors. It’s such a shame because so much effort has been put into the cover artwork. Both ‘The Sweet Scent of Blood’ and ‘Cold Kiss of Death’ have stunning covers, and you’d expect the same sort of care to be taken with the text itself. I wonder if the somewhat sloppy editing job is also to blame for the abundance of plot – perhaps the original manuscript was in need of culling?
One thing I love about the ‘spellcrackers’ books is the setting. McLeod has made London a character in itself – from the ghosts haunting the London Bridge to the kelpie’s fae gate at Whitehall. McLeod has really immersed her novels in London and made the city as intricate to the story as Genny herself. Furthermore, McLeod writes beautifully about the London landscape – even Genny’s morning runs around St. Pauls evoke precise city imagery, making it pretty clear that McLeod knows London like the back of her hand.
I really like Genny. She has a lot going against her; she’s been accused of murder, she gets bruised up in an explosion and is constantly fighting her junkie blood craving. But, she never gets knocked down. She has a few ‘woe is me’ moments, but she soldiers on. She is a very cool female protagonist and it’s interesting to read about her rolling with the punches.
This probably isn’t the best follow-up to McLeod’s debut. The plot is a tangled web and because of the messiness it’s hard to sink your teeth into the book as a whole. But McLeod is a beautiful writer, Genny is a fabulous female protagonist and it’s refreshing to read an Urban Fantasy that’s set in London and takes advantage of the city’s history and icons. I am a big advocate of spellcrackers – McLeod definitely has fresh take on the Urban Fantasy genre and the series has a lot of potential to be long-running.
I may not have been overly thrilled with this second spellcrackers installment, but McLeod definitely whet my appetite for the third book (to be released next year) by beautifully setting up the potential plot (or one of them at least).
February 5, 2011
(This was originally posted on Book Lovers Inc)
Warning: This is a spoiler free review but I make references to things from the first book which can be considered a bit spoilery.
The Cold Kiss of Death is the 2nd book in the Spellcrackers.com series. This series is so great it gave me back my UF reading mojo. Read too much of a genre and you start getting 'bored', it's what happened to me with the UF genre. I kept wanting to go back to read Historicals (my safe genre). Well, The Spellcrackers series cured me (at least for now). When I finished The Cold Kiss of Death I was CRAVING to read more. It's such a good UF book, so original and complex...*happy sigh*
Genny is the only sidhe fae in London, something she can't hide since her eyes are slitted like those of a cat. She's been working at Spellcracker.com where she cracks magic. In this book, we get to see again all the characters we loved in the previous book. I would advise you read book #1 to understand all the back-story of this book.
Genny's father was a vampire and she was betrothed to a vampire when she was 14. She escaped and has been in London ever since. I love the world Suzanne McLeod created. In her London, Vampire, faes, Witches etc.. are part of the normal everyday life. Genny has been infected by 3V, a vampire virus which is incurable. She craves the venom vampires produce when biting a victim. In the first book, we learned that she found a way to deal with it by using a spell transforming her in a vampire for 1 night. Genny uses her vampire body to satisfy her needs from time to time. Sadly what she thought a 'glamour' spell turns out to be much more complicated. The vampire she turns into, Rosa, was a real vampire with very real enemies.
Genny has a lot of interesting men in her life, there is Finn, the Satyr, who's also her very hot boss (I LOVE Finn). Tavish the wylde fae who's a real mystery to me. And there is Malik, the sexy vampire. Malik is linked to Genny in some way. He also knew Rosa the vampire. You know it's weird because usually, there's 1 guy I like 2 at the most. But in this series I don't know who to root for, they all have their appeal. lol If she didn't have so many problems I would envy Genny for all the cute men she has in her life. *wink*
Vampire politics force Genny to use Rosa again but it turns out to be a very dangerous thing. I can't say much more about the story without walking on a spoiler. Let's just say that we got a lot of Malik time (not enough Finn *sob*). This is a very sensual book, Suzanne has been teasing us since book 1. (Yes Suzanne you are evil). The story is very complicated and original, lots of twists I wouldn't have imagined. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was a bit slow to start but once the story really started there wasn't a dull moment, I really loved the whole story.
I did feel a bit queasy a few times. Yes I feel faint in the presence of blood, and some scenes were so bloody I could nearly feel it on my skin lol. Gory and bloody but oh so gooood! Genny's past is still a mystery but we get to learn quite a few things about her.
I was close to tears when I finished the book. I just couldn't wait to start the 3rd book. This is one of my favorite UF series, one of the most original too. I just finished reading the next book, The Bitter Seed of Magic and it's a fantastic read! (my favorite in the series). I will post my review later today. I recommend the Spellcrackers to every UF lover. If like me you thought you couldn't be surprised anymore, here's your chance to see how wrong you were ;)
I give The Cold Kiss of Death 4 and 1/2 Bookies
Warning: This is a spoiler free review but I make references to things from the first book which can be considered a bit spoilery.
The Cold Kiss of Death is the 2nd book in the Spellcrackers.com series. This series is so great it gave me back my UF reading mojo. Read too much of a genre and you start getting 'bored', it's what happened to me with the UF genre. I kept wanting to go back to read Historicals (my safe genre). Well, The Spellcrackers series cured me (at least for now). When I finished The Cold Kiss of Death I was CRAVING to read more. It's such a good UF book, so original and complex...*happy sigh*
Genny is the only sidhe fae in London, something she can't hide since her eyes are slitted like those of a cat. She's been working at Spellcracker.com where she cracks magic. In this book, we get to see again all the characters we loved in the previous book. I would advise you read book #1 to understand all the back-story of this book.
Genny's father was a vampire and she was betrothed to a vampire when she was 14. She escaped and has been in London ever since. I love the world Suzanne McLeod created. In her London, Vampire, faes, Witches etc.. are part of the normal everyday life. Genny has been infected by 3V, a vampire virus which is incurable. She craves the venom vampires produce when biting a victim. In the first book, we learned that she found a way to deal with it by using a spell transforming her in a vampire for 1 night. Genny uses her vampire body to satisfy her needs from time to time. Sadly what she thought a 'glamour' spell turns out to be much more complicated. The vampire she turns into, Rosa, was a real vampire with very real enemies.
Genny has a lot of interesting men in her life, there is Finn, the Satyr, who's also her very hot boss (I LOVE Finn). Tavish the wylde fae who's a real mystery to me. And there is Malik, the sexy vampire. Malik is linked to Genny in some way. He also knew Rosa the vampire. You know it's weird because usually, there's 1 guy I like 2 at the most. But in this series I don't know who to root for, they all have their appeal. lol If she didn't have so many problems I would envy Genny for all the cute men she has in her life. *wink*
Vampire politics force Genny to use Rosa again but it turns out to be a very dangerous thing. I can't say much more about the story without walking on a spoiler. Let's just say that we got a lot of Malik time (not enough Finn *sob*). This is a very sensual book, Suzanne has been teasing us since book 1. (Yes Suzanne you are evil). The story is very complicated and original, lots of twists I wouldn't have imagined. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was a bit slow to start but once the story really started there wasn't a dull moment, I really loved the whole story.
I did feel a bit queasy a few times. Yes I feel faint in the presence of blood, and some scenes were so bloody I could nearly feel it on my skin lol. Gory and bloody but oh so gooood! Genny's past is still a mystery but we get to learn quite a few things about her.
I was close to tears when I finished the book. I just couldn't wait to start the 3rd book. This is one of my favorite UF series, one of the most original too. I just finished reading the next book, The Bitter Seed of Magic and it's a fantastic read! (my favorite in the series). I will post my review later today. I recommend the Spellcrackers to every UF lover. If like me you thought you couldn't be surprised anymore, here's your chance to see how wrong you were ;)
I give The Cold Kiss of Death 4 and 1/2 Bookies
April 19, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE COLD KISS OF DEATH by Suzanne McLeod is the second book in the Spellcrackers series featuring Genny Taylor, the only leanan sidhe in London, who works for Spellcrackers, a company that fixes magical problems. The first half of this book was an urban fantasy lovers dream. A version of London overrun with supernatural creatures, a world that has fully integrated both the mundane and magical with deep prejudices on all sides, and a smart protagonist who navigates the line between both. Unfortunately, the second half wasn’t nearly as good.
Given the title of this series, I expected there to be a decent amount a spellcracking work going on. Not so much. In fact apart from one small scene early on, Genny doesn’t work at all in this book. Maybe there was more of that in the first book—I haven’t read it yet—but it felt like an oversight here and I was left feeling kind of disappointing. My biggest problem, however, was the plot. Halfway through it started to get overly convoluted and complicated, with most of the conflicts being increasingly unnecessary. There were usually obvious solutions that would not only have solved Genny’s problems, but avoided them in the first place. Genny was such a smart character that it felt really inconsistent for her to always chose the most ridiculously difficult options.
On the upside, I was pleasantly surprised by how much romance was actually in this book. Genny has three different suitors after her: a satyr, a kelpie, and a vampire. All three of these guys had serious leading man potential and brought out very different sides of Genny. It will be interesting to see who she ends up with because she is frustratingly wishy-washy when it comes to choosing in this book. In my opinion, she only really had feelings for one of the guys since her response to the other two was primarily sexual.
Overall, the first half of this book would have easily earned a 4bat rating, but the second half would have only gotten a 2bat. That averages out to a 3bat rating since this very cool character, in her even cooler magical London, was larger squandered by a plot that grew overly ambitious and messy. THE BITTER SEED OF MAGIC, the third book in the Spellcrackers series, is available now in the UK, and will be released in the US on December 27, 2011
Sexual Content:
Scenes of graphic sensuality. References to rape. Attempted rape. References to homosexuality.
THE COLD KISS OF DEATH by Suzanne McLeod is the second book in the Spellcrackers series featuring Genny Taylor, the only leanan sidhe in London, who works for Spellcrackers, a company that fixes magical problems. The first half of this book was an urban fantasy lovers dream. A version of London overrun with supernatural creatures, a world that has fully integrated both the mundane and magical with deep prejudices on all sides, and a smart protagonist who navigates the line between both. Unfortunately, the second half wasn’t nearly as good.
Given the title of this series, I expected there to be a decent amount a spellcracking work going on. Not so much. In fact apart from one small scene early on, Genny doesn’t work at all in this book. Maybe there was more of that in the first book—I haven’t read it yet—but it felt like an oversight here and I was left feeling kind of disappointing. My biggest problem, however, was the plot. Halfway through it started to get overly convoluted and complicated, with most of the conflicts being increasingly unnecessary. There were usually obvious solutions that would not only have solved Genny’s problems, but avoided them in the first place. Genny was such a smart character that it felt really inconsistent for her to always chose the most ridiculously difficult options.
On the upside, I was pleasantly surprised by how much romance was actually in this book. Genny has three different suitors after her: a satyr, a kelpie, and a vampire. All three of these guys had serious leading man potential and brought out very different sides of Genny. It will be interesting to see who she ends up with because she is frustratingly wishy-washy when it comes to choosing in this book. In my opinion, she only really had feelings for one of the guys since her response to the other two was primarily sexual.
Overall, the first half of this book would have easily earned a 4bat rating, but the second half would have only gotten a 2bat. That averages out to a 3bat rating since this very cool character, in her even cooler magical London, was larger squandered by a plot that grew overly ambitious and messy. THE BITTER SEED OF MAGIC, the third book in the Spellcrackers series, is available now in the UK, and will be released in the US on December 27, 2011
Sexual Content:
Scenes of graphic sensuality. References to rape. Attempted rape. References to homosexuality.
May 12, 2011
(3.5 stars) Sidhe fae Genevieve Taylor is in trouble again. Hannah Ashby, whom Genny met in the last book, has shown up again — this time wielding powerful magic and demanding the priceless Fabergé egg Genny received from the Earl. Genny’s also being haunted by the ghost of a young girl. Worst of all, she finds a friend murdered and is framed for the crime. Now she needs the help of the manipulative vampire Malik al-Khan, which never comes for free.
Much like the first Spellcrackers book, The Sweet Scent of Blood, the plot of The Cold Kiss of Death is intensely convoluted. Plot points that seem at first to be central turn out to be peripheral and vice versa, as Genny discovers a complex web of schemes underlying what she thought was going on. Events that seem unconnected — aren’t. People turn out to be double-crossing each other. People turn out to be secretly related.
Suzanne McLeod does a better job this time of pulling it all together, though. While The Cold Kiss of Death is sometimes confusing while you’re in the middle of it, it’s all pulled together really well in the end and makes sense when it does come together. There’s one thread that looms huge at first and then is given a disappointingly simple resolution, but I wonder if that’s a situation whose real import will become clear in a later book.
In addition, we get answers to many of the questions raised in the first book. We learn more about Genny’s past, about Malik, about Rosa, about the other fae in London. Genny learns a new, powerful use for her spellcracking ability.
The writing itself is particularly good for this subgenre, and then the epilogue packs a terrible punch. We’re led to believe McLeod has forgotten a particular loose end — and there are plenty of writers who really have forgotten something like this — but then we learn in poignant fashion that no, she didn’t forget it at all.
The Sweet Scent of Blood was somewhat frustrating to me, but The Cold Kiss of Death has sold me on Spellcrackers; I’ll eagerly read the next book and see what new revelations McLeod has in store for Genny.
I originally wrote this review for FantasyLiterature.com.
Much like the first Spellcrackers book, The Sweet Scent of Blood, the plot of The Cold Kiss of Death is intensely convoluted. Plot points that seem at first to be central turn out to be peripheral and vice versa, as Genny discovers a complex web of schemes underlying what she thought was going on. Events that seem unconnected — aren’t. People turn out to be double-crossing each other. People turn out to be secretly related.
Suzanne McLeod does a better job this time of pulling it all together, though. While The Cold Kiss of Death is sometimes confusing while you’re in the middle of it, it’s all pulled together really well in the end and makes sense when it does come together. There’s one thread that looms huge at first and then is given a disappointingly simple resolution, but I wonder if that’s a situation whose real import will become clear in a later book.
In addition, we get answers to many of the questions raised in the first book. We learn more about Genny’s past, about Malik, about Rosa, about the other fae in London. Genny learns a new, powerful use for her spellcracking ability.
The writing itself is particularly good for this subgenre, and then the epilogue packs a terrible punch. We’re led to believe McLeod has forgotten a particular loose end — and there are plenty of writers who really have forgotten something like this — but then we learn in poignant fashion that no, she didn’t forget it at all.
The Sweet Scent of Blood was somewhat frustrating to me, but The Cold Kiss of Death has sold me on Spellcrackers; I’ll eagerly read the next book and see what new revelations McLeod has in store for Genny.
I originally wrote this review for FantasyLiterature.com.
January 6, 2010
How awesome are book signings? Back in May 2009, not only did I get to meet Rachel Caine at her London book signing hosted by Murder One, but I also got to buy several books, one of which was the amazing The Sweet Scent of Blood by Suzanne McLeod! Suzanne was also at the event, but I didn’t know – I hadn’t heard of her or her book at the time. But I feel in love with her series within the first few pages, and since reading it, I’ve been itching to read its sequel, The Cold Kiss of Death. I got lucky at Christmas, though, and I can’t tell you just how good these books are!
I don’t even know where to start, there was so much going on! It always amazes me how authors are able to write such complicated books, and have everything fit together. Genny has a series of problems in her life, some pretty inconsequential, some a little on the larger side, but when you get to the end and you realise all of the plot threads are part of a large jigsaw puzzle, it’s just wow! Suzanne is a very skilled writer!
We meet most of the characters we came across in the first book. Genny is our spunky heroine, a bean sidhe who has more problems than answers; Malik al-Kahn, the mysterious vampire connected to Genny’s past; Finn, Genny’s satyr boss and will-they-won’t-they love interest, and a range of other characters, none who seem to be being completely honest with Genny, and making things a whole lot harder for her. There’s still the hint of a possible love triangle, but even that gets more complicated – so frustrating, but in a good way!
We have action a-plenty in this novel! I can’t go into too much detail, it’s pretty spoilery, but it’s awesome to read! Some scenes are kind of disturbing, but it all has you sitting on the edge of your seat, the adrenalin pumping, jaw hanging at how unbelievable it is and how some of the characters act. I just love it all!
The ending is just so good, I can’t tell you! I closed the book feeling pretty sad, but in complete awe of how the whole story worked out. If you haven’t started this series, you really need to! It’s just so brilliant, and I can’t for the third in the series, The Bitter Seed of Magic, due in September 2010.
I don’t even know where to start, there was so much going on! It always amazes me how authors are able to write such complicated books, and have everything fit together. Genny has a series of problems in her life, some pretty inconsequential, some a little on the larger side, but when you get to the end and you realise all of the plot threads are part of a large jigsaw puzzle, it’s just wow! Suzanne is a very skilled writer!
We meet most of the characters we came across in the first book. Genny is our spunky heroine, a bean sidhe who has more problems than answers; Malik al-Kahn, the mysterious vampire connected to Genny’s past; Finn, Genny’s satyr boss and will-they-won’t-they love interest, and a range of other characters, none who seem to be being completely honest with Genny, and making things a whole lot harder for her. There’s still the hint of a possible love triangle, but even that gets more complicated – so frustrating, but in a good way!
We have action a-plenty in this novel! I can’t go into too much detail, it’s pretty spoilery, but it’s awesome to read! Some scenes are kind of disturbing, but it all has you sitting on the edge of your seat, the adrenalin pumping, jaw hanging at how unbelievable it is and how some of the characters act. I just love it all!
The ending is just so good, I can’t tell you! I closed the book feeling pretty sad, but in complete awe of how the whole story worked out. If you haven’t started this series, you really need to! It’s just so brilliant, and I can’t for the third in the series, The Bitter Seed of Magic, due in September 2010.
December 15, 2009
Genevieve Taylor is a fae, a sidhe fae. And while there are plenty of fae to be found in the city, Genny is the only sidhe fae in London. Which is why when a dead body turns up with sidhe magic all over it, Genny is the polices' number one suspect. Never mind she didn't do it.
Genny is on the run, and it's not only the police after her. Every vampire is dying to sink their teeth into her, ghosts are haunting her, and many others are after her body in more ways then one. Unfortunately the witches are causing trouble, and she has a fear of ghosts.
It seems everyone in London is after her and time is running out. Genny has to find the sidhe killer before its too late. But when her own kind turns against her is her only salvation in a vampire, and her own death.
The Cold Kiss Of Death will chill you to the bone and steal your breath away. Beautifully involving characters are wrapped in an absorbing and inventive mystery. Mesmerising and suspenseful, its heart racing action will keep you on your toes. A great read.
Genny is on the run, and it's not only the police after her. Every vampire is dying to sink their teeth into her, ghosts are haunting her, and many others are after her body in more ways then one. Unfortunately the witches are causing trouble, and she has a fear of ghosts.
It seems everyone in London is after her and time is running out. Genny has to find the sidhe killer before its too late. But when her own kind turns against her is her only salvation in a vampire, and her own death.
The Cold Kiss Of Death will chill you to the bone and steal your breath away. Beautifully involving characters are wrapped in an absorbing and inventive mystery. Mesmerising and suspenseful, its heart racing action will keep you on your toes. A great read.
August 13, 2010
After reading the first Spellcrakers book and falling in love with it, I made it a point to get my hands on this book and I definitely wasn't disappointed.
It always amazes me how writers are able to create such complex, intricate worlds and McLeod is really talented at it. I love the way she uses elements of fairy and vampire lore and puts a refreshing spin on it. The book reads great and the interactions and reactions of the characters are believable. I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens.
It always amazes me how writers are able to create such complex, intricate worlds and McLeod is really talented at it. I love the way she uses elements of fairy and vampire lore and puts a refreshing spin on it. The book reads great and the interactions and reactions of the characters are believable. I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens.
July 28, 2016
This was certainly less convoluted and confusing than the first book. I enjoyed it more. Despite that, I did think that there was a certain element of action preceding information that I am beginning to recognize as part of the author's writing style. However, this time it didn't bother me as much. That's probably due in part to the fact that I am getting used to it. I also don't think it was as extreme as it was in the previous book.
At this point I plan to continue. Hopefully the ensuing installments will be a nice continuation of the overarching storyline and not just filler.
At this point I plan to continue. Hopefully the ensuing installments will be a nice continuation of the overarching storyline and not just filler.
January 2, 2011
The Cold Kiss of Death is a well-written, fast-paced and highly imaginative story set in an alternate and very dangerous version of London. Where it's not safe in the Tube, or wherever trees can speak to each other. Genny's voice takes you on her personal journey in a very intimate way, revealing what's happening at close range, as well as bits and pieces of her past. A past that makes a lot of sense and seems to lead to the vampire, Malik.
July 26, 2012
I really enjoyed Book 1. I know many like Finn but I'm Team Malik! This one was good but very confusing and hard to follow at times. We learn more about our heroine and what her Fae peeps really want from her. Good but not great.
September 7, 2009
Cracking second novel in this excellent series. There are some wonderful characters from the first novel, together with new and exciting ones, not to mention a great plot. Can highly recommend.
January 10, 2011
Hot damn, this was good. All the elements urban fantasy should be in just the right percentages. = )
September 19, 2012
I loved this book, my favorite of the first 3 in the series. It was so freaking good, I could not put it down.
May 26, 2015
Second in the Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series revolving around a sidhe fae with an unusual disability.
My Take
It's a fascinating premise with lots of action. I do, however, understand why McLeod's series isn't more available or popular as she leaves the reader (me!) hanging and clueless on so many points. We still don't know what hold Bastien had over Gen's parents. If the tradition on changelings goes back to Boadicea, then why is Queen Victoria the one mentioned as though she were the first? Where did the snakes come from?
Then there's Genny's stupidity. She keeps dropping herself into dumb situations although the reason she has survived so far does become clear. At least this time, McLeod wasn't going on about bacon. For all her supposed smarts, Gen lets her blood be taken by a stranger? I can't believe Genny hasn't put effort into countering the vampires' mesma.
Her relationship with Malik is not as titillating as I think McLeod wants us to feel. I do feel sorry for Malik because he does seem to want her, but only if she actually wants him back. In spite of his actions, he's a vampire with morals. Who knew?
Yeah, there's a scene where the Earl appears!! Eek… And, we get more data on Genny's prince. The one from whom she ran?? With excellent reason!
Oooh, clever how McLeod gets Genny to warn Malik.
Oh boy, this whole body/soul swap is too complicated for me.
Eeek, nasty distinction between demon choices and ????
The Story
Seems there is quite a bit of information no one thought to pass on to Genny, and she keeps stumbling from one disaster to another.
The vampires have learned about Genny's condition and they're all anxious to tap that lode. Then there's the fae with their own acquisitive, lusty eye on her. And everyone thinks that Rosa owns her.
The Characters
Genevieve Taylor is half-fae, half-human, and infected with 3V making her a vampire as well (?). She ran away on her wedding day at 14 years of age and has been in hiding ever since. Rosa is a vampire whose persona and aspect Genny takes on when she needs to feed. Seems there's more to that spell than the Ancient One claimed. Nor does anyone but Malik appear to appreciate Rosa. Finn Panos is a satyr and Genny's boss over at Spellcrackers.com. He has an underlying motive, but seems sincere. Only time will tell. Dr. Grace is with the Human, Other, and Preternatural Ethical Society (HOPE), a clinic that treats Vampire Venom and 3V as well as anyone caught out by magic.
Malik al-Khan is a revenant vampire and has been plotting to steal her from Bastien since Genny was four.
Cosette is the ghost of a young girl haunting Genny. Ex-Police Constable Janet Sims is reduced to mall security after her shenanigans in Sweet Scent of Blood . She's harboring a great deal of resentment toward Genny and it comes out in some unexpected ways. She's Witch Wilcox's granddaughter.
Mr. Travers is a troll and the landlord of Genny's building. He's on her side, but Witch Wilcox has a great deal of influence. And a nasty vamp Back-Off spell. Hannah Ashby is an accountant by day and a vamp-flunky all the time. She's another with her own nasty agenda. Sweet on the outside, but watch your back. Darius is her new vamp pet whom she keeps throwing at everyone. Tomas Eriksen is the baker Genny is accused of murdering. Dr. Joseph Wainwright is one of Malik's friends. He's helping Genny recover from the bakery explosion. Another with hidden secrets. Lots of 'em.
Detective Inspector Helen Crane is also a witch with a major hate on for Genny. Mostly because Finn is interested in her. She's a pretty lousy detective with those blinders on.
Bobby is Mr. October, the previous story's victim who is caring for his dad trapped in a coma from Sweet Scent of Blood . Tavish is a kelpie, has a history with Genny, and is a whiz on the computer. Skills he may use to help clear Genny. It seems that Tavish, the Soul taster, also have more than a nodding acquaintance with a number of the men in Genny's life. He's also in charge of one of the four Gates from the Fairy Lands. Neil Banner is a Souler and a necromancer with his own secrets.
Ladies Isabelle and Meriel rule a number of the fae in London. Grianne is a phouka, and while she hates Genny, they have been working together to rescue faelings. The queen of the Fairy Lands has also been protecting her from the babymaking until Gen was 23 when the fae thought Tavish was courting her. Then working for the witches brought her under their protection. Moth-girl, a.k.a., Sharon, is a present to Gen. Only Genny misinterprets the type of present she is.
The droch guidhe is a fae curse laid by the sidhe queen which prevents the London fae from reproducing. The only way to break it is if a London fae has a child with a sidhe. And they all believe that London fae is Genny.
There are four vampire families in London who seem to owe allegiance to Bastien, the Autarch and Gen's prospective, sadistic, vampire husband from whom she ran and includes the Golden Blade family led by the vicious, human-hating Elizabetta while the Red Shamrock is led by Declan (and helped by his brothers Patrick and Seamus) who is Bobby's master; Fiona is a nasty human clairvoyant who runs Declan's pub. The Blue Heart and the White Diamond (Genny's family line) are the remaining two.
The Cover and Title
The cover is black with a warm brown silhouette of a tree in the night and Genny's concerned, cat-eyed face floating in the sky.
The title is too accurate as it's The Cold Kiss of Death for Genny several times.
My Take
It's a fascinating premise with lots of action. I do, however, understand why McLeod's series isn't more available or popular as she leaves the reader (me!) hanging and clueless on so many points. We still don't know what hold Bastien had over Gen's parents. If the tradition on changelings goes back to Boadicea, then why is Queen Victoria the one mentioned as though she were the first? Where did the snakes come from?
Then there's Genny's stupidity. She keeps dropping herself into dumb situations although the reason she has survived so far does become clear. At least this time, McLeod wasn't going on about bacon. For all her supposed smarts, Gen lets her blood be taken by a stranger? I can't believe Genny hasn't put effort into countering the vampires' mesma.
Her relationship with Malik is not as titillating as I think McLeod wants us to feel. I do feel sorry for Malik because he does seem to want her, but only if she actually wants him back. In spite of his actions, he's a vampire with morals. Who knew?
Yeah, there's a scene where the Earl appears!! Eek… And, we get more data on Genny's prince. The one from whom she ran?? With excellent reason!
Oooh, clever how McLeod gets Genny to warn Malik.
Oh boy, this whole body/soul swap is too complicated for me.
Eeek, nasty distinction between demon choices and ????
The Story
Seems there is quite a bit of information no one thought to pass on to Genny, and she keeps stumbling from one disaster to another.
The vampires have learned about Genny's condition and they're all anxious to tap that lode. Then there's the fae with their own acquisitive, lusty eye on her. And everyone thinks that Rosa owns her.
The Characters
Genevieve Taylor is half-fae, half-human, and infected with 3V making her a vampire as well (?). She ran away on her wedding day at 14 years of age and has been in hiding ever since. Rosa is a vampire whose persona and aspect Genny takes on when she needs to feed. Seems there's more to that spell than the Ancient One claimed. Nor does anyone but Malik appear to appreciate Rosa. Finn Panos is a satyr and Genny's boss over at Spellcrackers.com. He has an underlying motive, but seems sincere. Only time will tell. Dr. Grace is with the Human, Other, and Preternatural Ethical Society (HOPE), a clinic that treats Vampire Venom and 3V as well as anyone caught out by magic.
Malik al-Khan is a revenant vampire and has been plotting to steal her from Bastien since Genny was four.
Cosette is the ghost of a young girl haunting Genny. Ex-Police Constable Janet Sims is reduced to mall security after her shenanigans in Sweet Scent of Blood . She's harboring a great deal of resentment toward Genny and it comes out in some unexpected ways. She's Witch Wilcox's granddaughter.
Mr. Travers is a troll and the landlord of Genny's building. He's on her side, but Witch Wilcox has a great deal of influence. And a nasty vamp Back-Off spell. Hannah Ashby is an accountant by day and a vamp-flunky all the time. She's another with her own nasty agenda. Sweet on the outside, but watch your back. Darius is her new vamp pet whom she keeps throwing at everyone. Tomas Eriksen is the baker Genny is accused of murdering. Dr. Joseph Wainwright is one of Malik's friends. He's helping Genny recover from the bakery explosion. Another with hidden secrets. Lots of 'em.
Detective Inspector Helen Crane is also a witch with a major hate on for Genny. Mostly because Finn is interested in her. She's a pretty lousy detective with those blinders on.
Bobby is Mr. October, the previous story's victim who is caring for his dad trapped in a coma from Sweet Scent of Blood . Tavish is a kelpie, has a history with Genny, and is a whiz on the computer. Skills he may use to help clear Genny. It seems that Tavish, the Soul taster, also have more than a nodding acquaintance with a number of the men in Genny's life. He's also in charge of one of the four Gates from the Fairy Lands. Neil Banner is a Souler and a necromancer with his own secrets.
Ladies Isabelle and Meriel rule a number of the fae in London. Grianne is a phouka, and while she hates Genny, they have been working together to rescue faelings. The queen of the Fairy Lands has also been protecting her from the babymaking until Gen was 23 when the fae thought Tavish was courting her. Then working for the witches brought her under their protection. Moth-girl, a.k.a., Sharon, is a present to Gen. Only Genny misinterprets the type of present she is.
The droch guidhe is a fae curse laid by the sidhe queen which prevents the London fae from reproducing. The only way to break it is if a London fae has a child with a sidhe. And they all believe that London fae is Genny.
There are four vampire families in London who seem to owe allegiance to Bastien, the Autarch and Gen's prospective, sadistic, vampire husband from whom she ran and includes the Golden Blade family led by the vicious, human-hating Elizabetta while the Red Shamrock is led by Declan (and helped by his brothers Patrick and Seamus) who is Bobby's master; Fiona is a nasty human clairvoyant who runs Declan's pub. The Blue Heart and the White Diamond (Genny's family line) are the remaining two.
The Cover and Title
The cover is black with a warm brown silhouette of a tree in the night and Genny's concerned, cat-eyed face floating in the sky.
The title is too accurate as it's The Cold Kiss of Death for Genny several times.
March 21, 2011
The Cold Kiss of Death by Suzanne McLeod is the 2nd book in the Spellcrackers series after the Sweet Scent of Blood. If you are in the US, you will have a hard time finding this book until April, when the official US launch date is set. If you are in London, you are peachy!
Luckily, a library in the state of Washington had this available, and I borrowed it. Thank you so very much Whatcom County Library System! **You can also win this, if you’re lucky, through the Goodreads.com first read giveaway that ends in April**
Part vampire, Part Fae Genevieve (Genny) Taylor is about to have yet another rough time of it. As we open the book, she appears to be haunted by a little girl named Cosette, (not her real name we learn later) who she believes, is over 100 years old. She’s lost her protection of the Witches Council, and, vampires are sending her love letters on a daily basis. Her witch neighbors want her tossed out into the streets, and one powerful witch in particular, has bespelled the walkway to her apartment. She’s barely hanging onto a thread at her employers, Spellcheckers, thanks mostly to Finn.
What we know from The Sweet Scent of Blood. Genny’s blood is infected with the 3V virus, (Vampire Venom and Virus), which forces her to also crave blood, and if she gives into the vampires who want her, she will become a blood slave. She takes G-Zav, a drug which is supposed to help her with her cravings. He also keeps 8 plus pints of blood handy in case she needs it thanks to her friend and co-worker at HOPE.
She’s been on G-Zav for 10 years, or since the day she was bitten by Malik. She's the daughter of a 300 year old vampire, and a fae mother who "faded" away when she was born. Needless to say, her birth wasn't exactly planned by her mother (Raped). At 14 years of age, Genny was promised to a Master Vampire named Bastian (the Autarch). She was supposed to be his betrothed, but on the day of their union, she choose to run away, which leads to Malik giving her the Cold Kiss of Death, marking her as his own, and binding her soul to him.
Genny is the only Sidhe fae in London, something she can't hide since her eyes are like those of a cat.
In the first book, we learned that Genny uses the body of a real vampire named Rosa to satisfy her blood cravings. Rosa was made by Malik, and they eventually had a falling out of sorts. Genny was clueless to this fact, since, she’s been using the body for 3 years without any complications after paying a witch named Gwen, aka the Ancient One, to be able to magically transform herself into Rosa. That, however, is about to change.
Vampire politics once again force Genny to use Rosa’s body, but this time it comes with dire consequences as there are those off stage who want to grab ahold of Genny’s Sidhe body, and use it for their own. The vamps, notably Elizabetta, want Rosa to blood oath to them, so that they can have free reign over Genny, and her blood. Like I said, Genny is a wanted commodity by demons, witches, fae, and vampires.
There is the fae community itself wants to rape her and impregnate her with their child. What they fail to understand is, Genny has to agree to become pregnant, or otherwise it won’t work. She’s not about to agree to forced rape by anyone, nor does she seem ready to carry a child of someone she has no feelings for.
There is a curse that is plaguing the Fae community of London. A Sidhe Queen has cursed them in order for them to know the grief she had after losing her only child, who was human. No full blood child has been born to any lesser fae, only faelings, which are half human. So, like I said, the only way to break the curse is for a fae to have a full-blooded child with Genny.
Genny has also been set up for murder, when a baker friend she knows, is found dead. Said baker was last seen arguing with his girlfriend, which turns out to be Janet Sims, former Constable, and Genny hater. Genny’s scent is all over the crime scene, which leads to yet another encounter with Genny’s favorite Witch/Constable Helen Crane. Luckily, Malik al-Khan, somehow saves her from a powerful explosion that was triggered by a capture and hold spell by the real killer.
Genny believes that one day, she will have her HEA, but for now, she just wants to be happy to live in the now without any problems. She has Finn, and a kelpie named Tavish, both looking to be the one’s who she breaks the curse with, along with Dryads. Genny also has a hard time distancing herself from Malik, even though he’s had her blood on his mind since she was 4 years old. When Genny uses Rosa’s body, the sparks fly, but Malik doesn’t enjoy it, or so he says. Genny’s love live is basically nonexistent, and not getting any better.
Overall, I really enjoyed this installment of the Spellchecker series better than the first one. I love Genny’s character a lot more this time around. Yes, she's got lots of problems, but she doesn't sink in depression and cry when her world comes crashng down around her. She's finding her magic, which was nearly nothing in the first book. The first book paved the way for the readers to understand what she goes through, who she really is. The uniqueness of being able to use another person’s body in order to quest your hunger, is mind boggling. The story itself becomes more intensified as everyone wants a piece of her, including a demon who masquerades himself as The Earl, a vampire she previously killed.
There’s a bunch of twists and turns, and Genny really can’t trust anyone around her, including Tavish, Finn, or Malik. Malik, it seems, has an agenda all his own; that being the destruction of Rosa. The ending left me sad in that one of Genny’s friends sacrifices herself in order to save her life after her soul was removed from her body, and about to be given to said demon on Halloween. But, there's also a positive. The Queen has granted an extension of Genny’s protection/sanctuary for another year and one day, in order for Genny to try and find a way to break the curse.
The Bitter Seed of Magic, and The Shifting Price of Prey are the next two books in this series, and ones that I will definitely be looking forward to reading.
Luckily, a library in the state of Washington had this available, and I borrowed it. Thank you so very much Whatcom County Library System! **You can also win this, if you’re lucky, through the Goodreads.com first read giveaway that ends in April**
Part vampire, Part Fae Genevieve (Genny) Taylor is about to have yet another rough time of it. As we open the book, she appears to be haunted by a little girl named Cosette, (not her real name we learn later) who she believes, is over 100 years old. She’s lost her protection of the Witches Council, and, vampires are sending her love letters on a daily basis. Her witch neighbors want her tossed out into the streets, and one powerful witch in particular, has bespelled the walkway to her apartment. She’s barely hanging onto a thread at her employers, Spellcheckers, thanks mostly to Finn.
What we know from The Sweet Scent of Blood. Genny’s blood is infected with the 3V virus, (Vampire Venom and Virus), which forces her to also crave blood, and if she gives into the vampires who want her, she will become a blood slave. She takes G-Zav, a drug which is supposed to help her with her cravings. He also keeps 8 plus pints of blood handy in case she needs it thanks to her friend and co-worker at HOPE.
She’s been on G-Zav for 10 years, or since the day she was bitten by Malik. She's the daughter of a 300 year old vampire, and a fae mother who "faded" away when she was born. Needless to say, her birth wasn't exactly planned by her mother (Raped). At 14 years of age, Genny was promised to a Master Vampire named Bastian (the Autarch). She was supposed to be his betrothed, but on the day of their union, she choose to run away, which leads to Malik giving her the Cold Kiss of Death, marking her as his own, and binding her soul to him.
Genny is the only Sidhe fae in London, something she can't hide since her eyes are like those of a cat.
In the first book, we learned that Genny uses the body of a real vampire named Rosa to satisfy her blood cravings. Rosa was made by Malik, and they eventually had a falling out of sorts. Genny was clueless to this fact, since, she’s been using the body for 3 years without any complications after paying a witch named Gwen, aka the Ancient One, to be able to magically transform herself into Rosa. That, however, is about to change.
Vampire politics once again force Genny to use Rosa’s body, but this time it comes with dire consequences as there are those off stage who want to grab ahold of Genny’s Sidhe body, and use it for their own. The vamps, notably Elizabetta, want Rosa to blood oath to them, so that they can have free reign over Genny, and her blood. Like I said, Genny is a wanted commodity by demons, witches, fae, and vampires.
There is the fae community itself wants to rape her and impregnate her with their child. What they fail to understand is, Genny has to agree to become pregnant, or otherwise it won’t work. She’s not about to agree to forced rape by anyone, nor does she seem ready to carry a child of someone she has no feelings for.
There is a curse that is plaguing the Fae community of London. A Sidhe Queen has cursed them in order for them to know the grief she had after losing her only child, who was human. No full blood child has been born to any lesser fae, only faelings, which are half human. So, like I said, the only way to break the curse is for a fae to have a full-blooded child with Genny.
Genny has also been set up for murder, when a baker friend she knows, is found dead. Said baker was last seen arguing with his girlfriend, which turns out to be Janet Sims, former Constable, and Genny hater. Genny’s scent is all over the crime scene, which leads to yet another encounter with Genny’s favorite Witch/Constable Helen Crane. Luckily, Malik al-Khan, somehow saves her from a powerful explosion that was triggered by a capture and hold spell by the real killer.
Genny believes that one day, she will have her HEA, but for now, she just wants to be happy to live in the now without any problems. She has Finn, and a kelpie named Tavish, both looking to be the one’s who she breaks the curse with, along with Dryads. Genny also has a hard time distancing herself from Malik, even though he’s had her blood on his mind since she was 4 years old. When Genny uses Rosa’s body, the sparks fly, but Malik doesn’t enjoy it, or so he says. Genny’s love live is basically nonexistent, and not getting any better.
Overall, I really enjoyed this installment of the Spellchecker series better than the first one. I love Genny’s character a lot more this time around. Yes, she's got lots of problems, but she doesn't sink in depression and cry when her world comes crashng down around her. She's finding her magic, which was nearly nothing in the first book. The first book paved the way for the readers to understand what she goes through, who she really is. The uniqueness of being able to use another person’s body in order to quest your hunger, is mind boggling. The story itself becomes more intensified as everyone wants a piece of her, including a demon who masquerades himself as The Earl, a vampire she previously killed.
There’s a bunch of twists and turns, and Genny really can’t trust anyone around her, including Tavish, Finn, or Malik. Malik, it seems, has an agenda all his own; that being the destruction of Rosa. The ending left me sad in that one of Genny’s friends sacrifices herself in order to save her life after her soul was removed from her body, and about to be given to said demon on Halloween. But, there's also a positive. The Queen has granted an extension of Genny’s protection/sanctuary for another year and one day, in order for Genny to try and find a way to break the curse.
The Bitter Seed of Magic, and The Shifting Price of Prey are the next two books in this series, and ones that I will definitely be looking forward to reading.
February 3, 2023
Once again I made the mistake of coming into a series on the middle, in this case the second book. I did regret not reading the first one - maybe it wasn't available on a used book site - but I found the story compelling once I was able to figure out who's who character wise. This is another alternate universe where vampires, trolls, etc., live alongside humans in London. Genny, a sidhe, finds herself accused of murder and on the run from not only the police but various supernatural beings who believe she is the key to a long ago prophecy. Very recommended, but I do advise picking up the first book before diving into this one!
July 25, 2025
Picked this up from a street library because the title was amazing. Spent the entire book wondering .
It's not my usual fare so I figured I'd skim it, but ended up getting quite engrossed in the plot. I was also impressed by the wide and varied supernatural menagerie that McLeod had conjured, and enjoyed the London setting, which I could easily picture. Still, !
It's not my usual fare so I figured I'd skim it, but ended up getting quite engrossed in the plot. I was also impressed by the wide and varied supernatural menagerie that McLeod had conjured, and enjoyed the London setting, which I could easily picture. Still, !
June 14, 2017
I preferred to the previous book to this one. The action was slow, and I was confused most of the time. There isn't enough back story in this book. I hope we learn about this mysterious curse in the sequel.
January 22, 2018
Not a three, more like 2.5 stars. Really wanted to like this book, but nothing could engage me. The main character seemed like a combination of paranormal heroines. Same with the plot, recycled for numerous paranormal novels. Very ho hum, this is ok but I really don't care.
July 31, 2017
I cried at the end. Real tears!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
Cute, enjoyable fluff.
January 21, 2018
Great story too bad I don't get the first book first . Oh well got what it was about.
December 15, 2022
3.5 stars I'm enjoying this series.
July 31, 2011
Originally Posted at http://thespinecracker.blogspot.com/
Boy, can McLeod twist a story! Her books are a mystery lover's dream. There are so many twists and new developments constantly through the story, that just when you think you know what the mystery you're meant to be piecing together is, another one pops up for your enjoyment to riddle out. The loops and whorls she creates is something to behold.
Genevieve Taylor is back and I'd forgotten how much of a girl crush I have on her. She's so genuinely clever, it makes her a perfect narrator. I just enjoy ever page with her on it. She's always level-headed, and she's not predictable, but seems to always do exactly what you want her to do. That's not to say that you're not surprised by where she goes throughout the story; because you'll find it nearly impossible to guess what she'll do next, but the reasons I liked her in the beginning of the series are the same reasons I still like her at the end of this book. Genny's character acts and reacts consistently with her emotions as well. Sounds like an easy accomplishment, but most certainly isn't. All of her stabilities give her character a realistic quality, in a world you couldn't think up in your wildest dreams.
This is no cookie cutter world that McLeod has created. Her characters are fresh and intriguing one minute and all together terrifying the next. It's a delicious balance, and the constant wondering of what magically being will pop up next keeps things changing and exciting throughout. The story has witches, vampires, fae, sidhe, trolls... you think of it and this story has it, along with many creatures you've yet to imagine. The world is vibrant with its characters but equally engrossing with its rich character histories and fae-lore, not to mention her unique take on vampires. Everything is original and will be interesting to every reader, whether you're a seasoned urban fantasy reader, or a newbie, just starting out.
Since the story is such a surprising, and sometimes shocking set of twists and turns. I will tease you and say that the storytelling is stunning, but to dive into the story any further wouldn't be fair on your reading experiences. I will say, you're going to feel a little like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole once the story gets going, but don't fear you have to press on and the answers will be revealed. {Not all of them because this is a series and not a stand alone book, but you get plenty...} Genevieve will help you not feel lost by saying things like "And something hovered at the edge of my mind-" and "my mind reaching for something I couldn't quite grasp-" often; letting you know that she hasn't pieced it together yet, so don't feel bad that you haven't either. You'll soon discover that you'll never guess the story's next turn, and you'll be such a happy little reader because of it. I literally said out loud "no freakin' way" a few times. You'll be floored by some of the developments. I know I was.
Bottom Line: Mcleod comes back with such force in this second book. Her characters still have intrigue, her world remains mysterious, and her plots are diabolical. The Cold Kiss of a Death is a literary trifecta.
Boy, can McLeod twist a story! Her books are a mystery lover's dream. There are so many twists and new developments constantly through the story, that just when you think you know what the mystery you're meant to be piecing together is, another one pops up for your enjoyment to riddle out. The loops and whorls she creates is something to behold.
Genevieve Taylor is back and I'd forgotten how much of a girl crush I have on her. She's so genuinely clever, it makes her a perfect narrator. I just enjoy ever page with her on it. She's always level-headed, and she's not predictable, but seems to always do exactly what you want her to do. That's not to say that you're not surprised by where she goes throughout the story; because you'll find it nearly impossible to guess what she'll do next, but the reasons I liked her in the beginning of the series are the same reasons I still like her at the end of this book. Genny's character acts and reacts consistently with her emotions as well. Sounds like an easy accomplishment, but most certainly isn't. All of her stabilities give her character a realistic quality, in a world you couldn't think up in your wildest dreams.
This is no cookie cutter world that McLeod has created. Her characters are fresh and intriguing one minute and all together terrifying the next. It's a delicious balance, and the constant wondering of what magically being will pop up next keeps things changing and exciting throughout. The story has witches, vampires, fae, sidhe, trolls... you think of it and this story has it, along with many creatures you've yet to imagine. The world is vibrant with its characters but equally engrossing with its rich character histories and fae-lore, not to mention her unique take on vampires. Everything is original and will be interesting to every reader, whether you're a seasoned urban fantasy reader, or a newbie, just starting out.
Since the story is such a surprising, and sometimes shocking set of twists and turns. I will tease you and say that the storytelling is stunning, but to dive into the story any further wouldn't be fair on your reading experiences. I will say, you're going to feel a little like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole once the story gets going, but don't fear you have to press on and the answers will be revealed. {Not all of them because this is a series and not a stand alone book, but you get plenty...} Genevieve will help you not feel lost by saying things like "And something hovered at the edge of my mind-" and "my mind reaching for something I couldn't quite grasp-" often; letting you know that she hasn't pieced it together yet, so don't feel bad that you haven't either. You'll soon discover that you'll never guess the story's next turn, and you'll be such a happy little reader because of it. I literally said out loud "no freakin' way" a few times. You'll be floored by some of the developments. I know I was.
Bottom Line: Mcleod comes back with such force in this second book. Her characters still have intrigue, her world remains mysterious, and her plots are diabolical. The Cold Kiss of a Death is a literary trifecta.
May 1, 2015
The Cold Kiss of Death is British author Suzanne McLeod’s second novel in her Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series. Picking up shortly after where the first Spellcrackers book left off, The Cold Kiss of Death hits the ground running and never stops. It also wastes little time rehashing past events, so I really think this is one series you will want to read from the beginning. You really should read The Sweet Scent of Blood before even thinking of tackling this book.
Cold Kiss of Death is a complex tale that follows the adventures of Genny Taylor, a noble fae sidhe who works for the London based Spellcrackers franchise, a business that specialises in sorting out magical problems. Spellcrackers.com is not a detective agency per se, it's more of a pest control service, dealing in spell removal and cleaning up other magical messes. With the events of the first book, Genny's situation has gotten a bit precarious. Her 3V infection marks her as a vampire venom addict, which makes witches less inclined to trust her and vampires want to well, take a bite out of her. Since she's employed by witches, Genny is worried her job may be on the line and once she loses the protection of the Witches Council, there will be nothing to keep the vampires declaring open season on her. Still job problems are the least of Genny’s worries. First, she has a ghost haunting her and then things go from bad to worse when she is framed for murder. As if proving her innocence wasn’t a big enough task she has to dodge the advances of power-hungry vampires who want to harness the power of magic in her blood for themselves and the unwanted advances of the fae community who now see her as a way to end their ages long curse of infertility. The Cold Kiss of Death is a fast paced, satisfyingly complex read. There's a lot going on and you have to keep on your toes to keep it all straight. The book’s cover promises magic, mayhem and murder and there is no shortage of any of those things. Throw in an imaginatively realised fantasy London with demons, sorcerers, satyrs, vampires, necromancers and a wide variety of faery beings and it’s clear that this book is a sure-fire winner for fantasy fans. Although vampires play the largest part in the Spellcrackers series there are echoes of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Meredith Gentry series, since it has a strong emphasis on sidhe myth and politics. Genny makes a realistically likeable yet suitably kick-ass heroine who keeps fighting to the end. With plenty of action, a solid mystery plotline and a hint of sexual tension, Cold Kiss makes for a great read. Fans of America’s Patricia Briggs, Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris would do well to add Susanne McLeod to their reading lists. Faeries, vampires, mystery and magic – this book has it all!
Cold Kiss of Death is a complex tale that follows the adventures of Genny Taylor, a noble fae sidhe who works for the London based Spellcrackers franchise, a business that specialises in sorting out magical problems. Spellcrackers.com is not a detective agency per se, it's more of a pest control service, dealing in spell removal and cleaning up other magical messes. With the events of the first book, Genny's situation has gotten a bit precarious. Her 3V infection marks her as a vampire venom addict, which makes witches less inclined to trust her and vampires want to well, take a bite out of her. Since she's employed by witches, Genny is worried her job may be on the line and once she loses the protection of the Witches Council, there will be nothing to keep the vampires declaring open season on her. Still job problems are the least of Genny’s worries. First, she has a ghost haunting her and then things go from bad to worse when she is framed for murder. As if proving her innocence wasn’t a big enough task she has to dodge the advances of power-hungry vampires who want to harness the power of magic in her blood for themselves and the unwanted advances of the fae community who now see her as a way to end their ages long curse of infertility. The Cold Kiss of Death is a fast paced, satisfyingly complex read. There's a lot going on and you have to keep on your toes to keep it all straight. The book’s cover promises magic, mayhem and murder and there is no shortage of any of those things. Throw in an imaginatively realised fantasy London with demons, sorcerers, satyrs, vampires, necromancers and a wide variety of faery beings and it’s clear that this book is a sure-fire winner for fantasy fans. Although vampires play the largest part in the Spellcrackers series there are echoes of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Meredith Gentry series, since it has a strong emphasis on sidhe myth and politics. Genny makes a realistically likeable yet suitably kick-ass heroine who keeps fighting to the end. With plenty of action, a solid mystery plotline and a hint of sexual tension, Cold Kiss makes for a great read. Fans of America’s Patricia Briggs, Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris would do well to add Susanne McLeod to their reading lists. Faeries, vampires, mystery and magic – this book has it all!
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